Any experience with interviews in Auckland?

[mcs_2021 3]

2 minutes ago, EKT said:

My husband received his visa today, wooo! There was a one week delay issuing the visa due to having his medical the day before the interview. He had his interview on Jan 12th and the medical report was sent through electronically on the 13th and added to his case on the 14th, then his visa was eventually issued last Friday (21st) along with everyone who was interviewed and approved on 19th.

 

@mcs_2021 @Sammy.NZ tagging you both as we'd talked about what happens if the medical and interview happen are around the same time  

Thanks so much @EKT congratulations!! So exciting! We were able to schedule the medical, so a step in the right direction! 

 

Another question for you - we were just told that we need to re-upload documents to our "CEAC profile" (which I'm assuming is the same CEAC portal that we submitted all our documents to the NVC through) because the consulate cannot see them on their end. Did you have any issues with this? Its not clear to me how to re-upload now that the NVC has approved everything.... My husband is dropping off his original documents in person, but they said they also need to be able to see all the documents in the portal as well. 

[EKT 117]

3 minutes ago, mcs_2021 said:

Thanks so much @EKT congratulations!! So exciting! We were able to schedule the medical, so a step in the right direction! 

 

Another question for you - we were just told that we need to re-upload documents to our "CEAC profile" (which I'm assuming is the same CEAC portal that we submitted all our documents to the NVC through) because the consulate cannot see them on their end. Did you have any issues with this? Its not clear to me how to re-upload now that the NVC has approved everything.... My husband is dropping off his original documents in person, but they said they also need to be able to see all the documents in the portal as well. 

No, I've never heard of this happening! At the top of your CEAC profile where it says something like "Case is at", does it say NVC or Auckland? Maybe NVC just hasn't transferred the case to Auckland yet and it needs to happen on their end. If it says the case is at Auckland, I would email the consulate and tell them that everything is already sitting there and approved on your end, and ask them to clarify what they want you to do. 

[MelanieR18 29]

Has anyone paid the $220 USCIS immigrant fee yet? I paid ours today online and it emailed me a receipt with an IOE number on it which is different to our original IOE number. Just wondering if anyone else had the same thing happen?

[mcs_2021 3]

2 hours ago, EKT said:

No, I've never heard of this happening! At the top of your CEAC profile where it says something like "Case is at", does it say NVC or Auckland? Maybe NVC just hasn't transferred the case to Auckland yet and it needs to happen on their end. If it says the case is at Auckland, I would email the consulate and tell them that everything is already sitting there and approved on your end, and ask them to clarify what they want you to do. 

Yea its so strange! It says our case is in Auckland so not sure whats going on.... I've asked for more information and am hoping my husband can get more details....

[EKT 117]

1 hour ago, MelanieR18 said:

Has anyone paid the $220 USCIS immigrant fee yet? I paid ours today online and it emailed me a receipt with an IOE number on it which is different to our original IOE number. Just wondering if anyone else had the same thing happen?

We haven't paid it yet but it sounds like new IOE number might just be the receipt number for the immigrant visa fee transaction. Does the notice have his full name and IV case number (ours starts with ACK2021...) on it? 

[MelanieR18 29]

Just now, EKT said:

We haven't paid it yet but it sounds like new IOE number might just be the receipt number for the immigrant visa fee transaction. Does the notice have his full name and IV case number (ours starts with ACK2021...) on it? 

No it doesn't, the email we got after paying had a "tracking ID" and the amount/date that it was paid, but no name or anything, then just this comment at the bottom that said:

Your payment was applied to the following case(s):
        IOEXXXXXXXX

So weird. 

I did go back and try to pay it again just to check but site said the fee had been paid so I'm sure it's fine. 

 

Just an FYI...

When I went to pay it online, the IV Case Number/DOS Case Number was too long (ours was like 12 digits and it said it only takes 9-10 digits) and I saw somewhere online that you have to take off the 01 at the end and it works. Just in case anyone else runs into that same problem

[Jovany&Divya 6]

5 hours ago, EKT said:

My husband received his visa today, wooo! There was a one week delay issuing the visa due to having his medical the day before the interview. He had his interview on Jan 12th and the medical report was sent through electronically on the 13th and added to his case on the 14th, then his visa was eventually issued last Friday (21st) along with everyone who was interviewed and approved on 19th.

 

@mcs_2021 @Sammy.NZ tagging you both as we'd talked about what happens if the medical and interview happen are around the same time  

Awesome news i have done my interview last week and hopefully they will send it this week trying to head before the 14th of feb 😃  - would like to book my flights soon. 

[Jevin 4]

5 hours ago, EKT said:

My husband received his visa today, wooo! There was a one week delay issuing the visa due to having his medical the day before the interview. He had his interview on Jan 12th and the medical report was sent through electronically on the 13th and added to his case on the 14th, then his visa was eventually issued last Friday (21st) along with everyone who was interviewed and approved on 19th.

 

@mcs_2021 @Sammy.NZ tagging you both as we'd talked about what happens if the medical and interview happen are around the same time  

Congrats @EKT!

[Sammy.NZ 45]

Hi fellow NZ peeps,

Has anyone had an interview in alert level red yet?! 

