It would make more sense to allow the petitioner to attend the interview with the beneficiary, especially an elderly beneficiary - the petitioner prepared all the documentation, so if there are questions about it, they are better prepared to answer. Nevertheless, the interview process seemed to go smoothly for my mother-in-law. The communication after the interview was confusing. The 221g paper she was handed said she was "ineligible" and her case needed "administrative processing". The CEAC portal said she was "Refused" after the interview. A more accurate description would be "delayed" for both since a day later the CEAC website said "Issued". My wife heard there was a computer problem at the consulate the day of the interview - if that was the case, put it in writing on the 221g form. Their poor communication created unnecessary worry.
It took 5 months from being Documentarily Qualified to receiving notice for the visa interview and another 2 months to have the interview. The consulate replied to an email inquiry that it would be 2-4 months total - very inaccurate. When I inquired again after 4 months asking if the wait would still be months or years or whether they could tell me where my mother-in-law was on the first come first served list - they replied "regrettably, we do not have that information".
Consulate / USCIS Member Review #33540
Review on January 29, 2025:
