brooklynbrit

Today, I FINALLY RECEIVED MY VISA!!!!!

On Thursday, I got an email from the Embassy telling me that my application had been approved and that my visa would be issued last Friday. And this morning, at 7.57am, I got the package from DX and the visa in my passport. It was literally a sight for sore eyes.

Thanks so much for all of you who sent kind thoughts and support throughout this process, it is much appreciated. It has been 3.5 months since my visa interview but now I have it, I appreciate that it could have been so much longer.

Some advice for those who have their interviews in October or in the future:

1. DON'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL YOU HAVE THE VISA IN YOUR HAND.

2. If the CO says that you have been "approved", don't book tickets or make any drastic plans until you have the visa in your hand.

3. If you happen to be put in additional administrative processing, in my experience, there is no evidence that calling the Department of state, getting congressional members to enquire or writing to the Embassy speeds things up. There will be no reason given and no recourse to expedite the process. The cold hard truth is that you just have to WAIT, and WAIT, and WAIT.

4. DON'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL YOU HAVE YOUR VISA IN YOUR HAND.

5. DON'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL YOU HAVE YOUR VISA IN YOUR HAND!!!

It is of course worth the wait.

12 weeks? I would go insane, I already am and its been less than 2 weeks since our approval in London. Have you received any information from the Embassy or DoS?

Yes, it has been challenging! Literally 90 days since I had my interview, a got an email from the US Embassy asking if I had ever been to West Africa. I responded immediately letting them know that I had not been to Africa, let alone West Africa so I am assuming that in their final security checks they got a name hit and have been doing background checks that I am not the guy with a similar name to me.

Nothing expedites or clarifies why one goes in to AP. We have had congressional offices, emails and everything in between to try and get more information to rationalize the wait to no avail. The only advice I can offer is to just sit tight, wait and wait and wait. Know that with each day that passes, you are a day closer to getting your visa.

Are you still waiting? Have they told you you're in AP?

Yes im interested im a brit- what was there reason for this?

Unfortunately, they don't have to give a reason and in my case they didn't. When my passport didn't get delivered, I followed up with the embassy hotline and they told me I was in AP. No reason or timeline. Since then, I have just been waiting and hoping that it won't be much longer. It has now been almost 14 weeks.

It has been 12 weeks since I was "approved" at my interview so I thought I'd start a thread for those Brits amongst us who are also going through this. We can share coping mechanisms and information on life with AP!

They don't know you're going to be in AP. People are told they are approved, then something comes up causing the AP. Treehugger was a white british female who used to post in the 2010 United Kingdom Interview thread. That AP lasted 8 or 9 months I think. Most of the non-UK born APs I've known were 4-8 weeks.

There's a whole thread on tracking AP that's been going since 2008. It ought to give you lot's of answers to how long it took various people. But it won't answer why you're there, and how long yours will take.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/145739-ap-tracker/

Also go up to Advance Search on the right below the search box. Leave the "Find words" blank and put treehugger in the "Find author". Then scroll down and tick the place for Display results as "posts." That should give you treehuggers posts.

Thanks Nich-Nick. Wow, Treehugger's story is heartbreaking.

Dear Forumers,

Here is the situation. I (british citizen) had my final interview at the US Embassy in London on Thursday, June 9. At that interview, I was told I had been APPROVED for the visa; they took my passport and told me they would courier the passport and visa back to me within 10 business days. I waited 10 business days. I on the tenth business day (Thursday 23 June) I called the consulate. I was informed the application has been put into Additional Administrative Processing (221g). Apparently it was suspended on June 10 (the day after they told us it was approved) and no one had notified me at all. I was not given a 221g sheet or batch number at the interview as I was approved, you as you can imagine, this was something of a shock to find I was issued a 221g. The Embassy still has my passport.

Background about me, white british male, work for a US bank, have had one J1 visa and two H1-B visas. Have lived in the US for a total of 5.5 yrs. Currently living in London.

Has anyone else been in this situation? If so, how long was it before you received your visa?

Many thanks for any help or advice in advance.

Best wishes.