biggish data

now, i have found this info, on the dept of state website, for the USA

a list of things to bring to interview includes this item -

Police certificates from your present country of residence and all countries where you have lived for 6 months or more since age 16

aaaaaaaaaaaaagh!! why is all the info conflicting - aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahghhh

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2010-12-02 13:21:00

i have found this information from the US embassy in london

Where can I find information about obtaining police certificates?
The information is on the Department of State's website. Find the country and look under ”Police Record”. If it is your place of birth, or current residence you will require a police certificate if you have resided there for at least six months since your sixteenth birthday. The period of residence is twelve months, for any other country.

now, that seems to say to me, that a police check is only required for a foreign country if i lived there for more than 12 months

does anyone agree with this?

or, does anyone have a scanned copy of their letter from packet 3, from california, preferably in the last few months??

thanks

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2010-12-02 13:15:00

The information I got in August 2009 from my embassy stated on the papers that it was -- A police certificate from any other countrys you have lived in at least 6 months or more, since age 16.

That was from the US embassy in Canada

hi, yeah, i've seen that info on a couple of canadian processed applications, so trying to find out if it is the same for the USA

thanks

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2010-12-02 12:34:00

hi!

can anyone help - i have applied for a k1 visa, and am waiting for my noa2

i am trying to get all forms in order for the next stage

i have looked everywhere for the answer to this question -

do i need a police background check for everywhere i have lived for

a) at least 12 months since the age of 18

OR

B) at least 6 months, since age 16

i have seem conflicting info on websites, and was sure it was a) in relation to living in different countries but now i see stuff on this forum (from 2008) that is saying b)

omg! omg! omg!

i am sure i saw on the usa embassy site that it is from ages 18 up and for more than 12 months...

cause i have ALL my background checks, and now i am thinking i might need one more - for france, where i worked for 9 months when i was 25

f********!!!!

can anyone help me out?? either with info that was in their packet 3, for CALIFORNIA

or with a link to a givernment site that is up to date

this is freaking me out!

mind you, everytime i come on this forum i find something to worry me

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2010-12-02 12:09:00

Petitioner only recently returned to USA

Moving to consulate embassy forum, I-134 comes up at interview, not when filing the petition.

Yes - we have received the notice of approval, so are now waiting for our packet 3, to arrange the medical and interview

1. Should file the past years IRS returns, US Citizens may be exempt from paying tax on foreign income, HOWEVER are NOT exempt from filing a return every year.

Really?? i believe you but damn...this may cause bother as he hasn't - i'll find out if he can file them now - any suggestions?

I would have a joint sponsor lined up just in case, you can hand over your fiancee's I-134, and if the VO asks for a joint sponsor you can pull out the joint's I-134 and hand it over to if needed.

This is a good suggestion, kind of what I had been thinking - i'll get moving on this - do you know if we would need all the financial papers to go with the co sponsor's I 134? or would the form suffice? or would i need bank statements / paychecks etc ( the person who might co sponsor is also self employed)

thanks for help

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2010-12-31 09:07:00

Petitioner only recently returned to USA

Sigh of relief....

Good to know London is a fairly friendly place - and that they allow the recipient to 'self sponsor'

Have you seen this in writing anywhere? i will check the embassy website again to see if they have more info

I have the police records and my long version birth certificate - ready for a few months now! had to get 5 different police checks from around the world!!

I also plan to bring the 2 visas I have had for the USA before - J1 work and study exchange for a year visas - to prove that in those two years - 1997 / 2003, I did not use social security, and left when my visa expired and i have my criminal background check from the two US states i lived and worked in to prove i was never in trouble with the law!

i really see no reason why they wouldn't accept what we have, and why they would object to my offer of putting up a bond, but sometimes the amount of info / lack of info / conflicting info gets me worried!

thanks for your response - much appreciated...

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2010-12-31 09:03:00

Petitioner only recently returned to USA

Hi,

is anyone in a similar situation or has experience about this?

My fiance and I (I'm British, btw) met whilst living and working in Moscow, we then moved to Spain together to work, in total having spent the last FIVE YEARS out of the USA.

He returned to the USA in July, filed our application, became employed within 9 days of return to the US.

We have just had our NOA2 with approval of our apllication.

We are gathering info that we need for the next stage - my query is that he ...

1. has no tax returns for the last 5 years as he was out of the USA

2. he has only had his bank account open for 6 months.

3. he has only worked for 6 months, so only has payslips for six months.

We have completed the I 134, and are having a letter prepared by his boss with his wages info ( his income is double the 125% poverty level needed) and a letter from the bank as well.

My concern is that because we only have 6 months of info, this may not be enough to prove he can support me.

