Embassy changing interview date

[bcking 3,157]

Not sure if this is better suited in the UK forum.

 

My wife is interviewing in London, and was given April 5th

 

Today she got an email saying that due to unforeseen circumstances they need to change it to April 4th. It says to reply stating whether that is okay.

 

She replied and got an automated response, one that says "don't reply to this email" essentially.

 

The website still has the original date. She tried calling but couldn't reach anyone today.

 

Any ideas? Her P4 and courier info both say April 5th so she doesn't want to show up on the 4th and have them say it's wrong. She also doesn't want to show up on the 5th since they want to change it. Seems weird to ask to respond, but not to accept the response.

[Scandi 3,979]

I had my interview changed with the embassy in Sweden, from August 25 to August 22. Had to buy new train tickets and change the hotel reservation and all. It was a pain in the butt but worked out just fine. 

 

I only got an email too where they asked me to confirm the new date. I printed the email conversation and brought it to the embassy just in case..

[bcking 3,157]

11 minutes ago, Scandi said:

I had my interview changed with the embassy in Sweden, from August 25 to August 22. Had to buy new train tickets and change the hotel reservation and all. It was a pain in the butt but worked out just fine. 

 

I only got an email too where they asked me to confirm the new date. I printed the email conversation and brought it to the embassy just in case..

So the website itself never changed the date? It stayed with the original?

 

Did you reply to them and get a confirmation? 

 

Her email read this:

 

"Dear [Wife's name],

Due to unforeseen circumstances we have rescheduled your visa appointment for April 04^th, 2017, at 12:00.  Please confirm your attendance to this address or provide a convenient alternative date(s).

Regards,

 

IV Unit

Embassy London"

 

She replied to "this address" and she got an automated response stating that the email she replied to is only for sending in documents, and that someone wont receive it.

[Lenchick 133]

8 minutes ago, bcking said:

So the website itself never changed the date? It stayed with the original?

 

Did you reply to them and get a confirmation? 

 

Her email read this:

 

"Dear [Wife's name],

Due to unforeseen circumstances we have rescheduled your visa appointment for April 04^th, 2017, at 12:00.  Please confirm your attendance to this address or provide a convenient alternative date(s).

Regards,

 

IV Unit

Embassy London"

 

She replied to "this address" and she got an automated response stating that the email she replied to is only for sending in documents, and that someone wont receive it.

Has she tried to call them to confirm. I would show up for the  original date if you won't reach them to confirm. Is it far away for her to travel? If they really changed the date then she will come again if not then she won't miss it.

[Scandi 3,979]

I never checked the website once since I scheduled the interview. But since the website was set up to only show K-1 dates on Thursdays I can't imagine that they changed the date on the website just because a few of us had to have our dates changed. It was enough that the embassy and the people involved had an agreement on the new date.

 

I got a real response back after confirming though, not just an automated reply.

Edited March 27, 2017 by Scandi

[bcking 3,157]

18 minutes ago, Lenchick said:

Has she tried to call them to confirm. I would show up for the  original date if you won't reach them to confirm. Is it far away for her to travel? If they really changed the date then she will come again if not then she won't miss it.

She is about 3 hours away. She is going to try to call tomorrow morning first thing. Couldn't reach anyone today.

 

If she can't confirm it I would say go on the new date (April 4th) with a copy of the email, but it is strange if she doesn't get a "reply" from them once she confirmed. It asked specifically for her to reply with whether that date works or with new dates, which she did.

 

How will the courier work? The courier sheet says April 5th (original date). Will they still accept it?

[Lenchick 133]

12 minutes ago, bcking said:

She is about 3 hours away. She is going to try to call tomorrow morning first thing. Couldn't reach anyone today.

 

If she can't confirm it I would say go on the new date (April 4th) with a copy of the email, but it is strange if she doesn't get a "reply" from them once she confirmed. It asked specifically for her to reply with whether that date works or with new dates, which she did.

