We have an interview scheduled.

After a bit of back-and-forth with the consulate representative in Atlanta, we've made the decision to request our visa interview directly from the Italian Consulate in Miami, the closest office to us. While the Atlanta rep is indeed available (with appointments booked weeks in advance) to handle the interview and gather all the necessary paperwork on behalf of Miami, the process involves sending everything to the Miami office. After that, it typically takes about 4 weeks to receive a response and the return of passports via USPS mail.

To streamline the process and eliminate the middleman, we've opted to fly directly to Miami on February 7th for the interview. Once a decision is reached, assuming we receive the visas, they're valid for departure to Italy within 90 days. Our hope is to secure approval within the 90-day timeframe before our planned departure on June 2/3. Ideally, this would also allow us to have our passports back in time for our travels to Thailand on March 25th. There's a lot to consider, and timing is absolutely crucial in navigating this process.