Immigration Interview at the Argentine Consulate

[DesperateHouseWif 4]

Hi everyone, Does anyone have any statistics about how long it takes from the moment you are "documentarily approved" until you get your consular interview in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I received my approval a month ago and am waiting and getting desperate while I wait here in Buenos Aires. I am applying for a IR1 Visa as wife of an American citizen and my priority date is Sept 18, 2021. Any data? Any advice? Thanks!

Edited April 17, 2023 by DesperateHouseWif

[Fe.Ta 874]

3 minutes ago, DesperateHouseWif said:

Hi everyone, Does anyone have any statistics about how long it takes from the moment you are "documentarily approved" until you get your consular interview in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I received my approval a month ago and am waiting and getting desperate while I wait here in Buenos Aires. Any data? Any advice? Thanks!

Were you "documentarily approved" by Potomac?  Thus, you are waiting on your case to be sent to the Argentinian consulate to schedule an interview?

If this is the case, you are in one of the worse centers (Potomac), so the delay itself could be them actually sending the case to Buenos Aires.  Then, I know with COVID, there has been some delay with the embassy in Argentina.  But, even pre-COVID, a month seems reasonable of a wait.  I would give it a bit more time.

However, I will encourage other recent IR/CRs to speak into this.
 

@Sarah & Dani Would you be able to provide some insight into this?

[DesperateHouseWif 4]

Thank you @Fe.Ta! I Yes, we are approved by Potomac and waiting for the Argentine Consulate to schedule the interview. I didn't know that we could actually choose the centers.... a lawyer did it for us. Actually, a piece of advice for people, at least in my experience, lawyers didn't really help in speeding anything up, unless it was about to cash their invoices....

Any piece of advice moving from here forward is highly appreciated. 

 

[Fe.Ta 874]

7 minutes ago, DesperateHouseWif said:

Thank you @Fe.Ta! I Yes, we are approved by Potomac and waiting for the Argentine Consulate to schedule the interview. I didn't know that we could actually choose the centers.... a lawyer did it for us. Actually, a piece of advice for people, at least in my experience, lawyers didn't really help in speeding anything up, unless it was about to cash their invoices....

Any piece of advice moving from here forward is highly appreciated. 

 

You can't choose the centers, they are assigned to you - lawyers have no say.  Unfortunately, you got assigned the worse one.  Our case for Removal of Conditions is in Potomac right now, so I am expecting to wait a very long time.  But, that is different than yours.  Regardless, they (Potomac) do take their sweet time for things in general.

Yes, most people in VJ will agree that if you have a straightforward case, to avoid using a lawyers, since they are more expensive and it doesn't really help.

This will give you and idea of the Processing Times:

https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/

Play around and see what timelines or processing times is giving you.  I think you are still within the reasonable window to wait for the embassy to contact you about the interview.

 

It appears it is taking about a month or so for the embassy to receive it, then another month or so for them to schedule the interview.

 

Lastly, add their e-mail address as a contact so the e-mails are not blocked:
 

BuenosAires-IV@state.gov If you do choose to email them, please make sure you include your case number in the subject line.

Edited April 17, 2023 by Fe.Ta
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[DesperateHouseWif 4]

Hi guys!! It's me again, desperate to finally hear from the consulate that they have scheduled an interview.... I keep waiting, checking my inbox every hour. 🥺

 

Meanwhile, I would like to ask you about the dates people often refer to when they say that "uscis is now reviewing I 130s from May 2022", what does it mean?

 

My Uscis receipt # refers to may 16, 2022.... is that a sign of anything at all?

 

Thanks

[Chancy 6,241]

18 hours ago, DesperateHouseWif said:

I would like to ask you about the dates people often refer to when they say that "uscis is now reviewing I 130s from May 2022", what does it mean?

 

Based on your VJ timeline, the I-130 petition for you has already been approved by USCIS and your case is already documentarily qualified (DQ) at NVC.  If that's accurate, then whatever review announcement USCIS puts out is now irrelevant to your case.  USCIS and the consulate are different agencies, and USCIS is not privy to the consulate's interview scheduling calendar.

