EB1A interview wait time in London, UK

[EB1Aspirant 1]

Hello All,

Can anyone please comment on what are the wait times for EB1A interview at London, UK embassy? I see lot of threads on family based consular processing, but very few on employment/EB1A. 

Any feedback would help.

[mam521 2,030]

 

https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=477439

 

The data will help others in the same scenario as you.  Since you're inquiring about interviews, are we to assume you've been documentarily qualified and all that is left is the interview?

[London777 0]

On 9/20/2024 at 9:14 AM, EB1Aspirant said:

Hello All,

Can anyone please comment on what are the wait times for EB1A interview at London, UK embassy? I see lot of threads on family based consular processing, but very few on employment/EB1A. 

Any feedback would help.

Hi 

I am on ds5536 too and my visa category is EB5, 

could I ask you how long so far waiting to be approved?

[appleblossom 2,349]

1 hour ago, Amir777 said:

Hi 

I am on ds5536 too and my visa category is EB5, 

could I ask you how long so far waiting to be approved?

 

Think you've posted this on the wrong thread! The OP hasn't had his/her interview yet. Do you mean DS-5535 though? The time for that varies hugely depending on the reasons for it. 

 

@EB1Aspirant, I was an EB1A applicant last year, back then it was approx 2 months for DQ to interview date, now it's a bit longer due to the summer backlog. But it's about the same as spouse visas, so maybe 3-4 months or so?

[LMaxwell 1]

Hi AppleBlossom - do you know if the summer backlog eases and goes back to the timeframe you experienced of 3-4 months? Or do you think that this is going to be a somewhat normal timeframe going forward from what you can see?

 

Thanks for your all help on the board!!

[appleblossom 2,349]

51 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

Hi AppleBlossom - do you know if the summer backlog eases and goes back to the timeframe you experienced of 3-4 months? Or do you think that this is going to be a somewhat normal timeframe going forward from what you can see?

 

Thanks for your all help on the board!!

 

It may do, once the Diversity Visa/student visa rush is over. My timeline was quicker than that BTW - now it's 3-4 months. So still one of the quickest consulates around. 

 

Looks like your PD isn't current yet anyway? So hopefully by the time there is a visa available to you it'll have speeded up again. 

 

Good luck. 

Edited September 22 by appleblossom

[LMaxwell 1]

Thank you!!

 

I'm trying to gauge roughly the time frame once a visa is available to me - fingers crossed this will be sometime at the end of next year! 

 

[EB1Aspirant 1]

Thanks for the answer appleblossom that helps. My priority date is Nov 2016 - just got EB1A approved; I'd EB2 NIW approved back then. My attorney tells me to come to US (via L1) and file for AOS as it could take about 8-9 months on Consular Processing.

 

Not sure which route to go.

[appleblossom 2,349]

3 minutes ago, EB1Aspirant said:

Thanks for the answer appleblossom that helps. My priority date is Nov 2016 - just got EB1A approved; I'd EB2 NIW approved back then. My attorney tells me to come to US (via L1) and file for AOS as it could take about 8-9 months on Consular Processing.

 

Not sure which route to go.

 

Please hit the quote button or tag me so I get notified if you have a question for me, I only saw this by chance. It's taken you 8 years to get your EB1 approved?! Or am I misunderstanding? That doesn't sound right at all. 

 

No idea why your attorney would say that. It's nowhere near that long via London, and by the time you've got your L1 sorted you're likely to have your immigration visa already. 

[EB1Aspirant 1]

On 9/23/2024 at 10:56 PM, appleblossom said:

 

Please hit the quote button or tag me so I get notified if you have a question for me, I only saw this by chance. It's taken you 8 years to get your EB1 approved?! Or am I misunderstanding? That doesn't sound right at all. 

 

No idea why your attorney would say that. It's nowhere near that long via London, and by the time you've got your L1 sorted you're likely to have your immigration visa already. 

Hi @appleblossom

Thanks for taking the time. I've Indian passport, got EB2-NIW approval in Nov 2016, but the wait times for India EB2 is very long. I worked on my profile to qualify for EB1A (approved i140 only in Sept 2024). The USCIS has kindly taken into account my EB2 priority date and applied for EB1A application (it was in same field).

 

I'm in process of submitting docs to NVC. The attorney mentioned NVC can take long time to DQ, arrange interview date, etc. after which I could go to US.

Instead, if company is willing to move to US sooner, then apply for AOS whilst in US - that way the goal of being in US is 'quicker'.

 

Hope that clarifies.

