S&J2013

I never heard from the embassy when our expedite was approved, I waited a week when it was at ready status waiting to hear from them, and I just booked it in the end using the second option.
 
I had my interview last Thursday, they never asked to see anything about the expedite approval or an email saying “book”. We’re just waiting on our passports back now so hoping it’s soon!!

Ah ok! It might've started taking a bit longer again. 
My status online never changed until it went to issued, so I wouldn't be worried about that. Just fingers crossed you'll have them in hand soon!

Not yet - still waiting 😞
And our status hasn’t updated either so can’t track anything as it’s not been issued yet. They did say it could take around 2 weeks, so that will be this Thursday. 

Hi, I thought I’d report on my DQ experience in case it sheds any light. My husband had his interview today in London and was approved.
 
We were DQ’ed in late May, and booked his medical in London for early July, as I heard from a woman on the Facebook embassy page who told me she’d done the same — before receiving an interview date. Risky, but we were optimistic, having sent off our I-130 paperwork last July 2019.
 
He had the medical without problem and after emailing the visa medical people to confirm the paperwork was sent to the embassy, we received a reply saying that they recommend people to book their interview online “if the system lets them.” 
 
Around this time we sent an expedite request to NVC, citing bereavement (my Mom passed away unexpectedly in November and our baby was born 6 weeks before; all of our family live in the US except one relative here). On 11 July I received an email stating our case was being considered, and on 16 July, the expedite request was kindly granted. 
 
Once the CEAC website said that our case had moved from NVC to London, I tried for a week to book an interview, but the booking website kept saying his case number wasn’t ready. Then on 23 July I was able to book, for today. For the record, I never received an email/letter that told me to book, or that gave me a date. I simply booked it myself off the advice given by the visa medical people, and this was confirmed both automatically and by the embassy via email.
 
His interview was less than 20 minutes. He said the embassy was empty, he was the only one waiting to be interviewed, there was absolutely no queue, and said the people he spoke to were efficient and helpful.
 
I’m both grateful for how smoothly this went (after how long we waited for the I-130 approval, about 9 months I think), and frustrated for all those waiting for interview dates to be given who have been waiting throughout lockdown. It's puzzling that the embassy isn't bustling in order to catch up on their backlog. I can't understand why interview dates aren't being sent out left and right, but I hope this picks up soon.
 
I would just as soon NOT have been as "lucky," if it meant not having the reason for our eagerness to be in the US  but with a baby who has seen hardly any family and myself struggling with the situation, it's welcome news that they're understanding in these types of scenarios.
 

I think the best thing to do right now is to avoid looking at those website updates, step outside of this horrible situation for a minute and let ourselves breathe. I've gone through different stages of obsessively checking during the course of our process, but at the moment I'm in "acceptance" mode, because it became too detrimental to my mental wellbeing. 
 
Those official website updates are too generic to take literally, and I've never bothered to call them because it seems fruitless with every officer telling a different story. I'm thankful that the embassy website has posted that they've resumed services this week, but to me, opening doesn't mean we're going to get moved across just yet, because it's not yet our turn since NVC arranges interview dates in DQ date order. The clearest indication that they are actually moving will be when someone whose case was DQ before ours gets a routine interview. Those are the updates that got me through the I-130 process, by keeping check on the Potomac group on this forum and the Facebook groups as well.
 
I know there are some people posting here that got DQ in March and April, so as soon as those guys come back and post their updates, or I see a similar update on Facebook, I will start to get anxious for my own case (DQ in May). Until then? We're still in the queue. We're in the hands of the NVC but they are definitely not the best place to look for updates from what it seems. People's stories on places like this website build a bigger picture than they ever can. Obviously it's a different story if you're expedited, but I try to ignore that information (I don't mean that in an unkind way) just because those cases have no bearing on how soon my own routine one can move. I have considered expediting throughout this month, but I just can't justify it in this moment of time because I wouldn't be ready to fly yet anyway.
 
Apologies if this sounds harsh, I don't intend for it to be, we last saw each other in February so I've had some really dark days during the last few months, but the best thing you can do is look forward and do whatever it takes to distract yourself and waste time so you can look forward and the next few months fly by. Have a clearout, sell some stuff, plan your goodbye party,  play videogames and watch movies together every night, anything small or big you can think of. I have to have a major clearout before moving, and get my cats up to date with their vaccinations, so I'm concentrating on that right now. I also have projects at work to do before finishing if everything gets approved. I'm starting to feel confident that those with the earliest DQ dates that are still stuck at NVC will start getting appointments allocated during August and September, and if they do then that will be good news for my case right as autumn arrives, so fingers crossed.
 
 

Yes they ask that you wear a mask / face covering as soon as you arrive at security check in (the same as supermarkets etc...) most of the staff are wearing them, even the guy who interviewed us had one on and he was behind a glass screen.

I truly feel like I am on the journey with everyone in this thread. Good luck to all the F1, M1 and CR/IR1-ers out there! Keep us updated 😊 and fingers crossed for some good news for K1s soon. 

It is definitely easier! I told him to get the summary now and also go get the vaccines he is missing (I think he is only short one?) as it may be cheaper than at the medical. I just wanted to make sure the online version will count as the "official summary" but I guess a medical summary is a medical summary at the end of the day. The extra fee for the mental health letter seems bit silly if it is going to take all of 10 minutes, but we don't mind paying for it.

One of the medical secretaries at my surgery just printed out an a4 sheet with my medical summary on. I had to speak to the GP and pay £30 for them to write a 2 paragraph letter regarding my previous anxiety and depression. Not heard of being able to print off the summary by yourself, but it sounds like a great idea and time saving! 