 

How will the courier work? The courier sheet says April 5th (original date). Will they still accept it?

oh ok lol she was moved to the closer date. I  mistakenly thought it was otherwise. Sorry. Make her go to the interview on April 4.

Well, they don't always instantly update the website. I hope they will return to her within a couple of days. Sometimes gov e-mails are set up the way to give automatic replies but it doesn't matter they don't read the e-mails they receive. In any case, don't worry you still have time to find out.

Edited March 27, 2017 by Lenchick

[Ryan H 3,796]

Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Progress Reports to US Embassy & Consulate Discussion.

[bcking 3,157]

She called the Embassy this morning. Completely useless. They knew nothing. She emailed a "contact" number, but it says it can take up to 5 business days for a reply, which could put us at Monday, and April 4th is Tuesday.

 

When I mean "useless" i mean literally useless. She explained the situation to which he replied "So your interview was on April 1st and you think you need to go tomorrow"? He couldn't even see her original interview date, and did absolutely nothing. 

Edited March 28, 2017 by bcking

[bcking 3,157]

So the replied to her "confirmation email".

 

All they said was "Please give us your name, case number, embassy" as if they had never contacted her in the first place. She replied, and then they said "We will escalate this to the proper department"

 

Escalate what? THEY changed the appointment time, why does it need to be escalated? 

[bcking 3,157]

Another update:

 

It is Friday and the "new interview date" is next Tuesday. So just 2 more business days (including today) for the Embassy to confirm. We've sent contact forms from both of us with no response, sent a seperate email with no response. Her "reply" to the changed date/time has received no response.

 

The website continues to say April 5th. When you call the "Scheduling person" through the website he says April 5th, and actually tries to convince us that the email was a scam. I called the NVC again, and the first person on the line (After hitting 4 to "confirm date and time") says she still sees it is the 5th.

 

I'm about to hang up but I ask to speak to someone else, anyone else, that could help. Her response is "Oh well the only other person is this one lady who works with "post-interview" people" so she connects me to her. She says her job is also to help people on the day of their interview, when they are at the embassy. Her system says April 4th! 

 

So this one lady can see April 4th, but the only way to speak with her is to know to ask for her. Every other system and phone line says the 5th. 

 

Don't know if all embassies work this way, but hopefully no one else goes through this kind of #######.

[TBoneTX 43,477]

That's really frustrating.  Sorry that you have to go through it.

 

My compatriots during our own "era" were hosed (maliciously) in this same way by the Guayaquil consulate.  Your account of your story brings back those memories.

 

Be sure to return with updates.

[bcking 3,157]

Will definitely post back how things go. 

 

Particularly for the London embassy, but for any embassy really - Does the security outside the building (when you are in queue to get in) check your P4 letter with a list that they have of the day's appointment? Or do they only go off the P4 letter? My wife is still worried/upset that her P4 letter will say April 5th and she will be there on April 4th. She is worried they will just look at her P4 letter and send her off without checking inside. 

 

I would assume they have a list of current appointments but anyone notice?

 

She still never got a reply after she "confirmed" April 4th...The entire immigration process has been one unprofessional organization after another (USCIS, NVC, now Embassy). I don't see how the Embassies function with such incompetence. If she is allowed in on April 4th I look forward to call back the Embassy phone line, asking to speak with the person I spoke to before (i have his name) and telling him that when he told us to "disregard the email as a scam" he was an absolute idiot and should be fired.

[bcking 3,157]

She had her interview today (approved).

 

In the end the Embassy figured it would actually be a good idea to confirm the new date/time since the website never changes. They replied to her email Monday around 4:00 pm UK time (Cutting it rather close). So she brought a copy of that email, with her P4 letter and Courier letter that both said the original date.

 

Security guards looked at the P4 and the email, and cross referenced it with their list and it was fine.

[TBoneTX 43,477]

Heartiest congratulations!  Thanks for the happy update.