Student Visa's processing timetable

Well, I have been trolling this topic with my own hope for my visa and I finally received an email that it was approved today 9/24. The only thing that worries me is that according to UPS, it was billed/shipped on 9/8 but there's not transit information on the package. Does anyone know if the visa office preprints the shipping label upon receiving the documents and then ships at a later date?

Well, I have been trolling this topic with my own hope for my visa and I finally received an email that it was approved today 9/24. The only thing that worries me is that according to UPS, it was billed/shipped on 9/8 but there's not transit information on the package. Does anyone know if the visa office preprints the shipping label upon receiving the documents and then ships at a later date?

Congrats on the visa, wanderingjade. I did notice that my credit card was charged for the UPS return service the day after my receipt confirmation which was 9/7 at the LA office, and I have not received any actual visa update yet - so it seems like they do the UPS charges as soon as they get your paperwork. I guess they figure they need to send you back your documents no matter what the outcome is.

Well, I have been trolling this topic with my own hope for my visa and I finally received an email that it was approved today 9/24. The only thing that worries me is that according to UPS, it was billed/shipped on 9/8 but there's not transit information on the package. Does anyone know if the visa office preprints the shipping label upon receiving the documents and then ships at a later date?

The Consulates ship next day air. So if you received approval on the 24th it won't go out until Monday and you shuld receive it on Tuesday. The tracking number is generated upon approval which leads me to believe that a number has been transposed on your tracking number. You can try emailing the Consulate for the correct tracking number.

Congrats on the visa, wanderingjade. I did notice that my credit card was charged for the UPS return service the day after my receipt confirmation which was 9/7 at the LA office, and I have not received any actual visa update yet - so it seems like they do the UPS charges as soon as they get your paperwork. I guess they figure they need to send you back your documents no matter what the outcome is.

If you look at your original visa fee receipt you will see that the UPS fee was included ($12) in that charge and normally this is the only UPS fee that applicants will pay.

Your situation is a bit different since you submitted your application once and it was returned to you because you failed to include your passport.

When you returned your application with your passport to the Consulate for further processing they charged you another UPS fee in order to be able to return your documents to you once the process was complete.

So that is why you have an additional shipping charge.

The ups label is created at the point where your application is received, but you are only notified of the number when (if?) the visa is printed, and UPS generally don't pick up from the consulates until later that evening, which is why there is a period where you're in limbo. If you got the email yesterday, you should get your package Monday.

I'm told NYC are up to date on T4s, LA should be by the end of next week and Chicago will have done all of theirs by the end of today

Sept 3rd: FedEx confirmation it was received by the LA Center
Sept 7th: Confirmation email saying it was "in process" with the 5-15 business day timeline.
Sept 28th: Visa Approved Email
Sept 29th: Visa Received via UPS Overnight

As noted in the threads above, the UPS tracking number said it was entered into the system on Sept 9th - that's just when they billed it, in case that confuses anyone looking at their tracking information.

I was in Chicago on Tuesday to do the application process through the Premium service.  A decision was made within 30 mins.  I did want to let everyone know Chicago did not seem busy at all, and looked like the bulk of visas already went through.

Congratulations to sfgabe & jdreg!!!