Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
United Kingdom	administrative processing vs additional processing..	May I ask if you guys who received your passport so quickly after the interview if you're UK citizens? Just wondering as I'm not and I heard that it could take slightly longer if you're a non-UK citizen. Yeah I am a UK citizen. I've also heard it can take a bit longer if your not originally from the UK...Hope you don't have to wait too much longer :-)	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-03-23 18:07:00
United Kingdom	administrative processing vs additional processing..	Congratulations schotland, when did you did you send your passport? Hi there! The embassy hold on to your passport after the interview, and it's returned via courier along with the famous 'big brown envelope'(!) that you present to immigration at your POE	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-03-23 15:25:00
United Kingdom	administrative processing vs additional processing..	I just received mine today, so exciting! I didn't pay extra for delivery by a certain time and it arrived at midday. I had to go out so a friend came and sat in my house to wait for it. Was pleased that he wasn't there all day..! I got a text message around 4pm yesterday	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-03-23 13:54:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	NVC Number & Medical	Then all you have to do is click on the DS-156 form from the link i sent you. Don't fill in any of the fields, go to the bottom of the page and press continue. That will produce a copy of the form, with Barcode, that you can print off and fill in by hand. Any good to you? Thanks, that's a great help to me too. I guess I'm a bit old fashioned and I like to fill out forms by hand lol :-)	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-02-02 13:06:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	NVC Number & Medical	One more question...The DS156 form is an electronic PDF which is fine. However I had read before that K applicants should not use the online version but will out in the normal way. Is there any truth to this? I cant find a normal PDF version anywhere... Thoughts welcome. Thanks. C Hi Chamie, I might be wrong, but as far as I'm aware the electronic version is the only option out there now. It's certainly the only option available on the London embassy website. I'm leaving that form til last in regards to packet 3, really worried that I'll make a mistake then won't be able to correct it..!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-02-01 19:05:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	NVC Number & Medical	Hi Chamie, check out Sundrop's thread 'NOA2 and beyond' on the UK forum, I found it to be incredibly helpful :-) The stages after you receive the NOA2 vary in every country, so no offense intended but the 2 posts above are incorrect... You're right, London won't schedule your interview until they receive the results of your medical. Call NVC (the no is on Sundrop's thread) give them your receipt no, (may start WAC) and they will give you your London case no and tell you if it has been sent to London. Mine was sent to London a week after my NOA2 date. From recent timelines it seems to be taking about 10-14 to get from NVC to London. You can book your medical once you have your London case no, and start getting packet 3 ready. After this all calls should be made to the DOS. Hope that helps a little.	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-01-31 15:39:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Form last minute panic	Hi guys, thought I was almost ready to send in the packet for our I-129f application and think I may have messed up... I printed my forms out and completed them in ink, are you supposed to type the entries onto the PDF, print it off and only sign your name in ink? Any input would be appreciated, thinking I may have to do them all over again... :-(	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2010-07-22 16:08:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Affadavit of Support	Hi Er Neal! I was just a bit worried about using my brother as co-sponsor in case it made them think that I'm trying to get into the country because I have family here..Maybe I'm just being paranoid! But now that I think of it, I'm sure they will know that my brother is a USC from their background checks, so maybe I shouldn't worry too much about it...	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2010-10-28 16:19:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Affadavit of Support	Thanks Otto, that was a great help :-) Re my fiance's property, I think his mum is on the deed so you're probably right, it would be quite a lot of hassle...Thought it was a bit of a long shot...! Forgive my stupidity but I just wondered how you calculated the 1080 hrs/yr which gave a slightly higher salary? I got a D for maths...! I have been thinking about a co-sponsor for a while, and the person who is the most financially comfortable is my brother (he became a US citizen last yr) Would this be viewed as suspicious do you think? There isn't really any family member on my fiance's side I can ask, they either have big families or retired etc...	