Interview date in two months...DOS estimate!?

[katej0203 1]

I posted this in the embassy forum, but haven't had much help.

I sent packet 3 to London about 3 weeks ago, and have called the DOS twice since. Today, the lady said that my packet had been opened and "enrolled" yesterday. She said that she "believes they have already scheduled this month's applications for interviews next month, so I will have to wait until they start scheduling in October, for an Interview in November"....!!!

Every UK timeline I have looked at, people have been scheduled interviews within about 5-6 weeks of sending back packet 3. Why has this not happened to them? Do you think she has given me wrong information? Do they really only schedule interviews once a month, and the others have to wait?

I really hope I dont have to wait that long.. did anyone else have to?

[NickyMcMillan 0]

No definite answer. But it seems London give interview's according to when your expected travel date is. I posted my P3 off in January, with an expected travel date of June. So I was given an interview date much later than others who sent off the same time as me, with an April interview date.

What did you put down for an expected travel date?

[gwenneh 7]

It did take us two months to get our interview date.

[katej0203 1]

I put 2nd October for travel date... havent booked flights or anything, but read here that if you put an early date then you get an earlier interview. I really hope it will be ok.

thanks to those who replied

[NickyMcMillan 0]

Well like you said its only been three weeks. The average time to get P4 is around 4-6 weeks.

[stevi1123 0]

This is a nice thread. Thanks for such current information on the amount of time some are waiting between P3 send-back and receipt of P4-interview date....

Keep the updates coming please. We just sent ours back last week, and I have started calling DOS everyday now. ( I know that this is unrealistic - but I just call ONCE each day)

Edited September 11, 2008 by stevi1123

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

The DOS may not be able to estimate very well when your interview will be, but once it's scheduled, they will be able to tell you the date, so it might be worthwhile to give them a call now and again to see if there's an update

[sunnybear 0]

This is a nice thread. Thanks for such current information on the amount of time some are waiting between P3 send-back and receipt of P4-interview date....

Keep the updates coming please. We just sent ours back last week, and I have started calling DOS everyday now. ( I know that this is unrealistic - but I just call ONCE each day)

Heh heh not unreasonable at all I say....we just sent P3 back today and overnighted it and I plan to call DOS for my man next Friday with fingers crossed they miraculously opened ours and scheduled him in hahha!

[boohbah 0]

As one of the reps once told me, they can't really estimate anything since things change all of the time.

[stevi1123 0]

Thanks for making me feel "normal" for calling DOS daily this early in the packet 3 send stage....Then I will continue to call them every day until they either say the packet is being processed or that they can give me the interview date.

I was also thinking of actually trying it the "natural way" of just waiting until my fiance calls to say he has received packet 4 Interview Date in the mail.....

but I can't even imagine myself being able to do it that way

[MaxineandMichael 0]

I posted this in the embassy forum, but haven't had much help.

I sent packet 3 to London about 3 weeks ago, and have called the DOS twice since. Today, the lady said that my packet had been opened and "enrolled" yesterday. She said that she "believes they have already scheduled this month's applications for interviews next month, so I will have to wait until they start scheduling in October, for an Interview in November"....!!!

Every UK timeline I have looked at, people have been scheduled interviews within about 5-6 weeks of sending back packet 3. Why has this not happened to them? Do you think she has given me wrong information? Do they really only schedule interviews once a month, and the others have to wait?

I really hope I dont have to wait that long.. did anyone else have to?

