Fed up!

[sammills89 2]

We've been waiting well over 8 weeks for an interview date and my fiance has called the DOS every day for the last few weeks and we're getting the same 'it's fine, just keep waiting' #######! Should we be worried at all that it's still not here? I know I put down the wedding date as September 24th so that's probably not helping things. Getting quite worried about all the little problems which could arise at the interview, I really can't wait until it's all over and done with and we haven't got to worry about this phase any more. Fed up of my job and general life here in England, and I obviously miss Samantha like crazy! Really is getting too much for me I have to be honest Oh well, rant over. Thanks for reading

The Sams'.

[nickandkayte 0]

Yep I know that feeling! I am still at the first stage of the visa though...LOL!

I know its hard, sometimes all you need is some chocolate and a nice chat on skype. I would definitely give them a call 8am tomorrow morning and find out whats going on. Be really firm and straight with them, tell them that you have heard its "Fine" multiple times, and make sure you get the name and phone extension of the person you are talking to. That seems to sort things out in a really mysterious way...

I wouldn't be worried, they are probably just being slow, but give them another call to let them know you are watching ;-).

If you want anyone to talk to during this time let me know, I am going through the same thing right now!! It may be good if you have someone similar to talk to through this.

Edited June 21, 2009 by nickandkayte

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

I think the Sept 24th wedding date is the whole issue. DOS can't speed things up for you. I think DOS is soon to become like the other lines who won't answer questions because they are called so much. It already sounds like they are not quite as friendly as they used to be. And by the time DOS knows you have an interview, it's probably already in the mail to you, so you would find out the next day anyway.

I remember somebody (well over a year ago) posted that London schedules interviews about 4 or maybe 6 weeks before the wedding or travel date when possible. I can't remember and it was just an observation. He said to say your travel date is about a month after you wish to interview, so that's what I followed. But if that's in the ballpark, then a mid-August interview would be likely. It's definitely not first come, first served at the interview buffet. By saying you're waiting until Fall, then they feel like they can let summer people get in and done and you will still make your date. Rather than calling DOS everyday, maybe you could write a letter to the embassy at the address where you mailed your papers and tell them you have had a change of plans and had to move the wedding up. Ask if they can reschedule you the week of _____. Be specific and they may accomodate you. Or you can try to get the paying line person to give you the email code because you need have your visa prior to (date.)

Edited June 21, 2009 by Nich-Nick

[Allie and Nigel 2]

I'm in the same boat...its sooo hard being away from the one you love and this whole process is tedious and takes too long...well for us it feels like a million years...lol...skype is our best friend her too ...my fiance in England is way busier than me and probably isnt bugging him as much as its bugging me here in the states....if only I had the time and the money i would be in England with him instead of waiting here....I broke down yesterday due to the stress of all of this....he listens, thats the good part....and this forum here is also a godsend!

Good luck to you....

Allison

[krystiandjon 0]

We've been waiting well over 8 weeks for an interview date and my fiance has called the DOS every day for the last few weeks and we're getting the same 'it's fine, just keep waiting' #######! Should we be worried at all that it's still not here? I know I put down the wedding date as September 24th so that's probably not helping things. Getting quite worried about all the little problems which could arise at the interview, I really can't wait until it's all over and done with and we haven't got to worry about this phase any more. Fed up of my job and general life here in England, and I obviously miss Samantha like crazy! Really is getting too much for me I have to be honest Oh well, rant over. Thanks for reading

The Sams'.

Hi!

Well your story sounds a lot like mine! We waited a ridiculous amount of time for nearly every part of this process! In total nearly 11 months!!! So when it hit the 7 week period of waiting for the interview, we lost our patience and contacted our local senator to request an explanation. Well that did the trick, because 3 or so days after he emailed them, he notified us that we had an interview a week and a half later.......I have little faith in the Embassy, I pretty much reackon that our application was just lying around and had been forgotten! So get your Senators involved, give them a kick up the backside!!! I'm real glad we did, Now I'm here and the nightmare is over!

Take care.

Jon

[sammills89 2]

Glad to hear we aren't alone in this! Well I'm not glad because it means other people are suffering also, but you know what I mean! I may have to get into contact with the senator again, or at least get Samantha too do it - they ignored us last time so we don't have much faith in them either! I'm getting quite worried about the interview itself also, can't wait until it's all done. Here's to keeping the faith and hoping for a date soon!

