Requested mid-February interview.
Mailed AC140 WITH I-824 APPROVAL NOTICE (not simply I-824 receipt notice) on 12/3/01 and requested mid-february interview.
normally consulate schedules in the second half of a month for EB casis. so i wanted to go in the last week (due to other travel constraints). but lawyer pointed out a good point:
Usually a visa number is requested by consulate from the State Dept. This is done, I think, every month or every quarter. State dept. then approves the available visa numbers every month for the following month. This is the reason why the consulates announce the interview schedule after the 15th of every month (after they get approval from state dept.). The tricky part is that a visa number is approved for issuance only for a particular month. So my lawyer said that if I go the last week of feb. and by misfortune, a delay occurs due to any reason, I do not have a cushion of time. If the month ends, the visa number for me will expire and I have to wait for another number, usually for 2 months or so.
On the other hand, due to last minute travel (& logistics) problems, it is not practical to request interview in month beginning (so that it gives the max cushion of time in case of eventualities). Hence mid-month is preferable.
lets see when I get it. my packet (AC140) is still in transit. i am trying to clarify about PCC. right now, it is wait-n-watch policy for me.
good luck!