United Kingdom Interview Thread 2007

[rebeccajo 14]

We have a date.

August 21.

Geez. How in the heck did I miss this!

Many congratulations Daisy!

[John & Annie 0]

Can people reporting new interview dates also mention what information they provided for "travel" and "wedding" dates on the form? Just curious if we can guess (as much as we guess using any other data collected here) what effect that really has on scheduling.

Hey! Congratulations on your date. Why do I sort of feel guilty that we sent them on the same day?

Anyway, I put my real date for the wedding on my checklist and I also put a polite letter saying what a dumbasss I was for booking the wedding (copyright VisaJourney) and could they possibly possibly give me an early July date. I sincerely believe this helped, but it is really open to abuse if true. Hopefully people will only panic when necessary - but I would say that wouldnt I!?

Well done again.

ROb.

We made the same mistake and scheduled everything before we had that Visa in hand.

Through a lot of phone calls and Annie's MSP calling the Consulate Liaison, we managed to get our interview changed and made the flight.

Good Luck all.

[psho 0]

what's an msp?

[featherB 1]

what's an msp?

Member of the Scottish Parliament - ie your MP if you live in Scotland.

[psho 0]

Ah ha -- thanks!

Called the DoS line again -- no interview date yet. Bah.

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

Recent London 'graduates'

May: JamalNTam, Oath/Leney, Tigersden, Marina+Dave, Mark&Steph, tonyeck, AlienUKGirl; June: jac, kins, TracyTN, bevray, REP&KMM, elmcitymaven, wodge2003, craigandkym...

June 2007 Interviews

Name..................Visa....P3Sent..MedDate.....P4Rec'd...IntDate/Time........Status

Linababe..............K1....................06/06.......................06/07....10.00....PENDING FURTHER INFORMATION FOR MEDICAL

ashp.....................K1........05/01...................................06/11................PENDING DUTCH POLICE CERT

FutureAmerican....CR1...................05/17........05/02......06/12....09:30...APPROVED

Duffbeer.............CR1........04/24....04/30.....................06/12.....09:30...PENDING I-864

Justchillin...............K1.......05/01....05/11........05/05......06/15....08:00...PENDING ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW

July 2007 Interviews

Name..................Visa....P3Sent..MedDate.....P4Rec'd...IntDate/Time........Status

RGNSCOT..............K1...................05/24..........................07/03....10:30....

robburnsefc...........K1........05/29....06/07.........................07/03...09:00....

msu17..................K1........05/29.....................................07/03...09:00...

Teddy-406............K1.......03/15.....03/19..........05/10........07/06............

linzzee.................K1................................................07/10...10:30...

cindi....................IR1........05/09.....................05/31.........07/11..............

ValWesUKUS..........K1........05/30....06/06.......06/14.........07/11..............

selly.....................K1........05/23......06/06......06/12........07/19....10:00....

Jennymc11............K1........05/29....06/07.......06/11.........07/20.......

halcut..................K1........05/31....06/07.......06/12.........07/24....09:00...

August 2007 Interviews

Name..................Visa....P3Sent..MedDate.....P4Rec'd...IntDate/Time........Status

dropinboy.............K1........06/11.....06/12.......................08/01...08:30...

UK-to-USA..........CR1.....05/29......................06/12.........08/06.......

Rubycon/Disco..K1...........06/01.....................05/09.........08/10...09:30

TimsDaisy.............K1........05/29....06/07.......06/25......08/21.......

uzume................K1.........05/29....06/14........06/23......08/31........

September 2007 Interviews

Name..................Visa....P3Sent..MedDate.....P4Rec'd...IntDate/Time........Status

blspicer...............K1........06/12.....07/16......06/26.......09/04.....09:30....

Waiting for Interview

Name..................Visa....P3Sent..MedDate.....P4Rec'd...IntDate/Time........Status

justbee&robbie.....CR1......05/12.............................

psho.....................K1.......06/20....07/16................

Jake & Ali..............K1........06/04....06/12...............

Dawny&Tommy.....K1.......06/07.............................

Dan&Tiffany.........K1........06/25......07/03.......

Neal&Cari.............K1........06/23......07/03......

JandC..................K1.....................07/18.......

Converse34..........K1........06/26......07/20.......

Updated with all (I think...) the good news!!! Congrats to you all for interview dates, scheduled medicals and to FutureAmerican your CR1!

[Dawny&Tommy 0]

Just called the DoS, they received our checklist, and we qualify for an interview, just no date set yet! Omg, i'm so impatient!

Dawn.

[TimsDaisy 0]

Just called the DoS, they received our checklist, and we qualify for an interview, just no date set yet! Omg, i'm so impatient!

Dawn.

Shouldn't be long! Call them tomorrow! They told us he was "eligible" for the interview and the next business day, we had a date!

You're thiiiis close! Let us know

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

Just called the DoS, they received our checklist, and we qualify for an interview, just no date set yet! Omg, i'm so impatient!

Dawn.

Shouldn't be long! Call them tomorrow! They told us he was "eligible" for the interview and the next business day, we had a date!

You're thiiiis close! Let us know

Same here -- the last call I made to the DoS they said the same thing and then surprise! Packet 4. Can't wait to hear the good news!

[JandC 0]

I had to reschedule my medical for 26th July Packet 3 is being sent off tomorrow (29th June)...took longer than I had hoped....for various reasons.

