Interview Letter for Ghana Embassy

[KalpRaS 0]

Just now, African Zealot said:

What is peculiar about the US government operations in Ghana? Or you’re just making things up?

How does what I said pertain to you or offend you? Do you work for the US government? Are you a US citizen? Or you looking to start an argument because I mentioned Ghana..? It’s too early in the morning for this.. have a good day sir/madam

[more00 17]

They are in June 2021 people been waiting almost one and half year for IL

[KalpRaS 0]

7 minutes ago, more00 said:

They are in June 2021 people been waiting almost one and half year for IL

June 2020 or 21..? I was told yesterday they are still working on DQ’d from 2020.. 

[more00 17]

3 minutes ago, KalpRaS said:

June 2020 or 21..? I was told yesterday they are still working on DQ’d from 2020.. 

sorry yes June 2020

[KalpRaS 0]

Just now, more00 said:

sorry yes June 2020

Okay. Gotcha.. this is supposed to be the shortest part of the process and it’s turning out to be the longest and an absolute nightmare.. I hope they re-evaluate their operations management and get this caught up somehow.. are you the one in leading the group chat? I would like to join if so. 

[more00 17]

6 minutes ago, KalpRaS said:

Okay. Gotcha.. this is supposed to be the shortest part of the process and it’s turning out to be the longest and an absolute nightmare.. I hope they re-evaluate their operations management and get this caught up somehow.. are you the one in leading the group chat? I would like to join if so. 

No the group is full now when did you DQ

[Maabena 3]

4 hours ago, more00 said:

sorry yes June 2020

I understand ILs went out for those who DQed July 1-15, 2020 last two weeks. Unfortunately, if nothing changes in statute and operations, applicants are looking at an average of 18 months for an interview in Ghana post DQ unless under unique circumstances. Those who are starting this process fortunately know this and can plan accordingly.  Those of us who didn't anticipate this have had to live through this drag and are still waiting.

 

 

[KalpRaS 0]

9 minutes ago, Maabena said:

I understand ILs went out for those who DQed July 1-15, 2020 last two weeks. Unfortunately, if nothing changes in statute and operations, applicants are looking at an average of 18 months for an interview in Ghana post DQ unless under unique circumstances. Those who are starting this process fortunately know this and can plan accordingly.  Those of us who didn't anticipate this have had to live through this drag and are still waiting.

 

 

It definitely was not anticipated when we started this process.. but what can we do right.. 😩😩

Edited April 19, 2022 by KalpRaS

[Maabena 3]

20 hours ago, dwheels76 said:

It was announced back in October. There is no prioritization of any category. Embassy has full autonomy. Thus why alot of IR/CR interviews for many embassies have not bee happening. It's not a secret pretty well known.

 

What prioritization are you referring to? and the proof is in the details. No IR/CR's not getting interviews for Ghana and many others heck not many F category's for immediate relatives for that matter. It's like they went dark.

The guidance was established to help operations amid COVID-19. The rescission of the guidance does not in fact mean that Embassy can do what they want. It only aims to bring it back to the status quo before the pandemic. Family unification is statutory in immigration law, and so Embassies cannot avoid prioritizing IR/CR visas. 

[Maabena 3]

4 minutes ago, KalpRaS said:

It definitely was not anticipated when we started this process.. but what can we do right.. 😩😩

It is well.

[Chancy 6,243]

*** Moved from NVC forum to Embassy/Consulate Discussion ***

 

[nastra30 2,315]

21 hours ago, Maabena said:

The guidance was established to help operations amid COVID-19. The rescission of the guidance does not in fact mean that Embassy can do what they want. It only aims to bring it back to the status quo before the pandemic. Family unification is statutory in immigration law, and so Embassies cannot avoid prioritizing IR/CR visas. 

Every visa category is based on statutory immigration law, and every visa category is experiencing backlogs not just family unification visa. You must remember that no other citizen has the right to be in the US except US citizens so being a spouse of US citizen does not necessarily mean the embassy will prioritize your petition over other visa categories. The embassies do have some lead way to help minimize backlogs across visa categories to pre-pandemic levels that's why USEM in GH is also considering priority dates in addition to DQ dates when scheduling interviews for Immigrant visas. Not all embassies are doing this so in this instance you can see the Embassy in Accra is acting differently. In fact, I know someone who had traveled to the US before on a B-2 visa and based on that was able to get his F-1 non-immigrant interview waived and got his visa just in time for the spring semester. So as you can see in order to clear the backlog for some visa categories, the Accra embassy is waiving interviews for certain people. Again, not all embassies are doing this so again the USEM in Accra is acting differently than some other embassies, fairly within the law.  So you can ask yourself why aren't they doing the same for people who have traveled to the US before and are also waiting for CR/IR visa immigrant interviews because they are spouses of US citizens. Wouldn't that also help clear IR/CR backlogs? I bet it will but they are not waiving immigrant interviews.

[Maabena 3]

7 hours ago, nastra30 said:

Every visa category is based on statutory immigration law, and every visa category is experiencing backlogs not just family unification visa. You must remember that no other citizen has the right to be in the US except US citizens so being a spouse of US citizen does not necessarily mean the embassy will prioritize your petition over other visa categories. The embassies do have some lead way to help minimize backlogs across visa categories to pre-pandemic levels that's why USEM in GH is also considering priority dates in addition to DQ dates when scheduling interviews for Immigrant visas. Not all embassies are doing this so in this instance you can see the Embassy in Accra is acting differently. In fact, I know someone who had traveled to the US before on a B-2 visa and based on that was able to get his F-1 non-immigrant interview waived and got his visa just in time for the spring semester. So as you can see in order to clear the backlog for some visa categories, the Accra embassy is waiving interviews for certain people. Again, not all embassies are doing this so again the USEM in Accra is acting differently than some other embassies, fairly within the law.  So you can ask yourself why aren't they doing the same for people who have traveled to the US before and are also waiting for CR/IR visa immigrant interviews because they are spouses of US citizens. Wouldn't that also help clear IR/CR backlogs? I bet it will but they are not waiving immigrant interviews.

Clarifying as there are semantics at play here: I'm not at all suggesting that prioritizing IR/CR visas mean not looking at other visa categories (this isn't mutually exclusive) or looking at IR/CR visas first. The monthly visa issuance data does not even support this hypothesis. This was to respond to the comment that embassies are doing what they want following the rescission of the visa prioritization guidance the Dept. of State put out due to COVID-19. While embassies have discretion to make decisions depending on local conditions,  there are still relevant guidelines to follow in their consular duties as informed by rules and regulations, including the US immigration law (Immigration and Nationality Act), which prioritizes family unification (1965 amendment and subsequent data show this). And so I can't imagine a case where IR/CR visas were are at the "bottom of the pile" for processing. Of course there are a plethora of circumstances under which other visa categories (other family reunif. purposes and more) are looked at and the process speedily concluded. 

 

Re waiving immigrant visa interviews,  from what I understand, regulations (which currently require immigrant interview to be conducted in-person with very little exceptions) would have to be amended before they're even a possibility. I also understand that is why the US didn't adapt to allow virtual immigrant visa interviews when other countries were doing so. 

 

In terms of the priority date, I am not sure whether that's the intention of the USEM and so I can't speak much to that. I had reached out to the embassy sometime ago to reconcile the DQ and priority date confusion but never got a clear answer. 

[nastra30 2,315]

12 minutes ago, Maabena said:

Clarifying as there are semantics at play here: I'm not at all suggesting that prioritizing IR/CR visas mean not looking at other visa categories (this isn't mutually exclusive) or looking at IR/CR visas first. The monthly visa issuance data does not even support this hypothesis. This was to respond to the comment that embassies are doing what they want following the rescission of the visa prioritization guidance the Dept. of State put out due to COVID-19. While embassies have discretion to make decisions depending on local conditions,  there are still relevant guidelines to follow in their consular duties as informed by rules and regulations, including the US immigration law (Immigration and Nationality Act), which prioritizes family unification (1965 amendment and subsequent data show this). And so I can't imagine a case where IR/CR visas were are at the "bottom of the pile" for processing. Of course there are a plethora of circumstances under which other visa categories (other family reunif. purposes and more) are looked at and the process speedily concluded. 

 

Re waiving immigrant visa interviews,  from what I understand, regulations (which currently require immigrant interview to be conducted in-person with very little exceptions) would have to be amended before they're even a possibility. I also understand that is why the US didn't adapt to allow virtual immigrant visa interviews when other countries were doing so. 

 

In terms of the priority date, I am not sure whether that's the intention of the USEM and so I can't speak much to that. I had reached out to the embassy sometime ago to reconcile the DQ and priority date confusion but never got a clear answer. 

You are over analyzing. I don't think anyone is saying the USEM will do things outside of what the law requires; in fact that will be absurd for anyone to suggest that. Everything they do will be within the law. But they have discretion to do what they have to do clear backlogs, again within what the law requires.

[Maabena 3]

31 minutes ago, nastra30 said:

You are over analyzing. I don't think anyone is saying the USEM will do things outside of what the law requires; in fact that will be absurd for anyone to suggest that. Everything they do will be within the law. But they have discretion to do what they have to do clear backlogs, again within what the law requires.

LOL. Wait till you hear what my career background is. It has something to with...well... policy ... analysis.  Glad to have helped provide some further insight to the point that brought me here in the first place. All the best to everyone on this "visa journey".