I wanted to write a longer review with more visibility to help others.
VISA Medicals was a nightmare. My husband has autism and all he had on his Summary from GP was "Autism Diagnosis" with no further information. The doctor told my husband that he was not going to transmit the medical file to the embassy without a letter from his GP proving his autism didn't make him self-harm or violent to others. This was very stressful for us because we had 2 weeks until the embassy interview. We were able to push a "rush" on the letter from the GP by paying a 25 fee to the GP, and then got the letter 1 day later. VISA Medicals did not say whether this was sufficient and so we ended up going to the interview not knowing if the medical records had been transmitted or not.
Our appt was for FEB12-2025. We got a room at a hotel nearby called the Griffin Belle. Room was a bit pricey for what amounted to a matchbox sized dwelling, but the bed was good and the free breakfast was nice. The embassy was a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel, which was good because the appt was scheduled for 9:30 AM. It saved us having to rush via trains from Essex.
Upon getting close, we saw a huge line already forming (check the image I attached, that line you see ended up getting about 6x longer), along with a separate line for "Passports". We didn't know what line to get on, so we asked a security guard with body armour and a big rifle. He was very nice and directed us to an Indian man who was managing the queues out front. He asked for our DS-250, but we mentioned we have a DS-260, not a DS-250. We explained we were there for an IR-1 Visa. I may be misremembering the exact form code that everyone else had.
The man explained that that meant we didn't have to get in the line, since we had an appointment. He said that all the people in the queue were there for H1Bs or Non-Immigrant visas and didn't have appointments. However, as it was 8:20, and my husband's appt was for 9:30, he said we have to wait until 9 (half hour before appt). So we sat outside in the cold for about 40 minutes while checking and double-checking our huge folder full of paperwork that I spent 3 hours the night prior tabulating using post-its from Sainsbury's.
When 9 rolled around, it was time to go. I walked with my husband over to the entrance and saw that the Indian man from before was now gone. We explained what he had said to an Indian woman who confirmed it and had my husband skip the line. They checked his passport and DS-260 and he went into security. Once he was out of security - he told me this later - he went up an elevator and came to a waiting room. He took a number and waited his turn. A large screen showed the names of people who were being "served next". He ended up waiting for about 45 minutes past his appt. It was 10:25 AM when he was finally called.
He came to a small interview room and a woman was there. She introduced herself and asked for his passport, DS-260, ARCO Police Certificate, and birth certificate. She mentioned that his medical file had been transmitted electronically already and was good. She checked things on a computer and asked him for his name, date of birth, and my name and date of birth. She then nodded and said "My intent is to grant your visa today." She then entered info into a computer for 5 minutes and took the passport and some papers. That was it.
Meanwhile, I waited outside at a coffee shop nearby called District. It was full of nervous husbands and wives waiting for their spouses to finish their interviews.
Overall a good experience, but the confusion of the entryway could have been better mitigated by signs or something.
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1:19 pm March 20, 2025
