CR-1 / IR-1 Interview updates

[delawhere 70]

On 8/14/2020 at 8:13 AM, Bear_and_Bunny said:

They are super quick.  Just received my package and passport back with the visa in it. appointment was monday 11:30 and have received all my docs and visa by friday 12:30!  

I’m hoping the “interview Monday, visa by Friday” lightening strikes twice! My husband had his interview and was approved yesterday so it would be wonderful if we could start finalising plans by the weekend. Congrats on having yours in hand! Do you know when you’ll be coming to the states yet?

[Wuozopo 4,293]

2 hours ago, corntop said:

Thanks Wuozopo. My main worries were from reading people’s reviews on here where they get a denial for certain documents when the Travel site explicitly states you don’t need to bring them, it got me paranoid so I’m over-preparing instead, think we have the last 3 years of transcripts and W2s ready to print 🤯

Were those London denials? I’ve read London interview tales for 12 years and it would be pretty unusual to get denied over a document. Some do get delayed because their birth certificate wasn’t long form, or the passport went through the wash or had suntan lotion spilled on it so rejected, or they got the wrong police certificate from Australia, or their passport had less than six months validity remaining. They were approved once they replaced the document.

[corntop 129]

10 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

Were those London denials? I’ve read London interview tales for 12 years and it would be pretty unusual to get denied over a document. Some do get delayed because their birth certificate wasn’t long form, or the passport went through the wash or had suntan lotion spilled on it so rejected, or they got the wrong police certificate from Australia, or their passport had less than six months validity remaining. They were approved once they replaced the document.

Sorry I was just referring to the 221(g) denials, where you're not approved until you've provided X. Not the end of the world but also not worth the stress after all this spare time to prepare.

[GringoCarioca 16]

Anyone heard of any May DQ'd dates at NVC processing getting their interviews set yet?

We were DQ'd at the tail end of May, so just trying to gauge the time we could expect an interview.

 

I'm glad to see people getting ready for their interviews!

 

I'm thinking about trying to request an expedite. I just don't know if it is worth it at this point.

We've had quite the challenge with the NVC until they finally approved all documents (and it had to be during a pandemic further delaying our process)

 

One document that was submitted was even current at time of submission, but then they updated the document (I believe it was the AOS) while we were waiting for them to review the submitted one.

Because of the wait time for them to review, they denied the uploaded document and we had to resubmit adding 3 months of wait time until they got around to reviewing the re-uploads.

Other issues with us having properly uploading tax returns & getting rejected, having evidence of maintaining a domicile get rejected (which was strangely accepted in one review and rejected in another).

All of these rejections of documents was hard until we finally got them all approved this year (had somewhere around 5-6 rejected reviews of documents until all were fully accepted).

With our case nearly taking 2 & 1/2 yrs at this point, trying to figure out the best way to strongly word a request to see if we could qualify for one.

Reading on here, it just seems its 50/50 chance of getting an expedite.

 

Additionally, I've heard of people submitting through an nvc expedite e-mail, but I haven't seen this officially on the state department's website.

I've only found the form that you fill out online to contact the nvc (don't know if they are one and the same or if they are different/which is better)

 

Best of luck to those with upcoming interviews!

[Bbking2 93]

It's a tough one... We are 1 June. Thought about expediting, but seeing that there has been significant movement I reckon you will be in the next batch. I guess October. We hoping for late October early November 

[shallot343 116]

46 minutes ago, GringoCarioca said:

Additionally, I've heard of people submitting through an nvc expedite e-mail, but I haven't seen this officially on the state department's website.

I've only found the form that you fill out online to contact the nvc (don't know if they are one and the same or if they are different/which is better)

We submitted an Expedite Request via the NVC email address on July 31st (based on severe delay due to USCIS error which isn't the strongest argument in the world) and received an email on August 5th that our request was being reviewed. Radio silence since. We are a mid June DQ so will likely be in the same batch of interviews, or one month after you. 

 

The upcoming interviews include a lot of non-expedited March and April DQs and were released at the beginning of the month so I assume it will be April/May DQs released in the beginning of September for October interview, and so on. If our expedite is denied (and it isn't looking good at this point...) we are assuming a November interview. We haven't see one another since January 1st of this year so if we can get this visa approved before 2021 hits I will be over the moon! 

