Any experience with interviews in Auckland?

[ztiberiusd 38]

8 minutes ago, Sammy.NZ said:

Yooooo - those who have been interviewed at Akld already, did you drop of docs to Consulate ahead of your interview as per below:

We live in SI so flying up, could maybe drop off docs a day or two before but definitely not a week....  Thoughts?

Step 2: Bring required documents to the consulate BEFORE your interview

 

It is important that you provide all required original documents and any missing items to the U.S. Consulate General in Auckland prior to your interview. We’ve created a checklist that will tell you what to bring. Please print the checklist below and bring it with the listed documents to the consulate the week before your interview any time between 8:00 a.m. and 12 noon Monday through Friday, except public holidays. Please place everything in a single envelope with your case number and full name on the outside, and address it to “Immigrant Visa Unit.”

You NEED to courier them up ahead of time. We recently had this same question and nearly lost our interview date because of it. We hadn't heard anything from the consulate and I couldn't find any clear info about it anywhere so I emailed them and asked. Except that was the Thursday before Easter, so they didn't reply until the following Tuesday, and they said if the docs weren't there by Thursday (one week before the interview) the interview would have to be rescheduled for the following month. Their address is a private bag, so your only option for a courier is NZ Post. That was a very nervous 30 hours or so between sending the docs and them receiving them, but thankfully they made it there. 

[EKT 117]

13 minutes ago, Sammy.NZ said:

Yooooo - those who have been interviewed at Akld already, did you drop of docs to Consulate ahead of your interview as per below:

We live in SI so flying up, could maybe drop off docs a day or two before but definitely not a week....  Thoughts?

Step 2: Bring required documents to the consulate BEFORE your interview

 

It is important that you provide all required original documents and any missing items to the U.S. Consulate General in Auckland prior to your interview. We’ve created a checklist that will tell you what to bring. Please print the checklist below and bring it with the listed documents to the consulate the week before your interview any time between 8:00 a.m. and 12 noon Monday through Friday, except public holidays. Please place everything in a single envelope with your case number and full name on the outside, and address it to “Immigrant Visa Unit.”

Yah! That was super quick. You need to courier the documents up at least a week before so I would just send them now. Just make sure he keeps his passport for the medical and to get into the consulate on the day along with his interview letter. 
 

 

[Sammy.NZ 45]

5 minutes ago, ztiberiusd said:

You NEED to courier them up ahead of time. We recently had this same question and nearly lost our interview date because of it. We hadn't heard anything from the consulate and I couldn't find any clear info about it anywhere so I emailed them and asked. Except that was the Thursday before Easter, so they didn't reply until the following Tuesday, and they said if the docs weren't there by Thursday (one week before the interview) the interview would have to be rescheduled for the following month. Their address is a private bag, so your only option for a courier is NZ Post. That was a very nervous 30 hours or so between sending the docs and them receiving them, but thankfully they made it there. 

 

1 minute ago, EKT said:

Yah! That was super quick. You need to courier the documents up at least a week before so I would just send them now. Just make sure he keeps his passport for the medical and to get into the consulate on the day along with his interview letter. 
 

 

Okay wow thanks for the input. How stressful to send that kind of info via courier. Will get onto it now I suppose... 

[Sammy.NZ 45]

2 hours ago, ztiberiusd said:

You NEED to courier them up ahead of time. We recently had this same question and nearly lost our interview date because of it. We hadn't heard anything from the consulate and I couldn't find any clear info about it anywhere so I emailed them and asked. Except that was the Thursday before Easter, so they didn't reply until the following Tuesday, and they said if the docs weren't there by Thursday (one week before the interview) the interview would have to be rescheduled for the following month. Their address is a private bag, so your only option for a courier is NZ Post. That was a very nervous 30 hours or so between sending the docs and them receiving them, but thankfully they made it there. 

Does anyone know where to find the address to send docs to??? Not finding one listed under the pre-interview checklist/instructions ?

Is it the same as the Consulate street address?

 

Edited April 26, 2022 by Sammy.NZ

[ztiberiusd 38]

1 minute ago, Sammy.NZ said:

Does anyone know where to find the address to send docs to??? Not finding one listed under the pre-interview checklist/instructions ?

Is it the same as the Consulate street address?

 

IMMIGRANT VISA SECTION

 

UNITED STATES CONSULATE GENERAL

 

PRIVATE BAG 92022

 

3rd Floor, CITIGROUP BLDG.,

 

23 CUSTOMS STREET EAST

 

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND 

[NZ_101 1]

Hi there,

 

My husband's case is still at the NVC, currently awaiting the review of one document. Our joint sponsor has an extension to file 2021 taxes. I know NVC will probably approve the extension (I4868), but I have read that in the interview they may still request the return / transcript even though you have an extension and the previous years' transcript.