No don't worry about it, I had my interview last Thursday (16th) and I received my passport today. That too because I had put a DXs office as my pickup location - and they aren't allowing us to go in. The dx couriers delivered it to me for free and I think they did it soon as they received it. So maybe it's best to have it delivered at home directly from the appointment system. 

At their peak, monthly they were hitting 5000 approved, a majority (and I'm talking like 90%+) were tourist visas, fiance visas and others not detailed here. Spousal and family visas were such a small part of it, I think if they get back to working standard they can smash us all out in about two months.

It took a couple of days for NVC to acknowledge the expedite request and then it was another few days to hear that London had accepted it. So around a week in total, it was then sent to a London same day and showed as “Ready” the next day.
 
Hopefully you’ll hear some good news by early next week 🤞🏻

I had my boosters done at my GP free of charge, but it was a year ago and before the virus etc... but it would definitely be worth seeing if you could get them done for free that way instead of paying at the medical 

I contacted London, using this form, about my expedited case yesterday. 
 
I got a reply telling me to register and book my interview. That’s penciled in for July 20. 
 
Fingers crossed there are no problems. 
 
 

Looks like my topic was pointless! I just got a phonecall (at 8pm?) from a lovely woman who said she was with DX's embassy services and would get it to me on an urgent basis tomorrow despite them not doing Saturday deliveries rn. Home delivery, no extra charge. Big relief. 

Just got expedited from NVC. So much tension left my body. Will update once I hear anything new. 

“Mission-critical immigrant visa categories include applicants who may be eligible for an exception under these presidential proclamations, such as: IR/CR1, IR/CR2, IR/IH-3, IR/IH-4, SQ, SI, certain medical professionals, and certain aliens providing temporary labor or services essential to the United States food supply chain, as well as cases involving an applicant who may age out of his or her visa category.”

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/proclamation-suspending-entry-of-immigrants-and-nonimmigrants-who-present-risk-to-the-US-labor-market-during-the-economic-recovery-following-the-COVID-19-outbreak.html

Thanks! Literally just grabbed the data and threw it in a spreadsheet! 
 
Looks like of the 10,856, only 279 were IV (2.5%). 97%  are NIV.  The lion's share are B1/2 (50% of the total). There were only 82 CR1 and IR1s combined in Jan 2020, and 93 K1/2 (They are listed at NIV). 
 
There were a little over 2000 H, J, and L visas combined (about 19% of the total Jan 2020 issuances)
 
Which is all a very long way of saying that the backlog is going to be bad but not astronomically bad. 

Is there a breakdown of how many of those are K-1, H, L, or J Visas? It's possible our backlog won't be too bad if they focus only on spouse/immediate family and student visas when the resume interviews.....

I got my DQ in May also so waiting for the NVC to schedule my appointment.  I would think (this is all assumption by the way), the fact they have stated that IR1/2 and CR1/2  visas are mission critical, they are processing mission critical visas, the UK is easing lockdown and the K1 visas which people had previously booked appts for in July & August are not being processed currently freeing those appt times up that we should start getting some appointments booked.  I have no idea how many spouse visas are in the pipeline from NVC to London but the sooner they clear that backlog puts them in a better position to process other visas when they are allowed.  I would imagine London has a much smaller number than some other embassies.
Anyway I just want some progress, just a date would be good regardless of when it is so we can plan our lives and not be stuck in this horrible no mans land.

"Routine visa processing is currently suspended. We are only able to process visas for certain family members, such as spouses and children." if this is the case, why aren't NVC sending cases across? Someone posted a review topic about an expedited interview, so it seems they are still happening. We got DQ on 22nd May but there's been no other movement from NVC since. 

Hi all,
 
Thought it might be helpful to start a thread for anyone who is waiting on an interview at London for CR-1 / IR-1, so we can keep each other updated as and when news and appointments start to be issued. Also keeps all of this info directly related to us centralised so it’s easier for people to view. 
 
Our case is still currently sitting at NVC after being DQ’d at the start of June. 
 
I noticed today that they updated the information on their website that says they are able to process spousal visas... which is a step in the right direction I guess:- 
 
UPDATED: Can I apply for a fiancé(e)/K-1 visa?/What if my fiancé(e) visa petition expires?
Routine visa processing is currently suspended. We are only able to process visas for certain family members, such as spouses and children. Therefore we are unable to proceed with fiancé(e) visa applications at this time.
If the fiancé(e) visa petition expires, you may revalidate the petition with a letter from the petitioner stating that you both remain legally free to marry and that you will do so within 90 days of your arrival in the United States. You should take the letter with you to your visa interview in the future, not mail it or email it to the Embassy.
 
https://uk.usembassy.gov/information-for-nonimmigrant-visa-applicants-following-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/
 

Yes, I had seen stories on here of people contacting the embassy with some success, sadly not so this time. It would seem likely there’s a significant backlog however you’d think they will at least address each application in order of being DQ’d.
 
On a more positive note, yes, it does seem as though the country is returning to some level of normalcy. I’ve been reading the Prime Minister’s reopening plan however, while there are some (admittedly vague) descriptions of the kind of businesses that can get back to work during stages 1, 2 and 3, it isn’t clear, at least to me, which one the embassy might fall into. I know it’s been said a thousand times on this forum and I acknowledge that this is an unprecedented situation but the wait would be made a lot more tolerable if there was any kind of way of telling how long we’ll have to endure.

I hope they’ve saved some appointments slots for CR1s!! We’re waiting on an interview date too

Same - we need to be there by mid August for school starting so its going to be tight 😬 really hope they are opening soon 🤞🏻