8 weeks to get packet 4 and another three weeks to interview?

[Hannah+Vito 0]

ok so i just phoned the expensive embassy helpline, to check they recieved my checklist ok last week. it should have got to them on the 26th nov.

after confirming my case number name and first line of address he confirmed they had it last week and i think he said it has been processed through ok. i cant remember his exact words, still realling from the next part.

he then offered up that i should have the packet 4 with me within around 8 weeks, and after that it should be three weeks to interview, so he said i should have my interview by end of feb

is this a bog standard processing time they give like the uscis, on line processing times, or it this genuinley thier current time frame they seem to be working at? i thought that London was ment to be fairly quick compared to other embassies?

I know its not a major disaster for me as our wedding is not till april, but i would like it out of the way, plus i was hoping to fly out in the middle of feb so i can help organise the wedding. is it really gunna take this long i hoping for at least a jan interview.

has anyone else been quoted this before and how long did it really take you to get yours?

thanks Hannah.

Edited December 4, 2008 by Hannah+Vito

[Lansbury 19]

Well it seems a bit long compared to what is was a little while ago.

However from the experiences of people here and on another board it does seem that London are now no longer as easy going as they have been and this could just be part of changes going on there.

[Hannah+Vito 0]

Well it seems a bit long compared to what is was a little while ago.

However from the experiences of people here and on another board it does seem that London are now no longer as easy going as they have been and this could just be part of changes going on there.

oh no so we may actually be in with that long a wait? oh no. I was so hoping i could fly out in middle of feb, but i didnt put a date on there only wedding date, because i couldnt afford my ticket yet and i know they would want to see the ticket receipt.

[*julez* 124]

When my husband sent his checklist back, he entered a hopeful date and we'd no tickets booked for him to fly over. This was last December. His interview ended up being Jan 7. They never asked to see proof of airline ticket purchase.

Either way, I think they give you the longest timeframe so if it ends up that way you won't be disappointed and if its shorter you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[Lansbury 19]

Well it seems a bit long compared to what is was a little while ago.

However from the experiences of people here and on another board it does seem that London are now no longer as easy going as they have been and this could just be part of changes going on there.

oh no so we may actually be in with that long a wait? oh no. I was so hoping i could fly out in middle of feb, but i didnt put a date on there only wedding date, because i couldnt afford my ticket yet and i know they would want to see the ticket receipt.

Unfortunately not putting a date does tend to add a little time to the wait. They are only asking the date you want to travel by, not that you have got the tickets for. In fact they tell you not to make arrangements until you have the visa in hand.

Allowing for the loss of a couple of weeks over Christmas I would have thought January for an interview based on past experience, it does partly depend on how many other people are waiting as well.

[no name 1]

Keep in mind it's also the holidays, and I'm sure they close for a week at least.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

We put travel a month before he intended to. I think they ask that just to try to accomodate your plans if possible. They can push back ones that don't have plans for months off to make room for ones that have a wedding sooner. That's just an opinion, but why else would they ask it? It has nothing to do with the actual visa process. And perhaps they don't even look at those dates, and just churn them out in any order.

Look here and find the chart with the London Embassy on the third line. http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...e-k1-historical It's a years worth of VJ data showing the ups and downs of London processing times. It varies with the workload like all the other steps in the journey to the K1.

[mrssmith 0]

We returned our checklist about a month ago, with a travel date of 30th June 2009 stated, and just today have recieved packet 4 with an interview date of 14th January. So looks like they don;t take much notice of the date of travel. Hope you recieve your packet 4 and travel date soon.

[LorriQ 0]

Just checked the holiday closing on the website - closings listed as 25th and 26th of December and 1st of Jan.

http://london.usembassy.gov/ukpubhol.html

I am also hoping they are interviewing up to the Christmas Holidays!!! they do always tell you longer so think how happy you will be when you get it earlier!

