STUCK @ NVC for AP

[wasabi 4]

Are you guys counting the weekends? I am

For the 36 number yes I am but to be fair to NVC we actually shouldn't count weekends and holidays. Without counting these I believe I am only at 26 Business days. But it still FEELS like 36 days because it is!

[Y's_habibitk 2]

Are you guys counting the weekends? I am

For the 36 number yes I am but to be fair to NVC we actually shouldn't count weekends and holidays. Without counting these I believe I am only at 26 Business days. But it still FEELS like 36 days because it is!

I counted weekends also

[mikef 0]

I wonder what happens to the 4 month validity of this visa, all this time wasted, wouldn't it get too close to the expiration specially that this is not the end of the road?

[Ellie-and-David 38]

I wonder what happens to the 4 month validity of this visa, all this time wasted, wouldn't it get too close to the expiration specially that this is not the end of the road?

Provision is made for this. I am not sure whether differing embassy's make different provisions for this happening or whether a catch all system is applied to those cases that are held up. For example, in London, should the NOA 2 expire, a newly produced and notarized letter of intent is required.

[Badgerella 5]

I wonder what happens to the 4 month validity of this visa, all this time wasted, wouldn't it get too close to the expiration specially that this is not the end of the road?

The visa, once issued, is valid for six months, not four. The petition, once approved, is valid four months (start counting from your NOA2 date). However, it cannot and won't expire as long as it is being processed by (or just sitting at) USCIS, NVC or an Embassy. They'll just automatically extend it.

Example: our petition (NOA2) was going to expire on the 12th of April. We were stuck at NVC for 50-ish days and then, on top of that, rescheduled our interview from March 12th to April 8th. My visa is valid through Oct 7th.

You don't need to worry about your case expiration date - it won't expire. Once your visa is issued, it'll be valid for 6 months. Whenever, during that timeframe, you enter the US, your visa becomes invalid and you have 90 days to get done with your business (marrying/AOS-ing, leaving.. whatever rocks your boat!).

[Badgerella 5]

If, for a valid reason (they didn't really list what those would be, when we asked), even the petitioner and/or beneficiary can ask for a NOA2 extension, once the case reaches the Embassy level. We were about to do that, but the Embassy found a way to 'squeeze us' into their schedule when we asked for the initial interview (March 12th) to be postponed. They decided to do that, they said, because it was easier for them than doing all the paperwork that's required for an NOA2 extension.

[scandal 951]

I wonder what happens to the 4 month validity of this visa, all this time wasted, wouldn't it get too close to the expiration specially that this is not the end of the road?

The visa, once issued, is valid for six months, not four. The petition, once approved, is valid four months (start counting from your NOA2 date). However, it cannot and won't expire as long as it is being processed by (or just sitting at) USCIS, NVC or an Embassy. They'll just automatically extend it.

Example: our petition (NOA2) was going to expire on the 12th of April. We were stuck at NVC for 50-ish days and then, on top of that, rescheduled our interview from March 12th to April 8th. My visa is valid through Oct 7th.

You don't need to worry about your case expiration date - it won't expire. Once your visa is issued, it'll be valid for 6 months. Whenever, during that timeframe, you enter the US, your visa becomes invalid and you have 90 days to get done with your business (marrying/AOS-ing, leaving.. whatever rocks your boat!).

Good luck mikef, slujon, wasabi, Matt & Bing.... shouldn't be long for you guys now.... you're all in the home stretch for release!

Badgerella - we're certainly counting on what you're saying to be correct, that they automatically extend the validity of the NOA2 as long as it's delayed in THEIR hands (USCIS/NVC/DOS) beyond the 4 month period.

We had our NOA2 on Jan 14. We're coming up to the 4 month mark in 2 weeks, May 14.

We got out of NVC on March 13 but we're STILL!! stuck at Bangkok embassy waiting for an interview date. At this rate our "stuck at embassy to get an interview date" time is rivaling our "stuck AP@NVC" time. Pathetic. If I allowed myself to dwell on it I'd just get depressed and angry. So I try hard not to. Anyway, really hoping that they don't come back to tell us that our petition is expired because we've passed the May 14 date due to THEIR delays. That will make me explode.

[Talyss 0]

I hope next week brings good news to you all in terms of release dates.

Ron - maybe you could e-mail them about your expiry date. It might highlight to them that you were stuck at the NVC for a long time and they may bump you up the pile a bit for your interview date.

[Steve and Evelyn 0]

Hello Everyone!

Late yesterday afternoon I emailed my congressman knowing that no one would even look at it, if they in fact do read constituent emails, until Monday--if I'm lucky. I for one have no patience for lazy uncaring bureaucrats (not all are that way but they have that reputation). If my email is read on Monday it will be the four week mark of being stuck in NVC. I asked him to please see what he could do to expedite my case. It'll probably bite me in the butt because in other matters in my profession I have done this and sometimes it only irritates those government staff members when they are called on the carpet and they tend to slow it down even more. My email was polite and to the point and not hyperbole. You can get more with honey than you can with vinegar. Should I get any movement I'll be sure and post the results here of course. I feel that in this day and age of computers, databases of everything imaginable and nearly instant everything there is no earthly reason why a background check can't be done in days (if not less) rather than weeks and months. Obviously not all cases are the same but I and my fiancee don't have any legal issues in our past so to me it's inconceivable that a background check--if that's what they are actually doing--should take so long (why the secrecy too about what they are doing with these cases?). Hell, when I was hired at a job not that long ago my employer was able to check my background--criminally and otherwise--in two days. I say why can't the government be equally efficient? I wish you all the best of luck and God speed. If this exercise turns out to be positive I'll surely let you all know.

