ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
United KingdomUK regional forum

Getting back to topic, I love the UK forum and have no difficulty whatsoever with others participating in our discussions. I like to believe we are an equal opportunity forum. My only concern is to TimsDaisy's point about posting non-relevant info regarding consulate-specific questions.

Otherwise, I like to hear others weigh in on such scintillating topics, including, but not limited to, brain washing. :jest:



This post pretty much sums up my feelings on the subject.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-05-23 12:00:00
United KingdomUK regional forum

My neighbour just put one in his back garden! It's not a kids pool but it's not full sized either. We could charge admission and make a killing! ;) Any preference on flavour? hehe Screw Springer we'll start the WJWC (not to be confused with WWJD) Women's Jello Wrestling Championships!


Sounds like a plan! In regards to flavour, I've always been partial to cherry. Of course, if we use that we would run the risk of me stopping in mid-match to start eating it. Especially if we throw some bananas in beforehand.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-05-21 18:34:00
United KingdomUK regional forum
Of course. Who has an empty kid's pool we can use?
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-05-21 18:13:00
United KingdomUK regional forum

Posted Image



*throws a chair*

Sorry. I got a little carried away when I saw the smiley. :blush:
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-05-21 18:10:00
United KingdomLondon Interviews 2006 (NEW)
Here's ours'

Name...........Visa..P3Sent..MedDate.....P4Rec'd...IntDate/Time.......Status
Mark&Steph....K1....4/20......4/23..........4/30..........5/24 10 A.M....PENDING
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-05-05 21:00:00
United KingdomSpringtime Crankies?
Thank you! I'm so excited and nervous these days that I can barely contain myself, so any good vibes sent this way is appreciated.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-05-22 16:24:00
United KingdomSpringtime Crankies?
Lucky woman! But I'm happy for ya. :D

Mark has his interview on Thursday so we're nearing the end now. I can't wait!
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-05-22 16:18:00
United KingdomSpringtime Crankies?
I can't get laid for another three weeks. In the meantime, I'll make do with nachos.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-05-22 16:14:00
United KingdomGood luck to Mark&Steph tomorrow!
Mark is back home now. I think this one picture can best describe our interview experience.....

Posted Image


:D
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-05-24 11:45:00
United KingdomGood luck to Mark&Steph tomorrow!
Hey, thanks everybody! :D

I promise you guys will get the good word as soon as I know.

There's absolutely no reason why everything shouldn't go smoothly tomorrow but I'm still pretty nervous. *crosses fingers, legs, eyes*
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-05-23 08:50:00
United KingdomIn Less than 24 hours...
I'm so happy for you guys! I'll be eating some Hobnobs in your honor tomorrow. :dance:
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-05-26 15:46:00
United KingdomWe had the ceremony!
This one is my absolute favorite. :lol:

Great post and congrats! You two look so great together. Thank you so much for sharing your day and pictures with us.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-06-02 18:04:00
United KingdomGood luck tomorrow to kins and Linababe!
Here's to smooth sailing tomorrow for you two. *raises glass of iced tea*
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-06-06 19:35:00
United KingdomWhy did you choose the US?
Since Mark can't remember his user name on here I'll answer for him. We decided it made the most sense for us to live here. I have a really secure job with a house that comes rent free. We'll be a bit more comfortable finance wise. I would have been more than happy though to move to the UK if he hadn't been completely comfortable relocating. Neither one of us really cares where we live. Home is wherever we'll be together.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-06-02 20:13:00
United KingdomWhere to get your US Passport Photos

Just a quick message to all of you who need to get Passport photos done...

Try not to go to Snappy Snaps...they charge £10.99 for two photos and the quality is not good at all. The person at the embassy was not impressed by the quality and said not to go there to get them done.

Cheers!

Andy

I guess don't go to the one in Birmingham. They charged £14.99 for two... :angry:
The quality was fine though
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-06-21 13:26:00
United KingdomA little question about the police data & an update

I do have a question though... before I sent the police record letter I forgot to make a copy of it - I have a clean record so thats fine but wanted to keep copies of everything... Will I need the police record letter again anytime soon?? Should I send the embassy an email to say sorry I forgot to make a copy could you please send me one with the passport and visa? Or am I just stressing?

Thanks in advance.....Lina(UKC)

When I applied for a B1/B2 visa, I forgot to take copies of the police certificate. They copied it and sent it back a few weeks later.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-06-24 09:39:00
United KingdomRequesting interview date

How do I request an extension?