Edited September 25 by EB1Aspirant

[appleblossom 2,349]

1 hour ago, EB1Aspirant said:

Hi @appleblossom

Thanks for taking the time. I've Indian passport, got EB2-NIW approval in Nov 2016, but the wait times for India EB2 is very long. I worked on my profile to qualify for EB1A (approved i140 only in Sept 2024). The USCIS has kindly taken into account my EB2 priority date and applied for EB1A application (it was in same field).

 

I'm in process of submitting docs to NVC. The attorney mentioned NVC can take long time to DQ, arrange interview date, etc. after which I could go to US.

Instead, if company is willing to move to US sooner, then apply for AOS whilst in US - that way the goal of being in US is 'quicker'.

 

Hope that clarifies.

 

Ah, I see, that makes sense now. Your attorney is completely wrong if you are a London applicant. Once you've submitted docs to NVC then it's only about a week to get DQ'ed (you can check that yourself here - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/nvc-timeframes.html), then you get added to the queue for an interview. That used to be 1-2 months via London (my whole process from submitting the I-140 to having my visa back was 5 months last year), it's lengthened a bit due to the summer rush but is still only 3-4 months. 

 

Frankly, switching to L1 just isn't worth the hassle, you're likely to have your immigrant visa before that all gets sorted anyway. I suspect the lawyer just wants to be able to charge another chunk of fees for doing a new visa application, and the AOS - but you're in the very final stages of what you've already applied for, so I can't see your company agreeing to pay all that for nothing. 

 

 

 

[EB1Aspirant 1]

On 9/25/2024 at 11:21 AM, appleblossom said:

 

Ah, I see, that makes sense now. Your attorney is completely wrong if you are a London applicant. Once you've submitted docs to NVC then it's only about a week to get DQ'ed (you can check that yourself here - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/nvc-timeframes.html), then you get added to the queue for an interview. That used to be 1-2 months via London (my whole process from submitting the I-140 to having my visa back was 5 months last year), it's lengthened a bit due to the summer rush but is still only 3-4 months. 

 

Frankly, switching to L1 just isn't worth the hassle, you're likely to have your immigrant visa before that all gets sorted anyway. I suspect the lawyer just wants to be able to charge another chunk of fees for doing a new visa application, and the AOS - but you're in the very final stages of what you've already applied for, so I can't see your company agreeing to pay all that for nothing. 

 

 

 

Thanks a lot @appleblossom 

one more question, do you know if my spouse could work too in US prior to us getting our physical GC? 

I read somewhere that's one of the downside of consular processing that spouse must wait to work until GC are issued.

 

[appleblossom 2,349]

4 minutes ago, EB1Aspirant said:

Thanks a lot @appleblossom 

one more question, do you know if my spouse could work too in US prior to us getting our physical GC? 

I read somewhere that's one of the downside of consular processing that spouse must wait to work until GC are issued.

 

 

Don't know where you're reading that, but it's wrong. Your spouse will be a permanent resident ('green card holder') upon entry on the immigrant visa, exactly the same as you. The stamp on the visa when you enter acts as your temp green card for 1 year until you get the plastic ones that turn up in the mail. https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/temporary-i-551-stamps-and-mrivs

Edited September 29 by appleblossom

[EB1Aspirant 1]

1 hour ago, appleblossom said:

 

Don't know where you're reading that, but it's wrong. Your spouse will be a permanent resident ('green card holder') upon entry on the immigrant visa, exactly the same as you. The stamp on the visa when you enter acts as your temp green card for 1 year until you get the plastic ones that turn up in the mail. https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/temporary-i-551-stamps-and-mrivs

hi @appleblossom 

Another question please -- 

 

I had a speeding ticket few years back, but I attended the speed awareness course. I can't find the date & exact details of the speeding. 

Am I supposed to mention this in the ACRO police certificate?

 

How about other fines- like driving in bus lane, not paying congestion charge (on entry), parking, etc.. I'd quite a few fines but they were all paid on times.

 

Thanks again for your time.

 

 

[appleblossom 2,349]

1 minute ago, EB1Aspirant said:

hi @appleblossom 

Another question please -- 

 

I had a speeding ticket few years back, but I attended the speed awareness course. I can't find the date & exact details of the speeding. 

Am I supposed to mention this in the ACRO police certificate?

 

How about other fines- like driving in bus lane, not paying congestion charge (on entry), parking, etc.. I'd quite a few fines but they were all paid on times.

 

Thanks again for your time.

 

 

 

You don't mention anything in the ACRO police cert, you just order it and it arrives, you can't edit it in any way. 

 

But none of the things you've mentioned are criminal offences, only civil.