Well, had my interview yesterday and have been requested to provide a solicitors letter regarding my daughter and parental responsibility.
Im slightly confused what happened really.
I was called to the desk promptly, handed all my forms in, which the nice guy stamped 'approved' on and then sat and waited to be called.
About an hour later, I had my interview, which ended with the guy saying that there was no problem with our relationship, but I needed to provide this letter.
So, Im not sure really, am I 'approved' pending??
I then was told to pay the courier service fee, but I would just receive my passports back, and that I had a year to provide the requested letter.
Feel slightly flat today, hope there were more approvals this week for all you guys.
Good luck to everyones coming up!!!

All the best
x Chloe

Really sorry to hear that, Chloe... hope it's something you can get sorted really quickly. I have no useful advice at all... but maybe someone else here has had to get a similar letter and will know what happens now.

Good luck in getting it all resolved & getting your visas ASAP!

Sounds very similar to what happened to me. I provided a letter with my documents saying my son's father doesn't have parental responsibility and, at the interview, that was sufficient. I was told they would issue the visa, they kept both our passports and I went home very happy.

Two days later I received a letter from them saying they needed a notarized letter from my son's father stating that he gives his permission for my son to immigrate to, and live permanently in, the United States. It HAD to have that specific wording in it.

So, after a major panic, I got my son's father to go to a notary with a letter I had typed up, got two copies done (one for the embassy, one for my records) and posted off the letter to the Embassy.

It took them a whole month to get the passports sent out to me, but I DID get them.

Here is a web site with all the notaries of the UK.

http://www.thenotariessociety.org.uk/

My suggestion is, get a letter done and make an appointment for your ex to sign it ASAP. A standard notary appointment to sign a letter such as this costs around 70 quid.

Packet 3 DOES only say it requires a letter if the couple have been married but I have read (and received PM's) from people in similar circumstances who have encountered problems regarding parental responsibility, even though he father has none in the UK. The laws are different in the USA and I can only assume that the Embassy follows them instead sometimes.

Good luck!

Thanks Mags,
I hope they dont request that after the solicitors letter, seeing as we have no contact whatsoever and even if I knew his current address, theres absolutlely no way he would sign it.
Abusive etc.
I took a notarised letter from a family member outlining the facts, but this wasnt enough.
so keep your fingers crossed for me..
Thanks for the advice though x

Would this be the case if you were never married? I was never married to my Daughters father, I went to see my solicitor and got an affidavit stating that, and also he never paid any money towards her up-keep or had anything to do with her growing up. If I still need a written statement from him it might be a problem for me seeing as I don't know where he is

Yeah, sounds like it would be extremely difficult for you to attain a signed letter from him especially since he was abusive. I think the embassy just wants proof that you are not going to abscond with your child against his wishes.

Hopefully the solicitors letter will be enough. Let us all know how it goes. IMHO it sounds like you will get the visa issued once you provide the letter. Did they keep your passports?

If you don't have contact with him and have that letter, I think you'd be okay. My son has contact with his Dad, hence my having to get a notarised letter. I was never married to him though.

It is a very weird line that the embassy plays with this. It seems to vary greatly. There is no consistency at all.

Sorry to hear this Chloe...as in our previous discussions, what you took with you was what the embassy told me that they needed from me, doesnt make sense that they tell poeple that then want more when they are at the interview....on the plus side at least it will be easy to rectify...i am sure as soon as you give them what they want you will get your visa.....good luck and keep us posted

Thanks everyone for the well wishes..
I was never married to my childs father, Nikki, so Im not sure about that one.

It looks like that it basically comes down to the consular officer on the day, their judgement etc.
Basically, I was grilled, Im not sure why, but I guess child abduction cases are not something the embassy wants hanging over their heads, so I can see their point.

Its going to take some time, as the problem is that no solicitor will sign a statement that they dont know to be factually true.
So on Monday, I will be contacting the Principle Registry of the Family Division, who basically hold all details of Parental Responsiblity agreements and ask for confirmation that no such agreement exists for my daughter.
This teamed with a letters stating the law regarding Parental Responsibility for children born out of wedlock, should hopefully be enough.
Thanks Muuuah for the advice, I think it helped as it showed that I wasnt just planning on leaving without so much as a thought to the situation.

I wish they would have guidance on the website for these situations, so we at least know officially it is they want, but I guess every case is different, etc

Sooooo, I think Im going to go and buy the largest bar of Cadburys Dairy Milk known to man,
along with a bottle of plonk and watch Nanny 911, that'll cheer me up!!

Will keep you posted, thanks again x

xchloe

Hi Chloe I am sorry to hear of your situation, I am sure once you get the solicitors letter you will be sorted

I have a Affidavit saying that I was never married the Childs father which basically states that he has no parental responsibility, also stating the level of contact (for example spread out 2 times a year since 1995). I am hoping this will be sufficient. My daughter will be 15 soon, I hoping that they will feel she is of an age to make more of an adult decision to move out to the USA. Hope you don't mind but how old is your child(ren)? I was wondering if the age of a child plays any part in the embassy's decision.

I'm sorry Chloe! But it does just sound like bureaucratic red tape bs that will be sorted. Will keep my fingers crossed for you.

My daughter is 7, so you could be right on that one.
Also I dont think it helped that in her passport photos, she looked totally miserable....lol
It was raining that day....sigh

Still, Im hoping this can all get sorted out a.s.a.p, as I was planning on buying the flights next month, but I feel that until Im actually approved, I cant do anything.
I guess we've waited this long so, another month (hopefully) on top, isnt so bad.

will keep y'all posted,
Thanks and good luck to everyone,
I think its great that this forum exists so that at least we are somewhat prepared for the interviews and the questions that arise about this subject, seeing as theres no guidelines on the embassys website whatsoever.

Good luck to you all
xchloe

Sorry to hear...hope that everything is sorted out soon.

Hi Chloe,

I wish you much luck! I can see this possibly happening to me too, im hoping not and have a ways to go yet but still.

Good luck!

Dawn.

As I said before, it took them a month to get mine sorted and I had the notarised letter with them two days later. The delay was their end, not mine. I REALLY suggest not buying your tickets until you have the visa through.

I wish they'd explain their needs in packet three, I really do. There is nothing in there covering unmarried ex-relationships that resulted in children.

Chloe that is a real bummer, but I hope you get it sorted out sooner rather than later and then you can be on your way, good luck