We got our NOA2!

[Asila 10]

Ok, I actually know 'now what' in the strictest sense, but from here on how this whole process is like a blanket of fog, compared to how the I-129f went. Is it a lot of waiting (yes), should we gather forms now (yes), do I make enough to meet the affadavit of support (god I hope)...

So basically what I'm asking is, please tell me I'm just stressing too much, and that the London embassy is secretly very wonderful and sweet.

[Puppy eyes 0]

Ok, I actually know 'now what' in the strictest sense, but from here on how this whole process is like a blanket of fog, compared to how the I-129f went. Is it a lot of waiting (yes), should we gather forms now (yes), do I make enough to meet the affadavit of support (god I hope)...

So basically what I'm asking is, please tell me I'm just stressing too much, and that the London embassy is secretly very wonderful and sweet.

we are in your same shoes, now that we got the NO2, we follow steps on it, we must mail all to our overseas fiancee have them print out the form they are require to bring to the interview, and do the online app..a fews day before the interview have the medical done, good luck on the interview

[mcdsnight 5]

[Rob and Jill 82]

Ok, I actually know 'now what' in the strictest sense, but from here on how this whole process is like a blanket of fog, compared to how the I-129f went. Is it a lot of waiting (yes), should we gather forms now (yes), do I make enough to meet the affadavit of support (god I hope)...

So basically what I'm asking is, please tell me I'm just stressing too much, and that the London embassy is secretly very wonderful and sweet.

We have had a few very unexpected issues along the way. Tips I can give you are as such:

1. Make your fiance get his/her part of the paperwork DONE while waiting on you to send your part over. We lost about a months worth of time because of this.

2. Make your fiance go ahead and schedule the medical and get it out of the way. Since you have athe NOA2 already, it can be scheduled with that number.

3. Have your fiance order the police certificate NOW, as it takes about 10 business days to get to the fiance unless expedited.

These are all things that have added an additional 6-8 weeks to our process because someone *cough cough* didn't listen to HIS fiance when she suggested he finish things in this fashion.

[Nik+Heather 122]

2. Make your fiance go ahead and schedule the medical and get it out of the way. Since you have athe NOA2 already, it can be scheduled with that number.

Although I agree with the other proactive suggestions in your post, when we went through, you couldn't schedule the medical until the NVC assigns a London case number, you can't use the USCIS case number to schedule the medical as far as I know.

If your fiance thinks that anything (ANYTHING!) will come up on the medical, he should get in with his GP and get a note about it beforehand. Actually, maybe he's due for a checkup anyway? Nik never knew about his high BP until the medical, so we weren't delayed exactly (he sent in packet 3 and the follow up was completed before the interview - barely), but it was a potential. I'm counting it now as a blessing in disguise. If the visa process hadn't forced him to get a medical how much longer would he have been walking around with that sort of high risk undiagnosed??

Get the vaccinations before the London medical. If these are all COMPLETE and marked as such, you won't have to deal with Civil Surgeons in the US (Headache and then some!)

Also, ask at every possible opportunity for a copy of the medical. They can seal it if they like...so you can send it in with AOS. We never did get it, but some people have had success at POE... Though I haven't seen so many medical RFEs lately, so maybe they've actually sorted it out.

Edited July 8, 2010 by Nik+Heather

[Rob and Jill 82]

Although I agree with the other proactive suggestions in your post, when we went through, you couldn't schedule the medical until the NVC assigns a London case number, you can't use the USCIS case number to schedule the medical as far as I know.

I believe I called about a week after receiving the NOA2 and got confirmation that the NVC received the paperwork and got the number from there! You're right though, I forgot about that step!

[Asila 10]

You guys are awesome. I'm uh, I'm making him read your responses and then being meaningfully silent.

[Rob and Jill 82]

You guys are awesome. I'm uh, I'm making him read your responses and then being meaningfully silent.

Well, youi know of course we have not been through the craziness that a lot of other couple have been through. I can tell you though, once it hits the NOA2 phase and things SHOULD start moving quickly, it's frustrating to sit back and know you lost time because you didn't know something, or didn't so something properly. Who wants to wait longer than necessary?

In our case, I set everything up so it would hopefully be done before my busy season at work, and unfortunately, it doesn't look like that will be the case now .

[brit_la 1]

As the others have said, once you get that NOA2, it goes quick, so start getting everything together now.

