Hi,

I just joined visajourney a couple of weeks ago when my fiance told me about it .

I am experiencing what may or may not be common with the Ghana Embassy and was wondering if some one could give me advice.

Ok, get ready..........

I am a May filer. I was given a notice of approval in September and the consulate was due to receive my information from the NVC no later than Sept 24, 2007. Because I had not heard from the embassy after they should have received my case, I began to worry and contacted the NVC several times. They told me not to worry until after two months.

I contacted the consulate, anyway, by phone regarding the status of my case on Monday, October 15, 2007, after my fiance informed me on Friday, October 12, 2007 that he was told by a consulate representative that our case was not entered in the system and that the consulate did not receive information on us. When I called the consulate and spoke to a representative I was told the same thing as my fiance. The representative even recalled speaking to my fiance.

I told the consulate representative that the NVC forwarded my case on September 14, 2007 and the consulate should have received my case no later than September 24, 2007. To make a long story short, I was told that there was nothing that could be done on the consulate's end and that I needed to contact the NVC.

On Oct 17, after speaking to the NVC I e-mailed consulateaccra@state.gov my first e-mail requesting clarification. They replied on Oct 19, and I was told that I was not in the system again.

Ironically, on October 19, 2007 I received a letter from the consulate dated September 25, 2007 requesting that my fiance go to the embassy to pick up a visa package. I have two concerns to what seems to be very conflicting information.

1) I was told that my information was not in the system and not received, yet I receive a letter dated September 25, 2007 requesting that my fiance go to the embassy to pick up a visa package. Being that the consulate should have received my case no longer than September 24, 2007, The date on the letter makes sense, but why is my information not in the system?

2) My second concern is the date on the envelope versus the date on the letter. There is almost a one month discrepancy and know one can (or won't) explain the reason.

After going to the embassy, my fiance was given a Marc 25th, 2008 interview date! I think this is so unfair especially since they mishandled my case and have at least set me back one month. We will miss his birthday, Christmas, New Years, and my birthday together!

I've been pleading with them to give us an earlier date especially since our late date is partially their fault, but I don't know what else to do. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you (I know its a lot of info),
Asante Maroon

I sent you a PM.

There is another member/members on here that have had the same thing happen, with the Accra Embassy, as far as the embassy saying they did not receive their paperwork, but yet still mailed them something to come pick up package 3. Don't worry, they have everything, the consulate workers just say they don't.

I got a letter from the embassy too, telling me to have my fiance come to the embassy and pick package 3. But by the time I got that letter, he had already got his interview date. The letters just come so late. The dates on my letter and envelope had about a months difference too. Don't worry about it, as long as you got the interview date, then you are all set.

We all missed or will miss holidays with our loved one. You'll have to wait in line like the rest. The Accra Embassy gives out interview dates way far away. Yours sounds about right, there are other members on here that have interview dates in March as well.

Read this link http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...91630&st=15 the comment on there from Jennifer & James. Contact your senator maybe they can help. But what I can suggest is don't wait to do the medical exam or vaccinations just in case you do get your date changed. That way you will have it done and out of the way, if I can think of anything else, I'll put another reply.

Thank you so Zee!

My fiance is already working on getting his medical and police reports together just in case. I know that I'm the only one going through this, but its difficult all the same. Thank you for the information. I greatly appreciate it. I will try and see what I come up with.

~Asante Maroon

Nothing that you said happened sounds out of the norm for the Ghana Embassy. When you send them emails use ACS in the subject line, it helps to get faster service. I believe someone else on the site was told that if they got everything together earlier than March that they might be able to get their interview date moved up. So, that's worth a try. Unfortunately, interview dates are that far away, but also are somewhat erratic because someone else got a December interview date only two days before someone got a March interview date. The Ghana Embassy holds all the cards in this process. Try to be patient and prayerful, trust God to guide you through this process and give you strength. Good Luck!!