We would prefer to not have a co sponsor, but are looking into this at the moment.

I have plenty savings of my own, which are easily accessible as cash - doe anyone know of a form / letter that i could complete to prove this? I have bank statements for a few years, a letter from my accountant, and a letter from my bank manager.

However, I know that it is the USA citizens responsibilty, not mine! so What can I do?

I have read on the US Embassy London website that the US citizen can 'offer a bond to guarantee the fiance would not use social security' ( i paraphrase)

BUT - can I offer a bond? surely my money is just as good as his? surely ME taking responsibilty for myself is acceptable? My family and I are wealthier than he is - surely this is a good thing? that i am able to look after myself and not using this visa for monetary gain?

I am more than willing to put my 'money where my mouth is'

Does anyone know if I can? i have read so much online at varous government websites but there still seems to be no definitive answer.

I dreas going into the interview and being denied. as we all do, obviously!

All and any info / links / ideas would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance!!

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2010-12-31 07:39:00

confirmation of packet 3 LDN contents

Yes, what you said is correct. Forms are correct. You can mail the DS-xxx forms first then gather your list of documents to bring and inform them in a second mailing of the DS-2001 that you are ready to interview and the date of your medical. Or to speed things along, if you have all your interview ducks in a row, send all 5 forms in one mailing.

Yes, you need to go to London twice. Just last year you could do it all in one trip and they would hold off the visa printing until the medical results arrived a few days after your interview. They started to get much stricter about having your medical results there when you go to interview. I guess they find it more efficent to work that way. The reason we "think" they won't schedule the interview until they know you have a medical exam date to report is someone on the UK forum waited and waited for a very long time for an interview appointment. Finally they found out that London was waiting because they hadn't scheduled the medical and as soon as they took care of that they got an interview. The couple was waiting for an interview so they could schedule the medical the day before and make one trip. That was all during the transition to the more strict schedule they want now over what had been okay before.

Just do yourself a favor and READ very carefully the London website's list of what to bring to the interview. Many people don't read the bit about your parents' names have to be on your birth certificate and get delayed when they show up with the BC they used for school. Everything you need to know is listed and explained if you read it and follow all the links on the pages and in the left hand column.

thanks, this has been a very helpful answer!

i'll get the medical appt asap and get all my forms completed and sent off

i think i have read all the info (in the entire world!) about what to bring to the interview so should be fine with that! altho, i find the more i read the more the info is conflicting, so i shall have everything with me...a kitchen sink, yes here it is

Edited by nattrav, 13 January 2011 - 08:09 AM.

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-01-13 08:06:00

confirmation of packet 3 LDN contents

Hi - i am waiting for my packet 3 from london

i would like to get ahead and apply for my interview rather than waiting for it to arrive before i do

any one with experience of receiving packet 3 (from LONDON) please help!

are these the 5 forms to complete?

DS-230 Part 1
DS 2001
Form DS-156
Form DS-157
Form DS-156-k

plus the cover letter

anything else to complete?

i have all the financial stuff from my fiance plus my police checks

i know i also need to schedule my medical appointment - in LDN, at Knightsbridge medical centre, so (stupid question alert - sorry!!!) that means i have to get it done like, NOW so they can send in the results, as the embassy won't schedule the interview til they have my results?

so this means (another stupid question!!) that i have to travel to london for the medical, then back to london again for the interview??

this seems wrong - i mean, we've all jumped through a number of hoops already but do they really expect everyone in the UK to travel to london twice??

i know it says on the embassy website to send in the forms with the medical appointment date on the cover letter, then to schedule the appointment - this confused me as surely its the other way round

am i being dumb though? is there a way to not have to do two trips to london (from scotland its a 6hr trip and fairly expensive - although not much compared to the other costs involved!)

anyone who has done this please, help me out!!

thanks a million

nat

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-01-12 18:35:00

stupidest question ever

For London, they have been collecting the DS-157 from women and men of all ages since sometime in 2009. You lost the plot...remember to follow the London website.

From this page: Instructions for Immigrant Visa (K) Applicants Applying for a Visa in London http://london.usembassy.gov/iv_15.html

Step One
Complete the Form DS-230-Part 1, Form DS-156 and DS-157 for each family member applying for a visa. In addition, the principal applicant is also required to complete form DS-156K. Note: Forms DS-156 and DS-157 must be completed in duplicate. If a question does not apply to you, please mark it with a N/A. The completed form(s) should be mailed to the Immigrant Visa Unit. See "Contact and Mailing Address" on the right-hand side of the page. Note: The failure to return the forms promptly will delay the processing of your application.

