London Embassy Interview

[Woodger]

Hey guys

I mailed off packet 3 to the embassy just a moment ago

Does anyone have an idea of how long it takes to get an interview scheduled with the London Embassy ?

I just mailed it off (recorded, 1st class) and i'm travelling on the 8th December with the visa when I get it, do you think thats enough time ?

I said in my covering letter that I was planning to travel on the 8th December, however, I have not made solid plans for this, so when asked on one of the forms had I made travel plans, I said no.

[Woodger]

I read 47 days average but that was old... any ideas anyone ?

[smiths]

I was wondering the same thing. My fiance called the London Embassy and was told he should have his interview letter by the 2nd week of February. How long do they give you before they schedule your interview? 30 days? 45 days?

[izzy339]

I read 47 days average but that was old... any ideas anyone ?

Hi Woodger

mine was received at the Embassy on the 22nd Dec according to the Royal Mail tracking service online.

I was told last week by the guy on the phone there (1.20 a min number) that it will take approx 6-8 weeks to process then I will be given four weeks notice of the interview date, he told me to expect to have an interview early March.

Izzy

oops!! just realised this is an old thread as the guy who started it flew to the US early Dec.

[fetabaronen]

Similar situation

I'm in a similar situation and have a couple of concerns that I hope you might be able to help me with.

I'm applying for a spousal immigrant visa from the UK; my wife is American. I sent in my interview readiness form in mid-December, the processing time of which I understand from the Embassy's immigration website is 4-6 weeks. I went away, came back last week and scheduled the medical, which is now next week.

Because I hadn't been given a case number and therefore initially couldn't schedule the medical, I had called the Embassy on their £1.20/min. line to get it. The lady I talked to informed me that they don't start processing interview readiness forms before they have the medical results.

I am now worried that the five+ weeks that have passed since I sent in my interview readiness form are wasted and that it will be another month to a month-and-a-half before I'll have an interview date. That would be terrible.

Would this assumption be correct, or are my fears ungrounded? The passage in the Knightsbridge FAQ that one may have an interview date without yet having had the medical gives me some hope that I won't have to wait that long before my interview is scheduled, as do certain comments on this board.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

[nichole]

This thread was started 15 months ago so all the information isn't that current. London has become very strict about wanting the medical results delivered to the embassy before your interview. That changed sometime mid-year 2010 if I'm remembering correctly. Prior to that, people with long distances to travel would go to the medical the day before or day after the interview and London would hold their passport (to put the visa in) until the medical results arrived about 4 days later. Now their website makes it pretty clear that they won't schedule an interview without your medical results.

So yes your processing time could still be 6-8 weels until your interview. That's 3-4 weeks time to send out your appointment plus 3-4 weeks until the appointment date after the letter arrives. On the hopeful side, your DS-xxx forms are already processed by NVC unlike K1s also wanting an interview who send those forms to London for processing. That ought to make yours faster.

Some people have been successful asking for a spot in any cancelled appointment slot. You might want to send another readiness for interview form and cover letter giving your exam date, email address, and explain you would like a cancellation slot because you can be ready to attend on short notice. And give any reason you may have like your wife is pregnant, ill, being deployed by the military. If your just tired of waiting, that probably won't get you in the fast line, but good luck. Maybe they will consider the time your petition has already been there from NVC.

[fetabaronen]

Thanks!

Hi Nichole,
Thanks so much. It's of course depressing news. My problem is that I've been waiting to start a job in the US since September (they don't sponsor work visas, so I was hired on the basis of being able to get my own work permit) -- do you think mentioning that might help getting fast tracked?

So far I've been doing all the paperwork myself, but I was wondering whether the embassy maintains a fast track for petitions made through lawyers, as I understand the Home Office does?

Where do you get the 3-4 weeks processing time? As far as I can see on the Embassy website, it takes them 4-6 weeks to complete action on the application.

Thanks again!

[nichole]

I am certain that lawyers do not get to cut in line for K1 visas. Explain the job offer as a reason you need to interview at their earlier possible opening or cancellation. Call it a financial hardship. I've told you about all I can suggest you do in my post above..

I got the times from actual people who have interviews between Dec and Feb in London to get the most recent vibe. More were K1s but I looked at the ones who told when they sent in their readiness and when they got the interview appt and how far out the interview was from receiving the appt letter. It varied but you don't know if they did like you and didn't make a timely medical appt. Your timeline would look like a long time between sending in readiness and getting the appointment. None of it is an exact science. Too many variables like snow, the holidays, no medical results. With the holidays over and your asking them for a quick appointment because of needing to start a job, maybe things will go in your favor once they see your results are in. It takes about 4 days for the labs to come back and to get to the embassy. And you have to consider weekends when counting days.

Since you haven't read the London embassy website thoroughly, I suggest you do so. It has good information and says on at least 4 pages that they will not schedule an interview without medical results. There might be something else you're missing that could delay an approval on interview day.

Be sure and include your email address. I've known people in the past who got a cancellation slot and got only 4 days notice via email. They used the email to be admitted to the interview because there was no time to have the official appointment letter.

Good luck. Tell us how it goes.

[fetabaronen]

thanks again!

Thanks so much -- this is a big help!

I actually thought I had read the Embassy site thoroughly -- I'd at least spent a lot of time doing so. Now, I can see that I missed that piece of info, but I can also see what passages I read there that made me misunderstand. I don't think it's made very clear, though it is of course mentioned and I should have realised.

Anyway, no use crying over that. I'll try for a cancellation slot and hope for the best. Thanks again!

[fetabaronen]

interview date!

OK, it might have helped or it might not, but last week I received notification that my interview has been scheduled for the beginning of next week, which is great.

Thanks again, for your advice!