My fiance and I are still struggling to change our interview date. We feel the same about missing Christmas! We are also planning our wedding for January. It is so difficult to have all our plans hanging in the air like this.

I mentioned in the post linked by knl that contacting my senator got us a pretty quick results. And now we are regretting that we didn't take that early interview date, because we have not heard any news from my senator's staffer since. I am now planning to contact my other senator because I have proof their influence can get us somewhere.

We are theorizing though that the embassy only reassigns dates within a few weeks of receiving an appeal. Maybe they only know of openings a few weeks out. So maybe that is why they couldn't give us November when we asked in September. Now that it is getting to November, maybe we will hear something...

But has anybody else been successful in moving up the date through other channels of influence?

Thank you for the encouragement. I did not realize that this was a common occurrence with the Ghana Embassy. Its pretty strange how they do things. I am still praying for an earlier date so we will see. Thanks again!

I tried e-mailing the the Ghana Embassy numerous emails but they are sticking to their guns. I plan on writing a couple of my local senators by the end of the week (trying to make sure I give my fiance enough time for his medical and police records to be ready), so hopefully I will get a positive response. In the mean time I am trying to get everything else together like supporting documents for the AOS, and additional evidence of our relationship since the petition.

This process is like a second full-time job! Whew! Good luck. I will keep you in my prayers.

Hi, Im new. My husband's interview date is March 20, 2008. We were disappointed with such a long wait but at least we have the date. Anyways, I do not know much about this stuff because I hired someone to file for us, but it seems they gave him packet 3 and 4 together when he went to claim his packet. My concern is that they mention in his letters that he should bring certain forms filled out that have been included in his packets, however they are not included. I can easily get this forms elsewhere but was wondering if that is usual for embassy in accra. I mean, what if they forget some other important paperwork. Thanks for any help you can offer.

Oh, and how would I approach a local government official to get involved in hurrying his interview date? Its sounds preposterous but some of you mention that it can happen. Im from Cali, maybe I can get my governor to call the embassy for me. Haha, I wonder how the embassy would feel about geting a call from the terminator himself.

Someone mentioned emailing the consulate. I emailed them just about monthly for an entire year and never got a response. I did email the ACS in Ghana and got a response from them. They said that they forwarded my email to the consulate people, but I still didn't get a response. Some people have been able to move their interview dates up, but they were at the consulate in person to do this. I attempted to get our interview date moved up when I was there, and I was unsuccessful. I even cried and they brought me to a back room, but they didn't budge. I was also there during a week with a holiday so they had a lot of employees out on vacation.

Good luck to everyone.

Welcome to the board Efia06!!!

Changing your interview date can be a hassle with this embassy. I would say get everyone you can invloved: the governor, your senators and your congressperson. You never know who can help you. E-mail and call on a regular basis and you may just get someone who will listen. I called them on 4 separate occassions before they finally told me that my fiance could go and pick up packet 3 & 4 without the appointment letter but even so, my fiance had to talk himself into the embassy because the information was never related to the guards. Just don't take no for an answer.

When my fiance did go to pick up the packets he talked to a female employee who offered to move the interview date if he completed the medicals and got the police certificate. Don't know if that helps your cause. My fiance and I are sticking with our interview date so I don't know whether we really would have gotten an earlier date.

Good luck!!!

Zee

Thanks guys. I hate the time we have to wait but it will allow me save money so I can go and for husband to get his police clearance certificate from cameroon. Do i have to provide embassy with copies of the actual I130 and the k3? and we also have an issue. we got married in church there in nov 11th but we didnt know we were supposed to file it with courts so the certificate wasnt valid legally so when we were visiting his sister in akosombo on the 15th we hurried and went to court and got married there in court. I hope there is no problem because we only have pictures of wedding at church but not in the courts cause we werent prepared for that.

Oh I forgot to ask you guys, do know if the police certificate from cameroon is called a certificate of non-conviction? and how long it is valid for in embassy's standards. Thanks!!

