Interview letter...without an interview date?

[Tasha- 3]

Has this happened to anyone? Our case was expedited and is now at the US embassy in Ethiopia.

Last week they sent us an e-mail with detailed instructions for medical exam and other required documents, but NO date.

In the e-mail they said: "Please find the attached instruction for immigrant visa process. Once you have completed all the requirements listed, email us at AddisIV@state.gov so that we can schedule you for interview."

Has this ever happened to anyone else? I thought usually you receive a date BEFORE the medical exam, because that's what the medical examiner would want to see. The attached letter isn't even addressing my husband's full name. Is this a mistake on the embassy, or a new policy? I was hoping to get the interview date so I could fly there to help him for the last stretch.

I tried calling the embassy and they refused to be of any help, and just insisted that I e-mail them, which I already did 5 days ago.

Sorry, a little frustrated now.

[Uiyl 56]

On 1/11/2021 at 9:54 AM, Tasha- said:

Has this happened to anyone? Our case was expedited and is now at the US embassy in Ethiopia.

Last week they sent us an e-mail with detailed instructions for medical exam and other required documents, but NO date.

In the e-mail they said: "Please find the attached instruction for immigrant visa process. Once you have completed all the requirements listed, email us at AddisIV@state.gov so that we can schedule you for interview."

Has this ever happened to anyone else? I thought usually you receive a date BEFORE the medical exam, because that's what the medical examiner would want to see. The attached letter isn't even addressing my husband's full name. Is this a mistake on the embassy, or a new policy? I was hoping to get the interview date so I could fly there to help him for the last stretch.

I tried calling the embassy and they refused to be of any help, and just insisted that I e-mail them, which I already did 5 days ago.

Sorry, a little frustrated now.

I went to do my medical last week and found a lady who said she was given an expedite without an interview date and she said she was told she will be given a date once her medical records are sent to the embassy. I hope this helps

 

[Tasha- 3]

9 hours ago, Uiyl said:

I went to do my medical last week and found a lady who said she was given an expedite without an interview date and she said she was told she will be given a date once her medical records are sent to the embassy. I hope this helps

 

Okay, that's good to know! How was your medical? Any issues or surprises? Actually my husband now has his own medical appointment for tomorrow morning at the IOM.

[Uiyl 56]

41 minutes ago, Tasha- said:

Okay, that's good to know! How was your medical? Any issues or surprises? Actually my husband now has his own medical appointment for tomorrow morning at the IOM.

Not really, medical was smooth process. 

[Tasha- 3]

19 minutes ago, Uiyl said:

Not really, medical was smooth process. 

great! Did you have to pay around 6000 birr for the exam? And did you talk about what vaccines are appropriate/available?

[Uiyl 56]

22 minutes ago, Tasha- said:

great! Did you have to pay around 6000 birr for the exam? And did you talk about what vaccines are appropriate/available?

Yes, the payment is 6000+ they didn't mention anything about vaccination though I took my vaccination records with me since it is my second time doing the medical and I was vaccinated during the first round at American medical center. 

[Katelyn_Wray 34]

On 1/12/2021 at 1:28 PM, Uiyl said:

Yes, the payment is 6000+ they didn't mention anything about vaccination though I took my vaccination records with me since it is my second time doing the medical and I was vaccinated during the first round at American medical center. 

Hey, what vaccinations were you given the first time you did your medical?

[Uiyl 56]

18 hours ago, Katelyn_Wray said:

Hey, what vaccinations were you given the first time you did your medical?

Only MMR1&2 

[LibbyG99 65]

On 1/11/2021 at 9:54 AM, Tasha- said:

Has this happened to anyone? Our case was expedited and is now at the US embassy in Ethiopia.

Last week they sent us an e-mail with detailed instructions for medical exam and other required documents, but NO date.

In the e-mail they said: "Please find the attached instruction for immigrant visa process. Once you have completed all the requirements listed, email us at AddisIV@state.gov so that we can schedule you for interview."

Has this ever happened to anyone else? I thought usually you receive a date BEFORE the medical exam, because that's what the medical examiner would want to see. The attached letter isn't even addressing my husband's full name. Is this a mistake on the embassy, or a new policy? I was hoping to get the interview date so I could fly there to help him for the last stretch.

I tried calling the embassy and they refused to be of any help, and just insisted that I e-mail them, which I already did 5 days ago.