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2010-10-28 12:45:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Affadavit of Support	Hi guys, it's been 61 days since we received the hardcopy of the NOA1 and nothing yet, trying to be patient... Have a few questions about the affadavit of support, if some of you could answer some/or all of them that would be great! Firstly my fiance(petitioner)is paid by the hr, he works roughly 35hrs a week at $11.50 an hr which is only just over the 125% poverty line...approx $19,500 before tax. Should I be seriously considering a co-sponsor? And what should I put down as salary? Can I simply multiply $11.50 x 35hrs x 52 weeks?? My other question is this: he has his own house, including his name on the title deeds and we are having a certified appraisal done. However it's his mum's name that is on the mortage...Can we still use the property as this would greatly improve the appearance of our financial situation... If anyone could shed some light on this I'd really appreciate it :-)	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2010-10-26 08:45:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	I-134 Paperwork and Proof of Income	I was also wondering how recent the paperwork has to be...I haven't received my NOA2 either yet, but want to be ready to go as soon as the Packet 3 arrives. It's really hard as there's no telling how long this process will take, just don't want the stress of a last-minute panic..!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2010-11-04 14:43:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Vaccinations in UK	Thanks everyone, you guys are great! I had the mmr when I was at school so that should be fine. Think I'll do as suggested and take the list into my doctors. I'm not good with needles either... I hope my fiance appreciates everything I'm putting myself through...!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2010-11-18 12:19:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Vaccinations in UK	Still no where near receiving our NOA2, but I'm trying to get everything required sorted out (in my head at least) so I can avoid a major panic... As far as I can see all that's needed coming from the UK is a jab called TDapp, never heard of it, and proof of having had chickenpox. That's no prob since I've always had the same doctor. Is that right? If so is it worth having the vaccination done by my doctor before the medical? I'm assuming the clinic will charge more...£200 is enough to pay thanks very much, plus travel etc etc... Any info greatly appreciated as always	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2010-11-17 13:40:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Package 3 London	You don't have to wait for the arrival of the physical packet 3 :-) You should however check that your case has been logged into the system at London, otherwise if you jump the gun and are too quick, your paperwork may get lost. Apparently best thing to do is phone the NVC after you've received your NOA2, get your LDN case no and ask when it was sent to London. Then allow roughly 2 weeks for them (sometimes it can take a lot longer) to log your case into the system then phone the DOS to be sure... Then you can go ahead and book your medical and send in packet 3. They also will only schedule your interview now after they've received the results of your medical...Just to make the wait that little bit longer.... Oh and we also have to pay the $350 over the phone before the interview hooray!!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2010-12-16 03:40:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Vaccines question	Thanks guys, I'll ask my doctor for the booster then. Thought I might have to, just really don't like needles! lol My fiance better appreciate what I'm going through to be with him...!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-01-15 05:09:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Vaccines question	I have a bit of a random question re vaccines for the London medical, maybe someone can help... :-) Haven't received our NOA2 yet..(sigh) but I received my vaccination record from my doctor, which states that I had the MMR and Tdap vaccines in '97 when I was at school. Does anyone know if it is enough simply that I've had them, or are they likely to say at the clinic that it was a long time ago and I'll need to have them done again...? It would be good to know before the medical as it is a heck of a lot cheaper if I can get my doctor to do it... And I would love to be able to leave the clinic in London with a complete DS-whatever it is(!) for AOS Thanks guys :-)	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-01-14 10:47:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	London Embassy appointment letter	Yeah I just called this morning - the lady took nearly 10 minutes to process everything! She had me repeat all my info again even though surely it's all on my case file? Oh well, they sent through the MRV receipt which is what you take with you along with the letter you mentioned. Wow, that is one heck of an expensive phone call...! That is quite a money-making operation they've got going there!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-01-24 12:17:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	London Embassy appointment letter	Hi its the fee you have to pay for the visa before the interview!you phone up the extortion hotline to pay it! It costs $350 an dits like £1.20 am minute to phone it! Oh, ok thanks! I knew that you had to pay before the interview, but didn't know that's what it is called...! £1.20 a min?!! Think maybe I'll call from my mum's landline lol...	