EB1A interview wait time in London, UK

[EB1Aspirant 3]

Hi All,

I received email from Embassy in London to schedule my visa interview & medicals-- Has anyone tried to schedule on their own? I only see a date of 11th Feb and that's it.

Does anyone know how frequently Embassy adds interview dates to their website?

[appleblossom 3,266]

6 hours ago, EB1Aspirant said:

Hi All,

I received email from Embassy in London to schedule my visa interview & medicals-- Has anyone tried to schedule on their own? I only see a date of 11th Feb and that's it.

Does anyone know how frequently Embassy adds interview dates to their website?

Why are you scheduling your own interview? The 11th is probably a cancellation, there is usually a longer wait if you have to schedule your own so I’d snap that up. 

[EB1Aspirant 3]

4 hours ago, appleblossom said:

Why are you scheduling your own interview? The 11th is probably a cancellation, there is usually a longer wait if you have to schedule your own so I’d snap that up. 

I'm not sure who would schedule then? Whom should I contact to check?

[appleblossom 3,266]

2 hours ago, EB1Aspirant said:

I'm not sure who would schedule then? Whom should I contact to check?

NVC usually do, immigrant visas don’t schedule their own. But if you’ve been instructed to then just go with it - no idea why though! 

[KVVO 9]

Just a quick bit of extra info - We (my son & myself) are having our medical on the 19th Feb and the new rules are that straight after the medical we have to go directly to the embassy and submit all our documents ahead of our actual interview on the 5th March. Reason being is that people are turning up to their interview with missing info so everything gets delayed. Thought you'd like to know if you don't know already!

[EB1Aspirant 3]

2 hours ago, appleblossom said:

NVC usually do, immigrant visas don’t schedule their own. But if you’ve been instructed to then just go with it - no idea why though! 

@appleblossom actually I didn't get anything specific - below is email I got

 

We are pleased to confirm that we have received an approved immigrant visa petition in your name.  Petition  approval does not guarantee visa issuance.  IMPORTANT:In order to apply for the visa, you are required to

            complete the steps on our website athttps://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/family-immigration/how-to-apply-2/

 

Make sure you have all of the documents listed on our website before you book your medical exam or visa interview.  Only the Embassy’s panel physician in London can conduct the medical.                                                  

 

Disregard any references to sending documents to the National Visa Center (NVC).  As your application is being processed by Embassy London, you must take your documents with you to your visa interview.  

 

Only a consular officer can decide if you qualify for a visa, following your interview.  As we can’t guarantee an outcome by any set date, we caution you against resigning from work, giving up accommodation in the UK or making final travel plans unless you have received your passport containing a valid immigrant visa.  No expedited visa processing service is available.

Should I contact the NVC and ask them to see if they could book my interview with London now? NVC timeframe indicates they reply in a week.

how would it work in case anyone wants to reschedule their IV interviews? Don't they have to go thru the AIS website (which by the way always shows system is busy!)

 

l speculated how things became easier until this!

[banang 2]

@EB1Aspirant When I received the IL from NVC, it stated that my case was moved to London embassy, if I want to make any changes, I have to contact the embassy, which indicated that NVC has no longer worked with my case since then.

Now your case is with London embassy, so, if the embassy haven't arranged an interview date for you, I think you need to book it by yourself. The best way is to contact the embassy directly for further support. 

But before that, make sure you arrange a Visa Medicals health check. 

Hope you can sort it quickly. Good luck.

 

[EB1Aspirant 3]

26 minutes ago, banang said:

@EB1Aspirant When I received the IL from NVC, it stated that my case was moved to London embassy, if I want to make any changes, I have to contact the embassy, which indicated that NVC has no longer worked with my case since then.

Now your case is with London embassy, so, if the embassy haven't arranged an interview date for you, I think you need to book it by yourself. The best way is to contact the embassy directly for further support. 

But before that, make sure you arrange a Visa Medicals health check. 

Hope you can sort it quickly. Good luck.

 

@banang 

thanks for the explanation. I contacted the visa medicals, they said I need to get an interview letter first before booking medicals. 
I think what you said does make sense, once the case is out if NVC and reaches embassy, perhaps NVC's role is finished.

I will try to contact Embassy.

[Hamd157 3]

On 2/3/2025 at 11:10 AM, Makenko said:

Hi everyone,

I had my interview today, so as promised, here is a quick recap:

When I arrived, there was a long queue for the visa section. However, thanks to previous posts from this forum, I knew I could go straight to the desk at the front of the line and let them know I was there for an immigrant visa.