Sorry, a little frustrated now.

I'm so happy to see some interviews in Ethiopia now! Can I ask how you got your expedite?

[Tasha- 3]

5 hours ago, LibbyG99 said:

I'm so happy to see some interviews in Ethiopia now! Can I ask how you got your expedite?

I submitted my expedite request to the NVC expedite e-mail, including case number, full name and DOB and invoice number in the body of the e-mail.

I gave documentation for why it was necessary to expedite his case, including my own mental illness diagnoses and mention of the war in Tigray. I also wrote a letter to them and my immigration lawyer complimented that with his own letter and had everything in one PDF document

[Tasha- 3]

22 hours ago, Uiyl said:

Only MMR1&2 

My husband just took his medical at the IOM, and he wasn't done till like 4 hours later. He asked about vaccines but the doctor told him he was done and to come back next Friday for the results. I'm a bit concerned something went wrong.

[Uiyl 56]

14 minutes ago, Tasha- said:

My husband just took his medical at the IOM, and he wasn't done till like 4 hours later. He asked about vaccines but the doctor told him he was done and to come back next Friday for the results. I'm a bit concerned something went wrong.

That's what I was told during my medical too. At IOM, they didn't mention anything about vaccination even if  I took the copy of my vaccination records. Not only there, the Consulate also didn't ask for vaccination records during my interview even though I voluntarily showed the copy to the officer who verified my documents. May be the Consulate is aware of the fact that we were vaccinated as children. (in Ethiopia MMR, BCG etc were given to children at least since the 1980's)  Check with your husband if he still has the copy of his records. I had lost mine and that's why I took it again. I don't know why IOM isn't demanding that while the American medical center required every one to take the vaccine. If you ask me for my opinion, from my experience, some American universities require students to either show their vaccination records or to get vaccinated there( that happened to me in 2016 at FIU even if I went there for  a summer course) so it may not harm to get the vaccine if  your husband wants to go to college when he comes? 

[LibbyG99 65]

1 hour ago, Tasha- said:

I submitted my expedite request to the NVC expedite e-mail, including case number, full name and DOB and invoice number in the body of the e-mail.

I gave documentation for why it was necessary to expedite his case, including my own mental illness diagnoses and mention of the war in Tigray. I also wrote a letter to them and my immigration lawyer complimented that with his own letter and had everything in one PDF document

I'm happy it worked out for you. I was worried for you with your husband in Tigray, so I am glad you got your expedite.

 

We also tried to expedite using the war as our reason (it was a long shot I know) and we were denied. It appears they are working on spousal visas now and hopefully us fiance visas will be soon after.

 

Wishing you two the best!

[Tasha- 3]

42 minutes ago, LibbyG99 said:

I'm happy it worked out for you. I was worried for you with your husband in Tigray, so I am glad you got your expedite.

 

We also tried to expedite using the war as our reason (it was a long shot I know) and we were denied. It appears they are working on spousal visas now and hopefully us fiance visas will be soon after.

 

Wishing you two the best!

Thank you, yes hopefully the embassy will pick up the pace soon for your visa category as well! Especially with Biden just around the corner.

[Tasha- 3]

3 hours ago, Uiyl said:

That's what I was told during my medical too. At IOM, they didn't mention anything about vaccination even if  I took the copy of my vaccination records. Not only there, the Consulate also didn't ask for vaccination records during my interview even though I voluntarily showed the copy to the officer who verified my documents. May be the Consulate is aware of the fact that we were vaccinated as children. (in Ethiopia MMR, BCG etc were given to children at least since the 1980's)  Check with your husband if he still has the copy of his records. I had lost mine and that's why I took it again. I don't know why IOM isn't demanding that while the American medical center required every one to take the vaccine. If you ask me for my opinion, from my experience, some American universities require students to either show their vaccination records or to get vaccinated there( that happened to me in 2016 at FIU even if I went there for  a summer course) so it may not harm to get the vaccine if  your husband wants to go to college when he comes? 

Wow, this is really helpful to know! My husband still has his vaccine records, but due to his age he didn't get all of them. Also, he couldn't find anywhere that offered the MMR vaccine several months back. So definitely he can get them when he comes to the US. I'm glad the consulate didn't ask you about vaccines. That makes one less thing to worry about. Also my husband talked with a few other patients there, and it seemed like some had interview dates while others didn't. I'm not really sure why that is.