medical expedite waiting for interview IR1

[Steve2022 41]

...  Still no answer from the Embassy inquiry form, but I called the NVC today and asked if I should expedite.  The agent said I should, that the Manila Embassy/Consulate is not processing "routine" visa interviews.  Whatever that means.   It doesn't really sound right to me.  Maybe I should call back Monday and ask again.   Is IR1 routine? 

 

I got an MRI last week and it is worse than we thought.   But at this point, we have already waited over 90 days since DQ.   So has anyone else gotten a CR1/IR1 interview letter recently, and when was your DQ?   I have a feeling that if I were to file for an expedite, it would make me have to schedule the appointment online myself, and I'm reading that there might(?) be no slots.  In other words, it could mess everything up if I file the expedite.  Are there slots for expedited CR1/IR1 available?   Thanks. 

[srg3037 5]

On 3/26/2022 at 12:00 AM, Steve2022 said:

...  Still no answer from the Embassy inquiry form, but I called the NVC today and asked if I should expedite.  The agent said I should, that the Manila Embassy/Consulate is not processing "routine" visa interviews.  Whatever that means.   It doesn't really sound right to me.  Maybe I should call back Monday and ask again.   Is IR1 routine? 

 

I got an MRI last week and it is worse than we thought.   But at this point, we have already waited over 90 days since DQ.   So has anyone else gotten a CR1/IR1 interview letter recently, and when was your DQ?   I have a feeling that if I were to file for an expedite, it would make me have to schedule the appointment online myself, and I'm reading that there might(?) be no slots.  In other words, it could mess everything up if I file the expedite.  Are there slots for expedited CR1/IR1 available?   Thanks. 

For sure you should expedite through the NVC.  In my case after being told all documents were completed it sat at NVC stage to send to the Embassy for over 3 months.  I decided to request for it to be expedited and within 4 days of the request it was approved.  A week later it was showing as Ready at the Embassy and I was lucky to be able to secure a visa interview date.  A 6 weeks later my daughters have their IR2 in their hands.  

[Steve2022 41]

4 hours ago, srg3037 said:

For sure you should expedite through the NVC.  In my case after being told all documents were completed it sat at NVC stage to send to the Embassy for over 3 months.  I decided to request for it to be expedited and within 4 days of the request it was approved.  A week later it was showing as Ready at the Embassy and I was lucky to be able to secure a visa interview date.  A 6 weeks later my daughters have their IR2 in their hands.  

Thanks for the input.  At this point it has been 90 days + a week.  I am definitely going to get a letter signed at a doctor's appointment next week, so until then I'll just hope the thing goes through under normal scheduling first, because I don't really want to mess with the paperwork and I'd like to accompany her to Manila if I'm able, so I need a little time buffer to buy a plane ticket and plan to be there for 3 weeks.  Maybe a cortisone injection will make me able, and I'm trying to schedule that now.  I think I'll just prepare for the worst (get the doctor's note) and hope for the best, that we just get the Interview Letter soon. 

 

[Steve2022 41]

Also it seems that the expedite process is problematic.  So I have not started it, because It has to be micromanaged once you have started.  The embassy wants my wife to have a phone that she is reachable at, but she gets no cell signal at her place, because the phone companies do not care about rural customers.  Real people just use Facebook Messenger, not a damned phone number.   I've tried to get an 80 foot cell booster tower installed there at her place, but nobody can seem to aim the antenna correctly, and nobody seems to care once I am gone.  I guess I didn't throw enough money at it.  Ever feel like you're swimming upstream in a Typhoon?   For her to be reachable on her regular cell phone, which does not have voicemail, she'd have to stay in town for possibly weeks, waiting for a phone call, instead of spending time with her parents whom she won't be able to spend time with much anymore after she comes here.   She does have internet that is only about 80% reliable.  Do you know if they would accept an American (Skype) number for her cell phone number?  I had trouble trying to get a Philippines VOIP number when I was there.   The expedite process does not seem tenable or wise for us.  Although I am in lots of pain, seeing 1 or 2 doctors every week attempting to find some relief, with the movements caused by driving to the doctors exacerbating things, I intend to go to the Philippines when she needs to go to Manila, partly because she got robbed of all her savings by a taxi driver last time she went to Manila.  Duterte seems to have improved things since, yet still there are reports of holdups by taxi drivers in Manila recently, including a group of French tourists.  I need to be there to support her while she gets her medical and does her interview since she has high anxiety and is not good at paperwork.   If I am able to travel to the Philippines for this, will it really be a serious enough medical issue in the eyes of the Consular agent?   Also we'll get more notice under the routine process, like 4 weeks, so I can plan the trip.  If it is expedited, we may only get 2 weeks notice.   It is unclear that the medical could even be accomplished that quickly, as there seem to be reported scheduling problems lately with the required hospital.   Apparently I'm also high anxiety.   It has been 3.5 months since DQ, and I guess we should just wait (perhaps) 1-7 weeks more for our not-expedited interview letter.   I've got enough to worry about without having to micromanage.   Surely the regular interview letter will go out soon, right?   Currently it is still at NVC.