 

It doesn't hurt to request an expedite though--especially with your journey already taking such a long time! If you can make a case for yourself I think its worth a shot 

[corntop 129]

2 hours ago, GringoCarioca said:

Anyone heard of any May DQ'd dates at NVC processing getting their interviews set yet?

We were DQ'd at the tail end of May, so just trying to gauge the time we could expect an interview.

There is a timeline on here of a couple with a 1st May DQ and a 24th September interview (not expedited). 

 

We are 22nd May DQ and I have a feeling October or early November will be our turn.

[Eladnolnod 36]

Morning all,

 

had my interview this morning and received 221(g) for my medical results - but the officer said everything was good otherwise and once received they will issue the visa.

 

The whole process was painless and I’ll get a review up later today. 
 

For what it’s worth, I had my medical on the 7th and Visa Medicals confirmed on Monday that it was sent to the embassy on the 12th... apparently the issue is on the embassy side and they just sent over PDF copies via e-mail for those that the embassy didn’t have.

 

CEAC says refused at the moment but will keep an eye on it over the next few days!

Edited August 20, 2020 by Eladnolnod

[ohcoffeeeyes 120]

22 hours ago, Eladnolnod said:

Morning all,

 

had my interview this morning and received 221(g) for my medical results - but the officer said everything was good otherwise and once received they will issue the visa.

 

The whole process was painless and I’ll get a review up later today. 
 

For what it’s worth, I had my medical on the 7th and Visa Medicals confirmed on Monday that it was sent to the embassy on the 12th... apparently the issue is on the embassy side and they just sent over PDF copies via e-mail for those that the embassy didn’t have.

 

CEAC says refused at the moment but will keep an eye on it over the next few days!

Was it an expedite? Keep hearing that as a July DQ, I'm gonna be waiting for December... Ugh. I just don't know how we should expedite, emotional hardship? With what evidence?

Edited August 21, 2020 by ohcoffeeeyes

[Bear_and_Bunny 25]

On 8/18/2020 at 2:13 PM, delawhere said:

I’m hoping the “interview Monday, visa by Friday” lightening strikes twice! My husband had his interview and was approved yesterday so it would be wonderful if we could start finalising plans by the weekend. Congrats on having yours in hand! Do you know when you’ll be coming to the states yet?

Thank you.  I hope it all comes through in time!!  We are flying on the 5th.  I know we arent supposed to but we had our house sorted, dogs flights sorted, our flights booked, job notice handed in etc with the hope wed get things through in time. Which luckily they did.  

So 2 weeks tomorrow we fly into atlanta then onwards to bama.  Have a 5 hour layover so hoping that's plenty of time for the poa check.  

[PBabz 139]

On 8/21/2020 at 8:10 AM, ohcoffeeeyes said:

Keep hearing that as a July DQ, I'm gonna be waiting for December... Ugh. I just don't know how we should expedite, emotional hardship? With what evidence?

We are also a July DQ date, I estimate about December time too, but equally, nobody really knows what's going on, everything is so up in the air! 

I keep mulling over the idea of doing an expedite too but similarly, I don't know what to expedite and how.

It's terrible and my husband and I are both quite down having not seen each other since last year at our wedding, but having been apart for the majority of our five year relationship because he's in the military, we're almost used to the separation, not that you ever get used to it, but we consider it a constant factor in our relationship and we manage as best we can.

We can't claim any financial hardship because he earns a decent amount, as do I, so we just continue to wait and hope for some swift processing for us along with everyone else waiting. 🤞

[DCB 19]

Hey guys, had my interview on Monday and was approved. I knew it was starting out well when I met someone from VisaJourney sitting outside the embassy waiting for his wife. So we had a good chat before I went in. Honestly I was excited for the interview.

 

There were very few people inside the embassy, both from a staff perspective and visa applicants. It was easy to find the right waiting area, which was smaller than I had expected. There were staff at three windows and about 5 people waiting. The only thing that made me a little nervous was the fact you can hear everyones conversations at the windows, so I knew everyone would hear my answers as well - but really it was fine. 

 

Firstly I was called up to one window where I the documents that were asked for:

- DS260 Confirmation page

- Affidavit of Support from my wife, and one from my joint sponsor (+ tax returns).