As long as you have the marriage certificate you should be fine.



I have only ever heard of it being called a police certificate that would outline convictions (if any). I believe that the police certificate is valid for a year.

Hi. Welcome to VJ! I'm still pretty new myself.

My fiance received packet 3 & 4 together as well and he also had forms missing from it, for instance the I-134 form. When he called the embassy, he was told that it was okay for him to download it from the net. I believe most forms are available on VJ for download or you can go to the travel.gov website and download the forms there. Just to cover yourselves, you should contact the embassy and tell them what forms you are missing and ask them what they advise you to do.

As for contacting your local government, I plan to e-mail a few senators in my area and see where that gets me. If they are able to send even a simple request by e-mail to the embassy, I think that may suffice.

Good luck!

The e-mail address that is posted on the Ghana embassy website and just about everywhere else seems to NOT be working. I have never received a response from that e-mail address. The e-mail that address that seems to work is: Consulateaccra@state.gov. I don't know if this really made a difference, but what I have done was cc: the NVC at NVCinquiry@state.gov as an added pressure for them to reply, even though the NVC really can't do much for you once your case is forwarded to the embassy. If you are having serious problems with your case the NVC will refer you to the Department of State Visa Service (202) 663-1225 in Washington DC. The Dept of State Visa Service, however, does not respond personally to e-mails. They send out a generic reply with a list of links that directs you to their site.

I can't believed they would not budge even when you cried...but on second thought, this is the Ghana Embassy we are talking about here. But the fact that they were short staffed probably contributed greatly to their lack of empathy. When people are stressed, they find it very difficult to sympathize.

I'm not sure which forms you are referring to, but I believe that the embassy now only takes two of the forms online. They require that it be done on a computer and printed out, not hand written. But you aren't supposed to sign it until you are there in front of the consulate officer. I read that on their website. Maybe they explain it in the instructions packet? If not, check on the website for more information. There was some more information there.

The I134 is supposed to be filled out by the USC so that would probably be why they don't put it in the packet. You are supposed to fill it out here and attach the necessary documentation then send it to your SO in Ghana to take in on their interview date. Along with the NOA2 and any other helpful evidence of your relationship. VJ also recommends taking a new letter restating your intent to get married to your SO since the process takes so darn long.

Thank you zee for your answers. I love your countdown till the interview. Its so close to my husbands so when i see the numbers going down it makes me smile.

Hi, Asante. Thanks for the info. Your husband/fiance looks like a younger version of my husband.

Thanks Bassi. My husband got so little in both packets. He faxed them all to me and they amounted to only 7 pages! He didnt send the medical form. But it sounds like he only got one not the one I hear you are supposed to have for xray and vaccines. Are you given seperate one for each? If so, then we have something to worry about. I hear total for all is about 300.00. So, are they letting you walk the results back to embassy or do you have to wait for delivary?

No problem Efia. Anytime. Your husband must be very handsome then




No problem Efia. Anytime. Your husband must be very handsome then

I'm Sorry he is missing the ES230 part II (the sworn statement), not the I134 form.




I'm Sorry Efia, he is missing the ES230 part II (the sworn statement), not the I134 form.

When your husband takes the medicals he will have to go back and pick up the results to take with him to the interview.

I would include a letter explaining the situation with the pictures and the dates of your wedding and marriage.

Haha! Yes he is and let me tell you going by my own husband's looks, yours will only get more handsome with age. You guys look really happy together.

Afenab posted the medical information that he received about a week ago. Do a search of the site and I'm sure you'll find it. Zee knows how to link boards, but I don't.

This is what it says on the embassy website:



The DS 157 is for men older than 16 and younger than 45. But all the forms have to be done online. So, maybe they give you instructions instead of forms. The instructions, the medical instructions page, and the DS230 would only be 4 or 5 pages, right? I wonder if Afenab will stop by and tell us how many documents he received in his package. He's probably busy getting everything together because his interview is in December.

