Redtalent

After a little hiccup at the interview our process is finally back on track! Hubby received his visa on Tuesday and he arrives in Minneapolis on Saturday! The day after tomorrow I will be squeezing him!!

I got a 221g for damaged passport (washed - doh!) - does anyone know roughly how long is normal for courier to collect and then return the passport with visa in? Tomorrow I'm going to book a delivery time hopefully for sometime this week.

Or is it possible to go in and drop it off in person?

We just had to send in more financial info for our joint sponsor so just went through the whole courier experience. We got everything collected on Tuesday of this past week and the courier delivered my husband's passport with visa stamp today! It didn't even take a week! I hope it goes as quickly for you!

I hope so, I'm still an emotional wreck.

Booked a same-day passport appointment for Monday in P'boro!

Peterborough! Is that where you're from? My husband is from Grantham! Not too far away

That is such a ridiculous reason. I got the 221g form too. My understanding is that you just need to satisfy the one requirement they have highlighted and then it should all be fine, they don't ask for another interview. If I were you I would make an appointment to do a same day passport renewal, it costs a bit more, but it's worth the time you save, then book in the courier to pick it up the next day, they have been pretty efficient once they have received the extra info but it's still a hassle couriering everything back and forth so get it all booked in. I have had two rounds of sending in info, both times they responded within 2 days of receiving the paperwork and as I was writing this the courier just delivered my passport WITH visa!!!!

You had to send in things twice? Did they email you or anything letting you know that you needed even more info than what what you sent the first time? I'm curious because we just sent in paperwork for our 221g and the tracking website says a package is due at his place on Monday (hopefully his passport with visa!!). Hopefully it won't just be a RFE.

For those in England that have have gotten a 221g and had to courier passport and extra information to the embassy, How long did it take for you to get your passport back after you sent it out? I know times can vary greatly but I'm just curious to find out the experience others have had. Thanks!

Redtalent if you do not mind me asking why was a joint sponsor needed in your case? Are you a student?

I wish you goodluck and be patient you will be with your husband soon

Yes I am a student and therefore make nothing even close to the poverty line! lol I knew from the get-go that I would need a joint sponsor and I thought my moms income + assets would be fine and so did the NVC. We were so wrong. The papers got sent out today so hopefully everything will be over soon. Thank you.

The interview is over and my husband was approved but they needed a new joint sponsor because they decided my current joint sponsor didn't meet the requirements. They sent him home and told him he just needs to send in the new info and his passport by courier. I'm a little dissapointed because we were so confident and prepared and he was hoping to be home next weekend. But, the new joint sponsor papers are sent off (overnight) and the courier is picking them up from his house tomorrow. I just have to sit here and pray that this extra unexpected step goes by very very quickly. I want my husband!!

He was told that we just need to find another joint sponsor and then he can send in the paperwork along with his passport and they'd send it back with the visa. So he was approved except this one thing. Luckily we found a joint sponsor who is a single person household and they make between $35,000 to $45,000 a year. If this isn't good enough for a 2 person household I'm going to freak! lol I got all documents including the 1040 tax forms and W-2s for the past 3 years, a recent bank statement, most recent pay stub, and birth certificate. Faxed them to him last night in hope that we can get it all to the courier today!

My confusion now is how does he pay the courier to get his passport and such back to him? They told him he doesn't need to go back to the embassy for anything because everything else looks "perfect". If anyone has done this before can you give me some advice? Thanks everyone, we really appreciate it!

She makes $27,168, 4 in household including my husband. She is not self employed. There are a large amount of assets as well. Owning rental properties and such.

They acknowledged the fact that we have a joint sponsor. The NVC told me directly that she made enough so I'm really angry about this. Does she stay as a joint sponsor and I just need a joint sponsor to supplement what she doesn't cover or do I need a whole new joint sponsor to cover everything?

Husband just had interview in London and even though we have a joint sponsor and everything went through the NVC they didn't approve him because they say we need a joint sponsor...I'm very confused and don't know what to do next. They gave him his passport back and told him he didn't need another interview. Thanks for any help in advance.

How do you get a tracking number?

Those of you who got through to the embassy, could you please tell us what you put in your emails and subject line. I keep getting deleted without being read!

* Reply to my email

THIS IS AN AUTOMATED REPLY. PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL.

Your e-mail was deleted without being read.

This e-mail address is solely for individuals who have been authorized

to contact the Consular Information Unit about a specific matter. This

address is not for general inquiries from the public, attorneys or

agents of record. Please understand our workload does not allow us to

read unauthorized inquiries, but the Embassy has set up several

mechanisms to provide general and personalized guidance.

Highly detailed visa information is available from the Embassy's website

at http://london.usembassy.gov. Due to our heavy workload, we cannot

respond to email inquiries when the subject matter is addressed on the

website.

We also cannot respond to requests for expedited processing, or

nonimmigrant/immigrant visa "case status" inquiries which are still

within the estimated time frame given on the website, or by the

interviewing Consular Officer, whichever is longer.

If you still have questions after reading all of the content on the

website, please call the Embassy's Operator Assisted Information Service

for personalized service. Contact information for the Operator Service

can be found on this page:

http://london.usembassy.gov/visa_contact_information.html. Callers from

the United States may call this line for both non-immigrant and

immigrant visa information or to schedule a non-immigrant visa

interview.

I received the same response. What has everyone been using as their subject line and so on?

I had read somewhere that after your interview, when you go to pay the courier to have your passport mailed back to you, you can pay to have it sent faster than "standard shipping". Is this true? Does anyone know the options? Thanks in advance!

***NOVEMBER 2011 IR-1/CR-1 INTERVIEWS***

Dave and Kinnari- November 10th (India)

Almond and Gene - November 10th (Philippines)

Sarah and Matt (redtalent) - November 25th (UK)

Case complete today!!!! Come on October!!

Wow. I just got more info from the AVR than I was from the operators! It says they received my RFE response on Sept. 21st. Praying to God we get assigned an interview during October!

If the operator says complete, its complete .. dont bother about SIF or AVR ... Have they given you an interview date yet?

Call NVC, speak to a human and ask if they have received/reviewed anything.. If not so, call back in a few days ... They always say '20bussinessdays" .. usually its a lot less than that ...dont worry! its getting there!

Next step is case complete,, and unlike me I hope you get an interviewdate rightaway!

Ok thanks. Just a little stressed because they told me it would have been case closed on Sept. 14th if I just would have remembered to put in my bank statements and now every time I call they don't even know if they received my package. I'm sick of hearing, "Please allow 20 business days"!

Just got an email from the NVC saying they are still waiting for my response to the RFE they sent. I sent all the info and they should have received it on Monday. I'm all worried now!

Extra backgroud checks which will take an ADDITIONAL 180 days?

I don't know what to say. My husband and I sent ALL the required documents + an extra 300 pages of proof....we front loaded with all the proof they could ever want. My husband has lived in Lahore all his life, never moved and has never left the country, has a professional job which he has been at for years.....

Sorry.......just venting

I hate to say it and I'm so sorry for your delay but it's probably all because of the fact that your partner is from Pakistan. Due to our relationship with the country they probably do extra background checks for "national security". Which, of course, sucks. I really hope they get you approved soon!

Everything accepted on the 12th except I now have an RFE because I didn't think to include my bank statements and my joint sponsor's statements in the I-864! Grrrr! So angry with myself now!

Hi everyone! I thought it might be nice to exchange stories of humorous events that took place during the visa process! Anything silly that you obsessed over, an amusing conversation you had with an operator, anything goes! I think we all need a good laugh!

I'm sure this has already been answered but, how do we find out if the AOS package has been accepted?

Congrats to everyone making progress! I now just have to wait for my IV bill to show as paid, send in the IV package and wait for case complete! Hoping for a late October/ early November interview!