I wasn't sure, but remembered a thread on it a while back that'll help...
http://www.visajourn...=extension noa2
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-06-28 11:05:00
United KingdomRequesting interview date

Hope you can help me on this one
I received my packet 3 last week and am ready to send it in. Police certificate is on the way and my SO will be visiting me soon in the UK, he is bringing with him the I-134 plus any other relevant documents.
Now the problem is that a few weeks after he filed for the I-129f petition I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The prognosis is good and though delayed a bit I’m still looking at moving over to the States in feb/march next year. My treatment will be finished by November so ideally I’m looking at having my interview in December.

  • Will this cause a problem as the NOA2 runs out September16th?
  • Do I have to apply for an extension on the NOA2?
  • Do I send off the forms now or wait a couple of months?
  • Also, do I put a note in with the forms to explain my case and that I want an interview in December at the earliest or do I contact them after the forms have been sent back?
I have yet to phone to arrange the medical and will seek their advice when I do. I need to have a waiver for the MMR jab anyway as I’m not allowed to have a ‘live’ vaccine for at least 6 months after my chemo finishes. The chemo finishes middle of August so that means I can’t have the jab until middle of February at the earliest. My tetanus is up to date.

I'm sorry to hear of your problems, but as you said, the prognosis is good.

As for the NOA2, we actually didn't know there was a limit and when he recieved his Packet 3, he was here in the US and returned 5 months later. It was only a few days before he went to the interview that we found out there was the 4 month thing. He was a little worried, but figured that since they sent out the interview date after the 4 months was up, he would be ok. And he was.
I'd recommend you ask for the extension though. I don't know if ours was an exception or an oversight, or they automatically extend the dates.
As for the MMR, I believe you can have that done when you adjust status so that should be no problem.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-06-28 09:25:00
United KingdomAny UK folks NOT applying for US citizenship?

I'm only getting citizenship as there's a very strong chance I'm gonna be in the abandonment of GC category in a few years time, and quite frankly the fuss and nonsense it's taken to get it all and get to this stage, there's no way I'm gonna ####### it up by having to do it over again.

That's the same with us. We may want to go and live in the UK in a few years so the abandonment issue would be... not an issue then.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-07-21 07:52:00
United KingdomPensions and NI Contributions for 20 something
to receive the full state pension, you have to (or used to have to a couple of years ago) have 44 years (for a guy) worth of NI contributions. Any less than that, you'll get a percentage, and below a certain amount, nothing. In the UK, that'd be fine as you'd get pension credit (like income support) but not living in the country, you'd not be entitled to that.
Anything more detailed than that, I'm hazy. I think I can remember, but I don't want to tell you what might be bad advice.
The best thing to do regarding your state pension entitlement/ni contributions is contact the pension service. I know they have some kind of social security link with other countries, and I think the US is one of them.
http://www.thepensio...gov.uk/home.asp
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-08-04 08:33:00
United KingdomQuestion about the medical...

Free bonus injections?! And you're happy about that!? Hehe!!

If you go for the medical and the visa interview on the same day and your visa is classed as "pending" then how soon would you receive your visa following their receipt of the medical results? I'm thinking in terms of speediness it will be better to go to London twice - it's just so expensive! Why does everything cost so much money!?

It was only two injections really, the MMR and Tetanus (which came mixed with the Polio vaccination, which isn't required)

I believe the results get to the embassy in 3 or 4 days, but I don't know how long they take after that to get the visa out.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-08-05 08:52:00
United KingdomQuestion about the medical...

EDIT: Oooh - and get the vaccinations at your GP prior to the medical to save some cash!

Good point. I came back from the US on the thursday and my medical was on the monday. I was expecting to have to pay the full whack for all the vaccinations at the medical, but on the off chance I could get an appointment for the friday, I rang my GP. Not only did I find they had an appointment free (with the nurse) the vaccinations didn't cost a penny... And I got a bonus shot thrown in extra too :lol:
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-08-05 07:09:00
United KingdomQuestion about the medical...
If you are having trouble reading the ones linked above, here's some better quality ones...

Posted Image
Posted Image
Posted Image
Posted Image

They're a bit out of date as the fees have changed since then, though... but they should give you an idea of what to expect.

Edited by Mark&Steph, 04 August 2007 - 01:45 PM.

Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-08-04 13:43:00
United KingdomQuestion about the medical...