I sent two emails to that address and used ACS in the subject line and they responded to both within 24 hours.

Here is the info on the medicals:

1) Physical exams, X-Ray & lab test @ Holy Trinty: 510,000.00 cedis

2) Blood test @ Medlab: 420,000.00 cedis

3) Vaccination @ Akia house: 1,170,000.00 - 1,570,000 (Depending on whether additional vaccinations are required or not.

Make sure to get a copy of the vaccination records.

Awww. Thank you! We really do make each other happy. We love cracking jokes on each other. We have a good time .

You mentioned more handsome with age....How old is your husband?

Hi Bassi, how are you and others. below are what i went thru during my medicals examination. Guess this gonna help Ashanti Maroon and others
With the medical exams forms are: 1) medical examination information ( that is instruction sheet for medical exams), 2) meical examination for immigrant or refugee applicant form, 3) medical history and phyiscal examination worksheet form, 4) Chest X-ray and classification worksheet form & 5) Vaccination documentation worksheet form.

Details of my medical examinations

1) Phiysical exams, X-Ray & lab test ( stool xample ) @ Holy Trinty. The total cost was 510,000.00 cedis ( old ghana cedis)

2) Blood test ( HIV test) @ Medlab, which was 420,000.00 cedis

3) Vaccination @ Akia house, which also was 1,170,000.00. The are two more vaccine which i"m to have on november 12 & 22nd, the two also may cost about 400,00.00 cedis.

The whole total is about 3,030,000. While According to Akia house, the whole exams total cost 3,500,000.00 cedis. So if one have Phiysical exams, X-Ray & lab test ( stool xample ) @ Holy Trinty, you cold have 460,000.00 cides in your wallet

Here are visa forms in the package the CO gave me: 1) ds-230 part I, immigrant form, DS 156 non immigrant form & DS-156K, this for fiance(e) application form.

Addiction with two kind of Apointment letters ( Notice to visa applicant & ppointment letter for immigrant visa applicant) and visa instructions for fiance(e) noniimmigrant visa applicant sheet.

The is this another bookleting, including evidence which one may be presented to meet the public charge provisions of the law, Immgrant visa supplemental information sheet, photo requiement for non immigrant visa applicant and Attention immigrant visa Applicants sheet.

These are all in package 3 & 4. Hope these may help those may like to know what are in the packages.

Thank you.

Thank you

Thanks Afenab!

My husband is 39 and year older than me.

Afenab, I told my husband he is to get the results from clinics and take them to embassy at interview but he said the paper work says that he is to only get the copies but the originals are sent to the embassy. which is true? thanks for your information.

Your Husband is to pick every medical result from where he had his medical exams, add it to all his documents, and present them together the day of his interview.
I was called on monday from Holy Trinity Hospital to come for my medicals results. I'm in Kumasi due to that i have not gone yet. I have Accra going on 11/12 for one shot of my vaccination. I'm going to pick my medical exams result and Police clearance Certificate from CID head office on 11/12 when I'm there for the vaccination.

Is only the vaccination that the give the applicant copy. Please Every one here should His/Her tell Baby not to open any closed result given out. Those ones are to present to the CO the day of interview.

Efia, pls ASK YOUR HUSBAND should go for his medical exams result from where he had his medical examinations.

Thank you. May lord keep you and open blessing doors in Your lives

AFENABA

Thanks for the info

Thank you so much efenaba! I read my husband your post and he was very grateful. he said to thank you. He was going to get this vaccinations but he is taking antibiotics for typhoid so I told him to wait while taking the meds.

I had the exact same experience also with the Ghana embassy replying back to my email inquiries..... I know a former vj member was able to move her hubbies interview date up but she was living in Ghana at the time and I think she knew someone who had a contact at the embassy. I am not sure how much weight senators have with embassies but I definitely think with the senators' office contacting them, you will at least get some type of response back from them rather the Ghana embassy just ignoring and dodging your questions (as they usually do to most of us going through their embassy).