My finance' wants to be here for the interview....but can only be here for 7 days (he has a serious lack of annual leave from work and can only get certain weeks off in august and sept due to other workers having already booked time off)....has anyone had any luck of getting an interview on a requested day? I know its a looooooong shot but we'd need the interview to be on the first few days of him being here....otherwise I wont get my visa in time to go back to USA with him. It's not really a problem if we dont get the date we want as nothing is booked yet....just would be nice to have him at the interview! Can't hurt to ask though...so I shall...and we'll go from there.

[TimsDaisy 0]

I had to reschedule my medical for 26th July Packet 3 is being sent off tomorrow (29th June)...took longer than I had hoped....for various reasons.

My finance' wants to be here for the interview....but can only be here for 7 days (he has a serious lack of annual leave from work and can only get certain weeks off in august and sept due to other workers having already booked time off)....has anyone had any luck of getting an interview on a requested day? I know its a looooooong shot but we'd need the interview to be on the first few days of him being here....otherwise I wont get my visa in time to go back to USA with him. It's not really a problem if we dont get the date we want as nothing is booked yet....just would be nice to have him at the interview! Can't hurt to ask though...so I shall...and we'll go from there.

I think experiences mentioned here indicate that if you give a clear explanation in a cover letter with packet 3 and put down actual DATES for travel/wedding (I'd say, even if you haven't purchased a ticket, but that's your INTENDED dates) then London can be accomodating. So send in a letter with packet 3 explaining the vacation issues, etc, and see what happens. Worst that happens is they don't accomodate your needs, but if you don't tell them your preferences, they definitely can't help! Good luck!

[JandC 0]

I think experiences mentioned here indicate that if you give a clear explanation in a cover letter with packet 3 and put down actual DATES for travel/wedding (I'd say, even if you haven't purchased a ticket, but that's your INTENDED dates) then London can be accomodating. So send in a letter with packet 3 explaining the vacation issues, etc, and see what happens. Worst that happens is they don't accomodate your needs, but if you don't tell them your preferences, they definitely can't help! Good luck!

Excellent, I will explain it all in my cover letter then and hope for the best! Thanks for your help, TimsDaisy and good luck to you too!

[TQM_Angie 0]

I have just found out i've got interview date for July 17th. I've looked at some dismay at the recent posts with interview dates of end of August and early september. We had hoped (though realised it was increasingly unlikely) to get married August 25th as due to work commitments certain members of my close family couldn't travel to US later than this.

Two days ago i thought what the hell i'm gonna email the embassy and explain this. I emailed them to say i was wanting confirmation they'd received my packet 3 etc and was it likely i'd get an interview so i could travel to the US to marry august 25th? I got the automated "deleted without being read" reply each of the 3 times i tried. Then today, 2 days after emailing and giving up, i got an actual reply saying they had received my packet 3 forms and would try their best for august. Then, 3 hours later, another email saying i'd been scheduled interview for July 17th, 9:30am.

I do feel like i've cheated, though the August 25 'need/ hope' is genuine. I'm astonished by how accomodating they are at the Embassy, even responding to emailing them when you're not really supposed to.

If you really need to travel by a certain date then it does no harm to badger them, is the moral of the story it seems...

[TimsDaisy 0]

I have just found out i've got interview date for July 17th. I've looked at some dismay at the recent posts with interview dates of end of August and early september. We had hoped (though realised it was increasingly unlikely) to get married August 25th as due to work commitments certain members of my close family couldn't travel to US later than this.

Two days ago i thought what the hell i'm gonna email the embassy and explain this. I emailed them to say i was wanting confirmation they'd received my packet 3 etc and was it likely i'd get an interview so i could travel to the US to marry august 25th? I got the automated "deleted without being read" reply each of the 3 times i tried. Then today, 2 days after emailing and giving up, i got an actual reply saying they had received my packet 3 forms and would try their best for august. Then, 3 hours later, another email saying i'd been scheduled interview for July 17th, 9:30am.

I do feel like i've cheated, though the August 25 'need/ hope' is genuine. I'm astonished by how accomodating they are at the Embassy, even responding to emailing them when you're not really supposed to.

If you really need to travel by a certain date then it does no harm to badger them, is the moral of the story it seems...

You in no way cheated. You used the methods available to you to help ensure you didn't spend any more time apart than necessary. Congratulations! You must be relieved that your plans won't need to be changed!

I don't even think you "badgered." Sending emails is a pretty passive form of badgering - they could've just not responded to you or not accomodated your needs.

I think your case is just more evidence that giving the Embassy all the relevant information is more helpful than not!

Congrats!

[Dan&Tiffany 0]

I have just found out i've got interview date for July 17th. I've looked at some dismay at the recent posts with interview dates of end of August and early september. We had hoped (though realised it was increasingly unlikely) to get married August 25th as due to work commitments certain members of my close family couldn't travel to US later than this.

Two days ago i thought what the hell i'm gonna email the embassy and explain this. I emailed them to say i was wanting confirmation they'd received my packet 3 etc and was it likely i'd get an interview so i could travel to the US to marry august 25th? I got the automated "deleted without being read" reply each of the 3 times i tried. Then today, 2 days after emailing and giving up, i got an actual reply saying they had received my packet 3 forms and would try their best for august. Then, 3 hours later, another email saying i'd been scheduled interview for July 17th, 9:30am.

I do feel like i've cheated, though the August 25 'need/ hope' is genuine. I'm astonished by how accomodating they are at the Embassy, even responding to emailing them when you're not really supposed to.

If you really need to travel by a certain date then it does no harm to badger them, is the moral of the story it seems...

That is fantastic news!! Congrats to you. I also don't think that you cheated or badgered in any way. Good to see that following up with them does provide results, though! Thanks for sharing, and I added you to my list of London interviews!