ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
US Embassy and Consulate Discussioneveryone

A question that is asked often at K1 interviews at the London embassy is 'Why are you moving to the US rather than he/she moving to the UK?'  That was easy for me to answer.  He has two children and his own company.  I have no children and just have a job, not a company.


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-09-13 12:43:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionMedical and interview for London

So, judging on what I posted above, do you think it's safe to book it?

 

Yes, you should be safe to book it.  Your file should be with the US Embassy in London in a couple of days and then take about a week to register with them. 

 

BTW - that is the same update I got on the CEAC site - it's confusing as it's the Embassy who gibe you the interview, not NVC. I think it's a generic message to say it's on its way.


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-07-29 16:45:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionMedical and interview for London

Thanks for the advice. My other question is, at what stage can I book the medical? Do I have to wait for packet 3 or can I book it now that I have the case number (it's been about 2 weeks, or slightly more, since the NOA2)

 

You don't have to wait for 'packet 3'.  You can book the medical as soon as you have your case number.  You will need the Police Certificate for the medical.  The slight caution is that you don't really want your medical results arriving at the Embassy before your file has arrived from NVC.  Has you file left NVC?  Have you tracked it?  What is the CEAC site saying?

 

BTW - if you want your medical before you leave on 15th, you had better call them tomorrow.  There is currently a 2 week wait to get an appointment.


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-07-29 14:01:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionDHL Tracking From NVC to US Embassy

Some  shipments  picked up on: Friday, May 10, 2013

 

 

Waybill: 7548418124 - LAMBETH - LONDON W1A - UK 

 

 

 

Yeah!  Our file was in that package and arrived at the Embassy at 16:08 UK time today!  Yeah!!!

 

Thanks so much for posting these Waybill numbers - they help such a great deal.

 


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-05-13 11:10:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionCan I change my last name to a celebrity ?

Being serious for a fleeting moment:  Whatever last name you choose, be SURE that it's something that you won't have to SPELL over and over and over to people.  You'll save a lot of time and energy over future years.

 

Agreed.  I had to spell my maiden name every time.  I now have to spell my married name every time and it includes 2 'Z's!  I also have to remember to say 'zee' instead of 'zed' as I'm from the UK.


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-08-14 07:40:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionCan I change my last name to a celebrity ?

I think you should take suggestions is an open forum.  After three days you must change your name to the one that has been posted the most.

 

I'll start:

 

Orlando Shaw

 

 

 

Tee hee.  I like that.

 

After watching Despicable Me 2, can I just give a vote for:

 

Orlando Ramsbottom

 

'Bottom.  Tee hee.'


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-08-13 10:02:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionROC with no bills/rental lease in both our names

Have you both made wills with the other as beneficiary?


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-05-01 12:11:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussionhow a divorce affect citizenship
Because it may cast doubt on the authenticity of your 1st marriage. It could be considered that you had the 1st marriage to get to the US with the intention of actually being with the 2nd person.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-09-12 10:41:00
PhilippinesTrying to understand the CEAC site

This appears to be happening a lot recently.  From discussions, it seems to mean that they are processing and creating the visa.  It should change to 'Issued' in the next couple of days.


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-06-05 23:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNOA2!!!!
Congratulations (I'd love to know where my NOA2 is - we're a 24 July filer!).
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-18 15:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsAPPROVED!!!!!
Congrats



...but where is our NOA2 (24 July filer at CSC)?
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-21 14:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsWhere the hell is our NOA2?

The bajillion dollar question. It just is what it is. Every case and country is different and every case worker has different work loads. Maybe one case worker had a whole bunch of super easy cases that were able to be processed quickly and another case worker had some more difficult ones. While it may be frustrating, believe me, there is SO much to do and SO much that can be done during this wait. Vaccine records organized, researching moving options, police certificates obtained, filling out the sponsorship information and having your fiance/fiancee obtain all the needed docs for that, selling items before the big move, so much stuff that once you get that approval you're going to be scrambling trying to figure it all out.


Yes, I know there is much to do and I have done all that already.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-20 15:02:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsWhere the hell is our NOA2?

If you do the math the updated website is one month behind so it makes sense that people from august are seeing a approval since we are now in feb. When they update the site for the feb workload it should say they are working on sept submits.


But why are they approving August NOA1s before July NOA1s like us and lost of other people who post here?
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-18 15:11:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMedical Exam
You may have a better chance of getting help if you post this in your country specific forum.

It's just that each country has a different way of dealing with the medical. For instance, in the UK I couldn't do what you're doing as the doctor will not accpet an appointment without the case number which will not be aavailble until about 2 weeks after the NOA2 is issued.

