Maharosa

Sigh... Three weeks since interview and one week since the Cairo embassy getting back online after the technical issues, still no visa. Not even an update on the CEAC, still says ready for interview. We emailed the embassy a couple of days ago and they said that our visa was in the final stage and would be issued shortly, but still nothing.
I know I shouldn't complain because at least we know we will be getting the visa, while there are some of you here that have been waiting in AP for ages, and there are others that have no idea if they will ever get their visa, but I just can't help myself. This has been such a long process considering we were expedited at USCIS because of my grandfather not being well. I just need it to be over.
Anyhow, that is may rant for the day.

Hi all! Sorry I haven't been around for a while. It has been a crazy last month or so. Soloenta, I am glad to hear you are feeling better and finally got your new furniture! I wish I was still there to see it!
Anyway, I came to report good and bad news.
Good news, my husband had his interview on the 10th and was approved, alhamdulillah. It was a very quick and painless interview lasting around 5 minutes, and he was asked the standard questions not focusing on any one area for more than a question or two. At the end, he was compelled to tell the CO, wait, it's over already? But I didn't show you even half of the evidence my wife prepared for this. Hahaha!
And for the bad news, which I am sure most of you are aware of. All overseas visa printing has temporarily been suspended. Of course, this just so happened to be announced the day after our interview. I just spent the last few days watching all the people with Cairo interviews from June 3rd - June 7th get their visas within 4 - 6 days so I was hopeful that we would have ours in that time as well, and the hubby would be flying in this coming Friday, but of course, as has happened with everything since reaching NVC and beyond, there's good ol' Murphy's Law. Lol!
Hopefully this won't last long and all of us waiting will be with our loved ones soon.

And we're back online!!! Teamsami, Insha'Allah we will be with our spouses soon!
http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/english/news/technological-systems-issue.html

And we're back online!!! Teamsami, Insha'Allah we will be with our spouses soon!
http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/english/news/technological-systems-issue.html

YAYYYYYYY!!, finally inshallah we will. Thanks mahrosa been waiting for this :)

Okay! Go, go, go, go, go, go! Lol!
We should have had our visa a week ago. Damn "hardware failure" you're killing me!
I should blame the NVC for this misery I feel! If only they would have actually scheduled interview dates in order of CC then my hubby would have been here already. While I am happy others are enjoying Ramadan with their spouses, it makes me somewhat bitter to know that people with CC a full month after mine are with their loved ones right now and I am here struggling through Ramadan to care for my grandfather alone.
Such selfishness on my behalf. Not very good thoughts and feelings to be carrying within myself during this holy month of Ramadan. Shame on me!

Cairo just posted a temporary visa clerk position. Someone needs to go take it to get our visas out the door please! Lol!
http://photos.state.gov/libraries/egypt/210334/HR_Docs/hr61.pdf

Thanks all for the supportive and encouraging words. I am trying my best to stay calm, although I have to admit, I am not doing a very good job of it. I have to say, the feeling of going without food and water for 18 hours a day for Ramadan is nothing compared to the feeling of being without my husband for Ramadan. Alhamdulillah the government is making progress. It's just really sad this is taking this long. What makes me the most uneasy about this "hardware failure" is that if someone decided to make a cyber attack on our government on a large scale, our entire country could be crippled for an extended period of time leaving us vulnerable to acts of terrorism and other unrest. That is a very scary thought.
Anyhow, enough of the what if's. I am so happy to hear everyone's good news, BRosa, TeamSami, and everyone else! Insha'Allah, may we all be with our loved ones soon!

Okay! Go, go, go, go, go, go! Lol!
We should have had our visa a week ago. Damn "hardware failure" you're killing me!
I should blame the NVC for this misery I feel! If only they would have actually scheduled interview dates in order of CC then my hubby would have been here already. While I am happy others are enjoying Ramadan with their spouses, it makes me somewhat bitter to know that people with CC a full month after mine are with their loved ones right now and I am here struggling through Ramadan to care for my grandfather alone.
Such selfishness on my behalf. Not very good thoughts and feelings to be carrying within myself during this holy month of Ramadan. Shame on me!

