crashsle

I'm not sure on the best route for you in terms of visa, but I just wanted to clarify that if you do (correctly) apply for a Green Card for your MIL it is to make the US her permanent residence. There are a lot of stipulations for being a Green Card holder, but a big one is being in the US for AT LEAST 6 months a year, and that's if you're pushing it honestly. If she is out of the country for over 6 months she has to get re-entry permits, and if she's not in the country more time than she is out of it, she would risk a very tough entry at the border with the potential for her to lose her GC and face a long term ban on entering the US again. 

If she wants to live in the US then by all means apply, but a Green Card is not to be used as some sort of glorified tourist visa.

hooray! <3 so happy for you!

weird man this whole thing is totally messed up for so many people, it's really NOT fair.... this is peoples whole lives in their hands, I am getting extremely ****** off with it all now

Again, good luck to all still waiting in some kind of limbo. Positive thoughts sending your way guys! xxx

I can't believe you are still having problems, I've been coming back on every couple of days to see if theres any good news for you and still nothing. I swear they need to provide compensation to all the people who've waited over twice as long as they were meant to, and 5 times longer than the norm. Thoughts are with you, I hope things change any day now and you don't have to cancel your wedding! <3

I've posted this five times in two days I think, but if you don't read the threads then--

This is what London has to say about your interview and the instructions for paying in Form IV-19. Maybe that will help. http://photos.state.gov/libraries/unitedkingdom/164203/cons-visa/IV019_fiance_appt_letter.pdf

Nich-Nick, you have the patience of a saint!

congrats crashsle!!! fantastic news have a safe flight to your new home <3

thank you! <3 please let me know as soon as you hear something! I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you all!

Hi,

Sorry to bother you and congrats on your visa but could i ask how you paid for the courier?

I tried to do it online last night for my interview next Friday but the system said there was an error whilst doing it and i'm now not sure if it went through or not, as there is no details coming up on the login on the usvisa-info website.

Thanks

I paid the MRV fee before the new system started so I paid over the phone, at my interview they told me someone would call me from the courier service and I paid over the phone for that too and it was delivered next day.

Had my interview on Tuesday. Missed a call the courier yesterday (drat!) I was on the train home and didn't hear it. Anyway the number they left in the voice message is not recognised. Though I did ring DX from one of the numbers provided on their website, and they said they would call back. Not recieved a call back though, starting to feel worried.

Hi there, I had my interview Tuesday and got the call yesterday too, passport was delivered today. Anyway it might not be useful, but when I picked up the call they left me a number to contact if there were any problems so might be worth trying this one to get through to the right section? 0871 265 6666 Hope it helps!

Just to update that my passport arrived at 12pm today (friday), my interview was tuesday, ceac changed to approved wednesday, thursday DX phoned me and it was delivered next day. So for transitional applicants don't panic! It may take a couple days extra but they are working on getting our passports back to us promptly!

did your status on the ceac site change to issued yet crashsle? mine still just says 'ready' last updated the 5th aug, which was my interview day :/

Yes mine changed yesterday afternoon from administrative processing to issued, and then got a phone call at just gone 3 this afternoon! So relieved as we are now flying monday. I honestly wouldn't panic yet at all, I'm sure it's the multiple visas and just checking that children are allowed to leave etc or something? At my interview they said 5-10 days so don't worry yet! Another thread was saying they are having big problems as well with the switch over so it's not like you're the only one! Let us know when something changes for you! xx

I just got the phone call 5 minutes ago to arrange payment for my visa to be delivered tomorrow! I had my interview Tuesday so it seems they are getting a crossover system in place

Wow! We just the email from the Embassy giving us a tracking number. They can't deliver it until Monday so we may try to pick it up tomorrow if we can. Fingers crossed, crashsle! Hopefully they'll find yours today too! When did you have the interview? We had ours last Friday, Aug 2.

Aww I'm so happy for you! You can make your flight! We had ours Tuesday so I'm being a bit too impatient but we had been trying to fly Monday as my Fiancé is here and has to get back for work commitments. I'll keep my fingers crossed that we hear something in the next couple of days but I'm so genuinely pleased for you! Almost done with all this! I'd definitely suggest phoning though and asking to pick it up, now that you have the tracking number they should be able to be far more helpful!

