treehugger

Just got wonderful news: called DOS again, and the woman said, "I have good news for you: his visa was printed today and should be delivered in the next few days!" WHOOOOPEEE! We are so relieved and happy I could weep.

That's fantastic news, congratulations!!

Great, this fills me with dread. Why wouldn't they have asked for our co-sponsor forms then? Did they let you know somehow that you weren't going to receive it? What happened?

My intention was not to fill you with dread, more of 'expect the worst, hope for the best' just in case...The co-sponsor forms, if they're needed, will be asked for and all that happens is a short delay - it's more the arrest and visiting on the VWP that's the issue. There's a whole, rather long, thread on Brits who've have a really hard time for just the same sort of thing, and based on their experiences it's unlikely that a visa will be issued so quickly.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/232495-the-2010-london-waiver-list/

Please don't think I'm trying to bring you down - I'm just trying to say don't get too excited until you actually have that passport back WITH a visa inside. I was so excited when I was approved - tied up all the loose ends, said my goodbyes, booked a flight for six weeks later...it was only after two weeks had gone by when I still hadn't got my passport back and called the embassy to see if it had been lost that I found out I was in AP. It'd have been much easier to cope with if I'd known earlier, let alone if I'd expected it.

Another update....

The embassy called my fiancee again on October 30 and I asked him was there any way he could expedite getting a new Bangladesh police certificate and my fiancee he didn't think so but he could try. They told him to please hurry and we were both wondering why the big rush and I put it out of my mind and so on Friday, I called the State Department just to hear them tell me the case is still under "administrative revie", but I wasn't told this.. I was told the visa was issued on 10/27/2010... I was dumbfounded and shocked.. so I called again to make sure I wasn't hallucinating and I was told the same thing.. the visa was issued... I'm thinking maybe new versions of the police certificates are a formality and once he gets it to them..... we would have indeed finished...

Hopefully you'll hear good news soon!!

do you have any idea why he is in AP?

I'm the one in AP, my husband is the USC, and no, I don't know why.

He had no problem with the past arrest and then visiting on the visa waiver program, and he never once mentioned needing a HK police certificate like the woman had. We were overjoyed and jumped up and down and hugged and kissed. All those late nights of worrying and not sleeping, all wiped away! We were out of there by 9:30 am.

We still have no idea why they never asked for the co-sponsor forms, but at least now we already have them for the I-864.

I speak from bitter experience - it's not over until you actually get that passport back with the visa inside. The interviewer isn't the one that actually issues the visa, it goes back to a senior CO and everything is reviewed to make sure that nothing has been missed, all the documents are complete etc.My interview was in February and I was approved within three minutes - I'm still waiting for my visa almost nine months later.

Wife had her interview on 1 nov.. It went well but then she got an email the next day saying she is in AP. I didn't expect AP in Germany.. FML

My interview was 22nd Feb and it went well and I was approved. 17 days later I still had no passport so I called to see if it had been lost...I was told that I was in AP. My husband has contacted his senator and his congressman numerous times. Still waiting

MY VISA IS HERE. The dastardly mail lady never even knocked, just stuffed it in the mailbox.

My PoE is gonna be tomorrow. So excited.. more details later.

Congratulations!! :dance:

And wow, that's a quick POE Fab news though, it's about time someone got a visa round here!!

Thanks, crossed_fingers, I hope your visa journey is as quick and as smooth as possible

Boiler, I've been posting about being in AP for the past 5.5 months, I can assure you I didn't just pop out of nowhere There's also a female Canadian poster who's been in AP for three months, and there's another UK male who just got his visa after two months in AP.

Meghan - the shock of finding out you're in AP when you've no reason to expect it, and when you're not informed of it at the interview and only find out two weeks later - is the hardest thing to get it over, but once it subsides it does get a little easier. Unfortunately there's no rhyme or reason (that's apparent to us anyway!) why any of us are in AP. There's a USC whose MENA husband applied through Ukraine, where he's been living legally etc, and they've been waiting for just over two years since their interview, so your case is not as unusual as you may think...I sincerely hope that you are not in AP for very long

Read more carefully what I wrote above and check the timelines of the Madrid consulate. You'll see that several undocumented MENA men in Spain were issued a visa within a week. Mine is documented and is in all the databases for Spain already.