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-01-23 19:09:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	London Embassy appointment letter	Hi Mal, sorry to butt in here, but what does MRV stand for?! Just curious cos have seen it mentioned a few times and don't know what it means lol	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-01-23 05:23:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	I-134 query	If the doctor has a record, then get him to add it and the date to the vacc list. My husband's NHS office just typed up the vaccs and date of chickenpox on letterhead and signed it. LOL about the receptionist. She's probably the one who will have to type the list. And when you get to AOS, you will start reading everybody telling you to go to a civil surgeon to re-do your vacc list on an I-693. Knightsbridge will give you a copy of the DS-3025 (their vacc worksheet) when you leave. If it has MMR, DTP, and "VH" written by varicella Results section says "Incomplete, may be eligible for blanket waiver" Doctor signed and dated it then you do NOT have to get an I-693 done in the US. I know lots and lots of UK people who had the same experience. Mail a photocopy of that DS-3025 from Knightsbridge with your AOS package. Now if you should file AOS after next years flu season starts (Oct 1) it is likely they will want to see evidence of a flu shot since your exam now is within flu season. That a new requirement for all ages since November and not just for over 50s anymore. Or ask your NHS for a flu shot when you're there if you don't mind the jab. Flu shots get to be a timing issue. The rule is-- *If it wasn't flu season (Oct 1-Mar 31) on the date of the visa exam then no flu shot required no matter when you AOS is mailed. *If it is flu season at your visa exam date (you), but your AOS is received out of flu season (Apr 1-Sept30) then they also excuse the flu shot because you applied for AOS at a time of the year it wouldn't be required. Confused yet??? Read it a couple of times and it will make sense. Then print it off for future reference at AOS time because you won't remember this advice and you will be bombarded with people saying to go pay for an I-693. I just have to say: Your knowledge is amazing! Us newbies on here are lucky to have someone like you on here, seriously! Sorry if that sounds cheesy... I hope when I'm a bit further along in this process I can start to answer some folks' questions instead of asking them all the time!!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-01-27 16:56:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	I-134 query	Correction: Knightsbridge doesn't list Tdap either. The list is made by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the US, so that's why it lists drugs that may not be readily available worldwide. You could wait until you're in the US to finish up, but I would try for the DTP. Actually any of these are acceptable for AOS according to USCIS information: Td or Tdap or DT or DTP or DTaP The capital letters indicate a stronger dose in the mix, while lower case indicates a lower dosage more suitable for adults. My husband took the baby shot and his AOS went through without seeing (paying!) a civil surgeon in the US to fill out an new immunization record (I-693). Be sure to tell them you had chickenpox or you will need a varicella shot, also not available in the UK. Knightsbridge will take your word for it since most kids in the UK get chickenpox at one time or another. That's great, I'm getting my mmr booster next Wed so maybe they can give me the DTP shot then as well...Then ask my doctor for an updated vacc record...Then run and hide from the receptionist!! The doctor has on my record that I had chickenpox, as well as the little white marks I have on my face... :-) Thanks again for the info	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-01-26 11:39:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	I-134 query	ABSOLUTELY!!! London won't look at the I-134 more than two seconds with that kind of salary. They don't have Tdap in the UK. It's a US shot concocted for teens and adults. Get the baby shot DTP in the UK and that will meet the requirements of AOS if that's what you're working toward. The Tdap is just a little weaker in the diptheria and pertussis part. That's what my husband got free from NHS. Or pay for it at Knightsbridge.(They appear to have a supply of Tdap since they list it) Remember you can get the visa without shots, but it does make AOS smoother having them out of the way and recorded on the visa medical immunization sheet. Hi Nich-Nick, thank you so much. It's really great to get a bit of reassurance from someone who's been through the process already :-) I won't bother my sister-in-law then, phew, one less thing to worry about...! That's incredibly helpful info re the Tdap/Dtp. I'll phone my doctor again about that. I think they're sick of me; haven't been to the doctor in months now I'm on the phone nearly every day...lol It'd would great to not have to pay £25 for it at the medical. Anyway, thanks again	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-01-25 09:59:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	I-134 query	So I received my email notification of my NOA2 (yay!) last Thurs, the 20th. Looking for a bit of reassurance to be honest about the financial affadavit... My fiance (USC) was promoted on the 3rd of Jan (good timing) and now has a fixed salary of $32,000 I know that this is well over the 125% poverty guideline for a household of 2, I think it's just under $20,000 but I can't help but worry. He doesn't have any savings and can't really use his house as it's his mum's name on the mortage, so it'll just be the $32,000 on the I-134 Will this be enough to satify the requirements...? I could possibly ask my sister-in-law to be a co-sponsor but I'd rather not... Apart from that all going well since the NOA2 : my police cert hasn't showed up yet, my mmr jab has been postponed cos I'm on antibiotics, and my local health authority can't do the tdapv so I'll have to pay for it at the medical!!