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

[Jason and May 79]

22 hours ago, spicynujac said:

Question for those who are awaiting interview appointments at the Manila Embassy:

Do I understand correctly that it is up to the couple to schedule their OWN interview?  And not the embassy assigning you a date?
I thought these interviews were stated by NVC to be done "first come first serve"?

I am reading about people who are logging in to a scheduling website for weeks or months looking for an opening (unsuccessfully).  
If that's the case, interviews aren't really given in the order of filing, are they?  What if you don't log on daily to try to schedule an interview?

Could someone approved weeks or months later than you really grab a spot ahead of you?

Is this normal procedure at other embassies?  Seems to me they should just assign the first date available to the next person in line and cut out all of this stress and delays.  It isn't right for someone else to jump ahead in line because they happened to obsessively check a website faster than you when you should be up next...

 

I don't think I want the stress of trying day after day... maybe will just pay someone to do it for me.  It was already stressing me out when I would check the USCIS site almost daily once we passed the 12 month mark.  And that was "only" about 6 weeks of checking.  Sounds like the wait from NVC to interview could be a year!

We were DQ on August 24, 2023. 

 

We got my wife's interview letter on August 1, 2024. 

 

Her interview is scheduled for September 23, 2024. 

 

None of those dates you see in CGI are dates that can be scheduled, at least so far as I'm aware, unless someone receives an expedite or there is an auto expedite that comes along. I know the calendar will say the first available date for an IR1/CR1 is like August 15 or something absurdly just around the corner, but.... No. 

 

Also, until Manila gets the file, when you try to book an interview in CGI, it will tell you the beneficiary's case can't be found. Additionally, if you were to book an interview successfully and Manila didn't have the file, then the interview would be canceled. 

 

There really is no way to make the process go faster, unless you're lucky enough to have an expedite approved. Expect about 27 months from petition to "she's in the United States." That seems to be the most quoted timeline I've seen in the groups I'm in for IR1 finally arriving in the U.S. right now. 

 

 

[cup1981 5]

Looks like there was a pretty big auto-expedite yesterday according to the Spousal Visa Journey FB group. From what I can see, people as late as Nov 2023 DQ got expedited without requesting it. 

 

[tw8 4]

Looks like it went all the way to November 20th for those waiting

[Jason and May 79]

And, as I mentioned above is now happening: The cases just auto expedited are able to schedule their own interview dates, and so they are scheduling interviews before  the cases who were scheduled by NVC on 08/01. Good for them that they can, but ridiculous nonetheless.  

 

For example, one case timeline is:

 

DQ: 09/23/23

Auto expedite: 08/20/24

Interview scheduled for 09/16/24

 

My wife’s timeline:

 

DQ: 08/24/23

IL: 08/01/24

Interview scheduled by NVC for 09/23/24

 

Absolutely ridiculous.  

Edited August 21 by Jason and May

[spicynujac 23]

On 8/10/2024 at 1:59 PM, Jason and May said:

 

We got my wife's interview letter on August 1, 2024. 

 

Her interview is scheduled for September 23, 2024. 

 

None of those dates you see in CGI are dates that can be scheduled, at least so far as I'm aware, 

 

Also, until Manila gets the file, when you try to book an interview in CGI, it will tell you the beneficiary's case can't be found.

 

 

I'm still confused.  Some indicated that marriage visa applicants (IR1) have their interviews scheduled by the embassy, but finance (K1) must schedule their own interview using a tedious system where you must log in repeatedly for days/weeks/months until you luckily catch an opening.

 

The above seems to indicate you booked your own IR1 interview.  Which is it?

[top_secret 2,376]

14 minutes ago, spicynujac said:

I'm still confused.  Some indicated that marriage visa applicants (IR1) have their interviews scheduled by the embassy, but finance (K1) must schedule their own interview using a tedious system where you must log in repeatedly for days/weeks/months until you luckily catch an opening.

 

The above seems to indicate you booked your own IR1 interview.  Which is it?

 

K1 appointments are self scheduled on the ustraveldocs site.  In recent months the embassy has failed to release enough appointments to accommodate all of the "ready' applicants.  Hence the tedious constantly checking to see if any appointments opened up.

