Scheduling Medical Exam & Interview

[Cmptrsdeal 76]

What is the soonest you can schedule the interview?  Meaning how soon after you schedule the medical exam?   Can they both be done just a week apart?

[Khallaf 649]

1 minute ago, Cmptrsdeal said:

What is the soonest you can schedule the interview?  Meaning how soon after you schedule the medical exam?   Can they both be done just a week apart?

well you can't schedule in most countries until you have a letter from NVC or the embassy.

 

Then you need to call around to find out how long it will take to get back, some offices are faster than others so in theory yes it can be done just a week apart, but spots do fill fast.

[Hank_ 9,173]

Just now, Cmptrsdeal said:

What is the soonest you can schedule the interview?  Meaning how soon after you schedule the medical exam?   Can they both be done just a week apart?

You should wait for READY status on the CEAC website before scheduling your interview at the embassy.   Many do both the medical and interview in the same week.   Medical is walk-in, first come, first served

 

http://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/k-1-visa-application.html

[Hank_ 9,173]

Just now, Khallaf said:

well you can't schedule in most countries until you have a letter from NVC or the embassy.

 

Then you need to call around to find out how long it will take to get back, some offices are faster than others so in theory yes it can be done just a week apart, but spots do fill fast.

Not how it is done in Manila

[Cmptrsdeal 76]

6 minutes ago, Hank_ said:

You should wait for READY status on the CEAC website before scheduling your interview at the embassy.   Many do both the medical and interview in the same week.   Medical is walk-in, first come, first served

 

http://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/k-1-visa-application.html

awesome,  thank you!!

[Greenbaum 12,258]

46 minutes ago, Hank_ said:

You should wait for READY status on the CEAC website before scheduling your interview at the embassy.   Many do both the medical and interview in the same week.   Medical is walk-in, first come, first served

 

http://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/k-1-visa-application.html

I would think that if he wanted to schedule the interview and the medical in the same week that he would choose a date at least 4 weeks out to insure that the date is available when needed and that the case would be set to "ready" status. What say you?

[Hank_ 9,173]

1 minute ago, Greenbaum said:

I would think that if he wanted to schedule the interview and the medical in the same week that he would choose a date at least 4 weeks out to insure that the date is available when needed and that the case would be set to "ready" status. What say you?

I say once CEAC status shows READY (as in my other post) there is no reason to schedule out 4 weeks if there are earlier dates available.   (embassy is frowning on those that schedule before READY status on CEAC)

[Greenbaum 12,258]

5 minutes ago, Hank_ said:

I say once CEAC status shows READY (as in my other post) there is no reason to schedule out 4 weeks if there are earlier dates available.   (embassy is frowning on those that schedule before READY status on CEAC)

A frown and an actual policy are two different things but I understand your thought process. But under what you are subscribing to then he risks having to wait 2-4 additional weeks till his case is set to ready. Now if he can do the medical now and then schedule the interview once the case is set to ready I can be onboard with that. BUT, he wants to do both in the same week. I'm sure she needs to come to Manila from somewhere else and it's an expense issue. I know, I have been there when shipping 3 for the visa can get costly for anyone.

[Hank_ 9,173]

53 minutes ago, Greenbaum said:

A frown and an actual policy are two different things but I understand your thought process. But under what you are subscribing to then he risks having to wait 2-4 additional weeks till his case is set to ready. Now if he can do the medical now and then schedule the interview once the case is set to ready I can be onboard with that. BUT, he wants to do both in the same week. I'm sure she needs to come to Manila from somewhere else and it's an expense issue. I know, I have been there when shipping 3 for the visa can get costly for anyone.

 

Look at it this way, some things have changed, yet nothing has really changed  .   Until a month ago, give or take, I use to tell people that once they had their MNL# it is ROCK n ROLL Time, they can schedule the interview 4-5 weeks out from when they received their MNL#, giving time to complete the medical and be ready with all the documents.    Then the embassy started making noise about these people that are scheduling their interviews before the case file had arrived (serious jumping the gun).  So I adjusted my recommendation to wait until their status was READY ... at this point the case file IS at the embassy, they can schedule their interview the following week if they want, as long as they can get the medical completed, thus getting everything done in about 3-5 weeks from when they received their MNL# from NVC.

 

End result is the same or many times quicker.   Waiting for ready status removes the need to add extra time to allow for just that, so a person can grab a much earlier interview date.

 

It has always been the embassy policy to not schedule the interview until you receive "the letter" from the embassy (if you call to schedule that is the first thing they ask), but as we discussed yesterday .. some people don't have an email or it changed/whatever and then don't receive the email/letter from the embassy .. sort of like back in the day where neither you or I ever received that letter by PhilPost.    So it is policy ...   just ignored by those in the know   

 

But the same result is accomplished by simple watching for READY status on CEAC, then scheduling the interview for as soon as you can get everything ready ...  which can be a much faster process now.

