When do you all book your flights?

[nifiance 7]

No, before you ask, I haven't booked anything yet.

I'm just wondering, when do folks book the flights? My interview is on December 7. My fiancé is coming here for Christmas and we are planning on leaving together on the 29th, but I've not booked a thing yet, as I'm not sure when I should.

Ideas? Just wondering what the rest of the K1ers are doing.

[Georgia16 2,858]

I booked when visa's was in hand.

[Ben&Zian 4,397]

Everyone here would agree, do not book any flight until the visa is in hand.

But once in hand, you can leave whenever you want. There was a member on here who said they booked a flight for their fiance once the visa was in hand, and they were on a plane 4 hours later.

So once in hand you can travel whenever you want to really.

[Unlockable 7,306]

When the visa is physically in his hands.

I have seen it all here. There was once a case where the immigrant received his immigration packet which comes in a sealed envelope that can only be opened by a border officer, and while celebrating getting the visa by jumping up and down, the packet slipped put of his hand and ripped open. He had to send it all back to get it resealed.

[rocklobstermass 41]

Wait to have visa in hand... we ignored LOTS of good advice and booked tickets ahead of time, only to have to cancel them. Best to wait out the processing and book travel with visa in hand.

[millefleur 5,035]

Like everyone else said: when you have the error-free visa in hand.

If not that, then be sure to buy refundable tickets or travel insurance which will cover cancellation/ticket changes.

[UKTOBK 11]

So I went against the grain here and booked on the day of my approved interview, literally after I left the embassy in London I sat in the bar at the hotel and booked, I also handed in my 4 weeks notice at work the same day so I was allowing myself 5 weeks before travel delivery of visa on average in U.K. is 7-10 days!!! (There's actually a thread for this although my name and a few others from June have appeared to have dropped of In the copy and paste process.. pfffftttt)

That said you can never be 100% sure until you have your visa in hand so it's all on you ;-)

Good luck with your journey xx

[Ilovecake 11]

When the visa is physically in his hands.

I have seen it all here. There was once a case where the immigrant received his immigration packet which comes in a sealed envelope that can only be opened by a border officer, and while celebrating getting the visa by jumping up and down, the packet slipped put of his hand and ripped open. He had to send it all back to get it resealed.

Lmaoooo!!!!!

[marianath 27]

When the Visa and th packet at hand...with CORRECT INFORMATION specially your name...

[rutabaga 209]

I booked mine before having the visa, but it was booked for about a month after the interview (we wanted to wait so I become eligible for an IR-1 instead of CR-1 at POE) and I got a refundable ticket at a ridiculously low price where even with the fee to change the dates it would still be dirt cheap.

[Ash.1101 1,755]

Waited til Visa was in hand and making sure everything was correct on it. He booked his flight 3 weeks after his visa was in hand, did his two weeks notice at work, worked for two weeks, then spent a week tying up odds and ends and then he was here.

[zilchfox 296]

My fiancé wanted me to quit my job AND book my flight BEFORE the visa was even issued, and I did banking that the visa would be in hand on time. Fortunately it was but I was super scared something could go wrong and I would be screwed.

[Ortolan 381]

Yep, I agree with everyone else: don't book your ticket until your visa is in your hot little hands. You never know what might go awry, and you don't want to have to pay extra to re-book a ticket.