Possible contact options regarding London Embassy

[TheDeaks17 0]

Hello, 

 

I am wondering about any and all possible ways to contact the embassy about my husband and I's I-130 package. We submitted at the end of July, got our NOA1 on the 3rd of August. Here we are 14 weeks later with absolutely no word or update on how our case is processing or what the hold up is. 

 

The letter we got said to attempt contact if we had not received another letter in 5-8 weeks. We're almost double that timespan and Ive attempted to call the embassy and I just get shunted away and told to go online. I've tried several online forms multiple times over the past 6 weeks with very few replies and virtually no success. I'm honestly getting frustrated and desperate. Is there any possible way to get an answer in a reasonable time frame? I've tried using the register number I got with my receipt to track it online but none of the forms want to accept an LND number. 

 

I'm combing my brain trying to think of any reason this could be happening and all I can think of is that they used my self addressed envelope to send my NOA1 so there's nothing to send my other letter in. But even so, I opted in for an email alert and I keep an eagle eye on my spam folder.  I've seen multiple timelines where people are applying weeks after we did and have NOA2's and interview dates set etc. So I'm seriously concerned that something has gone awry with our case. 

 

Thank you you guys for taking the time to read this. Any and all advice would be highly appreciated. 

[Wuozopo 4,285]

If you don't have NOA2 yet, then it's not the embassy you want. It would be the USCIS field office in London.

Contact form https://uk.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/government-agencies/dhs/uscis/uscis-contact-form/ 

[TheDeaks17 0]

Thank you! I will try this, I've been trying to contact the embassy because the letter I received said that it had been approved and forwarded to the US embassy/consulate in London for processing and that all action had been completed by USCIS. 

 

"If you have any queries about the immigrant visa processing, DO NOT contact the USCIS Field Office London, as immigrant visa processing falls under the control of the US consulate - Immigrant Visa Unit. If you email the USCIS field office London on any aspect of the Immigrant visa process, you will only receive a reply advising you to contact the US consulate via the above means" 

 

I used the means listed in the letter and it gave me another contact form. I used that one and they tried to send me somewhere else and so on... 

[Wuozopo 4,285]

On 11/10/2017 at 8:10 AM, TheDeaks17 said:

Thank you! I will try this, I've been trying to contact the embassy because the letter I received said that it had been approved and forwarded to the US embassy/consulate in London for processing and that all action had been completed by USCIS. 

 

"If you have any queries about the immigrant visa processing, DO NOT contact the USCIS Field Office London, as immigrant visa processing falls under the control of the US consulate - Immigrant Visa Unit. If you email the USCIS field office London on any aspect of the Immigrant visa process, you will only receive a reply advising you to contact the US consulate via the above means" 

 

I used the means listed in the letter and it gave me another contact form. I used that one and they tried to send me somewhere else and so on... 

Then you do have NOA2 (approval of the petition). That wasn't clear to me and not in your timeline. Date of that letter saying approved?

 

Just carry on and follow these instructions If it's been more than a week since you got notified by USCIS that the petition was approved.. You don't need the letter from the embassy except to give you the link to the instructions. https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/family-immigration/how-to-apply-2/ 

 

 

Follow the steps on the page that look like this:

Petition approved by USCIS London
Important: you should only complete these steps if you have received confirmation that your case file has been received by Embassy London’s Immigrant Visa Unit. If more than 8 weeks have passed since your petition was approved and you have not received this confirmation, please contact us through our contact form to confirm your UK mailing address.

 

 

Step 1 - Application Form (DS-260)

Step 2 - Supporting Documents

Step 3 - Medical Examination

Step 4 - Scheduling Your Interview

 

 

[TheDeaks17 0]

Oh! That's unexpected because we got this letter within days of submitting the application packet and it is the only letter we've received aside from one telling my husband how long he had to complete the process before the I-130 expired a few days later, however to the best of our memory there was no case number in this letter, which has somehow gotten separated from the rest of our paperwork. 

 

Classification: CR-1

Priority Date: Aug 2, 2017

Approval Date: Aug 3, 2017

 

We have a register number but it doesn't work in any type of case number field I've attempted. The letter said to expect a 5-8 week wait while the approved application was sent to the consulate for processing. They definitely have the right address, I'm struggling to figure out what the problem is unless that lost letter did have a case number on it. Which if so, I'm going to kick myself for managing to misplace it. 

 

 

[mindthegap 2,521]

2 hours ago, TheDeaks17 said:

Oh! That's unexpected because we got this letter within days of submitting the application packet

snip

The letter said to expect a 5-8 week wait while the approved application was sent to the consulate for processing

DCF in London is extremely quick. Often the I-130 is approved before people filing a 'normal' I-130 even get their initial NOA.

From sending to receipt of notice of approval, ours took something like 9 days.

 

However, following I-130 approval, it is passed to the IV unit, and they write to you - normally pretty quickly - and that letter has a LDN case number that you need in order to proceed, and it appears that has either gone walkies in the post, or you have binned it by mistake. It even states that in step 1: application form DS-260 here: https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/family-immigration/how-to-apply-2/#collapse1

 

I will message you privately now with an email address that I used for some correspondence with the immigrant visa unit when we did it . It may not work, or it may still, but at least worth a go. (note: I am not giving it out to anyone else, so please don't waste your time sending me a PM about it).

 

You can also try ringing the DoS and see if they will give it to you: 1 603 334 0700 (US DoS immigrant visa number). they were helpful for me too.

 

There is also a specific London IV unit contact form that may be worth a shot - says you need a LDN case number to contact them, but that is kind of the point really.

Maybe put something like 'CASE NUMBER LOST IN MAIL' in that box, and that will give a result. https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/iv-contact/

 

Failing that, use good old snail mail sent to the IV unit at the embassy - ideally via special delivery so it gets there quickly and doesn't delay you any longer.

 

 

 

Edited November 12, 2017 by mindthegap