[Nik+Heather 121]

I think the Sept 24th wedding date is the whole issue. DOS can't speed things up for you. I think DOS is soon to become like the other lines who won't answer questions because they are called so much. It already sounds like they are not quite as friendly as they used to be. And by the time DOS knows you have an interview, it's probably already in the mail to you, so you would find out the next day anyway.

I remember somebody (well over a year ago) posted that London schedules interviews about 4 or maybe 6 weeks before the wedding or travel date when possible. I can't remember and it was just an observation. He said to say your travel date is about a month after you wish to interview, so that's what I followed. But if that's in the ballpark, then a mid-August interview would be likely. It's definitely not first come, first served at the interview buffet. By saying you're waiting until Fall, then they feel like they can let summer people get in and done and you will still make your date. Rather than calling DOS everyday, maybe you could write a letter to the embassy at the address where you mailed your papers and tell them you have had a change of plans and had to move the wedding up. Ask if they can reschedule you the week of _____. Be specific and they may accomodate you. Or you can try to get the paying line person to give you the email code because you need have your visa prior to (date.)

I'm sorry to contradict someone as experienced and wise as Nich-Nik, but this interview scheduling theory just wasn't our experience. Nik put our planned wedding date of Oct. 11, and planned travel of "September" and they assigned an interview for the beginning of June, just 5 weeks after we sent back packet 3 and the checklist. We did not request, nor were we entitled to any special handling to speed things up. I don't say this to brag about it or rub it in or anything, just to point out that your wait doesn't seem normal - whatever that is supposed to be.

I was thinking of something along Nich-Nick's suggestion about sending them more snail mail. Maybe send in your checklist again, with a cover letter explaining that you haven't heard from them in 8 weeks, maybe your checklist was misplaced?...Seems like this will trigger someone to look up your file and see what's up with it at the very least. I'd be sure to mention the first checklist sent, so that they don't think that you are just now sending it in.

Hope things get sped up soon! Let us know what you did and how it helped/didn't help.

-H

Edited June 22, 2009 by Nik+Heather

[DisneyLovers 18]

ours didn't go by our wedding date we'd put in on the forms either, aside from the help from our congresswoman to find out where the multiple packet 3's Id sent in had vanished to, we'd put my travel dates as June 20th on the last copy of packet 3 that I submitted as that was the day Paul would be traveling back to LAX (he'd already planned to come over from may 30th - june 20th. I sent my last set of forms for packet 3 in on the 20th of may'ish and paul got a phone call from our congresswoman 2-3 days later informing him that our interview was set for the 5th of june. but then with the help from our congresswoman, I guess that put's us out of the normal grouping for P3 turn-around days, still they knew our wedding date wasn't until Aug 2nd... so I'd personally say your travel dates have more of an influence plus nudging from congress always helps

[melbell54 0]

I think Nich is right in that they are just trying to accommodate people. Perhaps I give them too much credit, but it is probably pretty difficult to make everyone happy; I think that they do the best they can. I think the most important thing to remember is they can't accommodate what they don't know. For example, someone putting down a Sept travel date really means to them that there is no reason to rush your interview. As long as your interview happens by mid-late August, your plans will not be effected, from their perspective.

What we did is what Nich said, we picked a travel date about a month after we wanted the interview. Then we wrote a cover letter, and in it requested the interview fall within a certain 2 week period. It took us what seemed like way too long to hear back, but in the end they did accommodate our request, though perhaps it didn't leave us much notice. I think you should write them a letter, because I really do think they honor as many requests as possible. Again, they just can't accommodate what they don't know.

[sammills89 2]

Sorry I can't reply to all your comments, they're all amazingly helpful and I promise you I do read them! You all have some valid points, and I have to admit - I always thought that the wedding date would have an effect on the speed of our interview date, but Nik+Heather seem to be the exception to that rule! What could I put in the letter? Just that we had to move up our wedding date and include another copy of my checklist? Would anyone know where abouts in London to send this? Like would I send it to the same address(es) that I sent packet 3? Also, what sort of thing is it worth us saying to the senator? I don't think they even replied to our last e-mail so maybe some sort of guidelines could come in handy... Anything is worth trying! Thanks a lot again

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Anything you send to the Embassy would go to the same address you sent your other things. Make up any good story you want to. Random things that pop into my mind you might want to include in no particular order--

Name, case number

I previously submitted blah, blah on (date) but have not be scheduled an interview

My wedding has been rescheduled to (date) and I need to travel by (date) (you don't have to give a reason)

Ask for a date during a specific week or prior to _____. (of course say if possible and please, etc)

Ask if you could have the earliest date possible if there is a cancellation

Say you are prepared for an interview now and you're sending an updated checklist with the new dates.