Their website (in 2008) used to explain the men, ages, some women from some countries, but now everybody does a DS-157. Next time you have a question, try the UK forum. You will get more experienced answers and less distracted by what people are doing for other consulates. They all have their quirky way of handling the visa part, but you need to do what London explains on their website.

UK Forum

What is the pH of your soil? And the current temperature? Do you recycle? Hahahaha. Your post made me laugh too.

phew - thanks for getting back to me

i had started filling it in just in case...

i dont know what i was thinking - too much time staring at the comp screen drove me crazy....

yes - note to self - follow the embassy directions

:reading:

this emoticon doesnt match the message, but i've never seen it B4!

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-01-14 19:07:00

stupidest question ever

Thank you for making me smile this morning.

That's not a stupid question at all, and it's a galaxie away from being moronic.

You are correct in your assumption that the DS-157 is only for males, commonly known as men, including girly man and those without balls. Thus, you do not have to submit one, even if you're a manly girl.

Edited to correct a really dumpb mistake

And thank you for making me smile this evening!

have been filling in all the forms for packet 3 - how is it so tiring? it's just typing in info but am exhausted!

thanks for getting back to me to let me know i don't have to fill in yet another list of where i've lived, what jobs i've had, the square footage of my present apartment, the pH of the soil in my backyard etc etc...

just paid yet more money to the man for the privilege of maybe getting a date at some point in the future for an interview.

tfi friday.... :dance:

nat

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-01-14 14:06:00

stupidest question ever

i am a girl.

so i don't fill in the DS 157, which is only for men, aged 16 - 45.

right??

apologies for my moronity.

why am i even asking?? oh right, cos you never know when an update has occured, or a rule been changed without, shock horror, any notice!

ps just noticed my typo on spelling of 'dumn'
am mortified.
not actually that dumb! :blush:

Edited by nattrav, 14 January 2011 - 01:04 PM.

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-01-14 13:03:00

Packet 3 completion

Packet 3 is just a link to the London Embassy website with instructions of the forms to fill out. http://london.usembassy.gov/iv_15.html So if you haven't done these, get them done, But don't send them in untill you know packet 3 letter has been sent to you.
You can book your medical as soon as you have your LDN#, and yes, the results will be sent to the Embassy.

cool, thanks

i've got these forms downloaded and completed but wasn't sure if they sent ones in packet 3, that had specific ref numbers for example - good to know i can use the downloads

this is from the letter my fiance received on 7th january, dated 3rd january

"your fiance will soon receive a packet with instructions from the consular
section on how to apply for the K1 visa at that post and what documents will be
required."

so i know it'll be here "soon" (love the loose terms they use

)

but i don't know how to find out if the embassy has received our applicationpackage from the visa centre or how to find out if packet 3 has been sent!

i was dead against doing anything before i got it all officially, in case i caused a problem or delay but knowing i could because all the froms are online is so tempting...

i tried the £1:20 a minute 'helpline' but not so helpful...

any ideas??

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-01-12 18:44:00

Packet 3 completion

Cool well they only received the stuff yesterday so its prob going to be a week or so till they do it! but hopefully not too long till i get a interview date

hi, i'm waiting for my packet 3 - so u did the medical without it, eh? and just used the LDN..... reference number on the medical form? and they keep it and send it to the embassy?
also, when the packet arrived - its from the embassy? not the visa centre?

thanks in advance

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-01-12 18:06:00

Oh I'm the American petitioner, he's the UK beneficiary! He's probably going to have a get together with some friends next week or so. I've called the DOS every day since Monday (the date of his interview) and it's still "processing". We're still well within the range they gave us, and we still have until the 24th so I'm not getting TOO concerned now. If it's not there by next week I'll start to panic.

ah, ok, cool

for some reason i just think all the boys are from the US! maybe i'm sexist...who knows

my boy is the yankee spankee so anything else confuses me!

i can imagine how you're feeling re waiting for it - i think that might be the hardest part. no, probably the interview. no, the 5 months waiting fot the noa2. hmmm, i guess it's all been awful!

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-11 16:00:00

I just read a post of someone who got their visa today. It arrived 8 days after the interview including the weekend.

cool - thanks for info - off to check reviews!

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-11 12:18:00

They told us at the interview it would take 3-5 business days. Today marks the 4th and nothing yet...we have booked our flight so it's a bit worrying, but we still have 2 weeks.