I called: 0844 371 3335. I did ask them about picking it up (and they think that's the only way to get them for now) but that we'll have to wait until we get the email from the consulate. I don't even care about getting my 30 pounds back if we can get the passport asap. Ugh. Try calling them!

You got more information than me I'm afraid, the initial person said they had nothing to do with passports and transferred me, and the next lady just seemed very confused by the situation and said there was nothing there and that she couldn't tell me anything. But again that could be because nothing is logged into their system yet. I swear you think you've made it past the stressful part of the process only to be hit with more problems! So much for flying monday.

I just had a candid conversation with someone at DX. They confirmed that there are major problems with delivery right now and that they don't know what's going on. Take this with a grain of salt because I see some lucky folk have received their passports in a few days. But he said that for the last 2 weeks they haven't had any passports but just got a delivery from the consulate yesterday. So now they're going through a huge backlog of passports. Moreover, he said that nothing is going out for delivery. We can only collect them, currently. And that the only way he's finding that customers know this is that they're getting an email from the embassy - not the text from DX as promised.

So he admits there's a significant backlog, that DX doesn't know anything except when to pick up the passports, and that they're currently trying to go through 2 weeks of passports. It's been a crazy morning he said. The good news is that hopefully our passports are finally moving. But he couldn't begin to approximate how many days it will take to get through them.

Lucky times!

Thanks so much for letting us know! I'm in the same boat as you waiting for the passport with the intent to fly next week! I don't suppose you asked about picking up your passport did you? What phone number did you call out of curiosity? Tempted to call them and ask if they know where mine is and I'll collect it!

It says "Issued" on CEAC and that was dated August 2nd. But the visa interview setup, payment and tracking system still says "attend interview". That's why we think there could be an issue with the system.

Have you had a call from the embassy yet to arrange delivery?

I am with you on the less time to worry about saying goodbyes crashsle! That was my way of thinking too, no call for delivery for me as of yet and the ceac website still hasn't changed from saying 'ready' for interview :/ eagerly awaiting or that 'issued' message!!

That was so fast for you Deanna and Karl, so happy for you! Wishing you a safe flight and a wonderful new life together

Try not to panic yet! I'm sure it may take a bit longer as you said somewhere about travelling with children? So maybe it just takes them an extra day or two for the additional processing! I had a panic this morning as I checked CEAC waiting for 'issued' and instead found 'administrative processing' and wanted to be sick! Was in full on panic mode and kept refreshing the page every 20 minutes and after 2 hours it switched to 'issued' for me! So hopefully that means you might have luck this afternoon or tomorrow morning!

oh what a relief, I think I am finally starting to believe this is all ok now, and I can't thank you enough, as you well know this whole process is so stressful and I always believed I would be denied so getting approved was just magical but i think I just still feel like something will go wrong maybe that why I am panicking just pure disbelief I have been so lucky!!

I saw someone had their interview on thursday and got a phone call yesterday about delivery of theirs so maybe we will get calls at the end of the week crashsle xXx

Yes I saw that too, it arrived today! Also saw someone else with an interview friday who got a call today and was told it would be there tomorrow! So you never know, if we keep those fingers crossed we may hear from them tomorrow/thursday! And I know, the whole process is so stressful that by the end you are completely on edge and don't think you can have been approved so easily! The people we saw today turned away ANY financial proof at all aside from the form itself, and I'd been so worried as my fiance is self employed, so I kept asking if she was sure she didn't want to see anything! At least we are nearly over the worst of all this xx

YESS IT HAS ARRIVED

It came at 8.30 this morning, I've booked my flight, which is ridiculously expensive and fly from Dublin tomorrow. Beyond excited, but the last two days have been scary, knowing I'm leaving family and a ton of friends behind. It's been emotional!

AHH CONGRATULATIONS!

So fast as well, you've just given me even more hope! Thank you. I can imagine though, I'm on a high at the moment but goodbyes are obviously so hard so the next few days will be interesting I'm sure. I'll be doing the same as you though so I'm hoping that leaving immediately almost gives you less time to worry or get upset about it all as it's go go go. Good luck with everything and have a safe trip!

oh crashsle ty so much for this, you and nick have reassured me a lot, AND CONGRATS TO YOU TOO!!!

