Section 221(g) refusal due to medical delay (London)

[Morag 0]

Hi. I've been creeping this site but not engaging through the entire process, and today I (finally!) had my interview.

 

However, during the interview, the London embassy informed me that they had not yet received my Visa Medical results (appointment was 6 days previously) and so my application was refused under 221(g) until my results are received.

 

Having spoken to Visa Medicals just now by phone they assure me my results were transferred yesterday, but they said they'd email the embassy to follow up. Which is all fine, (although the woman on the phone said I should have stayed at the embassy to call them so I feel an idiot for not thinking of that) but ultimately my application has still been refused albeit temporarily, and I am pretty devastated. It's taken forever to get to this point and I finally thought I'd have a timeframe to work to, but now I am back in limbo.

 

Has this happened to anyone else here? Does it result in a significant delay in your visa processing and passport return? I know that it will ultimately be approved, but will this be a minor or a major delay? Not that knowing will allow me to do anything differently. I just, want to know :(

[Unlockable 7,315]

This happens all the time and is pretty normal. Sometimes the medical gets there after the interview. Also, just because the medical was delivered to the embassy does not mean it is in the hands of the consular. Remember, these embassies get thousands of files a week. And it is not like the consular is going to stop doing everything and wait until your file is there then immediately jump on it. Your case was put to the side and the consular will return to it when ready. It may take a day, it may take a week. It may even take a month.

 

You have gone this far, patience is still an important part of this process, even when you are so close to the end.

[Morag 0]

6 minutes ago, Unlockable said:

This happens all the time and is pretty normal. Sometimes the medical gets there after the interview. Also, just because the medical was delivered to the embassy does not mean it is in the hands of the consular. Remember, these embassies get thousands of files a week. And it is not like the consular is going to stop doing everything and wait until your file is there then immediately jump on it. Your case was put to the side and the consular will return to it when ready. It may take a day, it may take a week. It may even take a month.

 

You have gone this far, patience is still an important part of this process, even when you are so close to the end.

That's disappointing to hear. I was so careful to follow all the guidelines re scheduling to ensure my medical would be in the hands of the agent on my interview date to avoid exactly this. 

 

Thank you for your response. I'm hoping someone with a similar experience in the UK will be able to share with me what kind of delay this caused to their application. The thing I've struggled with most during this entire process is the not knowing when things will happen. We knew going in that it would likely take more than a year (even without the dramas of embassy closures etc that arose), but the ambiguous timeframes and waiting has been really hard both personally and on my career. I just, really want an estimate for when this will all finally be over and we can start our lives. 

[Unlockable 7,315]

The problem is this is an unprecedented time. You may have planned everything to a "T" but with Covid, everything has a monkey wrench thrown in it. I don't think there is anything you could have done to prevent this. 

 

Quote

but the ambiguous timeframes and waiting has been really hard both personally and on my career.

This was part of the process even before Covid. It is multiplied now.

 

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 I just, really want an estimate for when this will all finally be over and we can start our lives. 

Literally, nobody can tell you this.

[Wuozopo 4,293]

4 hours ago, Morag said:

That's disappointing to hear. I was so careful to follow all the guidelines re scheduling to ensure my medical would be in the hands of the agent on my interview date to avoid exactly this. 

 

Thank you for your response. I'm hoping someone with a similar experience in the UK will be able to share with me what kind of delay this caused to their application. The thing I've struggled with most during this entire process is the not knowing when things will happen. We knew going in that it would likely take more than a year (even without the dramas of embassy closures etc that arose), but the ambiguous timeframes and waiting has been really hard both personally and on my career. I just, really want an estimate for when this will all finally be over and we can start our lives. 

There’s a U.K. forum on Visa Journey for London specific topics.I’m not going to take time now to point you to specific recent people, but I would say expect no more than a week delay getting back to your case from when they received whatever they needed, be it medical, W2,  tax info, etc. They have been super fast issuing visas when they have all needed. So likely within a week to pick up your case to continue in the processing, then 3-5 more days to get your visa issued and in hand.

[Morag 0]

1 hour ago, Wuozopo said:

There’s a U.K. forum on Visa Journey for London specific topics.I’m not going to take time now to point you to specific recent people, but I would say expect no more than a week delay getting back to your case from when they received whatever they needed, be it medical, W2,  tax info, etc. They have been super fast issuing visas when they have all needed. So likely within a week to pick up your case to continue in the processing, then 3-5 more days to get your visa issued and in hand.

 

I guess I should have posted my question there, or read through that forum first! Apologies, I didn't realise it existed. I will go there now to read.

 

Thank you for helpful and clearly knowledgeable answer, it has put my mind at ease somewhat. 