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-01-24 12:51:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Another vaccine question	Don't suppose there are any doctors out there who can help me?! So my visa app is currently winging it's way from the NVC to London and I've been trying to sort out my vaccines for what seems like forever... Really don't want to have to pay/find a civil surgeon for the AOS. Getting my mmr booster done tomorrow, had to be postponed as I was on antibiotics...Now the doctor is saying there has to be a 4 week gap between the mmr and the DTP/Tdap injection... is that right? Is so that's a real pain in the a** as I was hoping to have my medical in 3 weeks time and leave with a completed DS-3025 Or maybe I'll have to try and get them to give me the Tdap in London and hope they don't notice the mmr was only 3 weeks before...!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-02-01 08:10:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Got Visa In Hand	Woo hoo!!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-02-03 16:22:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Packet3/Employment query	Don't be nervous. It's like chatting with somebody new you met in a pub. So, you're marrying an American. How did you meet her? Have you ever been there? Where will you be living? Oh my cousin is from Florida too. It's nice there. What does your fiance do for a living? Oh, nice job. I always wanted to be a pilot. It's really very conversational and you will walk out and say "That's it???" Thanks for the reassurance I've been to the embassy a couple of times for work visas, and I just find the place really intimidating! I guess it's not the interview that I'm worried about, more the fact that I feel like my future happiness lies in the hands of whoever I get on the day...! Maybe that sounds a bit melodramatic Really concerned with getting all the paperwork right. Also looking for another bit of advice if that's ok...My fiance made seriously low earnings last year, and I know they nearly always ask for the most recent tax return as main evidence of financial support. His returns were good for 2009 and 2008, and he recently got a promotion, which will be shown in his employer letter and pay stubs...Last year was a bit of a blib... Do you think this will pose a problem?	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-02-07 18:31:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Packet3/Employment query	I see you don't quite fit the mold of those one-size-fits-all visa forms. It's not really critical to getting the visa so just pick something and be consistent. If you consider your occupation to be a musician firstly, try to go with that and work the other source of income in as best you can. I don't think it's a pass/fail item that would ruin your interview. Besides which, at the interview you'll be face-to-face with a human and you can explain it just like you did here if he asks what kind of work you do. You did a G-325A biographic form for the petition so maybe just try to be consistent with how you did that form. That's just my opinion of how I would handle it. I don't think there is a right or wrong way. Good point regarding the G-325a, thanks for reminding me about that I definitely only put musician on that as I didn't have this extra part-time job at the time. I think I'll stick with 'self-employed' first and occupation as musician, and like you said, add the other income to the forms where I can :-) If it's brought up at the embassy it should hopefully be easy to explain. That is if I can string a sentence together, likely to be a tad nervous..!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-02-05 13:05:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Packet3/Employment query	Hi everyone, getting together all the documents needed by the embassy (packet 3 fiancee visa), and I'm a bit unsure what to put down regarding the employment history questions. DS-230 Part 1, DS-156 and DS-157 all have a question about employment, but they are all worded slightly differently. To avoid any confusion I want to make sure there is continuity with all the forms. So basically, in my primary work I'm self-employed (classical musician) but like a lot of people in UK and worldwide I guess, the recession has hit hard and I've also been working part-time in a supermarket... should I put the supermarket down as my most recent employer? Or leave it out and just stick with musician in all the forms..? Specifically DS-230 Part 1 No32. "List all employment for the last ten years" Whereas DS-156 No21 & 22. " Name and address of present employer" and "present occupation" And DS-157 No.12 "Not including current employer, list your last two employers" Any help is greatly appreciated, as always	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-02-04 13:46:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	DS-230 Question	thank you for the replies I won't put down addresses in that case. Saves me trying to find the post codes for approx 7 student residencies..!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-02-11 18:08:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	DS-230 Question	This is probably going to sound like a stupid question..! Just want to make sure before I send off packet 3. In the DS-230 Part 1, it asks you to list all the places you've lived since the age of 16. The columns underneath say 'City' 'Province' and 'Country', so so do I just put down: London, England, Great Britain or do I need to write down street addresses? When I was a student I live in a LOT of different houses... Thanks guys	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-02-11 10:47:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	UK London Embassy Hours	If it helps at all, I had an interview at the London embassy about a yr and a half ago for a temporary work visa. My appointment was for 8, and I got there at 7. I was really glad that I did, because at about 7:30 the line was REALLY long...!