Does the medical have to be in London? Do you have to book the medical yourself? Do you have to ask for anything specific? Does the medical have to be the same day as your interview?

Quick answer...
Yes, Yes, You need your case number and interview date (if known) when you ask to book a medical, No.

There is a scan of the letter you'll recieve somewhere on here so I'll post a link if I can find it.

Edit: Here's the letter you're sent from the London embassy with the info about the medical
http://www.visajourn...h...st&p=833159

Edited by Mark&Steph, 04 August 2007 - 01:31 PM.

Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-08-04 13:28:00
United KingdomLetter from Employer

Its only in case of the worst case, most people have no issues to start with, I had a trip to Seconday and got in without it.

That is indeed true. The first two times, they just asked purpose of visit... but the third time, they took me out back and questioned me further before they let me through. I guess that's more to do with it being my third visit in as many months :lol:
That said, I personally would rather have been prepared for the worst case and not need anything than need something and not have it.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-08-06 14:19:00
United KingdomLetter from Employer

Hey Everyone
So im planning on visiting my SO in Arizona in October. I figure i will probably need a letter from my employer stating my holiday leave and that im expected back to work. The thing is, my employer doesnt know of my plans to move to USA in the new year because i wouldnt have been hired if they knew that basically. Is there any way around this, to ask for a letter that states my holiday leave and when i will be expected back at work?
Thanks! :thumbs:

I just said that as I was travelling alone, I was worried about them not letting me in after reading horror stories on the 'net. They gave me one without a problem.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-08-06 12:36:00
United KingdomUK Filers future or current locations?

There is one bloke that does wildlife photography and it is his stuff that I tended to buy. *goes off to look for name*. Steve Bauer. He does alot of birds (Cardinals, Blue Jays etc) and I think they're great.

Next time we go I'll keep an eye out for your Aunt's work! ;)

I'm based in Greencastle, btw (incase you didn't know).

Oh and I've only just realised that the map has photos...d'oh! Hence me moving my little peg to the appropriate house! :lol:

I checked out the galleries site, and I can see why you'd pick up his work. They've got one of his of a cardinal on there, and it is indeed great. Steph knows a couple of the other artists there (One's her aunts mother in law and one is an old teacher) but not him.

She told me her half sister lives (or lived a couple of years ago - she hasn't spoken to her for a couple of years) pretty near there, in a small place called Bainbridge.

Googlemaps is quite the tool. They have an option (for Miami, NY, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Denver) to view the area at street level, a 3D map basically. It's actually pretty interesting... for a few minutes :lol:
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-08-05 07:21:00
United KingdomUK Filers future or current locations?

Yeah, I realised I'd slapped the pin in the wrong place...lol

Terre Haute is about 50 minutes away and Rockville (which I adore) is about 35 minutes away. There is a lovely art gallery situated in the square and we've bought a few pieces from there. :thumbs:


This is Steph now.


Aw, yes! The Covered Bridge Art Association gallery. Too funny. My aunt has paintings there and my grandmother was a past president and one of the founding members of the association. If you ever see anything in there by Constance Wasson, that's my aunt. :D She lives right between Marshall and Rockville.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-08-04 15:23:00
United KingdomUK Filers future or current locations?

Yeah. she was born in Terra Haute and grew up near there. She's still got family in Marshall.

Looking at the map again, it's not really 'down the road' from Rockville or Crawfordsville. I'm sure I saw your pin in a different spot earlier, but even so, it's still a good distance away.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-08-04 12:27:00
United KingdomUK Filers future or current locations?

:thumbs: Added.

You're right down the road from where Steph grew up.

Added us. It's not spot on, but close enough.


Really? Small world!

Yeah. she was born in Terra Haute and grew up near there. She's still got family in Marshall.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-08-04 11:38:00
United KingdomUK Filers future or current locations?

:thumbs: Added.

You're right down the road from where Steph grew up.

Added us. It's not spot on, but close enough.

Edited by Mark&Steph, 04 August 2007 - 08:58 AM.

Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-08-04 08:57:00
United KingdomWhere in the UK are you or your SO from?

I'm from Birmingham, West Midlands

Mark's a Brummie too...
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-06-29 07:10:00
United KingdomGood luck tomorrow, essjay and Neal&Cari!
Good Luck to both.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-08-06 10:33:00
United KingdomUS Banks - WTF???

I disagree. Some banks are shite, sure, but not all.

