Seems that people handle Packet 3 differently. Some fill in the forms and send them right away, following up with the checklist when ready. Others wait to tick every box on the checklist before mailing the whole thing off.

Wondering if it would be possible to take a little informal poll to figure out which way is actually faster, or if it makes any difference.

My impression is that people who send the forms and checklist separately (by a few weeks) often get P4 pretty quickly after they send checklist, because the P3 forms will have already been entered in the computer, whereas people who send them together wait a bit longer from sending. However, sending them together saves time because you don't lose weeks by holding onto the checklist.

Um, if that makes sense.

I think we sent ours together. Not sure if it took longer. All I know is that it took about a month to get our packet 4. That was long enough.
So far this process, as long as it is, hasn't been as terrible as I once imagined!

But I will not count on anything as of yet!

If memory serves me correctly I thought it said on the instructions which come with packet 3 not to send the forms but to send just the check list back when you have all the required documentation available. I' m sure that is what we did and we got packet 4 very quickly after sending packet 3.

There are two forms DS-156 and DS-230 Part I that have to be returned first, then the check list (or alltogether) Other documents are brought to the interview.

I sent mine seperate from the checklist around the beginning of October and heard about my interview, which was on the 2 Dec, on the 9th November.

Not sure if any of this helps really though, you'll all get an interview sooner or later

Does anyone have a copy of the checklist they can post on the site so I can see what it looks like? I'm curious already - though I'm still a-ways off from my NOA2, clearly.

Nevermind - assuming they are current (or current enough) there are scans in the gallery section. My bad.

You only send the checklist back - at least thats what my instructions told me to do. Then you gather all the relevant extra info, make your medical appt etc. I received my interview letter 2 weeks after checklist was returned, and the interview date was 2 weeks after that (1 month in total from sending checklist back).

the pictures I found in the gallery for the checklist for packet 3 the ones posted by ewos had a 2002 date in the bottom left hand corner.

Found this doing some digging of my own. I think its pretty much the checklist in packet 3:

http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/iv/docs169.html

Only thing Im confused over is where some are saying mail it and others saying not, the website says:

Important: These documents must not be mailed to the Embassy. You will be required to furnish the documents on the day of your visa interview

*shrugs* so Im a little lost nothing new there.

SO got packet 3 last week. It says to mail the signable forms back ASAP, and to send the checklist when ready. It also says to NOT send the personal information in.

Yeah, you send back the visa forms, you send back the checklist (either with the visa forms or separately), you keep the police record and financial stuff and whatever other documents you have to show you're a good person with you and bring them to the interview.

Catica - i think the confusion comes from the difference between "forms" and "documents" - which is never really spelled out. whatever they say to mail back, the stuff you collect for the checklist stays with the person who brings them in for the interview. On the other hand, the forms they send to be filled out DO get mailed back to wherever they say to mail them to.

Does that make sense?