I had a laptop with me, but the embassy does not allow laptops inside nor do they store them. They instructed me to use the lockers at a nearby coffee shop with a pink facade, located right across from the embassy. If you are in a similar situation, I recommend going there first to store any items that are not permitted inside.

My interview was scheduled for 8:00 a.m., so I was part of the first group of the day. I was the second EB (Employment-Based) applicant to arrive and didn’t have to wait long.

First, you visit a desk to submit your documents and provide your fingerprints, and then you return to the waiting area. Afterwards, you are called back for the actual interview with the consular officer.

Before starting, you swear an oath confirming that all the information in your application is true. The officer then asked me the following questions:

1. Could you tell me about your professional background?
2. What is your highest level of education?
3. How long have you lived in the UK?
4. Have you ever lived in the US?
5. What kind of work did the company you interned with in the US do? (I felt that last one was just for his own curiosity as he seemed genuinely interested)

During the interview, a second officer was being trained, so the first officer explained everything he was doing to her. Because of that, the process took about 10 minutes in total.

At the end, he said, “It is my intention to approve your application. You should receive your visa in one or two weeks.” So, fingers crossed, it will be issued in a few days!

I hope this recap helps anyone who has an interview coming up. Good luck!

 

Hi!

 

Can anyone please inform if we need to register our appointment after getting the interview letter from the USA embassy in London for EB1A, I have interview coming on 12th March and not sure if we need to register our appointment online before the interview?

[banang 2]

12 minutes ago, Hamd157 said:

Hi!

 

Can anyone please inform if we need to register our appointment after getting the interview letter from the USA embassy in London for EB1A, I have interview coming on 12th March and not sure if we need to register our appointment online before the interview?

@Hamd157 Yes you should create an account (at link below) and add your case members (include principle applicant + dependent) to confirm your interview attendance. Then, you can choose which way to receive your returned documents and passports (an extra fee of £21 per person if you want to receive by post).
Sign in or Create an Account | Official U.S. Department of State Visa Appointment Service | United Kingdom | English

 

[appleblossom 3,266]

7 hours ago, Hamd157 said:

Hi!

 

Can anyone please inform if we need to register our appointment after getting the interview letter from the USA embassy in London for EB1A, I have interview coming on 12th March and not sure if we need to register our appointment online before the interview?

Yes, absolutely. Follow the instructions on the usual website (item no. 2, then choose London) - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-10-prepare-for-the-interview.html

 

Please do fill in your timeline to ‘pay it forward’ and help others, thx. 

Edited Sunday at 11:00 PM by appleblossom

[KVVO 9]

On 2/3/2025 at 11:10 AM, Makenko said:

Hi everyone,

I had my interview today, so as promised, here is a quick recap:

When I arrived, there was a long queue for the visa section. However, thanks to previous posts from this forum, I knew I could go straight to the desk at the front of the line and let them know I was there for an immigrant visa.

I had a laptop with me, but the embassy does not allow laptops inside nor do they store them. They instructed me to use the lockers at a nearby coffee shop with a pink facade, located right across from the embassy. If you are in a similar situation, I recommend going there first to store any items that are not permitted inside.

My interview was scheduled for 8:00 a.m., so I was part of the first group of the day. I was the second EB (Employment-Based) applicant to arrive and didn’t have to wait long.

First, you visit a desk to submit your documents and provide your fingerprints, and then you return to the waiting area. Afterwards, you are called back for the actual interview with the consular officer.

Before starting, you swear an oath confirming that all the information in your application is true. The officer then asked me the following questions:

1. Could you tell me about your professional background?
2. What is your highest level of education?
3. How long have you lived in the UK?
4. Have you ever lived in the US?
5. What kind of work did the company you interned with in the US do? (I felt that last one was just for his own curiosity as he seemed genuinely interested)

During the interview, a second officer was being trained, so the first officer explained everything he was doing to her. Because of that, the process took about 10 minutes in total.

At the end, he said, “It is my intention to approve your application. You should receive your visa in one or two weeks.” So, fingers crossed, it will be issued in a few days!

I hope this recap helps anyone who has an interview coming up. Good luck!

 

Hi! Can I ask did you need to pay for anything at the Embassy such as your Biometrics? Or anything after your interview had finished? 

 

[appleblossom 3,266]

9 hours ago, KVVO said:

Hi! Can I ask did you need to pay for anything at the Embassy such as your Biometrics? Or anything after your interview had finished? 

 

You don’t need to pay a biometrics fee. The only fee left to pay after this stage is the green card fee. 

[EB1Aspirant 3]

hi all,

I checked ceac website and the case status shows "Ready" and my case is now transferred to London.

 

does anyone know what to expect next? 

Edited 15 hours ago by EB1Aspirant