London Medical and Interview process for those with anxiety/hypochondria/serious concerns the world is against them

[nidcaudi23 13]

So I know everyones K1 journey is always going to be different but I wanted to share mine for those whose anxieties run high at every moment. Honestly, most of the stress from this experience was all my own doing and pretty much everyone I ran into along the way was kind, honest and pleasant.

The Medical
So I am not one for doctors and nurses. I hate being in that kind of environment and I was convinced they would find something wrong, that I'd be turned away, rejected etc I don't enjoy being poked, prodded...I'm not the biggest fan of needles. So I went in with very little sleep expecting a huge ordeal. I turned up early and was told to take a seat in the waiting room until closer to my appointment time. I was surprised when I got to the waiting room by the atmosphere and buzz of everyone. Aside from this wonderful forum, it's easy to feel very alone on this journey. Even if friends and family are on board and ask about the process, it's still very much a process that not many people understand. So it was amazing to be sat in a room with everyone who was on the same page as you. People share their stories of how they met their loved ones, what their plans were. It felt very much like a room of unity. Everyone was excited to have finally got to this stage. Once I'd handed in my forms to the front desk and gave them the golden gift, I sat back down until I was called in by the nurse to talk about vaccines. Super friendly, she clearly explained what shots I needed, how much they cost, what my options were. I didn't have the funds to have the shots on the day but it is there if you decide to take them. I was then called in to have my chest x-ray by a very friendly and warm gentlemen, which only took a few minutes. After that I was seen by the doctor for my physical. I was expecting this to be long, thorough and invasive. It was far from it. She briefly checked my ears, mouth...then checked my arms and legs (presumably for self harm scars) and along my stomach. I wore a gown but at no point was I ever left feeling exposed. I had my blood sample taken which was quick and painless bar the needle insertion. I was then asked about my mental health. I had CBT about 11 years ago which was mentioned in my medical summary. She wanted more information on it and asked me to obtain additional information from my GP. Not going to lie, I had to hold back a panic attack thinking that something I did over a decade ago had potentially messed this up. She reassured me that it would probably be fine, they just need more information and to confirm that I'm not of risk to myself or others. I was given a sheet to take to my doctor and after a five minute wait or so, I was asked to pay up. All in all, it was a positive experience. No where near as bad as I thought it was going to be and I was kicking myself for losing so much sleep over it.

The Interview
I was lucky enough to have my beautiful partner with me for this. My appointment was at 10.30 and we got to the embassy just after 10. You essentially have to go through a security building before you can even access the main building and it's like being at an airport. You put all your bags into a tray that's scanned...and then go for a body scan. Again, I was surprised by how friendly everyone was (the security guard gave me a fist bump as he let us in). Once we got through the main building we stood in line for about a minute before our names were called. After verifying who we were we were told to go up to the first floor. From then on there was a LOT of waiting around. We were there about 2 1/2 hours but total time of being interviewed was maybe ten minutes. Our first point of call was handing in my passport and all relevant documentation which probably took longer than the actual interview. After a lot of waiting around we were called up for the interview. I was expecting it to be like immigration control at US airports where they can be very intimidating and study every bit of body movement and sound you make. Much to my surprise he was very welcoming and after a hand of oath, we were asked a total of 5 questions; how we met, when we met in person, how many times I went there, how many times she went here...I feel like there was one more question that maybe my better half can chime in with. But after those brief questions, we were all done. My medical had not been received at the embassy because of needing more information from the GP but I was told providing the medical was fine, my visa would be processed. And that was it!! So many nights of me stressing out, learning over 90 questions of what I may be asked. And it was just a brief 3 minute conversation about our relationship.

The Visa
After bugging my GP to get the additional information sent to Knightsbridge, my visa status changed from administrative processing to issued in the space of a couple of days. So after all these months of stress and wait, it's become a reality. It's official! We're getting married!!

To to sum up, if you're freaking out about any of this...don't. Honestly, I know it's easy to do because no amount of me going through threads on here calmed me down. But really, it's such a relaxing, chilled out process. Everyone is in the same boat as you, no-one is trying to trip you up or look for ways to deny you. If you are honest about everything, you can't go wrong. If anyone wants to know any more, feel free to reply here or send me a message, I'm more than happy to help

 

- Simon

Edited June 8, 2019 by nidcaudi23
5am typos.

[Pitaya 2,576]

Very good. 

 

Please be sure to post this excellent report in the appropriate Consulate Review page. Let others know about your experience.https://www.visajourney.com/reviews/

 

Good luck on your immigration journey.

 

[JFH 12,189]

*~*~*country-specific discussion moved to United Kingdom forum*~*~*

[ellieflo 9]

This was really helpful thank you! I feel really anxious about my medical because of my mental health and seeing this made me feel a little better  

[k_woood 5]

Okay, I read all of this and sent it to my fiancé because he’s very anxious about all of it right now, especially traveling to London and finding the buildings in a timely manner. I still have a few questions though, if you’re willing to answer 😅 I just want to help alleviate some more stress for him. 

 

Was your travel easy? Like was it easy to find the medical exam place and the embassy? 

 

What all did the interview include? Did you put together an evidence packet as big as the one your fiancé turned in with the I-129f form? Did they even ask for any evidence? 

 

Im so glad your process was simple and everyone was warm and welcoming. I hope the same for all others that go through this as well because it is so stressful and I know we’ve both lost sleep over it lol. Thank you for your post! It was very, very helpful and calming. 

[Wuozopo 4,285]

56 minutes ago, k_woood said:

What all did the interview include? Did you put together an evidence packet as big as the one your fiancé turned in with the I-129f form? Did they even ask for any evidence? 

 I can tell you that having read hundreds of London interview experience for 10 years, all the American needs to send the UK fiancé for the interview is the I-134 Affidavit of Support and one proof of income. Two proofs if you are nervous. No evidence, chats, receipts, Facebook status, photo albums, nor any of the initial petition or the approval notice.  London does not look at evidence of an ongoing relationship. 

[k_woood 5]

1 hour ago, Wuozopo said:

 I can tell you that having read hundreds of London interview experience for 10 years, all the American needs to send the UK fiancé for the interview is the I-134 Affidavit of Support and one proof of income. Two proofs if you are nervous. No evidence, chats, receipts, Facebook status, photo albums, nor any of the initial petition or the approval notice.  London does not look at evidence of an ongoing relationship. 

Awesome! Looks like we’re beyond prepared then. Thank you!! 😊

[futurecoloradogrl 82]

This is great to hear, thank you for sharing! I'm currently at the NVC stage (hoping to be able to book the interview soon) & I'm sure not the only one whose mental health has had a real toll taken on it the last few months - stress, not knowing, just wanting to be together, etc. Excited to be at this stage soon too, & for it all to be over! 😂

[ohcoffeeeyes 120]

My mental health sucks, no diagnosis but parents freaked out when I was 15 and thought I'd harm myself cause my mother is very paranoid (shes a schizophrenic and I had vocally told her I was sad over personal issues) and called the police. I spent a day in the hospital and she had done the same again when I was 17 though I was discharged in a matter of 30-40 minutes after they realized it was nothing. 

 

Anyway, enough of my problems. I'm just worried they won't let me be with my other half due to this, didn't know they probed mental health. Yikes. When you gave info was it just the GP saying you were okay or did you have to go in and talk to him?