P.S. The London medical costs £227 - about 260 euros!
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-07 09:56:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsCalifornia service center-August Filer- any news on NOA2?
We're still waiting from a NOA1 dated 24 July :(
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2012-12-26 14:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsCSC STILL NO SIGN

Well it's night here in the UK. It's another week of hearing nothing. The wait is unbearable :(


Same here - in UK at nigth - another week and nothing - we're two weeks ahead of you - the waiting is so difficult. I wish we had married in July and gone the CR1 route. I know it's supposed to be slower than the K1 (which is laughably in place to stop people being apart so long).
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-08 16:00:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsPost Decision Activity - Happy Day

Super congratulations :)



There were 4 yesterday. Please, please, please. Let this be the beginning of a huge wave of approvals.


Yes - 4 yesterday - 1 from July, 2 from August and 1 from October! Where the rest of the July ones still in limbo?

Oh - sorry - congrats :thumbs:
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-08 15:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsSince 30th july 2012 No noa2
I'm a 24th July filer and still waiting. We know we'll get there but the wait is not easy.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-10 18:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsCall Your Congressman!

I'm really, really sorry to hear you've been waiting so long :( That's truly awful. Sending good vibes your way. And this is exactly why others (with hopefully more helpful representatives) should keep harassing them. Cases like yours is what is so awful about this system.


Yeah - and our NOA2 is dated two days earlier than Moondream's. The wait is really getting to my fiance and me. He's going through some health issues at the moment and I should be there to support him and look after him. Not 4000 miles away!
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-14 01:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsReceived update and email from CSC
Congrats and this gives me hope as we are a 24 July filer at CSC.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-21 04:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reportsstill waiting for NOA2
24 July NOA1 at CSC - still waiting.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-05 19:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reportsmy 8months waiting at csc was yesterday
I know how you feel - ours is 8 months and 7 days - NOA1 date of 24 July.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-31 13:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsAny July Filers have their Noa2 Yet

This poster has commented that on about 2 other topics, and has NOT clarified on where they got that information from.
Reading "12 months" is freaking out a lot of people.
I hope that poster returns and lets us know just where they "heard" that.
Because if it is true.....it's depressing news ??


The poster has posted this 10 times since joining VJ last night. In one topic they said they have 'just called em' when USCIS only open for phone calls from Monday to Friday.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-04-08 09:33:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsAny July Filers have their Noa2 Yet

NOA1 July 24 and still waiting.


Same here - NOA1 date of 24 July.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-20 08:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsUSCIS announced today 1 year timeline for K-1 Apps

Seriously breaking down crying at work now. On the website USCIS is quoting the national processing time average as 10 months. I can't believe it.

I am a July 26 CSC applicant. It's been 8 months and after an emotional rollercoaster the last few months, I was thinking I should be getting my NOA2 soon. Now it looks like I may still be months away. (Check your status and then on that page do the drops for the processing times)


I'm not quite sure how they're working that out. CSC shows as average of 6.6 months and the national average as 10.2 months. So CSC are doing better than the national average? With the NOA2s coming out of VSC it seems unlikely that CSC are doing better than the national average.

Going back to check VSC, their average is 5.0 months. National Benefits Center is 13.2 months and TSC is 16.2 months. So maybe the last two are skewing the average?

BTW - I think this thread is misleading and immensely demotivating. USCIS have not 'announced' that K1s will take 1 year. It is one conversation. Lots have people have had conversations with USCIS and got many different, contradicting answers and information. Our lawyer has told us that if USCIS go beyond 1 year, they have violated statute and are causing undue hardship to the US Citizen. It would seem unlikely that USCIS would go close to 1 year for so many petitions.

Edited by Anna Grant, 29 March 2013 - 05:29 PM.

Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-29 17:21:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMonday Monday - a new wekk - new hope

Praying for all us October filers to have good news this week :)

Would calling the USCIS again do any good now that we are offically over the 6 month mark?


Could you also pray for us July filers please?
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-04-08 09:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsWaiting for NOA2

Hi Anna !

I seen your timeline and it shows that u got NOA1 last july and till now u are still waiting for nOA2 ? Im just curiors if u really still waiting up to now or u just forgot to update?

Xxx


Hi. I am still waiting, as I mentioned in my original post - as are a lot of people from July 2012 - check the topics in this K1 sub-forum where July Filers is in the topic title:

http://www.visajourn...ogress-reports/

I really don't wish to depress, you and it may be that you have received your NOA2 extraordinarily quickly, but you may have to realize that you have to play the waiting game.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-04-08 09:39:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsWaiting for NOA2

Thanks wilfon...we are hopeful to be together sooner... I just checked my timeline and estimated date will be july 22-30.. Too long to wait for two people that wish to be with each other but its better bcoz that is before our son's birthday...i told my fiance about the estimated date and he said he might visit us again before that ....we miss each other so much ( sigh)


That is the estimated date for the initial approval of your petition i.e. the NOA2. After that there is further paperwork, a medical and an interview to get through. Check out the flowchart here and see from your country's sub-forum how quickly things move when your petition gets to your country.

