Any advice on London interview and medical exams?

[advocator 0]

My fiance will be going to London for his medical exam and interview in several months time for his K-1 Visa. Can anyone tell us how much notice they give as to scheduling the exam and interview? Is it possible to do both on the same day? He will be traveling over 6 hours to get to London and would need some time to work out travel plans and request time off from work. Thanks for any info you can provide!

[Dodi 69]

My advice for medical and interview in London: Have one of each!

You schedule your medical exam, the embassy schedules the Interview. Interviews are generally scheduled 30 to 45 days out, Medicals are usually scheduled 1 to 2 weeks out, unless you beg. It takes 3 to 5 business days for the results of your bloodwork and x-ray to get to the embassy. If you have them both on the same day, even if you're approved, it will be PENDING based on your medical results. If you're 100% positive that there will be no medical issues, this won't be a problem, but it could set back your receipt of your visa by a week or two (or three, depending on how quickly they review your case/medical after the interview).

So long as you don't buy your tickets or make concrete travel plans before the visa is in hand, it shouldn't be a problem. Wait for your interview date, then call Knightsbridge and see if they can accomodate you.

Another problem: If for some reason you end up taking longer than expected in the Embassy for the Interview (Peter's took half an hour, he was literally out the door in under an hour of going in, but we've seen others there for as long as 5 hours before) then you'll run the risk of missing the medical appointment, and having to re-schedule it. They usually schedule a week or two out, so that would cost another trip to London. You might see if he can spend a night or two in London, and schedule his medical for the day before to make sure he won't miss it.

Good luck!

Edited October 1, 2010 by Dodi

[lesleysizeland 0]

My fiance will be going to London for his medical exam and interview in several months time for his K-1 Visa. Can anyone tell us how much notice they give as to scheduling the exam and interview? Is it possible to do both on the same day? He will be traveling over 6 hours to get to London and would need some time to work out travel plans and request time off from work. Thanks for any info you can provide!

I would double check about having your medical and your interview on the same day because when i had my interview they had just changed it to where they HAD to have your medical results back before you had your interview. I remember this because a few people were so annoyed as their loved ones were having to travel from far away.

Anyway, i would double check as things do change but it would be a horrible feeling to get to your interview and then not be approved or even worse, be told you need to reschedule because your medical results are not in.

Good Luck!

Lesley

[marlea 84]

I would definitely try to have the medical before the interview, even if it's the day before. I think if you show up at the interview and tell them that your medical is scheduled for later that same day, they won't be happy. And, on the off chance that they refuse to complete the interview without the medical being done, that would mean another trip to London for another interview later.

The Embassy website says, "The medical examination must take place before the visa interview. The Embassy will not schedule the interview until they have received the results of the medical examination." While this isn't exactly true, they will schedule the interview before they receive the medical results, they clearly want you to have gone to the medical before the interview. If you have the medical on one day and the interview the next day, then at the interview you can truthfully say that the medical has been completed and the results are forthcoming.

Edited October 1, 2010 by marlea