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-02-12 15:46:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Proof of payment before Interview	As long as u have the interview appointment letter, they have to allow u to get in no matter u paid for the visa or not. If u already paid then it would be a problem, if not then you can bring and pay them up directly at consulate... Hey Jason, I don't mean to be rude and contradict you, but that's not the case at the London embassy. I think each embassy have different procedures. For immigrant visas at the London embassy they won't schedule your interview now unless you've pre-paid for the visa over the phone.	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-02-02 11:55:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Proof of payment before Interview	As far as I know, once you have paid your $350 over the phone, they'll send you an email receipt which you print out and take with you to the interview...	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-02-02 11:35:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Medical Question...	It's hard to know how much they really care about all those questions on the medical questionnaire... From someone who recently had the London medical, I would tick the 'no' box...But that's just me, I'm not encouraging you to lie!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-02-25 18:19:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Pre-pay for the interview...	Hey Can anyone point me in the right direction to pay for my K-1 Visa interview in London? Thanks, J Here's the link for the London embassy http://london.usemba...nformation.html You just phone the no and tell them that you want to pay your K1 Visa fee. You'll need your London case no, passport no and beneficiary DOB, address etc They'll then email you the MRV receipt that you need to print off and take to your appointment. I just paid mine last night	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-03-02 13:05:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	London Embassy Passport Return	Cool...sounds good. I have a tracking number that isn't recognised yet. I will try it again tomorrow and see what it says. But you can call the DOS, too? Thats perfect! Thanks. Cheers guys... Yep, apparently the DOS can pretty much tell you when your visa was stuck in your passport and when it left the embassy :-) I'll be on the phone to them tomorrow as well, really hoping they've set my interview date...	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-03-06 17:09:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	London Embassy Passport Return	It seems to be taking around 7-8 days at the mo judging on other peoples' reviews/comments... You can phone up the DOS and they can tell you when the visa was issued and if the courier has picked up your passport yet. Did you get a tracking no after you paid the courier? Then you can keep an eye on where it is..!	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-03-06 11:40:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Passport photos for CR-1 interview in London, UK	Hey there, yes you absolutely DO need another 2 US sized passport photos for you and your children to take to the embassy. I know, it seems ridiculous. I mean, how many passport photos do they need?! But we do what has to be done. You can get them done at Goulds Pharmacy on the day, which is where you'll have to leave your phone etc if you have one with you, or in your local Snappy Snaps. Like YuandDan said, there are some websites where you can upload a photo and crop it to the required size, but that depends on you have a decent printer and photo paper, which in my case would cost just as much as going into a shop and having them done..! Hope all goes well for your interview	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-03-05 17:28:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Interview in London	Hi everyone I asked a question a while ago, but now I cannot find the answers given, Sorry. I have just had my medical, and was wanting to make sure I had everything for the interview. I have sent off all the forms to the embassy, including a new letter of intent and the checklist. I also printed off confirmation of our wedding date in May. My USC fiancee has sent me the tax details, the support paperwork, letter from her work and other relevant info. I was wondering if there is anything else I need to take with me besides: 3 U.S style passport photos, my passport, my divorce paperwork, my birth certificate. I am taking some recent photos of us together and some printed emails and Facebook posts too. Many Thanks Dave Your police certificate, plus the interview letter (when you get it) and the receipt for having paid the visa fee. Also take copies of any documents you want back ,such as birth cert :-)	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-03-12 06:18:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	PACKET 4 WAITING TIME WORRIED :(	Don't worry, you'll be fine, you WILL have your August wedding!! Phone the exortion line again tomorrow, and say you would like to pay the fee for your K1 visa. They'll ask you for your London case no, passport no and contact details. Then you give them your payment details, it's done and you'll receive the email receipt that you'll print and take to your interview. And if you get the same (insert expletive) person that you were unfortunate to speak to earlier, ask to speak to someone else It took London two weeks to log my packet 3, but then the interview was scheduled very quickly after that. 26 days from sending packet 3 to interview. For more accurate info on your case I would suggest calling the DOS. Just keep checking in with them every few days, firstly to find out when packet 3 has been logged, then when your interview is scheduled. Don't hang around waiting for paperwork from London.	scotchland5206	Female	United Kingdom	2011-03-29 16:20:00