ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
United Kingdomhow many days could I have my visa after interview?

Hello guys, I am waiting for my interview on June 17 in London, Embassy. I was working here and I want to know and book for my plane ticket as soon as I find out if I can have a visa. But I am a bit worried if how many working days before I can have my visa in my hand after my interview. Any help from those who had this kind of experience... Thanks


Our interview was the 18th and the visa was returned the 23rd (with a weekend between, so three business days). We paid extra for a morning delivery. She flew out on the 25th. YMMV.

Edited by B.Rossow, 17 June 2011 - 05:59 PM.

B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-06-17 17:59:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionHow long on average from Packet 3 submission to interview date?
Thought I'd wrap up this thread by saying that my fiancée had her interview this morning and was approved. I was half-asleep when she called just before 5 AM to let me know so I'm fuzzy on details (I'll get more tonight) but she said it was painless, that the worst part was waiting in line, and that they really didn't care to see most of the mountain of evidence she had amassed. :)

Thanks again to everyone who provided info to help us get this far!
B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-05-18 16:11:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionHow long on average from Packet 3 submission to interview date?
Just called; got through immediately. Interview date is May 18, the day before my birthday. Guess we won't celebrate it together, but it should be a great birthday present nonetheless. :)
B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-04-21 09:27:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionHow long on average from Packet 3 submission to interview date?
Thanks for the info, guys! Good info about the phone number, plus good info about the payment requirements. :)

Still wondering if the length of time we've been waiting since submitting the first packet is typical.
B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-04-20 17:41:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionHow long on average from Packet 3 submission to interview date?
We received Packet 3 from the embassy in London on 26 March and sent it back on 1 April. My fiancée had her medical exam (without any problems) on 5 April. She called the embassy on 14 April and confirmed that everything had been received, apparently in good order (unsure of date it was actually received), and paid the $350 fee by phone during that same call. It's now 20 April and we still haven't heard anything regarding an interview date. Is this normal? With calls to the embassy rivaling the cost of calling a sex line, we don't exactly want to keep calling to check the status.

Also wondering if the $350 is normally paid at the same time as returning Packet 3 and if the later payment by phone delayed anything. (Since I wasn't there to see exactly what was included in the packet she received, I don't know if that fee was supposed to be sent along with the rest of the packet.)

Thanks for any info,
Brent
B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-04-20 15:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsApproved in London - Our Experience
Addendum the Second: Visa/passport were delivered Monday, May 23 as expected. She boarded a plane yesterday morning and was home before I was done with work yesterday afternoon. (My dad met her at the airport.) On to wedding planning! :)
B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-05-26 15:44:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsApproved in London - Our Experience
Follow-up:

According to the tracking info from DX Secure, she will receive her passport / visa paperwork before 10 AM on Monday. Given that, she's booked her flight back to the US for Wednesday and should be home in time to celebrate my youngest's birthday that evening. Of course they advise you to not make any travel plans until your paperwork has been received from the courier, but prices certainly aren't going down and we decided it was worth the minimal risk to get locked in. At the very worst it will be a £90 fee to change the flight, but considering DX Secure has all day Monday and Tuesday to deliver it even if they miss their promised deadline, we're really not concerned.

After that, it's just five and a half weeks of massive house cleaning and other prep for the small civil ceremony at home on July 4 with immediate family and one of my best friends. And yes, we're well aware of the irony of my losing my independence to a Brit on the day our nation celebrates its independence from the British. :lol:
B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-05-20 13:02:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsApproved in London - Our Experience

Two additional copies? Does it mention that in the interview appointment letter, as it only says one original and one copy on the embassy website!


You're right -- I believe it was just one copy, plus the original. I was typing that at midnight having been fully awake since 4:46 AM and not sleeping well before then. (I had two copies in my mind because I was thinking of the original plus the photocopy of each document.) Can't edit the post to correct it now. Sorry about that! :blush:
B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-05-19 08:59:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsApproved in London - Our Experience
My fiancée had her interview at the US Embassy in London this morning and was approved. Because I've gotten so much useful information from this site to get us to the point of today's approval, I wanted to share what I could about her experience. Obviously your experience may differ based on innumerable factors, so I'll start with a bit of background for comparison.


Background:

My fiancée is English. We have known each other for more than three years, and we met at a time when neither of us was looking for anything close to a relationship. We spent about a year communicating fairly (and increasingly) frequently via Facebook and email as friends, then talking daily via Skype for several months (and ever since, whenever she's not here). Her first visit to the US was in December 2009 and since then she has spent about equal time in the US and the UK. (Being back in school with the Open University is what made this possible.) We became engaged in September 2010 and filed our I-129F paperwork shortly thereafter.

