Panic!

[diamondfloor 10]

I am sooo kicking myself right now! All that time we were waiting for an interview date I was so please with myself that I had all my docs photocopied and in nice plastic folders. Ngh.

Now I realise that the birth certificate I have for my youngest is not enough. She is my adoptive daughter and was born in Guatemala. Therefore the birth certificate I have for her is, in fact, an adoption certificate. So now I have to try and locate a certified copy of her Guatemala birth certificate and get it translated in time for the 14th.

Should I cancel the visa appointment until I have it in hand? Will they even let the interview go ahead if I show up at the first window with her original birth certificate missing? I have her full length UK birth certificate, which doubles as an adoption certificate.

I know probably no-one has first hand experience of this, but did anyone else turn up for interview with missing docs and they still let the interview go ahead?

Moral: Check, double check and then check some more

[hobbit 10]

I know exactly how you feel. I was feeling pretty smug too about having all the required docs, until I realized we didn't have a certified copy of the divorce decree but only a copy. All these technicalities! You are not the first to have missing documents and won't be the last. You will still be interviewed, and if there are any documents missing, you will be given a 221(g). If approved, of course, but I assume you won't be having trouble in that regard.

It makes more sense to just stick to your interview date. Once your interview is done, you can send in the documents and get your visa instead of waiting around for the rescheduled interview date, whenever that will be! Also note that you can't keep re-scheduling, it is only allowed once.

[diamondfloor 10]

Thanks Hobbit

[jaycali 415]

I highly doubt London will actually deny your visa based on a (temporarily) missing birth certificate. In all likelihood, they'll allow the interview to continue, and tell you at the end that you are approved, pending receipt of the birth certificate. In fact, I don't know exactly the details of her adoption/UK birth certificate, but if it's accepted as a birth certificate in the UK, the US embassy may or may not accept it as well. Just be absolutely clear with them that it is not the original, and that you're not trying to let it "slide" as such.

If you have a rough estimate of when you might be able to get the birth certificate, you might want to email the embassy, explain the situation and ask if they have a later time slot available.

Edited November 6, 2013 by jaycali