 

Currently scrambling to get all our docs submitted to NVC and checking everything once, twice, thrice to try and make sure we don't have any delays.🤞

I've booked my flight back to the U.S. in May and I'm THRILLED, hoping my husband will be not far behind me...  also got news my sister is expecting! Overjoyed to discover I'll be home before she's due. 🤰

 

That being said - nervous as heck about the change to alert level red and hoping we don't see any interview delays. Hoping for the best and preparing the worst. 

 

Those of you interviewing... please continue to keep us updated with interview wait times & any other 'need to knows' you experience at alert level red. Best of luck to everyone ! 🙂

 

[Chancy 6,241]

On 1/23/2022 at 8:59 PM, MelanieR18 said:

Has anyone paid the $220 USCIS immigrant fee yet? I paid ours today online and it emailed me a receipt with an IOE number on it which is different to our original IOE number. Just wondering if anyone else had the same thing happen?

 

That is the normal process.  Your I-130 petition was approved long ago, so that case has been closed and the IOE number for it is no longer relevant.  The immigrant fee payment is a new transaction with USCIS with a new IOE number.

 

[Chancy 6,241]

On 1/23/2022 at 7:23 PM, mcs_2021 said:

we were just told that we need to re-upload documents to our "CEAC profile" (which I'm assuming is the same CEAC portal that we submitted all our documents to the NVC through) because the consulate cannot see them on their end. Did you have any issues with this? Its not clear to me how to re-upload now that the NVC has approved everything

 

You may upload the documents under the "Additional AOS Supporting Documentation" and/or "Optional Documents" sections in CEAC.  Those sections remain available on CEAC long after the case has been DQ-ed by NVC.

 

[EKT 117]

20 hours ago, Sammy.NZ said:

Hi fellow NZ peeps,

Has anyone had an interview in alert level red yet?! 

 

Currently scrambling to get all our docs submitted to NVC and checking everything once, twice, thrice to try and make sure we don't have any delays.🤞

I've booked my flight back to the U.S. in May and I'm THRILLED, hoping my husband will be not far behind me...  also got news my sister is expecting! Overjoyed to discover I'll be home before she's due. 🤰

 

That being said - nervous as heck about the change to alert level red and hoping we don't see any interview delays. Hoping for the best and preparing the worst. 

 

Those of you interviewing... please continue to keep us updated with interview wait times & any other 'need to knows' you experience at alert level red. Best of luck to everyone ! 🙂

 

The consulate restarted IR/CR and K1 interviews as soon as Auckland first went to red in December so I think that’s a good sign! The guidance around in-person work is really vague but because they are provide a critical service I really hope they continue and maybe just take additional precautions around distancing and the number of people allowed in the building/queues at any given time. Maybe it will be negative RAT to interview 😂

 

Good luck with final prep for NVC!

[EKT 117]

@Sammy.NZ Did you see this update on the Consulate's website? Looks promising  There's a bit more info at the link below.

 

https://nz.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/#latest

 

UPDATE 1/23/22: Traffic light settings are now in place for all of Aotearoa. All of New Zealand is now at Red.

On January 23, the Government of New Zealand announced that all of New Zealand will move to red under the COVID-19 Protection Framework  at 23:59 on Sunday, January 23, 2022.  The U.S. Consulate General in Auckland operates under the Government of New Zealand’s COVID-19 Protection Framework.   

During Red level, the Consulate is open and will continue to host applicants at their scheduled time. Applicants should plan to be exactly on time to your appointment; not early or late. Only the applicant (and parents of minors, as applicable) will be allowed inside the waiting area. If an escort is required, please contact the Consulate so we can add the escort to the schedule.

[BahamaBaby 12]

Hi all, 

 

So happy to see most of you having completed interviews and ready to head on over to the USA! 

My family and I are kiwis living in Australia waiting for an interview at Sydney consulate for an immigrant visa. We qualified under the employment based (EB) visa program. 
 

We’ve been DQ since august 2021 and have not heard from the consulate. They were shut through Sydney lockdown which ended in October and then they relocated to a new office and are still not set up to take appointments. It’s also unclear when they might eventually open and what the backlog or timeline might look like, so we don’t know if it’s weeks/months/years. 
 

I guess one option we have is to ask NVC to send our case to Auckland consulate and attend the interview there? At least we know it would happen within a couple of months (once NZ has free travel with Australia) 

 

Just wanted peoples views on whether it was feasible doing it in NZ - sounds like there isn’t a backlog there and it might be a whole lot easier than waiting indefinitely in Sydney? 
 

 

 

 

[mekbus 9]

22 hours ago, BahamaBaby said:

Hi all, 

 

So happy to see most of you having completed interviews and ready to head on over to the USA! 

My family and I are kiwis living in Australia waiting for an interview at Sydney consulate for an immigrant visa. We qualified under the employment based (EB) visa program. 
 

We’ve been DQ since august 2021 and have not heard from the consulate. They were shut through Sydney lockdown which ended in October and then they relocated to a new office and are still not set up to take appointments. It’s also unclear when they might eventually open and what the backlog or timeline might look like, so we don’t know if it’s weeks/months/years. 
 

I guess one option we have is to ask NVC to send our case to Auckland consulate and attend the interview there? At least we know it would happen within a couple of months (once NZ has free travel with Australia) 

 

Just wanted peoples views on whether it was feasible doing it in NZ - sounds like there isn’t a backlog there and it might be a whole lot easier than waiting indefinitely in Sydney? 
 

 

 

 

I have no idea about how easy it is to transfer so can't answer. But I am interested if other people know of applicants who have transferred embassies.