 

[DesperateHouseWif 4]

36 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

Based on your VJ timeline, the I-130 petition for you has already been approved by USCIS and your case is already documentarily qualified (DQ) at NVC.  If that's accurate, then whatever review announcement USCIS puts out is now irrelevant to your case.  USCIS and the consulate are different agencies, and USCIS is not privy to the consulate's interview scheduling calendar.

 

Thank you. Very clarifying. So it just means I have to keep waiting for the consulate to just call me. I am desperate as I don't know how to expedite... but thanks!

[Chancy 6,241]

3 minutes ago, DesperateHouseWif said:

So it just means I have to keep waiting for the consulate to just call me. I am desperate as I don't know how to expedite...

 

They won't call.  You will likely get an email, either from NVC or the consulate.  If you have a valid reason for expedite, you may send your request to the consulate's email address provided by @Fe.Ta above.

 

[Fe.Ta 874]

1 hour ago, Chancy said:

 

Based on your VJ timeline, the I-130 petition for you has already been approved by USCIS and your case is already documentarily qualified (DQ) at NVC.  If that's accurate, then whatever review announcement USCIS puts out is now irrelevant to your case.  USCIS and the consulate are different agencies, and USCIS is not privy to the consulate's interview scheduling calendar.

 

@DesperateHouseWif What Chancy said.  You need to wait to get the e-mail.  Make sure you check your spam and junk folders and add the e-mail address I provided as an authorized e-mail in your e-mail provided (GMAIL, YAHOO, etc.).

They are likely to tell you the details on what they need from you next and the steps.  But, it will depend on the local consulate and not USCIS.  At this point, USCIS will not have a true window of time or accurate information as to what is happening.

[DesperateHouseWif 4]

Just now, Fe.Ta said:

@DesperateHouseWif What Chancy said.  You need to wait to get the e-mail.  Make sure you check your spam and junk folders and add the e-mail address I provided as an authorized e-mail in your e-mail provided (GMAIL, YAHOO, etc.).

They are likely to tell you the details on what they need from you next and the steps.  But, it will depend on the local consulate and not USCIS.  At this point, USCIS will not have a true window of time or accurate information as to what is happening.

Thanks. I was hoping to have had the interview already. It's been two months since documentarily approved and no news. I check my inbox everyday, everywhere in my inbox. Thanks for the comments. 

[Fe.Ta 874]

3 minutes ago, DesperateHouseWif said:

Thanks. I was hoping to have had the interview already. It's been two months since documentarily approved and no news. I check my inbox everyday, everywhere in my inbox. Thanks for the comments. 

Sadly, you are still within a reasonable waiting period.

For us, our K1 it took about a month from NVC news to Buenos Aires news, and that was back in 2019 pre-pandemic.

[DesperateHouseWif 4]

6 minutes ago, Fe.Ta said:

Sadly, you are still within a reasonable waiting period.

For us, our K1 it took about a month from NVC news to Buenos Aires news, and that was back in 2019 pre-pandemic.

So, for Buenos Aires consulate, what is reasonable? Just to know....

[Fe.Ta 874]

2 minutes ago, DesperateHouseWif said:

So, for Buenos Aires consulate, what is reasonable? Just to know....

I do not know nowadays.

You can always write the embassy an e-mail.

[DesperateHouseWif 4]

FINALMENTE!!! FINALLY! Today I received an email inviting me to the consulate in Buenos Aires on July 5th to proceed with the interview. Thank you all for bearing with me and responding to my questions. I finally see this moving towards the end and I am super happy. Thanks!

Edited May 30, 2023 by DesperateHouseWif

[Fe.Ta 874]

7 hours ago, DesperateHouseWif said:

FINALMENTE!!! FINALLY! Today I received an email inviting me to the consulate in Buenos Aires on July 5th to proceed with the interview. Thank you all for bearing with me and responding to my questions. I finally see this moving towards the end and I am super happy. Thanks!

If you have any other questions, please let us know.  Make sure you bring all the originals to the interview and be prepared for it.  Plan your time if you are coming out of town into CABA.