Cairo just posted a temporary visa clerk position. Someone needs to go take it to get our visas out the door please! Lol!
http://photos.state.gov/libraries/egypt/210334/HR_Docs/hr61.pdf

Thanks all for the supportive and encouraging words. I am trying my best to stay calm, although I have to admit, I am not doing a very good job of it. I have to say, the feeling of going without food and water for 18 hours a day for Ramadan is nothing compared to the feeling of being without my husband for Ramadan. Alhamdulillah the government is making progress. It's just really sad this is taking this long. What makes me the most uneasy about this "hardware failure" is that if someone decided to make a cyber attack on our government on a large scale, our entire country could be crippled for an extended period of time leaving us vulnerable to acts of terrorism and other unrest. That is a very scary thought.
Anyhow, enough of the what if's. I am so happy to hear everyone's good news, BRosa, TeamSami, and everyone else! Insha'Allah, may we all be with our loved ones soon!

You can also try islamicfinder.org, they have a nice phone app.

I feel like I am slipping into a state of depression I have never experienced before. I'm really struggling to cope right now.

I feel like I am slipping into a state of depression I have never experienced before. I'm really struggling to cope right now.

Hi all! Sorry I haven't been around for a while. It has been a crazy last month or so. Soloenta, I am glad to hear you are feeling better and finally got your new furniture! I wish I was still there to see it!
Anyway, I came to report good and bad news.
Good news, my husband had his interview on the 10th and was approved, alhamdulillah. It was a very quick and painless interview lasting around 5 minutes, and he was asked the standard questions not focusing on any one area for more than a question or two. At the end, he was compelled to tell the CO, wait, it's over already? But I didn't show you even half of the evidence my wife prepared for this. Hahaha!
And for the bad news, which I am sure most of you are aware of. All overseas visa printing has temporarily been suspended. Of course, this just so happened to be announced the day after our interview. I just spent the last few days watching all the people with Cairo interviews from June 3rd - June 7th get their visas within 4 - 6 days so I was hopeful that we would have ours in that time as well, and the hubby would be flying in this coming Friday, but of course, as has happened with everything since reaching NVC and beyond, there's good ol' Murphy's Law. Lol!
Hopefully this won't last long and all of us waiting will be with our loved ones soon.

More than 100 computer experts... Wow! I feel so reassured they are doing their best to resolve the issue! Seriously?! One would think the federal government would have more people than that working on this issue. I'm pretty sure the State of Minnesota has more IT people than that. Heck, I think the state department I work for has at least 100 IT people and I guarantee they wouldn't be allowed to sleep until the issue is resolved.

Sorry if this is all jumbled, I'm on my tablet. Anyway, here's the latest update... so depressing!
Technological Systems Issue
JUNE 17, 2015
Visa Systems Issues
The Bureau of Consular Affairs continues to experience technical problems with our visa systems. This is a global issue, and we are working around the clock to fix it. More than 100 computer experts from both the private and public sectors across the United States are working on this problem 24/7. That said, we do not expect the system will be online before next week. The problems stem from a hardware failure in a State Department facility in the United States on June 9. That failure is preventing the Department from processing and transmitting biometric data checks at visa-issuing embassies and consulates. We cannot bypass the legal requirements to screen visa applicants before we issue visas for travel. Each visa decision is a national security decision, and we take our obligation to protect the United States seriously.
We regret the inconvenience to travelers and recognize that this is causing hardship to those waiting for visas, and in some cases, their family members or employers in the United States. We will continue to post regular updates on our website, travel.state.gov.
Q: What caused this outage? Was it a malicious action or hack?
There is no evidence the problem is cyber-security related.
Q: How long before you restore full system functionality?
Public and private sector experts are working around the clock to correct the visa problem, but we do not expect the system will be online before next week.
Overseas and domestic passports are being issued.
Q: How many travelers are affected by this outage?
Most posts were able to handle visa interviews and some visa printing as usual through the end of last week. This week, many posts have had to reschedule visa appointments. We handle an average 50,000 applications daily worldwide. Many applicants do not have immediate travel plans and will receive visas in time for planned trips. We are prioritizing urgent medical and other humanitarian cases as well as H2A agricultural workers.
Q: Once operational, how will cases be prioritized?
We are already prioritizing urgent humanitarian cases and temporary agricultural workers. Once the systems are fully operational, we will work as quickly as possible to clear the backlog of pending visa cases.
We apologize to travelers and recognize that this has caused hardship to some individuals waiting for visas.
Q: What about domestic passports?
Domestic passport operations are functioning, with some intermittent processing delays. While some of these issues have affected same-day service at our passport agencies, we continue to issue passports to U.S. citizens with urgent overseas travel needs.

More than 100 computer experts... Wow! I feel so reassured they are doing their best to resolve the issue! Seriously?! One would think the federal government would have more people than that working on this issue. I'm pretty sure the State of Minnesota has more IT people than that. Heck, I think the state department I work for has at least 100 IT people and I guarantee they wouldn't be allowed to sleep until the issue is resolved.

Sorry if this is all jumbled, I'm on my tablet. Anyway, here's the latest update... so depressing!
Technological Systems Issue
JUNE 17, 2015
Visa Systems Issues
The Bureau of Consular Affairs continues to experience technical problems with our visa systems. This is a global issue, and we are working around the clock to fix it. More than 100 computer experts from both the private and public sectors across the United States are working on this problem 24/7. That said, we do not expect the system will be online before next week. The problems stem from a hardware failure in a State Department facility in the United States on June 9. That failure is preventing the Department from processing and transmitting biometric data checks at visa-issuing embassies and consulates. We cannot bypass the legal requirements to screen visa applicants before we issue visas for travel. Each visa decision is a national security decision, and we take our obligation to protect the United States seriously.
We regret the inconvenience to travelers and recognize that this is causing hardship to those waiting for visas, and in some cases, their family members or employers in the United States. We will continue to post regular updates on our website, travel.state.gov.
Q: What caused this outage? Was it a malicious action or hack?
There is no evidence the problem is cyber-security related.
Q: How long before you restore full system functionality?
Public and private sector experts are working around the clock to correct the visa problem, but we do not expect the system will be online before next week.
Overseas and domestic passports are being issued.
Q: How many travelers are affected by this outage?
Most posts were able to handle visa interviews and some visa printing as usual through the end of last week. This week, many posts have had to reschedule visa appointments. We handle an average 50,000 applications daily worldwide. Many applicants do not have immediate travel plans and will receive visas in time for planned trips. We are prioritizing urgent medical and other humanitarian cases as well as H2A agricultural workers.
Q: Once operational, how will cases be prioritized?
We are already prioritizing urgent humanitarian cases and temporary agricultural workers. Once the systems are fully operational, we will work as quickly as possible to clear the backlog of pending visa cases.
We apologize to travelers and recognize that this has caused hardship to some individuals waiting for visas.
Q: What about domestic passports?
Domestic passport operations are functioning, with some intermittent processing delays. While some of these issues have affected same-day service at our passport agencies, we continue to issue passports to U.S. citizens with urgent overseas travel needs.

So much for being hopefull! Here is the most recent update from the Department of State...
I am physically ill...
Technological Systems Issue
June 16, 2015Passport/Visa Systems Errors
The Bureau of Consular Affairs continues to address technical problems with our visa systems. Some visa applicants will experience delays in receiving visas. Others will be contacted directly to reschedule their appointments. Passports are still being processed. This issue is not specific to any particular country or visa category; this is a global issue. We do not believe these problems stem from any cyber-security hacking issues. Our border security responsibilities are critical to the visa process. We cannot bypass the legal requirements to screen visa applicants before we issue visas for travel. We are assisting visa applicants with urgent humanitarian travel, and adoption cases are being processed. Individuals with humanitarian travel needs should contact their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Q: What caused this outage? Was it a malicious action or hack?
There is no evidence the problem is cyber security related. Q: How long before you restore full system functionality?
Overseas passports are being issued. Public and private sectors experts are working around the clock to correct the problem, but we do not expect the system will be online before next week. Q: How many travelers are affected by this outage?
This is a global issue and is having impact on our consular operations. We are in daily communication with consular operations worldwide to assess the evolving impact and provide guidance, including information for the traveling public. Q: Once operational, how will cases be prioritized?
Once the systems are fully operational, we will work as quickly as possible to clear the backlog of pending visa cases. We apologize to applicants and recognize that this may cause hardship to applicants waiting for visas.

Thanks Doll!
On a good note, they were able to resume passport printing. Hopefully they will soon resume printing visas. Insha'Allah.

It's for all overseas visa printing. Here is the information, which was updated yesterday, copied directly from the Department of State website.
Technological Systems Issue June 15, 2015Passport/Visa Systems Errors
The Bureau of Consular Affairs is currently experiencing technical problems with our visa systems. These issues have resulted in delays in printing visas and may mean rescheduling some visa interviews. This issue is not specific to any particular country or visa category. Overseas passports are now being processed. Domestic passport services are functioning, and we were always able to issue emergency passports to U.S. citizens overseas with urgent travel needs. The Consular Consolidated Database (CCD) problems we are experiencing are not the same challenges we overcame last summer. We are working urgently around the clock to correct the problems and restore our system to full operational status as soon as possible. We apologize to applicants who are experiencing delays or were unable to obtain a passport overseas, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or U.S. visa. We are seeking to assist nonimmigrant visa applicants with urgent humanitarian travel. Individuals with an urgent humanitarian need for travel should contact their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. We are aware of pending overseas adoption cases, including in China. We are prioritizing these cases and seek to issue these visas with few delays. We regret the inconvenience to travelers, and remain committed to facilitating legitimate travel while protecting our borders. We will post updates to Travel.State.Gov as more information becomes available.

So much for being hopefull! Here is the most recent update from the Department of State...
I am physically ill...
Technological Systems Issue
June 16, 2015Passport/Visa Systems Errors
The Bureau of Consular Affairs continues to address technical problems with our visa systems. Some visa applicants will experience delays in receiving visas. Others will be contacted directly to reschedule their appointments. Passports are still being processed. This issue is not specific to any particular country or visa category; this is a global issue. We do not believe these problems stem from any cyber-security hacking issues. Our border security responsibilities are critical to the visa process. We cannot bypass the legal requirements to screen visa applicants before we issue visas for travel. We are assisting visa applicants with urgent humanitarian travel, and adoption cases are being processed. Individuals with humanitarian travel needs should contact their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Q: What caused this outage? Was it a malicious action or hack?
There is no evidence the problem is cyber security related. Q: How long before you restore full system functionality?
Overseas passports are being issued. Public and private sectors experts are working around the clock to correct the problem, but we do not expect the system will be online before next week. Q: How many travelers are affected by this outage?
This is a global issue and is having impact on our consular operations. We are in daily communication with consular operations worldwide to assess the evolving impact and provide guidance, including information for the traveling public. Q: Once operational, how will cases be prioritized?
Once the systems are fully operational, we will work as quickly as possible to clear the backlog of pending visa cases. We apologize to applicants and recognize that this may cause hardship to applicants waiting for visas.

Thanks Doll!
On a good note, they were able to resume passport printing. Hopefully they will soon resume printing visas. Insha'Allah.

It's for all overseas visa printing. Here is the information, which was updated yesterday, copied directly from the Department of State website.
Technological Systems Issue June 15, 2015Passport/Visa Systems Errors
The Bureau of Consular Affairs is currently experiencing technical problems with our visa systems. These issues have resulted in delays in printing visas and may mean rescheduling some visa interviews. This issue is not specific to any particular country or visa category. Overseas passports are now being processed. Domestic passport services are functioning, and we were always able to issue emergency passports to U.S. citizens overseas with urgent travel needs. The Consular Consolidated Database (CCD) problems we are experiencing are not the same challenges we overcame last summer. We are working urgently around the clock to correct the problems and restore our system to full operational status as soon as possible. We apologize to applicants who are experiencing delays or were unable to obtain a passport overseas, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or U.S. visa. We are seeking to assist nonimmigrant visa applicants with urgent humanitarian travel. Individuals with an urgent humanitarian need for travel should contact their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. We are aware of pending overseas adoption cases, including in China. We are prioritizing these cases and seek to issue these visas with few delays. We regret the inconvenience to travelers, and remain committed to facilitating legitimate travel while protecting our borders. We will post updates to Travel.State.Gov as more information becomes available.