- Passport 

- My Birth Certificate

- Marriage Certificate 

- ACRO Police check

- One photo

 

The chap also asked for the courier confirmation page, which I had embarrassingly forgotten, he was super chill about that and told me he'd print another one out for me no problem.

 

I came with a huge folder that had all sorts of stuff, but none of it was asked for. I didn't have to prove my wife's intentions to reestablish domicile in the US. I didn't have to provide any copies of any form of I.D. for my joint sponsor. 

 

Once the documents were submitted to the office for review, I was called up 10 minutes later. I figured they needed to ask me for more documents or maybe there was an issue with one of them, but when I went to the window, the friendly officer (that looked and sounded quite like Ben Shapiro) asked me how I was doing and proceeded to ask me how my wife and I met, and when and why we decided to move to the US. He joked about how I asked my wife to marry me in a helicopter above the city that we're moving to, and we had a bit of a laugh together, it was really quite relaxed. After those questions, he closed the folder of documents and said "Right, that's all done, you should expect your visa in about two weeks". I couldn't believe how fast and efficient the process was, and I was so excited that I forgot about how much money we had wasted getting all sorts of documents and letters etc shipped from the US.

 

Good luck to those of you who are waiting. You'll be there soon, and hopefully they'll treat you as well as they treated me. 

 

 

[Melc 138]

On 8/24/2020 at 2:16 AM, Bear_and_Bunny said:

Have a 5 hour layover so hoping that's plenty of time for the poa check.  

I just entered last week, but in Boston. It was quite busy in secondary with a lot of students entering, and most foreign family members having to be sent to secondary as well due to the travel ban. 

 

It took me 1 hr in secondary, so based on that I would hope 5 hrs is plenty! 😄 

Edited August 26, 2020 by Melc

[MattyUKtoUS 242]

I have my medical tomorrow in London. I am fairly sure last time I went I was OK with my backpack, anyone know if this is still the case?

 

I don't see anything in the email from them, unless I am going blind.

 

Many thanks, Matt

[MattyUKtoUS 242]

9 hours ago, DCB said:

Hey guys, had my interview on Monday and was approved. I knew it was starting out well when I met someone from VisaJourney sitting outside the embassy waiting for his wife. So we had a good chat before I went in. Honestly I was excited for the interview.

 

There were very few people inside the embassy, both from a staff perspective and visa applicants. It was easy to find the right waiting area, which was smaller than I had expected. There were staff at three windows and about 5 people waiting. The only thing that made me a little nervous was the fact you can hear everyones conversations at the windows, so I knew everyone would hear my answers as well - but really it was fine. 

 

Firstly I was called up to one window where I the documents that were asked for:

- DS260 Confirmation page

- Affidavit of Support from my wife, and one from my joint sponsor (+ tax returns).

- Passport 

- My Birth Certificate

- Marriage Certificate 

- ACRO Police check

- One photo

 

The chap also asked for the courier confirmation page, which I had embarrassingly forgotten, he was super chill about that and told me he'd print another one out for me no problem.

 

I came with a huge folder that had all sorts of stuff, but none of it was asked for. I didn't have to prove my wife's intentions to reestablish domicile in the US. I didn't have to provide any copies of any form of I.D. for my joint sponsor. 

 

Once the documents were submitted to the office for review, I was called up 10 minutes later. I figured they needed to ask me for more documents or maybe there was an issue with one of them, but when I went to the window, the friendly officer (that looked and sounded quite like Ben Shapiro) asked me how I was doing and proceeded to ask me how my wife and I met, and when and why we decided to move to the US. He joked about how I asked my wife to marry me in a helicopter above the city that we're moving to, and we had a bit of a laugh together, it was really quite relaxed. After those questions, he closed the folder of documents and said "Right, that's all done, you should expect your visa in about two weeks". I couldn't believe how fast and efficient the process was, and I was so excited that I forgot about how much money we had wasted getting all sorts of documents and letters etc shipped from the US.

 

Good luck to those of you who are waiting. You'll be there soon, and hopefully they'll treat you as well as they treated me. 

 

 

Congrats! that's a wonderful story and you pointed out a document I had not printed, so thanks for that! 

 

Got mine in just over 3 weeks, I hope a similar story