I'm a British female applying through London - I have been in AP for six months and one day, and I'm still waiting. Try telling me that's normal My interview was three minutes long and I was told to expect my visa in a few days, but possibly a few weeks because there was a backlog. It was only when nothing arrived and I called the embassy to ask about my passport that I found out I was in AP, and a call to DoS confirmed that my 'documents were complete, it was a good interview, and the relationship is recognised as valid', so why am I in AP, and why has it taken so long?!? Who knows.

I hope your SO's stay in AP won't be a long one

And 'I'm out'!

Letter arrived yesterday asking to send in my passport.

Congratulations :dance: Can you put in a good word for us?

Congrats.

Do you think you will be buying the plane ticket before hand or after you for sure have the visa in hand? Our interview is on September 9th. I want to wait til we have the visa, but I know it will be much more expensive then =/. I was thinking of going ahead and buying them now for a date two weeks after the interview... the difference in cost is a few hundred dollars! Haha, I'm wanting to save money, but thinking "what if the visa doesn't get there in time..." (for some strange reason).

My husband bought my ticket for six weeks after my interview date - six MONTHS later I'm still waiting for my visa!!

Good luck, Whatznext!! Hope that today is finally the day you get the good news you've been waiting for

Lostinlove the 18th is a big day for you too - sleepless night for you as well?

It's what who is looking for, to me this process is right back, if you were CEO of McDonald's in your own country, now you are going to be just that one for Saturday job at McDonald's, all difficulties in new place are just ahead, buddy. I'm going to create a family, not getting benefits from moving, I'm enough fine at home place.

I'm sorry, but I really don't understand what you're trying to say

To give you a rough idea, I've never seen an instance when someone was notified about an interview that was still two months away. I've only ever seen a notification was was a month or less away from the actual interview.

It could be because I applied for a CR-1 and not a K1, but I was notified around Christmas that my interview would be two months later. Then again, it took me a month to get my case number after USCIS transferred my case to NVC, and six months after my interview and quick approval I'm still waiting for my visa to be issued as I was put in AP, so it could just be me

Thanks, Whatznext, I'm really hoping that you get good news next week...you've waited so long and so patiently!! You were of course right, the first few weeks are the hardest, but as time goes on you do stress about it less because you realise it achieves absolutely nothing. My husband's congressman and senator both made enquiries, and both got the same generic response we all get when we email the embassy. I rarely call DoS anymore because they don't really have anything to say...

Awiz - it's true, we're the same people that visited in the past, but don't forget we're applying for a very different status now that has many more rights and responsibilities than a visitor. Think of it this way - an interview for a Saturday job at McDonald's is not as intense as someone applying for CEO of McDonald's

Thanks Amy I didn't realise so many were still waiting!

Thanks, Whatznext, I don't know how you do it!! Thinking of you and your husband in the run-up to your big day, and wishing you the best of luck

OK here is an attempt to catch up with the list. Please let me know if there are any corrections or additions. I will gladly take it over in the meantime.

Me please! CR-1, 22 Feb 2010, still in AP

It's almost six months since my interview and still in AP

I received my CR-1 Visa last week, a very nice looking visa it is too.. but it also came with a brown paper envelope which was very thick, maybe 2 - 3 inches.. which is the envelope that you have to hand to the immigration officer at the point of entry, which in my case will be San Francisco on 10th November 2010 (I hope)..

Congratulations, Andrew, on finally getting your visa - you and Traci must be relieved, and very happy, to say the least! Thanks for showing us what the elusive visa looks like...don't know about the others but it makes it slightly more real for me knowing what it looks like!!

I do mean DoS! With a few exceptions, I have called DoS once a week every week, sometimes more for five months now, and I'm not really any the wiser about why I'm in AP and why it's taking so long.

OK - now - what word from DoS Hotline, as well? (# in my profile) - you should call the DoS Hotline today, get a Human, inquire.

What's the use, Darnell? We all know that the operators have little access to information and tell us even less. How many people actually know why they're in AP? It's not called the black hole for nothing!

Congratulations!! :dance: