tozzzzlerrrs

Just got my passport back one hour ago, already booked a flight for tomorrow and paid the USCIS ELIS fee.. All packed and ready, finally!

Thanks everyone at VJ for all the help and good luck to everyone still waiting - it will be over soon and it will be worth it!

Thank you. He was going to wait until my next visit on Oct 20th but I recommended he go immediately. I would rather be safe than sorry.

Every country is different, but we did ours 2 full business days before the interview.. No doctors in my city, so I had to fly to Rio de Janeiro and back on the same day just for the doctors appointment.. I was told the results would only get there 2 days after the interview, so that added 2 more days for our visa to be issued.. Sounds like nothing for someone waiting for 11 months, but at this stage, I'm counting the seconds!!!

Now waiting for the passport to arrive by mail and been refreshing the post office tracking page every minute.. I will probably wait at the door before they open instead of waiting for the mailman

NVC is on a roll.Last night I was told we have an interview. Today we received our interview letter. Praise God. Question, should my husband get his medical exam right away? Our interview is 11/25

Same here. Congratulations!!!

I would recommend getting it sooner than later if your husband can.

If you do it a few days before the interview, any delays with the bloodwork or x-ray and/or getting those delivered at the embassy, will impact the visa being issued.

He can do the interview without the medical results being there but the embassy will only issue the visa once they receive it.

Approved!!! My husband had his interview on the 28th, it was extremely easy. Already received the visa by mail. Thanks VJ!

Congrats! That's some very quick service in Japan!

My interview was on the 21st, the status finally change to "Issued" on the 28th but it's not even even traceable on the postal service website as of the 30th...

Had the interview 1 week ago today, the "Administrative Process" status was updated a couple times during the week but still showing the same... Counting the seconds now!

I left a rather long Embassy review on the corresponding section, but here it is again, in case anyone applying from Brazil is following this topic:

Medical in Rio

As of September, 2015, there is only one place to do it, Dr. Aurelio Garrido in Leblon. Scheduling was easy, all done via e-mail - they prefer that over calling them. You will have to schedule the x-ray by phone, it's done two blocks away from the doctors office and the bloodwork doesn't need to be scheduled, it's done on the same building. The doctor will send you a file with instructions, read the whole thing and there won't be any issues.

I landed in Rio at 10:30am (Santos Dummont Airport), took a bus to Leblon and was done with all medical part (consultation, bloodwork and x-ray) and eating lunch by 1:30pm.

Also, take the shots you need to take before going to the doctor, you can get them for free at a public hospital instead of having to pay for them on a private clinic on the spot. Print the shot list and take that with your vaccination card to a public hospital, they will know what to do.

Getting there from the airports is easy too. There is an express "premium" bus that stops in both airports and heads towards Copacabana, Ipanema and then Leblon. It will drop you off in front of the beach, only 2 blocks away from the doctors office. Ask the driver to drop you off at one of the streets perpendicular to the beach in Leblon. The return trip is the same, go to the beach to catch the return bus. Price per trip was R$14,65 while a cab will cost at least R$45. It took less than 30 minutes and was comfortable.

When booking your medical, if it's an option for you, have it done at least a week before the interview as it may take a couple days for the bloodwork and x-ray results to be done and the whole package shipped by the doctor to the consulate. They say it doesn't delay your visa to be processed but I'd rather have it ready at the consulate before the interview (they mail it) than have the consulate wait for it after the interview.


Interview

I came back to Rio for the interview on another date. The consulate is only a 10 minute walk from Santos Dummont Airport, just cross the walkway over a busy avenue that is on the far right side of the airport. Downtown Rio is "dangerous" at night and on the weekends when it's empty but during the day it's super busy with all the offices and shops, it's very safe to walk.

My interview was at 9:20am but because I was there already and had nothing else to do, I went in around 8:00am. There were no lines at all - make sure you don't wait on the line that forms on the side of the consulate for non-immigrant visas, just walk up to the gate and mention you have an interview for an immigrant visa, they will have your name and time on a spreadsheet and will let you in. They let me in upstairs and there were already a few other people scheduled for 9:20am filling a form they give to applicants. The staff will sort your documents, then you wait sitting for someone else to check your originals and hand them back to you. Read the P4 letter they sent you scheduling the interview and bring what's being asked. I was surprised how unprepared some people were, specially those relying on lawyers. Original birth certificate (beneficiary only) and marriage license are a must have. Police certificates (at least 1 year old) were also being asked and the versions obtained online from Policia Federal and Policia Civil are fine. Besides what's on the list, if you have an older passport with a previous US visa, bring that too - they asked for mine even though it wasn't on the list.

After that, the consular office will call people by name for the actual interview. Mine lasted a whole 3:40 minutes and was approved - I timed it from the time they called my name until I walked away. The whole analysis of your application is done beforehand and if they find everything acceptable, the interview is just a formality. If your documents are incomplete or your application is dubious, then expect more questions. Some other people before me took around 5 minutes and a few were in there for almost 20 minutes. They only asked me when and where we met, what kind of work I did and what visas did I have before.

After the interview, head to the post office around the corner, pay the postage fee and bring back the slip to the consulate. I was done with the whole process by 11:00am.

Overall, the staff was polite and courteous - from the security guards to the consular staff. The process is simple and straight forward if you make a small effort to come prepared and be organized. Also, remember that you are at a consulate and dress accordingly.

Hi all,

I lived in the US before and had a drivers license with it's expiration date tied to my previous H1B (work) visa. It has expired already since we moved out of the US and also from a different state than the wone we will be living.

Will I have to start from scratch and re-do the test or I can simply "renew" it by showing my new visa/green card?

Toozler Congratulations. That's great. Will miss you on this thread and all your charts.

Thanks! I will stick around for a while

Just had my interview yesterday in Rio de Janeiro and got an approval!

After exactly 11 months of wait from filing our application, the interview part lasted exactly 3 minutes and 40 seconds - I looked at my watch when they called me to the booth and again after I walked away. Just four questions questions: when did we meet, where did we meet, what type of work I do and what type of visa I had before.

Now just have to wait for the passport to get back - the postal service is on strike in Brazil and things are moving slower. There is always something....

I have a question. Do I have to bring the police certificate to the interview even though I've sent it to NVC?

On my interview letter, I'm being requested to bring the "original" police certificates - they were generated online, but I guess they need to see another copy of it.

When in doubt, just bring everything you mailed to the NVC/USCIS.

http://www.ustraveldocs.com/eg/

The information entered in this profile will be used to return passports, visas and supplemental documents to an Aramex office of your choice, at no additional charge to you. If you need assistance in creating your profile, please contact the Call Center phone numbers listed on the same website above.

dwheels, I'm having my interview next Monday, Sept 21st, finally! Just noticed this website.. Besides the documents listed on my P4 letter, the letter itself, the DS260 confirmation and a copy of everything else I mailed them (just in case), do I need to do any additional stuff online?

Do I have to create an account/appointment in one of those websites?!

Hi all,

We recently had our interview scheduled and got the interview letter. On the list of required documents, the have listed the following documents needed under the category that says: "The NVC only received a photocopy of the document. You must present the original document at the time of your interview".

10 - BRAZIL CIVIL POLICE CERTIFICATE

10 - BRAZIL FEDERAL POLICE CERTIFICATE

Those documents are all issued online and that's what we submitted to the NVC before. We are confused what they mean by "original documents" if those are generated by an online system. Do I really need to go to the Federal and Civil police in person and have them print and sign me those?!

By the way, these are the certificates we have issued online and within the last year:

- POLÍCIA CIVIL - SECRETARIA DE ESTADO DE SEGURANÇA PÚBLICA E DEFESA SOCIAL (Espirito Santo)

- POLICIA FEDERAL - CERTIDAO DE ANTECEDENTES CRIMINAIS

Oioi gente! Tudo bom?

Vi que quase ninguém participa aqui mais, mas vou tentar a sorte.

Parece que agora nao é a embaixada que marca a entrevista pra gente, certo? Então, com o NVC case number e o Invoice a gente consegue fazer tudo isso..

Minha dúvida é: ainda não recebi email informando nada. Devo esperar ou posso marcar o medical e a interview?

Obrigada

A entrevista eh marcada pelo NVC, nao por voce. A embaixada envia ao NVC as datas disponiveis e o NVC que agenda tudo.

Voce precisa esperar ate receber um e-mail deles, geralmente algumas semanas depois que o caso foi completo por la. Entre o recebimento desde e-mail confirmando a data da entrevista e a entrevista propriamente dita, ha um prazo de cerca de 1 mes.

Voce pode marcar e fazer o exame medico desde ja, marcamos o meu assim que nosso caso foi completo, mas agora ja temos a carta da entrevista em maos.

hi guys,

I jus called NVC, i got interview date Sept 16th, 2015 @ 0830AM

But it still shows my case at NVC on ceac.state.gov

Wat should i do since my interview is only over 2 wks ahead.

I havent received any instruction how to follow before interview

Any help pls

Thanks

It takes a couple days to switch from "NVC" to "IN TRANSIT" and then to "READY".

It should get there in time, but wouldn't hurt to give the embassy a call or e-mail them a couple days before your interview, specially if you live far from the embassy.. Someone recently (Tunisia or Turkey?) had an interview but the documents weren't there yet..

This is how August has been looking so far: lots of cases from July but even a few from August and some from the backlog:

And these are the countries that have scheduled interviews in August. If your country isn't on that list, it hasn't scheduled anything this month! (as far as we know from the spreadsheet). India, Mexico and Philippines are cranking them out!

(this is only for IR1/CR1 cases, excluding expedites!)

The only argument for not buying a one-way ticket is that for many airlines it's cheaper to buy a return ticket.

That used to be the case for flights from Brazil too but now there's an airline that actually charges one-way prices.

Is it too risky to already now book a flight leaving for the US 15 days after the visa interview?

I've read about delays on getting the passports back and cases being placed for additional processing after the interview..

Given the lack of consistency for the NVC/Embassies (and our bad luck), I wouldn't do it... What I do plan to do is make a reservation through a travel agent, they can usually hold them for 24h and "renew" it a couple times...

On this topic, is it safe to buy a one-way ticket? I ask because airline staff always check that during the check-in if you have a return ticket when you fly under a tourist or business visa.. Will they understand I don't really need one this time?

Hey Guys, I'm an EB2 (Employment-based).

- Interview scheduled Aug 18th for Sept 15th in Montreal

- CC Aug 5th

For your "consolation" though

- Case created at NVC Feb 24th

- Case transferred by USCIS to NVC Feb 3th

- I-140 Petition approved by USCIS Oct 1st (yup )

So I started like a tortoise and finished like a hare.

All in all almost a full year since my IV Petition has been approved to the Consular Interview.

Good luck to y'all, and hope you're faster than me.

Wow! How come your employer was ok waiting over a year for you?

Here is an updated "Case Complete to Interview" graph:

Mexico only has the Juarez consulate to handle all visas? They must be very busy and it's so out of the way for everyone else in Mexico, why not have it all done at CDMX?

Called again now, without any hopes, just to "put pressure" on them and finally heard good news too!

Interview scheduled for September 21st! :)

(our CC was July 31st, priority date October 22nd)

edit: fix CC month! thanks fridaab

Called too hoping for good news. Nothing for us in Rio de Janeiro

Silly question: Would anyone know if NVC would approve an expedite request for an interview if the petitioner's work has a vacation black out period starting at the end of October for a few wks?

Not a chance, the petitioner is not required to attend the interview anyway.

They deny expedite requests for people expecting babies.

Does calling about interview dates help you at all in terms of getting ahead of someone who doesn't?

Nope... If it did, I would have had mine already!

I have a situation that makes me more stressed with not getting any interview scheduled. There is a company that wants to hire me in LA where my husband lives and where we are going to live. But they need me as soon as possible and I'm afraid that with this wait it will come to a point when they don't need me anymore.... Would this qualify to get an expedite? I know normally expedites are for emergency situations etc....

I feel your pain.. I was offered a job in May and told them I estimated to be in the US by August, that was my "conservative" estimate. They were ok with it, they needed someone by September the latest. Of course, when mid July came around and I didn't even had a case complete, I called them and explained the situation. They had to hire someone else.. Most likely won't hire me in the future too.

My wife adopted a kitty from a rescue in May, our case was at the NVC for 1 month already then, we thought we wouldn't take much longer.. It's almost a full grown cat by now.