Ghana Embassy Headaches

[Asante Maroon 0]

Hi,

I just joined visajourney a couple of weeks ago when my fiance told me about it .

I am experiencing what may or may not be common with the Ghana Embassy and was wondering if some one could give me advice.

Ok, get ready..........

I am a May filer. I was given a notice of approval in September and the consulate was due to receive my information from the NVC no later than Sept 24, 2007. Because I had not heard from the embassy after they should have received my case, I began to worry and contacted the NVC several times. They told me not to worry until after two months.

I contacted the consulate, anyway, by phone regarding the status of my case on Monday, October 15, 2007, after my fiance informed me on Friday, October 12, 2007 that he was told by a consulate representative that our case was not entered in the system and that the consulate did not receive information on us. When I called the consulate and spoke to a representative I was told the same thing as my fiance. The representative even recalled speaking to my fiance.

I told the consulate representative that the NVC forwarded my case on September 14, 2007 and the consulate should have received my case no later than September 24, 2007. To make a long story short, I was told that there was nothing that could be done on the consulate's end and that I needed to contact the NVC.

On Oct 17, after speaking to the NVC I e-mailed consulateaccra@state.gov my first e-mail requesting clarification. They replied on Oct 19, and I was told that I was not in the system again.

Ironically, on October 19, 2007 I received a letter from the consulate dated September 25, 2007 requesting that my fiance go to the embassy to pick up a visa package. I have two concerns to what seems to be very conflicting information.

1) I was told that my information was not in the system and not received, yet I receive a letter dated September 25, 2007 requesting that my fiance go to the embassy to pick up a visa package. Being that the consulate should have received my case no longer than September 24, 2007, The date on the letter makes sense, but why is my information not in the system?

2) My second concern is the date on the envelope versus the date on the letter. There is almost a one month discrepancy and know one can (or won't) explain the reason.

After going to the embassy, my fiance was given a Marc 25th, 2008 interview date! I think this is so unfair especially since they mishandled my case and have at least set me back one month. We will miss his birthday, Christmas, New Years, and my birthday together!

I've been pleading with them to give us an earlier date especially since our late date is partially their fault, but I don't know what else to do. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you (I know its a lot of info),

Asante Maroon

[Zee Bee 61]

I sent you a PM.

[knl 0]

There is another member/members on here that have had the same thing happen, with the Accra Embassy, as far as the embassy saying they did not receive their paperwork, but yet still mailed them something to come pick up package 3. Don't worry, they have everything, the consulate workers just say they don't.

I got a letter from the embassy too, telling me to have my fiance come to the embassy and pick package 3. But by the time I got that letter, he had already got his interview date. The letters just come so late. The dates on my letter and envelope had about a months difference too. Don't worry about it, as long as you got the interview date, then you are all set.

We all missed or will miss holidays with our loved one. You'll have to wait in line like the rest. The Accra Embassy gives out interview dates way far away. Yours sounds about right, there are other members on here that have interview dates in March as well.

Read this link http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...91630&st=15 the comment on there from Jennifer & James. Contact your senator maybe they can help. But what I can suggest is don't wait to do the medical exam or vaccinations just in case you do get your date changed. That way you will have it done and out of the way, if I can think of anything else, I'll put another reply.

[Asante Maroon 0]

Thank you so Zee!

I sent you a PM.

[Asante Maroon 0]

My fiance is already working on getting his medical and police reports together just in case. I know that I'm the only one going through this, but its difficult all the same. Thank you for the information. I greatly appreciate it. I will try and see what I come up with.

~Asante Maroon

There is another member/members on here that have had the same thing happen, with the Accra Embassy, as far as the embassy saying they did not receive their paperwork, but yet still mailed them something to come pick up package 3. Don't worry, they have everything, the consulate workers just say they don't.

I got a letter from the embassy too, telling me to have my fiance come to the embassy and pick package 3. But by the time I got that letter, he had already got his interview date. The letters just come so late. The dates on my letter and envelope had about a months difference too. Don't worry about it, as long as you got the interview date, then you are all set.

We all missed or will miss holidays with our loved one. You'll have to wait in line like the rest. The Accra Embassy gives out interview dates way far away. Yours sounds about right, there are other members on here that have interview dates in March as well.

Read this link http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...91630&st=15 the comment on there from Jennifer & James. Contact your senator maybe they can help. But what I can suggest is don't wait to do the medical exam or vaccinations just in case you do get your date changed. That way you will have it done and out of the way, if I can think of anything else, I'll put another reply.

[Bassi and Zainab 1]

Nothing that you said happened sounds out of the norm for the Ghana Embassy. When you send them emails use ACS in the subject line, it helps to get faster service. I believe someone else on the site was told that if they got everything together earlier than March that they might be able to get their interview date moved up. So, that's worth a try. Unfortunately, interview dates are that far away, but also are somewhat erratic because someone else got a December interview date only two days before someone got a March interview date. The Ghana Embassy holds all the cards in this process. Try to be patient and prayerful, trust God to guide you through this process and give you strength. Good Luck!!

[Jennifer + James 0]

My fiance and I are still struggling to change our interview date. We feel the same about missing Christmas! We are also planning our wedding for January. It is so difficult to have all our plans hanging in the air like this.

I mentioned in the post linked by knl that contacting my senator got us a pretty quick results. And now we are regretting that we didn't take that early interview date, because we have not heard any news from my senator's staffer since. I am now planning to contact my other senator because I have proof their influence can get us somewhere.

We are theorizing though that the embassy only reassigns dates within a few weeks of receiving an appeal. Maybe they only know of openings a few weeks out. So maybe that is why they couldn't give us November when we asked in September. Now that it is getting to November, maybe we will hear something...

But has anybody else been successful in moving up the date through other channels of influence?

[Asante Maroon 0]

Nothing that you said happened sounds out of the norm for the Ghana Embassy. When you send them emails use ACS in the subject line, it helps to get faster service. I believe someone else on the site was told that if they got everything together earlier than March that they might be able to get their interview date moved up. So, that's worth a try. Unfortunately, interview dates are that far away, but also are somewhat erratic because someone else got a December interview date only two days before someone got a March interview date. The Ghana Embassy holds all the cards in this process. Try to be patient and prayerful, trust God to guide you through this process and give you strength. Good Luck!!

Thank you for the encouragement. I did not realize that this was a common occurrence with the Ghana Embassy. Its pretty strange how they do things. I am still praying for an earlier date so we will see. Thanks again!

[Asante Maroon 0]

My fiance and I are still struggling to change our interview date. We feel the same about missing Christmas! We are also planning our wedding for January. It is so difficult to have all our plans hanging in the air like this.

I mentioned in the post linked by knl that contacting my senator got us a pretty quick results. And now we are regretting that we didn't take that early interview date, because we have not heard any news from my senator's staffer since. I am now planning to contact my other senator because I have proof their influence can get us somewhere.

We are theorizing though that the embassy only reassigns dates within a few weeks of receiving an appeal. Maybe they only know of openings a few weeks out. So maybe that is why they couldn't give us November when we asked in September. Now that it is getting to November, maybe we will hear something...

But has anybody else been successful in moving up the date through other channels of influence?

I tried e-mailing the the Ghana Embassy numerous emails but they are sticking to their guns. I plan on writing a couple of my local senators by the end of the week (trying to make sure I give my fiance enough time for his medical and police records to be ready), so hopefully I will get a positive response. In the mean time I am trying to get everything else together like supporting documents for the AOS, and additional evidence of our relationship since the petition.

This process is like a second full-time job! Whew! Good luck. I will keep you in my prayers.

[His Glory 25]

Hi, Im new. My husband's interview date is March 20, 2008. We were disappointed with such a long wait but at least we have the date. Anyways, I do not know much about this stuff because I hired someone to file for us, but it seems they gave him packet 3 and 4 together when he went to claim his packet. My concern is that they mention in his letters that he should bring certain forms filled out that have been included in his packets, however they are not included. I can easily get this forms elsewhere but was wondering if that is usual for embassy in accra. I mean, what if they forget some other important paperwork. Thanks for any help you can offer.

Oh, and how would I approach a local government official to get involved in hurrying his interview date? Its sounds preposterous but some of you mention that it can happen. Im from Cali, maybe I can get my governor to call the embassy for me. Haha, I wonder how the embassy would feel about geting a call from the terminator himself.

[Kanyiri 0]

Someone mentioned emailing the consulate. I emailed them just about monthly for an entire year and never got a response. I did email the ACS in Ghana and got a response from them. They said that they forwarded my email to the consulate people, but I still didn't get a response. Some people have been able to move their interview dates up, but they were at the consulate in person to do this. I attempted to get our interview date moved up when I was there, and I was unsuccessful. I even cried and they brought me to a back room, but they didn't budge. I was also there during a week with a holiday so they had a lot of employees out on vacation.

Good luck to everyone.

[Zee Bee 61]

Welcome to the board Efia06!!!

Changing your interview date can be a hassle with this embassy. I would say get everyone you can invloved: the governor, your senators and your congressperson. You never know who can help you. E-mail and call on a regular basis and you may just get someone who will listen. I called them on 4 separate occassions before they finally told me that my fiance could go and pick up packet 3 & 4 without the appointment letter but even so, my fiance had to talk himself into the embassy because the information was never related to the guards. Just don't take no for an answer.

When my fiance did go to pick up the packets he talked to a female employee who offered to move the interview date if he completed the medicals and got the police certificate. Don't know if that helps your cause. My fiance and I are sticking with our interview date so I don't know whether we really would have gotten an earlier date.

Good luck!!!

Zee

[His Glory 25]

Thanks guys. I hate the time we have to wait but it will allow me save money so I can go and for husband to get his police clearance certificate from cameroon. Do i have to provide embassy with copies of the actual I130 and the k3? and we also have an issue. we got married in church there in nov 11th but we didnt know we were supposed to file it with courts so the certificate wasnt valid legally so when we were visiting his sister in akosombo on the 15th we hurried and went to court and got married there in court. I hope there is no problem because we only have pictures of wedding at church but not in the courts cause we werent prepared for that.

[His Glory 25]

Oh I forgot to ask you guys, do know if the police certificate from cameroon is called a certificate of non-conviction? and how long it is valid for in embassy's standards. Thanks!!

[Zee Bee 61]

Thanks guys. I hate the time we have to wait but it will allow me save money so I can go and for husband to get his police clearance certificate from cameroon. Do i have to provide embassy with copies of the actual I130 and the k3? and we also have an issue. we got married in church there in nov 11th but we didnt know we were supposed to file it with courts so the certificate wasnt valid legally so when we were visiting his sister in akosombo on the 15th we hurried and went to court and got married there in court. I hope there is no problem because we only have pictures of wedding at church but not in the courts cause we werent prepared for that.

As long as you have the marriage certificate you should be fine.

Oh I forgot to ask you guys, do know if the police certificate from cameroon is called a certificate of non-conviction? and how long it is valid for in embassy's standards. Thanks!!

I have only ever heard of it being called a police certificate that would outline convictions (if any). I believe that the police certificate is valid for a year.