It only took a recent interviewee 3 days.

thanks - i saw you've got your entry date on you timeline - jeaaaa-lous!

hope you get it soon...apparently you can call the DOS and they can tell you the status of it

enjoy ur last couple of weeks in the UK - need to have a hen night / stag do before you leave

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-11 12:07:00

You should never book the flight until your passport with the visa inside and sealed envelope are in your hands. God forbid you got put into AP, or had a typographical error on your visa. It's rare, but it does happen.

yeah, ur totally right - i am planning to wait until i have it, cos something could happen and i'd hate to be worrying about why isn't here etc...but it's soooo close now, i want to book my flight right now! but i won't :unsure:

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-11 12:04:00

Got my visa in hand in 10 working days.

cool - thanks for info :star:

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-10 17:01:00

hi

i have read that it takes 5-7 days, or 7-10 days, (working days) from the interview approval to the visa in hand - in LONDON

but can anyone who has EXPERIENCE of having their interview in london, let me know how long it took them to get the visa back

i know that the time fluctuates depending on how busy the embassy is etc, but a rough idea would be awesome, as i REEEEEALLLY want to book my flight as soon as my interview is over, for as soon as possible, so i can get to the US quickly, but planning to give it about 2 and a half weeks difference, JUST in case!!

thanks

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-10 16:32:00

Again, please keep in mind a lot of UK applicants did not receive a P3 in the mail. I wouldn't wait to get a physical copy if I were you otherwise you'll be waiting forever. If we had waited for it we would still be waiting instead of at our interview stage. Just confirm your case has been logged then send out your forms.

thanks

it actually just arrived!

will make medical appt tomorrow and get all forms completed and sent tomorrow as well

great to get feedback from someone dealing with the LDN embassy, as they all seem to vary from each other...

another step forward...sigh of relief

again, thanks

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-01-13 17:49:00

contacted US DOS who told me that LDN embassy received my app, and sent my packet out on January 7th!

YAY!!

bound to arrive tomorow or monday at latest!

thanks to all who offered help - much appreciated!!

VJ rocks

:dance:

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-01-13 14:06:00

It's best to do things in order. There's more chance for your paperwork to get misplaced if your visa application or medical results arrive before London is even aware of you or your approved petition. If DOS confirms your information is logged in at the embassy, then your letter is probably alrady being printed for mailing. At that point it's pretty safe to mail your things. But that's not going to move your interview up by a significant amount. They even say this on their website:

Note: Only applicants who been notified by the Immigrant Visa Unit that a petition has been received in their name should complete the visa application forms. Forms received without the applicant's case number will be discarded.

It's their attempt to keep things in order so they can do their part more efficiently,

I know!! this is why i don't know what to do :unsure:

i don't want to wait if i don't need to but don't want to jeapordise our application...

i'll prep everything and then think about what to doooooooooo....

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-01-13 12:11:00

I wouldn't wait for P3 if I were you, we never got one and a few other couples on here had the same story. All we got was a single letter telling us to book a medical appointment (1 month after he had his medical haha). No links or instructions. All you should do is confirm that you case has been logged by calling the State Department and go ahead and send your forms. It will save you loads of time.

no packet 3! ak! think i'll get everything ready and then decide what to do...

thanks for your info and good luck re interview - jealous!!

We have an interview date and I'm just going through some requirements. It mentions the DS-230 (part 2) and that it's needed on the day of the interview, is this true or is this just for people bringing family members with them?

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-01-13 12:08:00

You can make a medical appt after you know your LND number. Keep in mind you must have your police certificate to show when you go to the medical appointment so hope you have it already. You need to go to your doctor and get a record of your immunizations and get some shots there (before the medical) if you want to save money and time on your greencard.

The Packet 3 is nothing but a letter giving the the website. You don't have to have the physical letter for anything. See the link in my post above. The forms are there in the right column. You should wait until London logs in your file before sending foms. Just because your petition arrived doesn't mean they've opened it and logged in your info. You should be gathering all the documents they want you to bring to the interview and you can get your forms filled out while you wait to hear from them. One of the forms generates a barcode when you print it. Print extra copies because not all can be saved to your computer.

great - thanks for the info -

i have all my police checks - i needed 5 different country ones! and my long bc and my dr letter re my immunizations and just about anything else they could possibly want...

i will contact DOS to see if London has my info before doing anything - that was my main thinking behind NOT sending in my forms until they send the packet - i dont want to cause a delay or have to redo anything

hmm, maybe i will wait for the packet to arrive - at such a late stage i'd hate to balls anything up

anyhoo, thanks again

nat

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-01-13 08:17:00

I received my packet 3 and it gave me a link so I went
To this and filled out the ds 156 the ds 156k ds157 the ds 230
And sent this in as requested! My question is I have just noticed
A mention of a ds160 to replace a few of the forms and I'm
Wondering if this will delay me since I filled the other forms
As requested in the letter

