Passports Taken After Interview

[tsharpe 0]

I noticed that in some cases after the interview that the Embassy takes the Passport then mails it back to the person with the visa applied. In the case of my daughter's fiance, the US Embassy in London didn't take the Passport and told him that he is now placed under Additional Administrative Processing. So far its been 15 months. We recently emailed a follow-up to the US Embassy in London and there reply was the same as on the form that they gave him. Don't call us, we will call you. Since his application is in AAP they can't give him an answer.

Her fiance is working legally and has been in the UK since 2000, although he is originally from Zimbabwe.

My question is: Is it standard practice that after an approved interview that the US Embassy take the Passport or does the US Embassy normally leave it with the petitioner as they did with my future son-in-law or it depends???

Can anyone answer this question?

[scotchland5206 5]

After an approved interview, the embassy will always keep the passport (your visa won't get attached to the passport there & then) then it is returned to you by a courier, which you pay for on the day...

I don't have any knowledge of AAP I'm afraid, I'm sure someone on here with more experience will know.

However it seems like he'll have to wait and be called back into the embassy...

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

If everything is good on the day of the interview and the visa is approved, they keep the passport. A visa is printed the next day, put in the passport, and it's released to the courier service to return it to the applicant (along with a brown envelope to be given to US immigration.)

If you fail to bring the proper documents to the interview, they won't keep the passport. They will instruct you to send back what you need to and they will contact you when they are ready to continue your case. After they contact you, then call the courier to pick up your passport and deliver it to the embassy.

And strictly from VJ experience, London seems to do additional, and probably optional, background checks on any applicant NOT born in the UK. They say they will contact you when they are ready to continue your case. After they contact you, then you call the courier to pick up your passport and deliver it to the embassy.

The Additional Processing takes 4-8 weeks, but I remember a case that was only a week. I've never run across 15 months. There must be some serious issues going on or they have misplaced the case.