 

 

Edited December 9, 2020 by Morag

[Morag 0]

2 hours ago, Unlockable said:

The problem is this is an unprecedented time. You may have planned everything to a "T" but with Covid, everything has a monkey wrench thrown in it. I don't think there is anything you could have done to prevent this. 

 

This was part of the process even before Covid. It is multiplied now.

Indeed. 

 

Well thank you for commenting. The reply below has directed me where I can find the information I was looking for, and it seems as though this form of delay (at the London office at least) is to my relief more in a timescale of days, rather than weeks 

Edited December 9, 2020 by Morag

[Wuozopo 4,293]

1 hour ago, Morag said:

 

I guess I should have posted my question there, or read through that forum first! Apologies, I didn't realise it existed. I will go there now to read.

 

Thank you for helpful and clearly knowledgeable answer, it has put my mind at ease somewhat. 

 

You will learn a lot about London in the UK FORUM, but people post those “return of visa comments” all over the place in random threads. I read everything in that forum (for over 10 years) so have a good picture of the “forest” and not just each person’s “tree” when it comes to London. 
 

1 hour ago, Morag said:

Indeed. 

 

Well thank you for commenting. The reply below has directed me where I can find the information I was looking for, and it seems as though this form of delay (at the London office at least) is to my relief more in a timescale of days, rather than weeks 

Yes everything thing Unlockable said about planning your timeline is correct. Those that can’t let it go, and know you will never predict perfectly, suffer more. 
 

If this was two years ago, my answer would have been up to three weeks to get back to your case and then the 7 day processing, printing, and delivery. Now with mostly only spouse visas processing and thousands of people wanting other visas who are piling up not being interviewed, there’s little other competition for the visa printing machine and the courier. Visas are arriving in 2-3 days after interview instead of 7 (if they aren’t waiting on other documents to be submitted. ) It could be 4 days if there’s a weekend or holiday it here.

 

Keep in mind they also do security checks so if you were born in another country or lived in one as an adult, that’s another potential clearance delay beside getting the medical cleared.

Edited December 9, 2020 by Wuozopo

[Morag 0]

1 hour ago, Wuozopo said:

Keep in mind they also do security checks so if you were born in another country or lived in one as an adult, that’s another potential clearance delay beside getting the medical cleared.

Not expecting anything exciting from the security check, very boring 29 years mainly in Scotland here!

 

1 hour ago, Wuozopo said:

Yes everything thing Unlockable said about planning your timeline is correct. Those that can’t let it go, and know you will never predict perfectly, suffer more. 
 

If this was two years ago, my answer would have been up to three weeks to get back to your case and then the 7 day processing, printing, and delivery. Now with mostly only spouse visas processing and thousands of people wanting other visas who are piling up not being interviewed, there’s little other competition for the visa printing machine and the courier. Visas are arriving in 2-3 days after interview instead of 7 (if they aren’t waiting on other documents to be submitted. ) It could be 4 days if there’s a weekend or holiday it here.

 

The lack of 'competition' in this time period is one of the very few covid bright spots, you're right, although I feel just awful for the people who applied for K fiance visa and are really stuck in limbo. 

 

My first post was possibly poorly worded - I understand well enough first-hand that there is no set timeline for this process! I really just meant, had my visa just been approved at the time today, I'd have felt like it was all finally over, with only a couple of weeks wait for my passport to be returned. I've been (mainly) patient for the duration of the process but was so looking forward to it all being over. ANOTHER disruption prolonging the process without an indication of how significant a delay might be involved just had me a bit distressed!

 

Anyway thanks again. It sounds like it's a small speed bump not a big derailment so I'm feelings less upset about the whole thing. I appreciate you taking the time to comment

[Wuozopo 4,293]

45 minutes ago, Morag said:

The lack of 'competition' in this time period is one of the very few covid bright spots, you're right, although I feel just awful for the people who applied for K fiance visa and are really stuck in limbo. 

And tourist visas and employment based visas. That accounts for a lot of traffic in London that you don’t have right now so they have lots more time for you, albeit they are not fully staffed at this time.

 

 

51 minutes ago, Morag said:

had my visa just been approved at the time today, I'd have felt like it was all finally over, with only a couple of weeks wait for my passport to be returned. I've been (mainly) patient for the duration of the process but was so looking forward to it all being over. ANOTHER disruption prolonging the process without an indication of how significant a delay might be involved just had me a bit distressed!

Totally understood. I’ve been there myself. You were built up for a big celebration day and the disappointment kicked you in the teeth and deflated you. 

[JFH 12,190]

This happens often, particularly in London from my experience. But if the embassy has now received the medical then it won’t be long now. As has already been mentioned, there’s not much activity or action in the visa issuing team at the London embassy right now. 
 

Even in non-COVID times they are pretty swift at getting visas issued and into the courier’s hands. 

[Ryan H 3,813]

Moved from Process & Procedures to Progress Reports.