London CR1 / IR1 Appointment Updates

[DaisyJ 35]

1 hour ago, Becker said:

Do we know roughly how many CR1/IR1 interviews are conducted per month in London? Seems like there were way more in June compared to July according to approval stats. Doe you think the backlog is over or is something else going on? 

Just checked the statistics. Not sure what you mean, in June there were 26 CR1 issuances and 31 IR1s. Total 57. July was 12 CR1s and 39 IR1s in London. That's 51. Not much of a difference!
 
Bear in mind June was the month of President Biden's visit to the UK - Shipping everyone down to Cornwall around the early middle of the month (he arrived on the 9th) when the time they release appts seems to be 9th-15th each month probably had something to do with it!

Used the stats from here: Monthly Immigrant Visa Issuance Statistics (state.gov)

Edited September 5, 2021 by DaisyJ

[JonnyB 17]

Just now, DaisyJ said:

Just checked the statistics. Not sure what you mean, in June there were 26 CR1 issuances and 31 IR1s. Totally 57. July was 12 CR1s and 39 IR1s in London. That's 51. Not much of a difference as you say. 
Bear in mind June was the month of President Biden's visit to the UK - Shipping everyone down to Cornwall around the early middle of the month (he arrived on the 9th) when the time they release appts seems to be 9th-15th each month probably had something to do with it!

Used the stats from here: Monthly Immigrant Visa Issuance Statistics (state.gov)

Check this site out by a guy waiting like we all are...  He's tracking all the wait times and feeding them into graphs that show every catagory.  Really good data!

 

NVC wait stats...

http://visawhen.com/nvc

 

London CR1/IR1 stats...

http://visawhen.com/consulates/london/cr1ir1

[Becker 17]

7 minutes ago, DaisyJ said:

Just checked the statistics. Not sure what you mean, in June there were 26 CR1 issuances and 31 IR1s. Total 57. July was 12 CR1s and 39 IR1s in London. That's 51. Not much of a difference!
 
Bear in mind June was the month of President Biden's visit to the UK - Shipping everyone down to Cornwall around the early middle of the month (he arrived on the 9th) when the time they release appts seems to be 9th-15th each month probably had something to do with it!

Used the stats from here: Monthly Immigrant Visa Issuance Statistics (state.gov)

Sorry I meant from May! Not June. My fault! 
 

May has so many more approvals 

[DaisyJ 35]

5 minutes ago, JonnyB said:

Check this site out by a guy waiting like we all are...  He's tracking all the wait times and feeding them into graphs that show every catagory.  Really good data!

 

NVC wait stats...

http://visawhen.com/nvc

 

London CR1/IR1 stats...

http://visawhen.com/consulates/london/cr1ir1

What's very interesting is the drop from May to June! - Aha thanks for clarifying @Becker... My guess is though that as K1 visas were only started being processed from April (or allowed from April?), the drop is probably them making more space for those? Who knows. Not sure, but I don't think there's a reason to worry? I don't think its a case of them refusing more people?

Edited September 5, 2021 by DaisyJ

[DaisyJ 35]

@JonnyB @Becker Just checked out the page for the K1s Backlog in London for K1 visas (Fiancé(e) of U. S. citizen) (visawhen.com) - Went from 35 in May to 108 in June. So maybe it is because of K1s?

Edited September 5, 2021 by DaisyJ

[Becker 17]

1 minute ago, DaisyJ said:

@JonnyB @Becker Just checked out the page for the K1s Backlog in London for K1 visas (Fiancé(e) of U. S. citizen) (visawhen.com) - Went from 35 in May to 108 in June. Maybe I guessed right?

Yeah that sounds right! I didn’t really think there were more refusals I just thought maybe they are scaling down the amount of appointments going out. The number of K1s going up may be the reason! 
 

it’s all mind blowing really. September interviews included DQ dates from late March all the way until mid June. Whereas before it was more of a monthly DQ basis. 
 

 

[JonnyB 17]

7 minutes ago, DaisyJ said:

What's very interesting is the drop from May to June! My guess is though that as K1 visas were only started being processed from April (or allowed from April?), the drop is probably them making more space for those? Who knows. Not sure, but I don't think there's a reason to worry? I don't think its a case of them refusing more people?