My local Commerce branch is open 7 days a week, M-F: 7:30am-8pm, Sat: 7:30am-6pm, Sun: 11am-4pm
and most holidays.

Find me a UK bank that does that.

I was shocked to find our bank here open Sundays. Not only that, but our local branch is open 7:30AM to midnight, 7 days a week...

Edited by Mark&Steph, 31 July 2007 - 01:17 PM.

Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-07-31 13:13:00
United Kingdombritish supermarket
It's probably British Depot. there are actually three in the area. One in Sunrise and one in Ft Lauderdale.
http://www.bestdeal....hDepotRetailNEW

We've not yet been, even though it's only a few miles away.
Thanks for the reminder though... It'd slipped my mind ever since we found Lion Bars at the local Publix (that was the main reason we were going to go)

Edited by Mark&Steph, 01 November 2007 - 07:12 PM.

Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-11-01 19:10:00
United KingdomPolice Certificate aquisition issue
Click on the link for your local police and they should have the forms for you to print out.
Just search for Subject Access.
http://www.police.uk/forces.htm
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-11-18 11:03:00
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Interview Thread 2007

I'm in London now waiting for tomorrow morning :) Pretty excited


Good luck to you!
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-05-28 16:02:00
United KingdomUnited Kingdom Interview Thread 2007
Mark&Steph...K1........04/20....04/23........04/30.......05/24....10:00....APPROVED!!!



*dances*
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-05-24 11:48:00
United Kingdomarriving at POE with K-1
QUOTE (WS-JW @ Mar 6 2008, 07:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
another weird question i have is the customs declaration form, since I will only be filling it that blue form, and i am immigrating, obviously everything will be remaining in the US, must I declare everything and put total worth? that seems kind of ridiculous but i don't wanna get in trouble or accused of trying to "lie" my way in

I believe you declare it as personal property and value it as $0... Unless it was bought within the last year then you should value it at it's worth.
Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-03-06 20:33:00
United KingdomNew & waiting
QUOTE (Roberts @ Mar 11 2008, 10:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hi all! I am so glad I found this site... I'm a little shaken & nervous after reading the beginning guides...There is so much involved and I am amazed at what people have to do in order to be with their foriegn loved one home.

I found this site while I was trying to find info on bringing my man here. Well, I found that I can't file until we actually meet. We had initially planned on meeting the first part of April, but they are making him get a visa due to a traffic violation 20 some yrs ago. This is requiring a police report. I noticed he will need a police report also when we file either K-1 or K-3, should he get more than 1 copy of that report? how many?

Also We thought it would be faster for a Spouse visa, but it looks like the Fiance visa is faster... I will be looking at timelines here as time permits but I'm not sure what all this terminology means yet, so I'd also like to hear from you directly with your thoughts on this. I welcome any friends who would take me under their wings to help us, we appreciate anything you give us.

Also Is there anything else we should be doing as we await our first meeting?
What can we do to prepare?

oh and I saw something about me needing to meet poverty level guidelines (or something of that nature) where can I find out if I meet that requirement? I need to make enough money!!!!!!!?????!!!!!! Is there anything else that important that we should know about? What are some of your shoockers?

thanks you all, I am thankful to know there are others here, what a blessing!!!!


Here's the info on poverty guidelines. You will need to make 125% of the amount that fits your situation
http://www.census.go...y/threshld.html

They gave me the original police certificate back, but you'll need to get a new one by the time it comes to be interviewed for the K1 visa (as they only last 6 months)

And as said before, keep everything that proves you've met. The Best things are plane tickets, boarding cards, hotel receipts, credit card receipts...
Get photographs taken together too.


These aren't necessary now, but also keep phone bills, emails, letters (including envelopes for post marks) chat logs etc to prove your ongoing relationship. This'll be needed at a later date.

But the best advice has already been given...
QUOTE
More general advice which isn't really my business but yeh...I advise you to relax and enjoy your relationship now, and slow down a bit. This is a LONG process. It'll take 6 months to a year for him to get here and you guys haven't even met in person yet. Try not to start freaking out about the details of all this and focus more on making sure you're right for each other, developing your relationship, etc. You have to know you have the commitment and certainty to get through it. There's a lot of paperwork and time and money put into it and then once he's here in the US you have a billion more hoops to jump over the next 2 years, especially. So just try not to be in a big hurry if your relationship is just now blossoming I'd say. Focus more on making sure you can keep seeing each other and visiting and things

Mark&StephFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-03-12 06:10:00