Edited November 29, 2018 by Hank_

[mikeandgeraldine 0]

OK I have a similar, but slightly different question:  Can I schedule the Interview, at risk, once I get the Case# and schedule the Medical all in the same week?  What are the downsides?  Here is the situation at hand for additional context:

 

• Girlfriend (Filipina) and I (US Citizen) met in Europe - been dating for 3 years
• We now have a 9 month old little girl, born in Europe (US Citizen already - as I am US Citizen - CRBA obtained)
• GF visa expired so got her back to Philippines while we process her K1 - she lives in small town about 10 hours North of Manila
• I travel to Manila now every 6-8 weeks and spend a month (I am lucky I have flexibility from work to do this - work remote US hours...hard but worth seeing my girls)
• We received our case number from NVC two days ago (27th).
• DS-160 has been filed - confirmation page in hand
• I am leaving the Philippines on December 16th - back to US

Is it worth the risk to schedule an interview with the embassy for a day or two before I leave (about 2 weeks away) in the hopes that the embassy received the case and status is changed to Ready?  And in parallel get the medical exam done while we are both here in Manila together?

 

I am trying to understand the downside - if for some reason the status is not Ready, would we not just reschedule? for a week or so out?  But at least we would have everything else ready to go?

 

I appreciate the help and guidance here!

 

 

[Greenbaum 12,258]

47 minutes ago, mikeandgeraldine said:

OK I have a similar, but slightly different question:  Can I schedule the Interview, at risk, once I get the Case# and schedule the Medical all in the same week?  What are the downsides?  Here is the situation at hand for additional context:

 

 

You can still take the short cut but what Hank is saying it's a risk. The Embassy can cancel at will an interview that was scheduled say 2 weeks out prior to the case being set to ready. So it's a risk. If you are willing to blow one of your "do over" appointments then go for it. You are allowed two interview cancellations before you are penalized. If you want to live on the edge then go for it.

[Greenbaum 12,258]

4 hours ago, Hank_ said:

 

Look at it this way, some things have changed, yet nothing has really changed  .   Until a month ago, give or take, I use to tell people that once they had their MNL# it is ROCK n ROLL Time, they can schedule the interview 4-5 weeks out from when they received their MNL#, giving time to complete the medical and be ready with all the documents.    Then the embassy started making noise about these people that are scheduling their interviews before the case file had arrived (serious jumping the gun).  So I adjusted my recommendation to wait until their status was READY ... at this point the case file IS at the embassy, they can schedule their interview the following week if they want, as long as they can get the medical completed, thus getting everything done in about 3-5 weeks from when they received their MNL# from NVC.

 

End result is the same or many times quicker.   Waiting for ready status removes the need to add extra time to allow for just that, so a person can grab a much earlier interview date.

 

It has always been the embassy policy to not schedule the interview until you receive "the letter" from the embassy (if you call to schedule that is the first thing they ask), but as we discussed yesterday .. some people don't have an email or it changed/whatever and then don't receive the email/letter from the embassy .. sort of like back in the day where neither you or I ever received that letter by PhilPost.    So it is policy ...   just ignored by those in the know   

 

But the same result is accomplished by simple watching for READY status on CEAC, then scheduling the interview for as soon as you can get everything ready ...  which can be a much faster process now.

Ok. Got it. Thanks for the info. I guess I will stop using the "old" way as a recommendation and begin to offer the alternative that USEM wants to see.

[Hank_ 9,173]

1 hour ago, mikeandgeraldine said:

OK I have a similar, but slightly different question:  Can I schedule the Interview, at risk, once I get the Case# and schedule the Medical all in the same week?  What are the downsides?  Here is the situation at hand for additional context:

 

• Girlfriend (Filipina) and I (US Citizen) met in Europe - been dating for 3 years
• We now have a 9 month old little girl, born in Europe (US Citizen already - as I am US Citizen - CRBA obtained)
• GF visa expired so got her back to Philippines while we process her K1 - she lives in small town about 10 hours North of Manila
• I travel to Manila now every 6-8 weeks and spend a month (I am lucky I have flexibility from work to do this - work remote US hours...hard but worth seeing my girls)
• We received our case number from NVC two days ago (27th).
• DS-160 has been filed - confirmation page in hand
• I am leaving the Philippines on December 16th - back to US

Is it worth the risk to schedule an interview with the embassy for a day or two before I leave (about 2 weeks away) in the hopes that the embassy received the case and status is changed to Ready?  And in parallel get the medical exam done while we are both here in Manila together?

 

I am trying to understand the downside - if for some reason the status is not Ready, would we not just reschedule? for a week or so out?  But at least we would have everything else ready to go?

 

I appreciate the help and guidance here!

 

 

 

I would recommend you wait until your status on CEAC shows READY before scheduling the interview, at that time you can schedule it as soon as it works for you.  It can take 2-3 weeks for the case file to be at the embassy, there is no way to easily predict when it will be there, and the embassy has been getting their panties in a twist when the interview is scheduled too soon.   

 

If you try to schedule early and status is not READY by interview date you could reschedule.  But do think about this ... you would be holding an appt date that someone else could of used.    

 

Easiest to just watch the status on CEAC, when it is READY jump all over getting the interview scheduled, complete medical and interview in the same week.  Get CFO completed and then wait for the visa to be delivered.   

 

http://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/k-1-visa-application.html

Edited November 29, 2018 by Hank_

[Hank_ 9,173]

17 minutes ago, Greenbaum said:

Ok. Got it. Thanks for the info. I guess I will stop using the "old" way as a recommendation and begin to offer the alternative that USEM wants to see.

 

Best we can do is pass on what we learn from others that report back..  and the embassy getting picky on the appts came back to us from a few different people ..  the process is still quite fast if they keep things moving.

[mikeandgeraldine 0]

Fair enough.  All makes sense.  I appreciate the guidance...and the tempering.  Maraming salamat!