You've completed your medical---(have you??)

Thank them for any consideration they can give you to help you meet your deadline.

I think I would skip the Senator. Some may be great, but others are going to dive in just because you're tired of waiting when you didn't need the visa until Aug/Sept. Save the Senator card for a really huge issue. I think you are likely to get a positive response from the Embassy with a letter. I agree with Melbell54 that they try to accomodate people's needs. And if by chance they misplaced your checklist, then you've freshly reminded them with a new one.

When you get to the Embassy finally, you will be surprised how many people they handle in a day. Row after row after row of folding chairs of people. There's lots of visas going through there and I would expect summer might even have more with tourist visas and people preparing for fall studies in the US.

That's just an opinion of what I would do. Everybody handles things differently. I tend to think the people are normal working folks who try to do their best. Other's may feel they are out to get them and hold up their life. You can often get what you want with some sweet talk over stamping your feet and demanding.

[meauxna 15]

That's just an opinion of what I would do. Everybody handles things differently. I tend to think the people are normal working folks who try to do their best. Other's may feel they are out to get them and hold up their life. You can often get what you want with some sweet talk over stamping your feet and demanding.

What a great reply!

I agree.

[sammills89 2]

Anything you send to the Embassy would go to the same address you sent your other things. Make up any good story you want to. Random things that pop into my mind you might want to include in no particular order--

Name, case number

I previously submitted blah, blah on (date) but have not be scheduled an interview

My wedding has been rescheduled to (date) and I need to travel by (date) (you don't have to give a reason)

Ask for a date during a specific week or prior to _____. (of course say if possible and please, etc)

Ask if you could have the earliest date possible if there is a cancellation

Say you are prepared for an interview now and you're sending an updated checklist with the new dates.

You've completed your medical---(have you??)

Thank them for any consideration they can give you to help you meet your deadline.

I think I would skip the Senator. Some may be great, but others are going to dive in just because you're tired of waiting when you didn't need the visa until Aug/Sept. Save the Senator card for a really huge issue. I think you are likely to get a positive response from the Embassy with a letter. I agree with Melbell54 that they try to accomodate people's needs. And if by chance they misplaced your checklist, then you've freshly reminded them with a new one.

When you get to the Embassy finally, you will be surprised how many people they handle in a day. Row after row after row of folding chairs of people. There's lots of visas going through there and I would expect summer might even have more with tourist visas and people preparing for fall studies in the US.

That's just an opinion of what I would do. Everybody handles things differently. I tend to think the people are normal working folks who try to do their best. Other's may feel they are out to get them and hold up their life. You can often get what you want with some sweet talk over stamping your feet and demanding.

That's just an opinion of what I would do. Everybody handles things differently. I tend to think the people are normal working folks who try to do their best. Other's may feel they are out to get them and hold up their life. You can often get what you want with some sweet talk over stamping your feet and demanding.

What a great reply!

I agree.

Nich-Nick, thanks so much for taking the time to write all that out for me. I'm working crazy hours all weekend but I'll be sure to get and sort it out in between, I'm sure using the example(s) that you provided! Thanks again for the extensive and informative reply. With all due respect, I've been incredibly patient through all this! We both have. Just getting a bit tired of not being able to make any plans (or at least, non-concrete ones) as I'm sure you all understand. Thanks again for your time and help as always!

The Sam's.

[sammills89 2]

And by the way, yes my medical is all done with and has been passed on to the embassy

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Of course we understand you're anxious and tired of waiting on something that you have no control over. And you wonder if they lost it or it dropped behind their desk or it got filed with the finished ones or if you didn't fill it out correctly. We've all been there and know the anxiety of waiting and how it makes you moody and second guess everything. Many of us are now looking in hindsight with a little more objectivity of knowing it will happen eventually and the interview is a piece of cake. I think contacting the Embassy is the proper step in this instance. I would contact a Congressman after an unfair denial, after waiting on a K1 NOA2 for a year or more like poor Estadia, being in Additional Processing more than 2 months, or any battle that requires the "big guns."