Any info would be appreciated
Thanks

Hi, glad your packet 3 arrived!

i am waiting for mine, and have a quick query for you?

i'd like to make my medical appt and send in my forms asap, to get the interview a little quicker - i have a reference number from the visa centre letter - the one that starts LDN..... so think this would be ok -

my question is did you download all the forms - the ones you named above plus the "letter or readiness" or did they send you physical paper copies, with ie barcodes or reference numbers on them?

if they were all downloaded then i could go ahead and complete them otherwise i guess it's more of this joyous waiting game

thanks,

nat

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-01-12 18:15:00

interview date letter

Call the 1.20/minute line and tell them your story. Make them give you an email code for writing an email requesting an appointment "letter" by email back from them.

excellent - thanks for help - ur a :star:

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-16 17:32:00

interview date letter

Hello

we have our k1 interview date - 25th feb

but not received the letter with the appointment info on it - i called the Dept of State couple of weeks ago and they told me

i called them again today and they said it had been posted 12 days ago

there's still time for it to arrive, but am working on a back up plan in case it doesn't come soon!

any idea how long it usually takes?

and any ideas what to do if it doesn't?

i know i need it to get into the embassy for the interview, so trying to work out what to do

i'm sure i read, ages ago while waiting for noa2, that i could contact the embassy and they could give me a download with the info or something like that??

any ideas / suggestions welcome!!

thanks

nat

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-15 17:59:00

Believe me, dealing with wasting time and paper is far better than dealing with a delay in your visa simply because you didn't have 1 piece of paper they needed, right? It's peace of mind. They've already put you through so much, don't let them screw you even further with a processing error or a lost form. You want to be able to hold up a copy and say "See, you're wrong! Give me my visa, bitches!"

Just sayin'.

LOL!

but not sure how well they'd take that kind of language :lol:

yeah, i am taking all my shite with me - like you said, imagine being delayed for a lousy bit o' paper

aaaaghghgh - i am getting nervous now! only 15 days to go....da da duuuunnn....

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-10 15:49:00

Yes you can bring your binder. It will go through the x-ray machine, just like your carry-ons do at the airport.
[/quote]

cool - such a daft question, but i was imagining getting there and they said erm, no, take all you rpaperwork out before we let you in....stress ahoy

i KNOW you are right re the papers to bring - only a few, but i can't bring myself not to bring it all! cause you hear about them losing photos or documents and so i'm just gonna hoik all the ####### ( i wont need!) down to london with me

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-10 04:47:00

I'm wondering whether a copy of my fiance's (petitioner) birth certificate would be sufficient if they asked for it?
Don't feel great about him sending it in the mail..! Also what if he needs it between now and the interview...?

indeed - they couldn't possibly expect to see the original - so a copy would have to do - altho they want to see the originals of the docs sent in with the 129, so maybe??

it would be crazy to expect that tho, right?

ugh, i think i'll message some of the people who reviewed and ask if they had the birth certificate, and whether it was an original or not

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-09 12:25:00

yeah, i saw that mix up on his review! scary, right??

i agree about taking everything cause u just never know

thanks

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-09 09:04:00

yeah, better safe than sorry as they say!

i already have a massive binder of stuff to take so one more paper won't hurt!

i don't have a copy of our i 129 form - do you guys?

and also - have you got your 2011 w2 tax form yet? my man is still waiting for his...

ooh, and also - heard anything about being able / NOT being able to take a ring binder into the embassy?? because of the metal??

might post that question seperately....it's this crazy tiny detail stuff that makes me feel mental :hehe:

but only a few(ish) more days until interview and then this is all over

until AOS time :wacko:

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-08 18:31:00

US Citizenship General Discussion

hi

can anyone who interviewed in london for a k1 visa give me feedback -

i have my interview in a couple weeks and while reading recent reviews of the interview process i read that he (paul) was asked for his fiance's bc!

had anyone else been asked for this? or seen this in a list of docs to take?

i have never heard of this b4 so thought i'd check, but i am gonna contact my fiance's mom and ask her for a copy anyway, it just seems a little strange

thanks in advance!

nat

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-08 17:14:00

US Citizenship General Discussion

Not deleting, I will move to to consulate/embassy forum.

Birth cert is one of the items specified on the DS-2001 used by London.

http://london.usemba..._documents.html

yeah, i have mine for my interview, but the query was because paul went for his interview and was asked for his US partner's birth certificate - erk

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-10 13:34:00

US Citizenship General Discussion

oooops

sooo in the wrong forum - cant delete this so ignore, and i'm moving it to the correct place!

nattrav

Female

Scotland

2011-02-08 17:13:00