[Hannah+Vito 0]

thanks guys thats what i was hoping, that it was a case of dont get your hopes up so you can't be disapointed, but you never know.

i guess i got the date thing backwards cos alothough i put the wedding date i left the other part blank because every time i read a review people get their proof of ticket out. so i assumed it was nessersary to show it if you have it.

our noa2 i think runs out on the 23rd of jan cos we were approved on the 23rd sept, have i got that right?

we never got the hardcopy you see so i'm just working on the date nvc gave us with vj advice, does this mean they have to give me an interview by that date? or can they do what they please and extend it for whatever reason they feel like?

thanks for your advices and help guys

[LorriQ 0]

thanks guys thats what i was hoping, that it was a case of dont get your hopes up so you can't be disapointed, but you never know.

i guess i got the date thing backwards cos alothough i put the wedding date i left the other part blank because every time i read a review people get their proof of ticket out. so i assumed it was nessersary to show it if you have it.

our noa2 i think runs out on the 23rd of jan cos we were approved on the 23rd sept, have i got that right?

we never got the hardcopy you see so i'm just working on the date nvc gave us with vj advice, does this mean they have to give me an interview by that date? or can they do what they please and extend it for whatever reason they feel like?

thanks for your advices and help guys

Sorry to tell you - they extend it and you don't get a copy of the extension either! Went through that back in September - the NOA2 expired, but everyone told me it didn't matter as the petition was approved over here and they simply tack on an extension over there. And our case is still active, lord knows I've called/emailed/written enough different people/departments/senators/lawyer and they all say the same thing!

So no worries on the expiration date!

[Hannah+Vito 0]

thanks guys thats what i was hoping, that it was a case of dont get your hopes up so you can't be disapointed, but you never know.

i guess i got the date thing backwards cos alothough i put the wedding date i left the other part blank because every time i read a review people get their proof of ticket out. so i assumed it was nessersary to show it if you have it.

our noa2 i think runs out on the 23rd of jan cos we were approved on the 23rd sept, have i got that right?

we never got the hardcopy you see so i'm just working on the date nvc gave us with vj advice, does this mean they have to give me an interview by that date? or can they do what they please and extend it for whatever reason they feel like?

thanks for your advices and help guys

Sorry to tell you - they extend it and you don't get a copy of the extension either! Went through that back in September - the NOA2 expired, but everyone told me it didn't matter as the petition was approved over here and they simply tack on an extension over there. And our case is still active, lord knows I've called/emailed/written enough different people/departments/senators/lawyer and they all say the same thing!

So no worries on the expiration date!

ah heck thanks i was hoping that if they had the oportunity they would get to it before experation, but never mind, what will be will be, i will have to accept it and try to rememner that the money in the account isnt just just for wedding and flight.

thanks for sharing your experience with me.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Hannah--we didn't show a ticket or have a future ticket at the interview and I never noticed other people saying that. I think any tickets you saw reference to were previous visits to show an ongoing relationship? Or the "ticket" they give you with your number to get called up to the window??

Also I wanted to comment on the fact that you don't have a hard copy NOA2. A photocopy of it has to be sent in with AOS as part of the documentation, so maybe you could work on getting that now while you're waiting around for something to happen.

[Hannah+Vito 0]

Hannah--we didn't show a ticket or have a future ticket at the interview and I never noticed other people saying that. I think any tickets you saw reference to were previous visits to show an ongoing relationship? Or the "ticket" they give you with your number to get called up to the window??

Also I wanted to comment on the fact that you don't have a hard copy NOA2. A photocopy of it has to be sent in with AOS as part of the documentation, so maybe you could work on getting that now while you're waiting around for something to happen.

thanks nich nick, we already found that out, we have ben working on it for weeks, last time we called they finally sent a request for an update on our case, but iother than a touch online, nothings changed, case still says pending call center will prob still think pening like last time, no email, and no hard copy, will have to prepare round three,(sounds bell) someone sugested the rfe trick, but its confussing how you navigate the helpline optios t speak to th auall cenr and not cll ener, do you know how?

[Big Papa Zone 93]

Allowing for the loss of a couple of weeks over Christmas ...........................

And there you have it - nail on head. You're unfortunately in a shitty timeframe, Hannah.