 

Does anyone have any insight / experience on this? 

 

Thank you.

[Sammy.NZ 45]

6 hours ago, NZ_101 said:

Hi there,

 

My husband's case is still at the NVC, currently awaiting the review of one document. Our joint sponsor has an extension to file 2021 taxes. I know NVC will probably approve the extension (I4868), but I have read that in the interview they may still request the return / transcript even though you have an extension and the previous years' transcript.

 

Does anyone have any insight / experience on this? 

 

Thank you.

No personal experience here but I imagine if you have the latest available transcript you'll be fine - so in your sponsors case, I'd assume just the 2020 transcript is ok here. I imagine there is some wiggle room and leniency here before they start demanding 2021 tax return. Would be unreasonable if not in my opinion. Then again.. nothing about this process has seemed reasonable 🤷‍♀️  lol

[ztiberiusd 38]

Just thought I'd send an update.

 

My wife had her interview today and it was a breeze. It was at 8:45am and she was out of there by 9:05am. Went very smoothly. 

 

They asked when she last saw me, where I was living and what I did for work. Then they told her the visa is approved and will be in the mail. 

 

A fantastic result after a very long process. Thanks to everyone for your help and I hope everyone else can have such an easy interview experience. 

[Sammy.NZ 45]

1 hour ago, ztiberiusd said:

Just thought I'd send an update.

 

My wife had her interview today and it was a breeze. It was at 8:45am and she was out of there by 9:05am. Went very smoothly. 

 

They asked when she last saw me, where I was living and what I did for work. Then they told her the visa is approved and will be in the mail. 

 

A fantastic result after a very long process. Thanks to everyone for your help and I hope everyone else can have such an easy interview experience. 

Congrats to you both! Will you let us know when she gets her visa in the mail! Curious how long my husband should allow for between post interview and flight. 

[EKT 117]

2 minutes ago, Sammy.NZ said:

Congrats to you both! Will you let us know when she gets her visa in the mail! Curious how long my husband should allow for between post interview and flight. 

@ztiberiusd congrats on a smooth interview! In case you don't know, you check the visa status here to see when it's issued: https://ceac.state.gov/ceacstattracker/status.aspx

 

@Sammy.NZ they seem to issue the visas on the Friday after the interview (occasionally Monday the following week) and courier them the same day. Definitely get an overnight courier bag with tracking! The only delays I've heard of were parcels that got held up with the courier. But I suggest booking flights at least a couple of weeks after interview to avoid unnecessary stress!!

[ztiberiusd 38]

4 minutes ago, EKT said:

@ztiberiusd congrats on a smooth interview! In case you don't know, you check the visa status here to see when it's issued: https://ceac.state.gov/ceacstattracker/status.aspx

 

@Sammy.NZ

Great tip, thank you. When would you expect it to be issued? Friday? 

[EKT 117]

4 minutes ago, ztiberiusd said:

Great tip, thank you. When would you expect it to be issued? Friday? 

Probably Friday, although I've seen a few that were on Monday. 

[Sammy.NZ 45]

1 hour ago, EKT said:

@ztiberiusd congrats on a smooth interview! In case you don't know, you check the visa status here to see when it's issued: https://ceac.state.gov/ceacstattracker/status.aspx

 

@Sammy.NZ they seem to issue the visas on the Friday after the interview (occasionally Monday the following week) and courier them the same day. Definitely get an overnight courier bag with tracking! The only delays I've heard of were parcels that got held up with the courier. But I suggest booking flights at least a couple of weeks after interview to avoid unnecessary stress!!

Wait so is he suppose to bring a courier bag to the interview? Or do they sort it at the consulate? Def keen to get overnight courier….

[ztiberiusd 38]

5 hours ago, Sammy.NZ said:

Wait so is he suppose to bring a courier bag to the interview? Or do they sort it at the consulate? Def keen to get overnight courier….

He will have to bring a courier bag to the interview. 

[Sammy.NZ 45]

On 4/27/2022 at 10:54 PM, ztiberiusd said:

He will have to bring a courier bag to the interview. 

Hey again, so just to clarify - is the  prepaid courier bag you bring only for the passport or all docs?? 

My husband dropped off docs to the Consulate today as he's up there for the medical & the file is huuuuge. Wondering if they give these pack at the interview or mail them after??