I'm thinking it was the Biden visit mostly...

In a  previous life I worked for the FCO in a Consulate that did UK visas, Trade, Investment, Public Diplomacy, and Defence.

Whenever we had and a Royal visit, PM or other senior politico visiting it was always ALL HANDS to the pump.  You have to remember that a Consul General or Ambo lives, dies and gets the next bigger job entirely based on impressing senior visitors and thus making the country look good.  Visa stuff wins you no medals!

I feel quite sure the US Embassy is no different, and visitors don't get any bigger than Potus.

Edited September 5, 2021 by JonnyB

[DaisyJ 35]

4 minutes ago, Becker said:

Yeah that sounds right! I didn’t really think there were more refusals I just thought maybe they are scaling down the amount of appointments going out. The number of K1s going up may be the reason! 
 

it’s all mind blowing really. September interviews included DQ dates from late March all the way until mid June. Whereas before it was more of a monthly DQ basis. 
 

 

Yes! The August ones also squeezed in 6 weeks worth of DQers I believe (End of Jan - Beginning of March). I think the fact that continued for the September ones is a very encouraging sign. Will be interesting to see August's visa statistics when they come out!

[JonnyB 17]

13 minutes ago, Becker said:

Yeah that sounds right! I didn’t really think there were more refusals I just thought maybe they are scaling down the amount of appointments going out. The number of K1s going up may be the reason! 
 

it’s all mind blowing really. September interviews included DQ dates from late March all the way until mid June. Whereas before it was more of a monthly DQ basis. 
 

 

Also remember there is no US Ambassador to the UK right now, and hasn't been for quite some time.  During the Biden visit the US Embassy was headed by the charge d'affaires.  She's gone now, but during the visit she will have used EVERYBODY to show she knows how to pull a good visits off...  and her reward... she's just turned up as a senior advisor in the White House Cabinet!  I guarantee she deployed everyone on the Biden visit and left a skeleton staff in the Embassy.   We used to do exactly the same.  Like I say, you don't get you next plumb job by managing a good visa section, that's just bread and butter.

[JonnyB 17]

8 minutes ago, DaisyJ said:

Yes! The August ones also squeezed in 6 weeks worth of DQers I believe (End of Jan - Beginning of March). I think the fact that continued for the September ones is a very encouraging sign. Will be interesting to see August's visa statistics when they come out!

Definately looks like thngs are getting back to normal...  I hate to say it, as long as the travel bad stays that means staff probably are focusing on the linited number of visas catagories that are being processed.

When the ban gets lifted all hell will break loose. Literally!!!  So cross your fingers that the ban stays for a few months more... so more of us get through!  

[DaisyJ 35]

7 minutes ago, JonnyB said:

Also remember there is no US Ambassador to the UK right now, and hasn't been for quite some time.  During the Biden visit the US Embassy was headed by the charge d'affaires.  She's gone now, but during the visit she will have used EVERYBODY to show she knows how to pull a good visits off...  and her reward... she's just turned up as a senior advisor in the White House Cabinet!  I guarantee she deployed everyone on the Biden visit and left a skeleton staff in the Embassy.   We used to do exactly the same.  Like I say, you don't get you next plumb job by managing a good visa section, that's just bread and butter.

I love these insights! Thank you. It just sucks it came at a time when we were all hoping for things to move a little quicker as the UK was starting to open again with covid! Mind you... not long now til September invites should go out for October interviews - good luck everyone, keep us updated!!

 

1 minute ago, JonnyB said:

I hate to say it, as long as the travel bad stays that means staff probably are focusing on the linited number of visas catagories that are being processed.

When the ban gets lifted all hell will break loose. Literally!!!  So cross your fingers that the ban stays for a few months more... so more of us get through!  

We all hate to say it... as much as I guess a lot of us disliked Trump, he did do Spousal applicants a huge favour, especially as any backlogs at USCIS stage were also halted for a time to focus on proclamation exceptions! 