We are both of European ancestry with no criminal records, with adequate finances, of similar age, and so on -- in other words, nothing to raise a red flag. I have traveled to England and spent time with her family, and obviously she's been here and spent TONS of time with mine. We've both been married previously. She has no children; I have three who live with me full-time. We have tons of photos, have vacationed as a family, and generally have more legitimate documentation of our three-year relationship than I did of my previous eleven-year marriage.

In short, we're a "normal" couple with lots of documentation of a relatively long and well-developed relationship. To be honest, we couldn't have made it any easier for USCIS and the Embassy to give us their blessing, and that's why I offer the caveat that your experience may vary.


The Interview:

The interview was scheduled for 9:00 AM and she arrived at the US Embassy in London at about 8:35. It's undoubtedly said elsewhere, but I'll mention these things here for the sake of completeness:

  • The Embassy specifically told her that she shouldn't arrive more than 30 minutes before her interview. On arrival, they also told her to expect a 2-4 hour wait. (This was a surprise, and she wished at that point she hadn't told her mum, who accompanied her, that she'd probably be out in about an hour. Live and learn!)
  • When you arrive at the Embassy, you queue outside with hundreds of other people. It doesn't matter that you have an appointment, and it doesn't matter if it's sunny, raining or hailing. Dress appropriately in terms of both outerwear and footwear.
  • No electronic devices or bags are allowed in. That means no watches, cell phones, iPods, purses, rucksacks or satchels. There's a pharmacy (chemist) down the street where you can leave things for a fee if you don't have someone along with whom you can leave your stuff.

She stood in line for about 15 minutes and got inside the Embassy around 8:50, whereafter she took a number and waited. And waited. And waited some more.

About an hour later, at 9:50 AM, they called her number and she went to the appropriate cubicle. There are many, and you need to pay attention because if you're in the loo or daydreaming when they call your number, you're out of luck and you can go back to the end of the line. At this first cubicle they asked for originals and two additional copies of her birth certificate, decree absolute (divorce paperwork), affidavit of support, and passport photos. (This should come as no surprise to anyone, since it's all spelled out in the materials provided in the packet they provide.) They also asked her for my name, so be sure that you know the name of your fiancé(e) when you go for your interview, even though it isn't on the list of things they say they'll want from you. In return for all this, they provided her with a copy of her chest x-ray from her medical exam on CD, which apparently she will have to provide to the Customs agent when she arrives back in the US in a few days.

She then waited for another 15 minutes before her number was called once again, this time to head for the interview. Now, she had been preparing for this moment for months, diligently printing numerous photos marked with date/time/location; a year's log of Skype calls; numerous emails between her, myself, my kids, my parents, my sister, etc. to demonstrate the family bond; and so on. The gentleman at Desk #2, therefore, caught her by surprise when he struck up a very casual conversation with her. "How did you meet? Oh, that's really great." "When did you first go to visit? What? Your first visit to America was to Minnesota in the winter? Are you kidding?" "You seem like a really nice, genuine person." Eventually she asked if he wanted to see any of the photos or paperwork she'd painstakingly assembled. His reply? "Nope, don't need to see any of that. I'm just getting ready to approve your visa." He looked at NONE of her supplemental evidence but simply returned her original papers that she had turned over at Desk #1, took her fingerprints, had her swear an oath that she was telling the truth, and sent her on her way to the DX Secure (courier) counter, where she arranged to have her visa/passport returned to her.

Once upon a time in the not-too-distant past, the courier service would return your stuff in a day or two, which is what we had been expecting until last week when we looked into it again and discovered that the Embassy website had changed. Now it's several days. You can pay the base fee of £14.80 (incl. VAT) and they'll deliver the stuff sometime on a designated day, but at no set time and you must be there to provide proof of your identity. She opted to spend an additional £11.20 (for a total of £26) to ensure delivery before 10 AM so she didn't have to sit around all day. They provided a tracking number.

At 10:35 AM, precisely two hours after arriving at the Embassy, she was on her way to a black cab. Ten minutes later, at 4:46 AM local time, I got the good-news call I'd been restlessly awaiting.


So ... that's our experience. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited. Batteries not included. Don't take the brown acid. :)

Edited by B.Rossow, 19 May 2011 - 12:17 AM.

B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-05-19 00:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresK-1 Petitioner Not Employed but with Sufficient Assets

Is there such a thing like putting up a bong instead of dealing with a co sponsor???


I can't think of any visa situation where a bong would help your case. Jamaica, maybe? :D

(Sorry I have nothing of value to add, but I couldn't let this typo go without comment.) :devil:
B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-03-29 11:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion about field in I-134 signature area ("Oath of Affirmation")

I asked the same question, to someone who has recently gone through London, when we were preparing our I-134. They also left it blank, and got approved with no problem.


Exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks again! :)

Brent
B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-03-29 12:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion about field in I-134 signature area ("Oath of Affirmation")

It's a glitch on the Pdf. We left it blank


Thanks for the reply! Do you have a specific reason to believe it's a glitch, or are you just assuming? (Nothing personal -- just triple-checking everything we do in this process.) :)
B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-03-29 11:24:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion about field in I-134 signature area ("Oath of Affirmation")
The rest of the I-134 form is very straightforward, but I'm at a bit of a loss as to what, if anything, is supposed to go in the field indicated by the red arrow in the attached screenshot. If you let the cursor hover over it, the tool tip says "Enter Relationship" but the sample I-134 forms I've seen posted elsewhere don't have anything filled in here, and if I were filling it out by hand there's nothing on the printed form to indicate its purpose. Thoughts? Leave it blank? Fill in "fiancé"? I'm inclined to fill it in, but I don't want it screwed up because of a technicality. In some ways it almost seems like an error on the form.

Thanks,
Brent

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B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-03-29 09:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresLooking for confirmation on AOS interview process

AP is not just for emergencies - you are confusing it with EMERGENCY advanced parole that can be requested and granted with very short notice.
Also this should really be in the AOS forum - can someone move it?


First, thanks for the clarification. I'm apparently completely confused by the AP concept. Was going by what my wife had told me, but apparently she's confused as well. Eek! So now that her AP was approved, she could go back to England whenever she wants?

Second, I didn't notice that there was an AOS forum until just now. Sorry! I have (had) the "Family & Marriage Based US Visa Immigration Discussion" sub-forum bookmarked and mistakenly thought that was the root forum. :blush: Hoping this will get moved. Thanks. :)

Edited by B.Rossow, 02 November 2011 - 01:53 PM.

B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-11-02 13:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresLooking for confirmation on AOS interview process

No, I believe after the interview she needs to wait to get the GC in the mail. Did she apply for AP? If so, she might be able to get it before then and will be able to freely travel after the interview.


Yes, she's already been approved for AP. My understanding is that AP is only for emergency travel, not just visiting family. No?

Every link I've found via Google (search) says that travel on the I-551 stamp is just fine -- in fact, that the whole purpose of the stamp is to act as a temporary green card while waiting for the permanent card. Any actual evidence to suggest that all these other sites are wrong? I'm totally open-minded about this and just want to make sure I'm getting accurate, correct info, even if the majority doesn't seem to agree. :)
B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-11-02 13:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresLooking for confirmation on AOS interview process
I think I understand this but want to be sure. My wife has her AOS interview scheduled for 2 December. She has a ticket to fly back to England to visit family on 6 December. (It's the other end of her last round-trip ticket; we obviously had no idea what the timeline was going to be when we bought the ticket in the spring, so we just picked a date in December so she could visit family back in England and get back to the US in time for Christmas.) If I understand it correctly, assuming her interview goes well (and there's no reason it won't) they'll approve her AOS then and there and stamp her passport with the I-551 stamp, and she'll be free to travel on 6 December without worrying about getting back in. Right? She can use the stamp in place of an actual green card until the physical green card arrives? Just want to be absolutely sure. :)

Assuming that's correct, we then have to decide if it's worth the gamble buying her return ticket before the interview. I'm sure Christmas-time flights aren't getting any cheaper and the sooner we book the next flight the better, but then there's that one in a million chance that she won't get approved. (Honestly no concern there, but nothing is guaranteed....)

Thanks,
Brent

Edited by B.Rossow, 02 November 2011 - 12:58 PM.

B.RossowMaleUnited Kingdom2011-11-02 12:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresI-129F Question #10: My citizenship was acquired through...
All of your help is greatly appreciated everyone! And good luck to those others going through the process!
SavantGardeNot Telling02013-03-26 20:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresI-129F Question #10: My citizenship was acquired through...
Sorry if this is common sense to some of you but I don't want to take any chances with this paperwork.

I was born on a US naval base in the Philippines (Subic Bay), and have always been a US citizen as far as I know.
I know that when I was a baby I obtained a US passport from Manilla and I have a current US passport (last renewed in 2006) and a US Naval Hospital birth certificate.

What do I answer for the following 2 questions?

I-129F Question #10:
- My citizenship was acquired through (Birth in the U.S., Naturalization, Parents)
- Have you obtained a certificate of citizenship in your name? (Yes/No)
If "Yes," give certificate number, date, and place it was issued.
*Note that my U.S. Naval Hospital birth certificate doesn't have an actual certificate number on it but it does say at the bottom "The official birth certificate for SavantGarde is available in Olongapo City, Republic of the Philippines.
SavantGardeNot Telling02013-03-25 20:57:00