Hey guys, just wondering if anyone has had any experience with letter's taking an extremely long time to reach Central Africa? I sent my fiance his affidavit of support and supporting evidence at the end of November, and it's still not there. Also his cousin in South Africa sent him a form around the same time, and it's still not there. I don't know what to expect......thanks for your help!

Shoot, I don't have any experience with Central Africa, but I'm guessing the mail "service" (if you can call it service) is similar to that of West Africa - NOT DEPENDABLE.

When I mail stuff to my SO in Nigeria it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months. If it's important or time-sensitive I use Fedex (or UPS or DHL). I know it would be duplication and extra $$$ but IMO, I'd send another set of what you mailed by Fedex, DHL or UPS to be on the safe side. Better for him to get it twice, and in time for the interview, than to not get it at all.

GOOD LUCK!!!

I don't think I have ever hit the 1 month mark.

But do as Jenn says, send it again be FedEx, UPS, DHL, something that you can track.

sending letter down there should officially take 2 to three weeks, but the problem is the postmen distributing the letter. if they find it just lil bit hard getting the add. they return the stuff back to the post office. just tell ur fiance to go to the closest post offfice to his place, they will dig it for him. b4 they return it to sender

Oh. Now in Ghana everything is a PO Box. So they don't have to take it anywhere, just stick in a box. Then it's to get Bassi on a regular schedule checking the box. So I can NEVER send a surprise package, unless I send it to a friend and then tell them to go and check their box.

Helo:
If this is any help,it usually takes 10 days maximum for my U.S.Postal Service(international express mail)to get to Nigeria,and about 14 days for a regular mail to get there.I actually sent an insured express package containing Christmas gifts to Nigeria on November 26,2007 and my folks still have not received it.This is unusual with express mails.My guess is that the normally not so efficient mailing system in some of these countries simply got overwhelmed during the last yuletide.I would send another mail via FEDEX or UPS (depending on how critical the info is),if I were you.Goodluck.

Hey guys! Praise Jesus, my forms finally made it!! Now we just need the police clearance from SA and we can be on our way to an interview!!! I'm so excited!

Thank goodness it got there in time. When is your interview?

Great!

I have never had a problem using regular mail to ghana, cameroon was another story. but in ghana it always gets to him....I wrap all the contents inside with cellophane at least four layers I then run a black marker all around it like a grid and write"tamper line". Then put in Post offices heavy package envelope use usps paper twine tape on all seams. I send registered mail (which ghana seems to respect with same security haha it may be over kill but nothing ever got lost or stolen, even sent cell phones. In cameroon someone slit the seams so carefully and u coudnt tell from outside til u opened it. They stole a shirt inside. and that was registered. anyway........Im going to send information to hubby and want to know about DHL how expensive is it to send the documents to ghana? I need something I can track past us.

I sent my fiance our binder full of information using the USPS priority mail and it is a flat rate of $37 for up to 20 lbs as long as everything fits in the box. This is the only way I have ever sent anything to him and it has always gotten to him. I know it says 6-10 days but for Ghana it is more like 6-10 weeks I was looking at prices for DHL and they were kind of expensive because I did not send anything crucial and if my package gets lost I have copies of everything.

I will be using DHL to send the affidavit of support info (probably around March 1). That is something I want to be able to track until it gets to him

I want to do that too. How much have found you DHL to be?

DHL was like over $100 to send the binder so that is why I went with USPS since the info is not time sensitive. I am going to swallow the cost of sending the other documents later since we wil be under more of a time crunch.

I was thinking that too. Since I am going for the interview I was thinking of taking the others but what if I miss the plane or there is delay so i thought it would be safer to send ahead of me. I would rather use dhl for the marriage cert just in case.