 

Ordinarily CR/IR applicants are scheduled by NVC.  Expedited CR/IR cases and cases where interviews were canceled for sputum testing etc are able to self schedule on the ustraveldocs site.  However for almost a year NVC scheduled ZERO CR/IR applicants.  NONE.  This year has only seen some sporadic NVC scheduling.  At irregular intervals they did the so-called "mass expedites" where they issued expedites to many cases in batches which allowed them to self schedule.  Throughout that time the embassy has released plenty of open CR/IR interview appointments on ustraveldocs.  Just most CR/IR applicants who are waiting almost a year could not book them unless they had an expedite.

 

K1=many applicants who are able to book and no open appointments.

IR1=few applicants who are able to book and many open appointments.

[top_secret 2,376]

It seems a big batch of NVC scheduling did go out yesterday.  Covering DQ dates up until somewhere in November 2023.  CR/IR-1/2 and IR5's. This is in addition to last week's mass expedite.  That is at least a little progress on the backlog. 

[tw8 4]

https://ph.usembassy.gov/u-s-embassy-to-launch-new-visa-application-center-additional-consular-information-services/


There's another application center opening in the metropolitan Manila area (Parañaque) at the end of the month. It seems like it's to help with processing and will change the way things work prior to the interviews. It sounds like you'll have to do stuff at this location prior to the interview for document related items. Not sure if this will speed things up or slow them down.

Edited September 10 by tw8

[nite2viper 0]

Just posting this data here

CR1 and IR1 Visa's issued by Manila in the last two years

 

[Jason and May 79]

7 hours ago, nite2viper said:

Just posting this data here

CR1 and IR1 Visa's issued by Manila in the last two years

 

There are a few of us who have been following the trends in visa statistics for a while. This is good information to impart every once in a while for the fresh faces in our groups, and simply to remind the old faces, as well. 
 

The low numbers of spousal visas, just in and of themselves are telling, but when you look at the statistics, it's important to look at the overall statistical picture between immigrant and non-immigrant visa issuance numbers. That is what is telling. 
 

In the Department of State's own words: "The guiding principle on which we have based immigrant visa prioritization is that family reunification is a clear priority of the U.S. Government’s immigration policy, a priority is expressed in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Specifically, the Department’s prioritization relied on clear direction from Congress that the Department must adopt a policy of prioritizing immediate relative visa applicants and K-1 fiancées of U.S. citizens, followed by family preference immigrant visa applicants." 

However, in 2022, they issued a directive for embassies worldwide to prioritize non-immigrant visas. At the beginning of 2023, they issued another public bulletin, proudly touting that they had issued worldwide the highest number of non-immigrant visas in their history. 
 

Let's see what the numbers say: 
 

In 2023, 30, 491 immigrant visas were issued through USEM. Compare that to 249, 644 nonimmigrant visas. 

For perspective, pre-pandemic, in 2014, for example, USEM issued 30, 612 nonimmigrant visas, while they issued 142, 309 nonimmigrant visas. 

So, what has changed? Between 2014 and 2023 there was a 75% increase in the number of nonimmigrant visas issued through USEM, while immigrant visa issuances are back to pre-pandemic numbers...so, a tad higher than they were, but then immigrant visa issuances have always been low. 

And don't be fooled with, "Well, immigrants have to go through NVC and adjustment of status...." Yeah. On average that takes roughly two weeks to one month, give or take. Immigrants and non-immigrants both have to go through interviews.
 

It's a priority and a non-priority. And, more aptly, it's designed to slow, at times stall, and deter immigrants. (My perspective.)
 

Why have numbers picked up now? My educated guess (Top Secret may have a better deduction), while possibly incorrect, is that USEM has met its fiscal year goal for non-immigrant visa issuances and so they may now focus on the intentionally created immigrant visa backlog. But guess what? They can also use their "broad discretion" to issue 221s, creating a steady stream of slowing and stalling for immigrants, as many--MANY--applicants who were interviewed in August and September have experienced.

[Ban Hammer 13,258]

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[tw8 4]

Another chunk of people must have had interviews scheduled. I got an interview letter  for the wife was DQ in Feb 2024.

 

[Will&Christine 52]

20 minutes ago, tw8 said:

Another chunk of people must have had interviews scheduled. I got an interview letter  for the wife was DQ in Feb 2024.

 

 

Same here. I just got interview letter. DQ Jan 2024.

[Andy and Let 1]

Just got interview letter DQ Jan 23

[top_secret 2,376]

It seems like this batch made it up to about the 3rd week of February 2024.  I saw a report of a February 20 DQ date receiving an interview letter and a February 21 DQ date not receiving one yet.  It's at least promising that they seem to have made more than a months progress in the last month but they still have a long way to go to reduce the backlog.