Ok I've reviewed several time lines. Once the ds230 is received by the NVC, it looks like it takes an average up to a month before you start to see consulate action. So it is possible if we can get this last paperwork done fast and sent out, habibi could have an interview as early as February.
My q is this. I want to take off of work to go for his interview. I am debating on how much time to take off. Do I need to only take a week off or two? Do I need to be there a week before his interview and a week after so he can come back with me? ( I want him to come back with me).
Also how much notice are you given from the consulate as to when the interview will be? If I need to take off up to 2 weeks to go back to Palestine, my work will frown upon it if I give them perhaps a one or two week notice that I must leave.
Thanks

We filed for the K1. When we contacted the Jerusalem Consulate on April 10, 2007 to find out when our interview date was they sent me an email message the following day informing me of his interview for May 8th. So it took about a month after we had already submitted all the required paperwork to the Consulate to receive an interview date. Again this is for the K1 visa though, not sure how fast or slow the processing times are for the K3 at the Jerusalem Consulate.

Good Luck!

We also did the CR-1, which takes a bit more time at the consulate than the K visas.

Looking back at our timeline, it took about a week after case completion at NVC before the file was actually sent to Jerusalem, then another 2 weeks to show up in the computer at the consulate.

Once Jerusalem had our case in the computer, they did an additional 1 week of "office processing," then assigned his interview date -- 6 weeks ahead -- and mailed out his Packet 3. I found all the details by email and phone calls, long before Mahmoud got the packet in the mail.

I would suggest that as soon as your case is sent from NVC, establish email contact with Jerusalem. Always include your husband's name, case number and birthdate. Regular mail can be so unreliable there -- he may not even get the packet until a few days before his interview. So email them to get the earliest info about his interview date. Jerusalem is pretty good about answering emails, although it may take up to a week to get a response. The phone is less reliable -- it may take hundreds of attempts to get an actual person on the line who can answer any questions.

So I'm thinking you could have maybe 4-6 weeks' "heads-up" time to arrange your travel schedule. Be aware that most consulates do not allow the USC to actually attend the interview with the beneficiary, but you can wait outside. It might help your case if the consulate knows you're there -- some VJers have said it helped them.

The medical can be done in Ramallah -- even a couple of days before the interview. I will ask Mahmoud if he can remember the doctor's name. It cost $100 when we did it in 2005.

As far as how long does it take to issue the visa -- wellllllll like everything, it depends. If all your paperwork is in order and the consulate is satisfied, then usually Jerusalem will issue the visa within the week. But remember they have to send it by courier, which can take another week to deliver in the West Bank (took ours 5 days to go from Jerusalem to Ramallah -- about 15 miles.)

But if anything is missing or they want more evidence, then your wait could be much longer. We got delayed almost 6 weeks waiting for an Israeli police certificate which they forgot to tell us we needed, but then after it finally arrived, the visa was issued 4 days later.

I have to say that 2 weeks is cutting it pretty short. If that's all the time you can get off from your work, then you might want to arrive just a day or two before the interview, and have more time to wait there afterwards. Always hope for the best -- that you can travel back to the U.S. together -- but of course be prepared for extra delays. Don't set yourself up for a heartbreak if things don't move so fast.

LOL immigration.... hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait But you will get through this insha'allah.



-MK