CR1 is DQ, current wait time for interview in Manila?

[aaroncv3 106]

DQ:  2023/04/10

IL: none yet

Visa type:  CR1

Case at: NVC

 

Based on a conversation with a friend, he has a friend who is also still waiting, DQ'd 2 months ago.  I am told that the details of our cases are similar; the visa type is the same.

 

Anyone else still waiting for IL at USEM on a CR1/IR1 visa?

[top_secret 2,394]

The wait time at USEM is "interesting" now.  I have a friend waiting there now so I recently spent a little time trying to somewhat scientifically figure out what USEM is actually up to with CR/IR-1/2 interviews lately.  Scanning a variety of social media, I rather easily found something like over SIXTY recent credible self-reports of CR/IR-1/2 cases currently awaiting interview scheduling at US Embassy Manila. While that could hardly be considered complete, it's actually a remarkable dataset.

 

Here is what I found.  In January 2023 USEM kind of cleared out the CR/IR list.  They were granting almost any expedite. Even ridiculous ones.  There were accounts of people here and elsewhere getting expedites they didn’t even ask for and didn’t want. There's a number of people who DQ in early January and got interview letters in less than two weeks.  Since January.....  almost complete silence about interview letters.  Throughout February there are all kind of accounts of "case number not found" on CGI etc. but mostly fallout from the end of January.

 

So where are we now?  Based on a substantial dataset of over 60 self-reported CR/IR-1/2 cases on a variety of social media there is a very distinct pattern at USEM.  There are ZERO CR/IR-1/2 cases that DQ before Jan 17 reporting they are waiting on interview scheduling. I couldn't find a single one.  Apparently, they are all taken care of.  January 17-21 there are 3 DQ cases awaiting scheduling. The 3 cases could be considered stragglers. The person waiting from Jan 17 is just over three month and is the longest waiting CR/IR-1/2 I could find. Starting with cases DQ January 24 onward, large numbers of cases self-reporting they are awaiting scheduling.  DQ January 24 onwards seems like a very specific cutoff.

 

Stranger is, it seems like virtually all of the cases DQ in January that do have interview dates were scheduled or at least "Ready", IN January.  Or in February after protracted "case ready but case number not found" on CGI issues resolved.  I really can’t find any accounts of any CR/IR scheduling initiated after January.  They also seem to have started denying almost any expedite request.  Even legitimate ones.

 

Soooo.  It seems to me they cleared the list at the end of January and have done virtually no CR/IR-1/2 scheduling since.  Presumably they would do a big group 'soon'.???? It will be notable when the remaining January DQ cases start getting scheduled.

[aaroncv3 106]

7 hours ago, top_secret said:

They also seem to have started denying almost any expedite request.  Even legitimate ones.

My expedite request seems to be among these.  For your dataset.

 

7 hours ago, top_secret said:

Soooo.  It seems to me they cleared the list at the end of January and have done virtually no CR/IR-1/2 scheduling since.  Presumably they would do a big group 'soon'.???? It will be notable when the remaining January DQ cases start getting scheduled.

I was thinking something along these lines, too.

 

Have you seen this sort of batch processing before?

 

I have a couple ideas about why this halt may be occurring.  Purely speculative:

1) As a matter of of efficiency.  It maybe be more efficient for the embassy to focus on specific matters in a rotating fashion.

2) Geopolitical urgency.  It is possible that the Embassy may be focused on military matters right now, as a top priority.  I wonder if a correlation could be established.  Some friends near the military bases here have noticed an increase in activity.

 

The expedite denial was vague, but perhaps nothing should be read into that:

 

To Whom it Concerns:

Thank you for your patience. We sent your request to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in PHILIPPINES.

However, they cannot expedite this case.

Please note: Only the U.S. Embassy or Consulate can approve or deny expedite requests.

This case is now documentarily complete. That means the National Visa Center has all the required documents. Your application is now waiting for an interview appointment.

The U.S. Embassy or Consulate provides the NVC with a list of available appointment dates and times.  We schedule appointments on a first-in, first-out basis. After your appointment is scheduled, we will forward your case to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General.

We cannot predict how long it will take to schedule your appointment, but we will notify the applicant, petitioner, and your attorney (if applicable) when an appointment is scheduled.

For the most up-to-date information about the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General's operating status, please visit their website at https://usembassy.gov.

Information about preparing for interview appointments is available at these websites:

https://nvc.state.gov/prep
https://nvc.state.gov/prep/espanol

Important: Do not make travel arrangements, sell property, or give up employment until the U.S. Embassy or Consulate issues a visa.
 

Edited April 23, 2023 by aaroncv3
Formatting

[Gee2021 44]

On 4/22/2023 at 3:54 PM, top_secret said:

They also seem to have started denying almost any expedite request.  Even legitimate ones.

Yup, we are DQ'd on February 24 and still nothing. We've sent 2 expedite requests already with mountain of evidences and proofs but it got denied. 
 

I am with another forum and it seems like they are going between 4-5 months before getting an interview letter. I really hope they'll do something soon. 

[Dino08 9]

I have 2 cases for my son and spouse. Do I need to file for separate request for each? I know it might get rejected but there's nothing to lose in trying.

[Bttf72 0]

DQ 3/14/2023

 

No IL yet

 

Tried to expedite with a medical reason and had lengthy paperwork documenting the issue and stating why we were requesting the expedite. Denial within a week or so of sending it off.

 

I can only speculate but it seems like some decision or issue came up between the end of January and February, because everybody (or most people) getting DQ in January seemed to be doing great on time and lots of auto expedites coming out of Manila.

 

Now, no word on CR1 after February, I can't find any getting DQ in February that has an interview dates yet and seems like Manila is scheduling late July or later. Tried to reach out to NVC about what Manila is doing like two weeks after DQ and NVC just emailed a canned response.

 

Hopefully, Manila figures out what to do soon because there was a lot of hope in January, but now it's weird at the moment.

[Gsmith2 1]

Just read a post on FB group that someone had a scheduled appointment for May 2023 and all the sudden got an email canceling her appointment.  “We will reschedule when an appointment is available”.  I wonder what’s happening in Manila. Maybe staffing problems?

[Swafford25 20]

There is couple that has and interview scheduled for June updated on their timeline. I would reach out to them and see if they have had any issues.

[top_secret 2,394]

6 hours ago, Gsmith2 said:

Just read a post on FB group that someone had a scheduled appointment for May 2023 and all the sudden got an email canceling her appointment.  “We will reschedule when an appointment is available”.  I wonder what’s happening in Manila. Maybe staffing problems?

I think I saw the case you are talking about on the FB group.  If it's the same one, that person previously reported having an approved expedite and the cancelation notice is probably just a web site glitch that is known to happen from time to time.  The approved expedite is notable since those have been as rare as unicorns lately but it does not represent any kind of ordinary scheduling activity.

 

4 hours ago, Swafford25 said:

There is couple that has and interview scheduled for June updated on their timeline. I would reach out to them and see if they have had any issues.

Of our two VJ Philippines members who recently updated their timelines with June interview dates, one is reporting the interview is scheduled at US Embassy Seoul, not Manila and the other is another approved expedite case, which is unusual for Manila lately.
 

For the last week and a half or so, any time I see a CR/IR-1/2 case self reported as documentarily qualified and currently waiting on an interview at US Embassy Manila I have been adding them to the list.  That list rather quickly grew to well over 80 cases which I would think is at least a statistically significant subset of of those waiting.

 

Basically nothing has changed since I last posted here.  I still can't find a single ordinary case with scheduling initiated after February.  Only 3 IR1/CR1 waiting from before January 24 without any unusual circumstances.  Large numbers waiting beginning January 24 onward which means all of them are now a week and a half past the 90 day mark.

[EdwardSnowden 13]

I'll just update since I started this topic; still nothing. No interview. I went DQ Feb 6, nearly three months ago. 

[top_secret 2,394]

1 hour ago, EdwardSnowden said:

I'll just update since I started this topic; still nothing. No interview. I went DQ Feb 6, nearly three months ago. 

I think on February 6, pretty much anyone and everyone DQ up until about Jan 23 had already received interview letters or at least had their cases sent to the embassy by then.   3 months later???  Pretty much nothing has changed.  Still sitting at that Jan 24 threshold. I have been thinking they would do a new batch 'soon'.  But I've been thinking that for a while.

[Gsmith2 1]

Just read another post on Facebook. Apparently they emailed the Embassy and got a response. In a nut shell “the embassy has postponed all visa interviews, keep checking your email…” 

I wonder what’s happening. 

[Swafford25 20]

13 hours ago, Gsmith2 said:

Just read another post on Facebook. Apparently they emailed the Embassy and got a response. In a nut shell “the embassy has postponed all visa interviews, keep checking your email…” 

I wonder what’s happening. 

That is an interesting update, did they go into detail if it was only CR1 visas being postponed? Because there are quiet a few K1 visa interviews taking place in June and July from what I have seen.

[Gsmith2 1]

I’ll have to try I find the post but I believe it’s all immigrant visas.  Also, another FB group called Philippines DQ (cr-ir) group has a post with about 110+ people waiting on interviews from late January on. Something is going on. 

[aaroncv3 106]

There was a post on Facebook speculating that things may move forward at USEM.  There was speculation that visa interviews are being processed in quarterly batches.  And then there was this particular promising comment supporting the speculation: