Getting Packet 3 in Ghana

[a&o 4]

Yesterday we went to the consulate with the email reply I received from US Citizen Services after I had tracked the DHL package from NVC and saw that it had arrived in Ghana:

-------

He will be allowed to come in on any Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday at 7:30am to pick up the letter/packet.

Please have him bring a copy of this email with him and show it to the security guards for admittance. He should also make himself know to the security guards and explain that this is related to an IV-fiancee visa and he needs to pick up the letter/packet.

CDD

-------

However, they hadn't opened our case yet. So even though we got this notice it was almost futile to go before they had mailed the notice through the postal system.

We arrived at the consulate at 7:15. O was allowed in, but I was not allowed to wait with him. Foolish us thought since it was just picking up papers it would take maybe an hour or so. Wrong! He had to wait with the other "packet people" all morning in the waiting room. Then the packet people were transferred to another waiting room at about 1 p.m. At 4:45 p.m. O was called and told that they hadn't opened our case papers from NVC yet, so he should come back next week. So he had waited almost 10 hours for nothing. It's a good thing I wasn't there because I would have done an ugly American temper tantrum. O just thanked the guy, gave him a mildly sarcastic salute, and started to leave. But then they called him back and said that since he had waited all day they could give him the papers he needed. I'm assuming the photocopies he received are what comprises packet 3. This is what he got:

- cover letter with instructions about documents to prepare and gather (checklist)

* cover letter includes instructions to fill out forms OF-156 and OF-156(K) but those forms aren't attached. also includes instructions to get a medical exam from a list of attached physicians, but that list wasn't attached either.

- DS-230 Part I

- Information about evidence of support (financial proof)

- Information about getting a police certificate

- Photo requirements for application

So we're getting all the forms done to return this week and hopefully get an interview date!

[zetku 0]

a&o:

i'm reading every word in preparation. give thanks! and congrads on getting package 3.

z.

[akatagirl 0]

A&0 I am very glad that you guys were able to get your packet 3. My brother was able to pick up packet 3 for us and I have asked him to scan it for me and my husband to see but we are still waiting on him to do this....Please post when u guys have turned in packet 3 and are able to get an interview date! Take Care!

[Kanyiri 0]

Get that first form in as quickly as you can to get the interview date. Again, there are specific days that you can turn the form in. I don't remember what those days were. Hopefully your packet says that (or if you sort through old messages here, I'm fairly sure I posted it somewhere). Re was able to get his interview date the same day that he turned in that form. It was for three months later.

Looking at my timeline, he turned his forms in on a Wednesday.

Edited October 9, 2006 by Kanyiri

[a&o 4]

Thanks Kanyiri! Yes, he was told to go in on Wednesday morning to turn in the form. We're setting the alarm clocks for tomorrow morning and hopefully we'll get an interview date that is soon. If it's not soon I might try to appeal to the US Citizen services office and tell them I am here and hope to return with O. My visa expires on 15-Dec, so if there's a chance we can leave before then together, it would be great! Especially to be home for the holidays.... I know it's not good to expect this to happen, but maybe, eh? Keep your fingers crossed for us.

[Kanyiri 0]

Good luck with the citizen services offices. I'm sure you've visited there before. I know one woman on here who was able to get an earlier interview date, but I think she spoke to an actual immigration officer.

I attempted to speak to the USCS as well, b/c I was in Ghana for the interview, but the interview didn't happen b/c of passport problems. I tried to talk them into rescheduling the interview for the same week so that I would be able to attend the interview. I got every excuse she could come up with: she didn't deal with visa issues, all the visa people were in a meeting, I didn't need to be at the interview, etc. I wrote a letter to be sent to the consular officers, and returned the following day seeing if anything had happened. Nope. I kept talking to her, and she couldn't handle me anymore, so she called the office manager over who pulled me to their secondary window. I started crying and begging, and it was an altogether embarrassing moment. Anyway, the manager told me she was really sorry, but they were already behind and they were severely understaffed and just couldn't handle rescheduling. Anyway, I partially believed her, was partially too embarrassed to continue (crying is not my thing), and partially just realized they were not going to do anything no matter how many times I asked.

So that's my experience with them. It seems to change on individual basis, and probably depends on their current workload. If her story was right, they didn't have enough staff there to begin with, and then half of the staff that they did have were on vacation (it was around some holiday).

I would still try, as it probably wouldn't hurt anything. I'm sure that letter that I wrote is still sitting in our file.

Good luck!!

[a&o 4]

Hi, Kanyiri: thanks for the advice.

We did turn in the packet 3 and got an interview date: April 5, 2007. That's almost 6 months from now. I really didn't expect it would be THAT long. I sent my first request to USCS this afternoon, and we'll see what that does for us. If I get nothing maybe I can find an immigration officer to speak with.

Our case is simple and everything is in order: I'm hoping that will help. I knew all the good luck with things going quickly might get our hopes up to high that the speed would continue, but I'm still pretty disappointed.

[Kanyiri 0]

Six months away is crazy!!! I can't believe it is that far away!! I would have been devastated.

Good luck getting everything fixed. If you want to stay in Ghana, there is a refugee agency that is based in Accra which hires many RPCVs and perhaps they could help you extend your visa and actually get paid while you're there. They normally have six month assignments. There is also a new international adoption agency which you could ask to see if she would like to hire someone in country. If you would like company names then I can let you know.

[a&o 4]

Thanks!!! The work I do now is work for a U.S. company (I work from home over the internet), but my pay is therefore hourly instead of salaried, so it's less than I would make if I get back and resume a full-time, salaried position. So...have to see whether it makes sense to go back for those three months or stay and make less money. I'm pretty sure I can work out the Ghana visa issue, but that's not a given, either.

Ugh! Gonna post to see who has been able to change interview date.

Six months does just seem excessive.

[akatagirl 0]

Oh wow a&0 i cannot believe your fiance's interview will be in April 2007! My husband and I are just about ready to turn in our packet 3, he practically had to go all over the world to get all these police reports and its been one wild goose chase trying to get all this for packet 3....I was anxiously awaiting your post about today because we will turn ours in probably the next 2 weeks or so! OMG, 6 months so dam far away! I hope you are able to change to a closer date...I guess my husband and I will have to keep our fingers crossed the i130 route since his interview for that will either be in Greece or Cyprus! Good luck with everything...Keep us posted to let us know how things are going! My poor husband has had unbelievably stressful time getting all this together..He thought 3 months wait was too long, wait till i tell him its now up to 6 months!