Things tend to move quicker once you have the NOA2 - well, relative to how they move before you get the NOA2 (says she, having waited over 8 months and still no NOA2).
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-04-08 09:18:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsRelax
OP - I filed 5 weeks after you and I don't have my NOA2 yet - let alone be anywhere close to having my interview. You were lucky - most of the people who filed a month after you are not so lucky.

I can't paint bedrooms as I sold my flat in anticipation of moving to the US. I now live in a single bedroom in a flat I share with 3 other people. I have always had my own home and now I have to share a bathroom, toilet and kitchen with 3 other people. We din't have a garden, so no gardening for me. I just live for the times when I can get into the US and spend time with my fiance.

I knew and accepted in would be a long ride but this is one hell of a longer ride than I was expecting!
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-04-12 09:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsImproved Timeline
Mine says 'December 10, 2012 and January 5, 2013'.

So I must have entered the US on 3 April with the K1 visa in my passport and have forgotten that? I must get around to getting married.

Oh. That's right. I didn't have my K1 visa because I still haven't got my NOA2.

I know that the estimated times are only estimates and the recent Dec approvals have skewed the numbers.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-04-15 13:08:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNOA2 APPROVED TODAY! CSC is moving again :)

All these CSC approvals have given me renewed hope. Especially this one which has an NOA1 date the day before ours.


Sorry - I should have said 'congratulations' too.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-04-17 11:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNOA2 APPROVED TODAY! CSC is moving again :)
All these CSC approvals have given me renewed hope. Especially this one which has an NOA1 date the day before ours.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-04-17 07:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsAugust 2012 filers!

I am struggling to understand the lack of NOA2's out of CSC yet again! According to Igor's list, NOTHING since Wednesday but a completely different story for Vermont that are surging through them.


I agree. Yesterday saw a few October filers at VSC approved. What on earth is going on at CSC? A handful after they got their loos sorted out and then nothing.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-30 01:32:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsAugust 2012 filers!

Still sipping my coffee but wondering what you mean by transferring workload?


Here:

http://www.uscis.gov...000082ca60aRCRD

Although K1s are not being transferred, it should reduce the workload on CSC so they can get around to our petitions. It would seem that children of illegal immigrants have been getting priority over future spouses of US Citizens (allegedly).
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-14 11:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsAugust 2012 filers!

I am sat here chatting to my best friend and crying too :( It's so unfair we are being made to wait so long.


I totally agree. I am a July filer still waiting but I pop into the August filers at times to see how you guys are doing.

It is crazy that we are being made to wait so long for our initial approval.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-11 04:35:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsI129F Filed 1 year ago, still waiting
We employed a lawyer at the start of our process (wish we hadn't - wish we'd found this site first).

However, recently he said to us, when we were complaining about the length of time it was taking for the NOA2:

'Be assured that if ever they violate a statute, such as going over 1 year without approval, then yes I can sue the government and compel them to give a response due to hardship to a U.S. Citizen.'

I don't know precisely what he means but does anyone else know to potentially help to OP?
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-11 17:29:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsService request

so a service request can be sent online? I just did it over the phone - I am learning new things daily here


Yes - from the USCIS website - click on 'e-request' and complete your details.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-26 17:07:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsService request

I was extremely surprised as well. I've tried sending a service request in every day for the last 2 months, and today was the only time it let me! :blush:


Sorry - I meant to type 'can't' - obviously wishful thinking on my part.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-26 16:51:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsService request

I wasn't expecting it, but I was able to send in a service request!! My NOA1 date is August 27. I was just wondering, any positive or negative feedback on service requests? Does it help at all?


Strange. We're with CSC too and our NOA1 date is 24 July and I can submit a service request. It still says we're within the 'normal processing time'.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-26 16:35:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNOA2 Received Today

Down in the dumps today.

 

I phoned NVC this morning and they have received our file and I have our case number.  

 

However, our case is undergoing 'additional processing'.  I just can't believe it.  After waiting all this time, we are going to be held up again.

 

Anyone else been out into AP?  Apparently, I was only told this because I asked when it was likely that our file would be sent to the UK.

 


Edited by Anna Grant, 29 April 2013 - 12:26 PM.

Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-04-29 12:26:00