[JonnyB 17]

Just now, DaisyJ said:

I love these insights! Thank you. It just sucks it came at a time when we were all hoping for things to move a little quicker as the UK was starting to open again with covid! Mind you... not long now til September invites should go out for October interviews - good luck everyone, keep us updated!!

 

We all hate to say it... as much as I guess a lot of us disliked Trump, he did do Spousal applicants a huge favour, especially as any backlogs at USCIS stage were also halted for a time to focus on proclamation exceptions! 

Remember the bigger problem he caused though... prior to Trump the whole process was done locally in country.  He created the whole USCIS...NVC...then back to the local country nonesense with the sole intention of slowing visa issuance down.  He got his in-laws in though!   Prior to Trump their was none of this "send the same info back and forwards."

His intention was to slow immigration as far as possible.... your last comment was true though!

[DaisyJ 35]

3 minutes ago, JonnyB said:

Remember the bigger problem he caused though... prior to Trump the whole process was done locally in country.  He created the whole USCIS...NVC...then back to the local country nonesense with the sole intention of slowing visa issuance down.  He got his in-laws in though!   Prior to Trump their was none of this "send the same info back and forwards."

His intention was to slow immigration as far as possible.... your last comment was true though!

Woah.... I had no idea!! I just assumed this is how its been for a while. Guess 2016 was some time ago now, plenty of time for him to change things. What the what. Do you have any sources on this? (Not doubting your info/asking you to cite - would just be super interesting to learn more about!)

[JonnyB 17]

21 hours ago, DaisyJ said:

Woah.... I had no idea!! I just assumed this is how its been for a while. Guess 2016 was some time ago now, plenty of time for him to change things. What the what. Do you have any sources on this? (Not doubting your info/asking you to cite - would just be super interesting to learn more about!)

I have other family member's who've been through exactly what we are trying so hard to acheive.

It wasn't many years ago that you did everything locally in the Embassy you applied through... application all the way through to the interview were in Embassy.  You had to go there with pictures, paperwork, the whole nine yard (usually good to go as a couple too) and they made the decision on site... straight forward cases anyway.

My cousin married a serving US Marine.  It's a few years ago now, but they went to the embassy and did everything in a day - the good old days I guess, and helpful when your spouse in holding orders for deployment.

The whole merry-go-round of USCIS, the NVC (Portmouth NH), and then on to the embassy is relatively new.  Although similar agencies existed previously in different guises the Department of State was much bigger and the lead.  Like our old style FCO, they run the Embassies, and Consulates General etc.

Bottom line is that centralization around the agencies you see today might have been happening anyway, but Trump systematically strangles the funding for the agencies and increased the workload.  The end result didn't stop immigration, but it certainly slowed it down.  Covid did the rest recently...

As an aside you probably didn't notice of late but the UK system has become remarkably similar with ALL the folks I used to work with in the US being laid off in favour of private contractor who do most of the processing now in New York.

UK immigrant applicants are put through a similar grinding mill, but with perhaps less agencies involved.  Naturally the cost on applicant has risen significantly, and the big revenue winning are the premium phone number poor applicants have to call if they have a problem and need to speak to someone.

I served for 10 years in the our Consular network which at that time was full of local engaged British nationals who worked pretty hard to help as many folks as we could, as quickly as we could.

All good stuff.  I wish you, and everyone, all the luck in world. x

Edited September 6, 2021 by JonnyB

[Wuozopo 4,293]

21 hours ago, JonnyB said:

Remember the bigger problem he caused though... prior to Trump the whole process was done locally in country.  He created the whole USCIS...NVC...then back to the local country nonesense with the sole intention of slowing visa issuance down.  He got his in-laws in though!   Prior to Trump their was none of this "send the same info back and forwards."

His intention was to slow immigration as far as possible.... your last comment was true though!

I’m not understanding your comment. The NVC processing has been around way before Trump. 
 

19 minutes ago, JonnyB said:

The whole merry-go-round of USCIS, the NVC (Portmouth NH), and then on to the embassy is relatively new.

Can you quantify “relatively new”? I know it was in place 14 years ago when I started the immigration journey. NVC has been around at least 25 years. I’m just trying to understand your post.