Ems Delivering Passport / Visa? From Embassy

[johndpoole]

My GF and I are waiting to see if she was approved for a tourist Visa to the US. They didn't give her an answer at the embassy counter but retained her passport. I am told by folks here that the passport is usually returned withing 3-days with the approval (or rejection).

She had her interview on Wednesday .. does anybody know if the week-end counts with mail delivery and if 3-days is the magic number?

We have been waiting since Tuesday for an answer when she went in but was told to come back the next day because the fingerprint machine was down. Then on Wednesday the interviewer ended by saying, "we need to check and will call you"

Supposedly the use EMS the visa's back and a call to them resulted in them saying they were open until noon on Saturday. A second call to them resulted in them saying they work everyday delivering only until noon.

[gotlost]

Take a chill pile mate it's only Saturday she will be notified.

[Fred Sanford]

Hi John, I have a feeling that Monday will be the day you get passport back. Btw, I'm jumping the gun here but congrats dude

Edited January 9, 2010 by Fred Sanford

[johndpoole]

Hi John, I have a feeling that Monday will be the day you get passport back. Btw, I'm jumping the gun here but congrats dude

Thanks Fred ... being noon now I am starting to think the same thing. I have a feeling that Sat & Sun are not normally delivery days regardless of what I was told by EMS. Just keeping our fingers crossed but we don't want to jump the gun getting positive or feel like we are jinxing things (been in Thailand too long).

[jackbox]

If they retain the passport then the applicant is approved. If someone is denied they immediately return the passport and the entire application. They only retain the application and passport if the interviewer has decided to grant the Visa. The decision is solely based on the person doing the interview. Believe me, she would know if she was denied. When they decide to approve you they don't come out and tell you, they just keep the passport and tell the applicant the interview is over. If the applicant specifically asks at the end of the interview if they were approved, they would be told yes if the documents were retained. When my wife got her Visa I was waiting outside (new Obama regulation doesn't allow anyone inside with applicant any more during the interview) many people were leaving in tears (they were denied and rudely given back their passport and paperwork). When your girlfriend bought the EMS envelope from the Postal Kiosk they gave her a receipt with the EMS number on it. You can go to Thailand Post EMS tracking (http://track.thailandpost.com/trackinterne...lt.aspx?lang=en) and see if they have sent back her passport yet. Normally they take one day to process the Visa after the interview and then mail back the passport the next day after that. That means they probably posted it on Friday and it will be delivered Saturday if you are in Bangkok. If she still has the receipt check the tracking. Congratulations as I am 100% certain she was approved. EMS in Bangkok is delivered on Saturday, Sunday and Holidays (they have special delivery people when the normal mail service is not open).

Edited January 9, 2010 by jackbox

[johndpoole]

If they retain the passport then the applicant is approved. If someone is denied they immediately return the passport and the entire application. They only retain the application and passport if the interviewer has decided to grant the Visa. The decision is solely based on the person doing the interview. Believe me, she would know if she was denied. When they decide to approve you they don't come out and tell you, they just keep the passport and tell the applicant the interview is over. If the applicant specifically asks at the end of the interview if they were approved, they would be told yes if the documents were retained. When my wife got her Visa I was waiting outside (new Obama regulation doesn't allow anyone inside with applicant any more during the interview) many people were leaving in tears (they were denied and rudely given back their passport and paperwork). When your girlfriend bought the EMS envelope from the Postal Kiosk they gave her a receipt with the EMS number on it. You can go to Thailand Post EMS tracking (http://track.thailandpost.com/trackinterne...lt.aspx?lang=en) and see if they have sent back her passport yet. Normally they take one day to process the Visa after the interview and then mail back the passport the next day after that. That means they probably posted it on Friday and it will be delivered Saturday if you are in Bangkok. If she still has the receipt check the tracking. Congratulations as I am 100% certain she was approved. EMS in Bangkok is delivered on Saturday, Sunday and Holidays (they have special delivery people when the normal mail service is not open).

DUDE YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Says online it is out for delivery today. We had no idea we had the tracking number. I am still worried about the approval though ...

She spoke with interviewer and then he said to go sit back down and he would call her back again. He did this with somebody else too. Then he called her back and said they would need to check and would call her. The interviewer was young and super nice she said but I am wondering if he was new. I think she did tell me the other person who had to wait a bit did receive their passport back and were denied.

But of course being Thailand .. a new problem has come up after tracking the envelope. It says it is out for delivery today but they only deliver until noon and they have already been through delivering today ... ugh!

[johndpoole]

Well word is that they are going to deliver it today ... will keep fingers crossed for both the delivery and approval. I actually thought I learned to accept the slow pace and never being able to get a straight answer from folks here in Thailand but was about to lose it today. Problem is too is that we are an hour plus away from where it is being delivered. The GF put down the address of the house she owns which her sister is temporarily staying at and not the Condo here in BKK. What was freaking me out is that the nephew there (good kid but has some issues) signed for a package for the neighbors from EMS this AM. So, of course I couldn't help but wonder if he was playing some game but EMS assures us another driver will bring this.