Rescheduling an interview

[joshvworld]

OK, so here's the situation. My husband and I are going on vacation from February 5-19 and then flying back to Guangzhou on the evening of the 19th. We are really hoping to get an interview on the 20th. It's not a holiday in the U.S. or China so it should be fairly easy to get that date if we keep logging in obsessively to check the calendar of available dates.

 

We've already been told by the consulate to schedule an interview. The problem is the medical. He can't do the medical until we've scheduled the appointment but we probably won't be able to schedule the appointment until the last week of January or first week of February or even after we leave for vacation so we possibly won't have time to do the medical for the interview (assuming they keep releasing interview dates at their current [ridiculously slow] pace). The latest date available at the moment is only January 15.

 

Is it possible to schedule an interview, get the medical, then change the date of the interview? Does anyone have experience rescheuling their interview on the ustraveldocs website? I know there's no guarantee we'll get the date we want, but like I mentioned above, it seems reasonable that we very well could if we keep logging in regularly to check if they've released new dates. And if it's not possible to schedule, do the medical, then change the date, is it otherwise possible to go to the interview without the medical and do it when we get back to Beijing and expeditiously send the results to Guangzhou?

Edited December 26, 2013 by joshvworld (see edit history)

[ama537621]

I hate to be harsh but what is more important the vacation or the Visa?

 

Never plan anything that cannot be cancelled during the Last stage of the Visa. And never ever book a plane ticket until you have the passport with visa in your hand.

[joshvworld]

Our vacation isn't in the United States so the timing of the interview is irrelevant. Even if it were, he has a valid tourist visa so that's not really the point. The worst case scenario would be that we have to either stay in Guangzhou for a few more days or go back later, neither of which are a big setback or a dealbreaker. I was just asking if it was possible to change the interview date after setting it to avoid that. So does anyone have any relevant advice to the question I originally asked?

[Guest ExChinaExpat]

Our vacation isn't in the United States so the timing of the interview is irrelevant. Even if it were, he has a valid tourist visa so that's not really the point. The worst case scenario would be that we have to either stay in Guangzhou for a few more days or go back later, neither of which are a big setback or a dealbreaker. I was just asking if it was possible to change the interview date after setting it to avoid that. So does anyone have any relevant advice to the question I originally asked?

 

You can try contacting the US Consulate in Guangzhou. You should have all the contact information in your paperwork. However, as ama537 suggested, it's best to keep your appointment rather than try to change it. They take the schedule dates very seriously and it's not like trying to postpone and reschedule a dinner date.

 

You can use the following link to send an email:

 

http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn//immigrant-visa-unit-question.html

Edited December 27, 2013 by GuangDongExpat (see edit history)

[Randy W]

I know people have rescheduled, so it seems like it should be possible to do what you want there. Seems like it might be best to plan on going to the interview with a medical in hand (one way or another), and let them reject it, if they're so inclined. I doubt you'd have a problem there, though.

 

Jesse - rescheduling is much easier these days. It's done through the ustraveldocs.com web site. The problem comes in the limited range of dates available.

[Guest ExChinaExpat]

I know people have rescheduled, so it seems like it should be possible to do what you want there. Seems like it might be best to plan on going to the interview with a medical in hand (one way or another), and let them reject it, if they're so inclined. I doubt you'd have a problem there, though.

 

Jesse - rescheduling is much easier these days. It's done through the ustraveldocs.com web site. The problem comes in the limited range of dates available.

 

Thanks Randy. I have been noticing the new ustraveldocs website, but haven't gotten to the interview stage this time around.

[joshvworld]

Thanks for your helpful advice, Randy. I haven't actually scheduled an interview yet and it may not become an issue if the dates are released far enough in advance, but at the moment it seems like no one is updating anything on the website (probably because everyone's on vacation for xmas/new year) so I only asked out of an abundance of caution. If it turns out to be unworkable, we'll just go to Guangzhou whenever we can get an appointment after our vacation. We don't plan on moving until sometime after August 2014 anyway, so we're not on a tight deadline. We're not capriciously buying tickets without visas or treating it like dinner plans.

[warpedbored]

The Ustraveldocs site is a new thing that most of us here don't know a lot about. It used to be that an interview date was hard to come by and if canceled could cause a lengthy delay to get a new one. Thank you Randy for the information. I know of no one who has rescheduled under the new system. It does seem to me that if you're not planning on coming to the US until after August it would make sense just to wait until after you come back to schedule an interview.

[joshvworld]

Thanks for the clarification, warpedbored. I know it seems early, but I am anticipating the extra processing time for my husband's CCP membership.

[dnoblett]

About the medical, it can be done the day before interview, this happened to my wife, we were in Guangzhou several days prior to interview so as to be able to take care of medical, the centers were closed for spring festival and opened the day before interview, we payed an expedite fee to get results same day.

[Andelu]

We didn't have to reschedule my husband's interview so I have no experience to add to your original question Josh but do want to share our experience with the medical. It was done the week before the interview, results were obtained same day for an expedited fee. The visa validity date was 6 months from the date of the medical, not the visa issuance.

 

Medical 10/29/2013

Interview 11/4/2013

Visa Issuance 12/5/2013

IV Expires on 4/29/2014

 

We had a delay in the visa being issued as we had to submit additional paperwork twice after the interview.

 

Also, for what it is worth - we were advised by the Consulate official after I submitted the I-130 that he not travel to the US on his valid tourist/business visa after submitting the I-130. Apparently as this signfies the intent to immigrate there would be a very high probablity of being denied entry unless he was on business and had documentation beyond just a return airline ticket that he was not going to remain in the States. Anyway, not first hand experience as we didn't chance it but what I was told when I asked if he could visit the US.

[joshvworld]

Thanks Andelu. When you put it that way it's probably best to just get the medical when we get back and just stay in Guangzhou over the weekend for a Monday interview so we're not rushed to go to America before my contract is up in August. Assuming of course we're fortunate enough to not take more than 6 months for the CCP issue. My residence permit is valid until next December so that wouldn't be a huge deal just another of the many petty annoyances the consulate has seen fit to impose on us.