We have a very similar timeline to you. And we had the very same worries as you state here. I called DOS only a couple of days or so ago, and they indicated to me (at that time) that although Maxine's packet number 3 had been inspected and subsequently she would be approved for an interview, the DOS rep said it looked like October was booked up already and we could possibly get a November interview. Well that certainly wasn't the news I was hoping for. Maxine, the very next day, called the Embassy and spoke to a gentlemen who, shall we say, was less than helpful - and very negative. So then I called DOS again yesterday and when the rep told me that Maxine had a date for an interview in early October, I nearly fell out of my chair! Keep your hopes up, and yes - keep calling DOS! Good luck.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Hey Kate--saw your PM just now. I am away from home and not getting my normal computer time. My CPU is in the backseat of my car, but I just pulled all cords off the back and loaded the box up. I have had to evacuate for hurricane Ike. May not have a home to go back to. I'm pretty much in the path and maybe 10 miles inland. Not looking good. Meanwhile I have relocated to north side of Houston where we will just hunker down and shelter in place. Shouldn't have flooding here which is the biggest danger in a hurricane. At home the storm surge could make my house ocean front property.

I don't know anything about how they schedule. It took 3 weeks to get P4 from the mailing back of P3. DOS didn't know until just short of that 3 weeks, so all who are calling DOS immediately may not get much of an answer before a few weeks have passed. DOS may have a good knowledge of London's schedule and she may be right. I've never gotten anything but rubbish from calling the Embassy. I hope it's sooner but it seems like it was averaging 6 weeks to interview from the date of mailing P3 back when we were at this stage. Not being on my own computer, I can't look up things I've made notes on.

[stevi1123 0]

Hey Kate--saw your PM just now. I am away from home and not getting my normal computer time. My CPU is in the backseat of my car, but I just pulled all cords off the back and loaded the box up. I have had to evacuate for hurricane Ike. May not have a home to go back to. I'm pretty much in the path and maybe 10 miles inland. Not looking good. Meanwhile I have relocated to north side of Houston where we will just hunker down and shelter in place. Shouldn't have flooding here which is the biggest danger in a hurricane. At home the storm surge could make my house ocean front property.

I don't know anything about how they schedule. It took 3 weeks to get P4 from the mailing back of P3. DOS didn't know until just short of that 3 weeks, so all who are calling DOS immediately may not get much of an answer before a few weeks have passed. DOS may have a good knowledge of London's schedule and she may be right. I've never gotten anything but rubbish from calling the Embassy. I hope it's sooner but it seems like it was averaging 6 weeks to interview from the date of mailing P3 back when we were at this stage. Not being on my own computer, I can't look up things I've made notes on.

Thanks for the info Nich, and it sure is good to see a post from you. You have many people here who care about your well-being.

This info helps me a lot, because I thought that DOS could at least let us know by now that the London Embassy had receipt of packet 3, but it has just been a 8 days (last Thursday) since the Post Office receipt of them receiving it (that's the checklist, and the DS Forms were received 2 days before that).

I asked my fiance Taiwo to start calling the embassy, but it looks like we are just being impatient (me), so we will just give it a couple more weeks.

I cannot promise that I will not continue to call DOS every day next week, but at least I have more to go by when you say that DOS did not even show record of London's receiving packet 3 until about 3 weeks after you sent it back.

I hope that made sense....I am in a bit of a hurry right now.

[katej0203 1]

Good news for us... my packet 4 came today, and my interview is on the 24th of September!

I have learnt not to really trust the DOS... she really made it sound like she new what she was talking about, and she was not in any position to give me that information if she didnt know her facts. Did I mention that even though she told me I was "enrolled", when I called the embassy later that day, they said I wasnt even in the system? How confusing... but it doesnt matter now!

Thanks to all for your replys, and thanks again nich... as usual, for your help. My thoughts are with you at the moment.

[stevi1123 0]

Good news for us... my packet 4 came today, and my interview is on the 24th of September!

I have learnt not to really trust the DOS... she really made it sound like she new what she was talking about, and she was not in any position to give me that information if she didnt know her facts. Did I mention that even though she told me I was "enrolled", when I called the embassy later that day, they said I wasnt even in the system? How confusing... but it doesnt matter now!

Thanks to all for your replys, and thanks again nich... as usual, for your help. My thoughts are with you at the moment.

That's great news.....Congratulations