Definitely, go to your GP now and get those vaccinations done, or a print out to prove that you are up to date with any of those. Also, get them to do a blood test, to show that you have, or havnt, had chickenpox. This way, when you have your medical, all of your immunisations will be on the official medical form that they fill out. I wish I had done it this way, I have had to see a Civil Surgeon over here and pay to have blood work done, to show that I have never had Chickenpox. Alot of the offices I called, didnt offer me this option and the Varicella vaccination is like $100 or something stupid.

Also, get your police certificate sent off as soon as you can. I thought I had to wait for some reason until I had my NOA2 to get it done, and it takes about a month to get it done and returned. Get copies of your Birth Certificate too, they are always handy.

Start filling out those forms that you need to send to the Embassy too.

The actual interview, was so easy, I know its easy to say now I have been there, but there is no need to stress. Get there as soon as the doors open, they let you in whatever time you are appointed for. I think I had a 9.30 appointment, and I got there at 8. I was out of there, approved, even before my appointment time! Just be prepared, take everything that might be relevant, even though you probably wont need it. It just made me feel more at ease knowing that I had anything they could have wanted.

Good luck, everything will be fine, the people I encountered there really were quite nice and friendly.

[Asila 10]

We're having a jaw because I told him to get his police certificate weeks ago, and he keeps putting it off. If that ends up delaying us, I am going to be so irritating.

I keep feeling like we're missing something, though I think it's just how many steps this whole process has. Hey, for the american sponsors here--did you send your AoS paperwork to the NVC, to your dearest in the UK for their packet, or both?

[Nich-Nick 3,355]

We're having a jaw because I told him to get his police certificate weeks ago, and he keeps putting it off. If that ends up delaying us, I am going to be so irritating.

I keep feeling like we're missing something, though I think it's just how many steps this whole process has. Hey, for the american sponsors here--did you send your AoS paperwork to the NVC, to your dearest in the UK for their packet, or both?

The NVC processes CR1 visas. For a K1 case like yours, the NVC is just the handoff place from USCIS to Dept of State (DOS) who is over the embassy and who issues the K1 visas. All the NVC does for a K1 is assign a LNDxxxxxxxxx case number to you and send your files off to London by DHL. So you won't send the NVC anything and your case shouldn't be there more than a couple of days.

The USC needs to send off the I-134 Affidavit of Support with at least two proofs of income to the fiance for the interview. That's all that will be needed from the USC. If this was about another country, other things may be needed, but not for London. So you don't have a big part in the rest of the process except goading on your fiance to get his stuff done!!!

The best thing you can do is read and study London specific things and ignore what well meaning Filapinas tell you to do for the embassy stage. The countries are quite different in how they handle the visa application process.

Start here in these Wiki articles:

http://www.visajourn...fic_Information

http://www.visajourn...ndex.php/UK_FAQ

http://www.visajourn...dical_In_London

http://www.visajourn..._London_Embassy

And this video shows you what happens outside and inside the embassy on interview day

http://www.youtube.c...u/0/uzZOvF1EEXE

Edited July 13, 2010 by Nich-Nick

[Asila 10]

My housemates tell me that my police certificate arrived this morning with NO TRACE on it. I think I remember reading that there's some further action I need to take if that's the result, but I can't remember what, and I'm currently on my phone at work so I'm not in a position to hunt up the information. So could someone in the know give me a quick heads up? If there's something I can do to help things along during my lunch break then I figure I'm doing something useful instead of twiddling my thumbs until tomorrow.

[Asila 10]

I found one source of information that says if my certificate says 'no trace' or 'no live trace' then I need my court records. Problem with that is, I have no court records; I've never been to court, never even been arrested. So obtaining court records is impossible. This on top of yesterday's hilarious revelation that I'm not supposed to sign the DS156 despite the presence on the form of a section which asks me to sign and date it. Did Franz Kafka ever apply for a visa?

[Gemmie 142]

If it says NO TRACE, you don't need anything else. It means you have no court record to find.

And I remember the form that you couldn't sign. I think it has to be signed at the interview. I just printed them off again and made sure I signed everything but that specific part.

[Nich-Nick 3,355]

This on top of yesterday's hilarious revelation that I'm not supposed to sign the DS156 despite the presence on the form of a section which asks me to sign and date it. Did Franz Kafka ever apply for a visa?

You can sign the DS-156. It's the DS-156K that has an oath at the end where you swear and sign in front of the interviewing officer ¹. If you sign that by mistake, he just has you take the oath and sign again in his presence.

Note ¹ : You don't swear at the officer