Take care,

Grace & Steven

[Badgerella 5]

Badgerella - we're certainly counting on what you're saying to be correct, that they automatically extend the validity of the NOA2 as long as it's delayed in THEIR hands (USCIS/NVC/DOS) beyond the 4 month period.

We had our NOA2 on Jan 14. We're coming up to the 4 month mark in 2 weeks, May 14.

We got out of NVC on March 13 but we're STILL!! stuck at Bangkok embassy waiting for an interview date. At this rate our "stuck at embassy to get an interview date" time is rivaling our "stuck AP@NVC" time. Pathetic. If I allowed myself to dwell on it I'd just get depressed and angry. So I try hard not to. Anyway, really hoping that they don't come back to tell us that our petition is expired because we've passed the May 14 date due to THEIR delays. That will make me explode.

It's the information I got from the staff at NVC, as well as the Embassy. We were scared something would go wrong, at any point of the process and that we'd end up with an interview date and an expired petition, or anything along the lines of 'harro thar, you're screw*d'. So, once we knew the petition was on its way to Croatia, we shifted to calling/emailing the Embassy. Just to be sure, or to have at least some sort of spoken or written.. or any proof.

I'd also advise you to try to contact the USEM in Bangkok, if anything, to make yourself feel better about it. It was probably really easy for us to do so, though, because it seems that here in Croatia people don't really apply for anything but tourist, student or work visas. For any even remotely immigrant related things, there's pretty much no waiting and, when you call them, they know you by your name.

Either way, good luck! I hope you'll get your interview date soon!

Steve and Grace, I'm afraid your congressman, or anyone else for that matter, won't be able to do anything at this level. You'll just have to wait it out.

Good luck!

Edited May 2, 2009 by Badgerella

[scandal 951]

I'd also advise you to try to contact the USEM in Bangkok, if anything, to make yourself feel better about it. It was probably really easy for us to do so, though, because it seems that here in Croatia people don't really apply for anything but tourist, student or work visas. For any even remotely immigrant related things, there's pretty much no waiting and, when you call them, they know you by your name.

Either way, good luck! I hope you'll get your interview date soon!

Steve and Grace, I'm afraid your congressman, or anyone else for that matter, won't be able to do anything at this level. You'll just have to wait it out.

Good luck!

Thanks Badgerella. We of course have been emailing the BKK embassy regularly. They only respond to emails, not calls. Their IV Unit handles a much larger volume of casework than does the Croatian embassy, obviously. My fiancee is active on a immigration related website similar to VJ, but in the Thai language for people in Thailand who are navigating the process. According to the buzz on that side the embassy seems to have just stopped issuing interview appointments. Nobody has received an appointment for the past 4 weeks or so. So there's really not much more to do but wait.

Steve & Grace - as Badgerella says - most likely you'll just need to wait. At least the NVC times seem to have come down a bit, so there's a good chance your wait won't be too much longer.

[Ellie-and-David 38]

I'd also advise you to try to contact the USEM in Bangkok, if anything, to make yourself feel better about it. It was probably really easy for us to do so, though, because it seems that here in Croatia people don't really apply for anything but tourist, student or work visas. For any even remotely immigrant related things, there's pretty much no waiting and, when you call them, they know you by your name.

Either way, good luck! I hope you'll get your interview date soon!

Steve and Grace, I'm afraid your congressman, or anyone else for that matter, won't be able to do anything at this level. You'll just have to wait it out.

Good luck!

Thanks Badgerella. We of course have been emailing the BKK embassy regularly. They only respond to emails, not calls. Their IV Unit handles a much larger volume of casework than does the Croatian embassy, obviously. My fiancee is active on a immigration related website similar to VJ, but in the Thai language for people in Thailand who are navigating the process. According to the buzz on that side the embassy seems to have just stopped issuing interview appointments. Nobody has received an appointment for the past 4 weeks or so. So there's really not much more to do but wait.

Steve & Grace - as Badgerella says - most likely you'll just need to wait. At least the NVC times seem to have come down a bit, so there's a good chance your wait won't be too much longer.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR......I am so sorry after all of this, that they are not issuing dates. I swear, I am never going through this process again. All the blooming stress has white hairs cropping up all over my head. I'm only 26!!!

Good luck Ron. I hope BKK pulls its finger out soon.

[slujon 0]

he guys was your 36 days in NVC including weekends or just workdays?

I'd also advise you to try to contact the USEM in Bangkok, if anything, to make yourself feel better about it. It was probably really easy for us to do so, though, because it seems that here in Croatia people don't really apply for anything but tourist, student or work visas. For any even remotely immigrant related things, there's pretty much no waiting and, when you call them, they know you by your name.

Either way, good luck! I hope you'll get your interview date soon!

Steve and Grace, I'm afraid your congressman, or anyone else for that matter, won't be able to do anything at this level. You'll just have to wait it out.

Good luck!

Thanks Badgerella. We of course have been emailing the BKK embassy regularly. They only respond to emails, not calls. Their IV Unit handles a much larger volume of casework than does the Croatian embassy, obviously. My fiancee is active on a immigration related website similar to VJ, but in the Thai language for people in Thailand who are navigating the process. According to the buzz on that side the embassy seems to have just stopped issuing interview appointments. Nobody has received an appointment for the past 4 weeks or so. So there's really not much more to do but wait.

Steve & Grace - as Badgerella says - most likely you'll just need to wait. At least the NVC times seem to have come down a bit, so there's a good chance your wait won't be too much longer.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR......I am so sorry after all of this, that they are not issuing dates. I swear, I am never going through this process again. All the blooming stress has white hairs cropping up all over my head. I'm only 26!!!

Good luck Ron. I hope BKK pulls its finger out soon.

[Matt & Bing 56]

he guys was your 36 days in NVC including weekends or just workdays?

I'm sure they all include weekends.

[flicker 5]

been in ap since march 30...