My mind is just blank with it all where i was so emotional i couldnt stop shaking and the more i try to remember what happened the more anxious im getting!! I know he mentioned to me about the kids not ruining this envelope so i assumed he passed it to me, but by the sounds of it he just kept it! all this worry for nothing, I AM A DINGBAT!!!

xxxx

Oh gosh in that case I think you're fine! The lovely interview lady we had held up a plastic envelope and said this is what your visa will arrive in, inside this there will also be a sealed envelope, KEEP IT SAFE and DONT OPEN IT! and then tucked it away, so maybe your interviewer just didn't explain things as clearly, and was simply telling you for the future, not for that exact moment! I honestly think you've not lost anything! Xxx

I'm one of the people stuck in the transition. I had my interview on thursday and received a phone call this morning to confirm delivery address and payment. I should have my visa in hand tomorrow

Ahh thank you for letting us know! That's given me so much hope! Has it arrived yet today? We got approved a couple of hours ago and now I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that we can get the visa ASAP and fly nex Monday!

thanks nick, i hope i am panicking over nothing, he handed back my original documents I have those here also, my mind is in such a mess right now trying to piece together what happened, I am praying he didn't hand me that envelope and just mentioned about the kids not ruining it but kept it himself... but somehow I have it in my head that he handed it to me as i was fumbling to put the birth certs back into a pocket in my pink folder, oh my what a mess I am in!

I'm so glad you got approved! We had our interview today and also got an approval for k1 and found it strange that we were literally given nothing. The first window I was given the chest X-ray, the second lady asked a couple questions handed back my birth certificate and said we were approved! And told us where the exit was, so I'd try not to worry too much! We thought it was weird that we weren't given anything but maybe that will be some reassurance. My fiancé remembers her having an envelope she was writing on, but never handed it over and slipped it away her side, so are you positive it was something you were meant to take? Don't panic! And I will cross my fingers that our visas both arrive soon

Great idea crashsle I was wondering the same thing, I have my interview tomorrow I will post as soon as i get my call.... if i get approved!! xxx

Thank you! Good luck for tomorrow, and yes, if all goes well I will be doing the same as soon as I hear something after tuesday! xx

Hello everyone!

I know there's so much confusion going on with the changes to courier service and payment options, so I was wondering if anyone who had their interview in the past week has actually received the anticipated phone call about how to receive their visa yet?! I have an interview Tuesday and based on the previous timelines was expecting to fly out the following week as soon as visa was in hand, but from looking around here nobody seems to have heard back about their visa with this new courier system! So thought we should try and create a dedicated page so that people can start to see new patterns emerging and get a rough timeline average started all over again!

Thanks for posting about this, my interview is next week and I wouldn't have even realised if it weren't for you! My interview is next Tuesday and I've found that if you go to https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-gb/users/sign_in in advance you can register yourself and your interview date and then you get the option to select the place nearest to you to pick up from (the options are awful if you live in the countryside!) Like nobbie said it seems to suggest DX still delivers to their own depots where you collect from, they just may not be responsible for couriering to houses individually?

I tried phoning the original MRV fee line, which you also posted 09042-450-100 and only reached a pre recorded message saying the phone line was no longer in service, I tried the new contact number on the embassy website and like Nich-Nick bounced around hundreds of pre recorded messages talking about VWP before it disconnected me. The only phone line I was able to speak to a real person was the embassy switchboard (number in Nich-Nicks post) and was put on the phone with a heavily european accented lady who said as far as she was aware nothing had changed, that the passport would still be delivered to my home, and that she didn't know what my problem was or why I was phoning. When I said the courier system had completely changed, and that even the official website said it would be delivered to a collection point, she got very confused and told me to email them instead, so obviously the changeover period hasn't been made very clear to the staff either which is helpful!

The page she sent me to to email the embassy is http://london.usembassy.gov/niv/visa_contact_form.html so from the sounds of things, this is the only way to resolve problems at least for the time being! I'm off to send a message to them now but hopefully this helps somebody.

Thanks for that crashsle ... im going to take some nice strong cheddar with me ... shame i cant take Bovril !

If it's any help on one of the other threads someone had linked to a couple of online shops to buy uk products in America which got bookmarked immediately!

http://www.goodwoods.com/bovril4oz125g.aspx

http://www.goodwoods.com/

http://www.britishfooddepot.com/main.sc

This might be a helpful link to read through

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/82/~/travelers-bringing-food-into-the-u.s.-for-personal-use

I found this as I'm not sure I can live without some proper cheese! It does say 'generally' admissible though, so I'm sure there is still some risk/might be worth getting clarification from them before you fly.