London CR1 / IR1 Appointment Updates

[Wuozopo 4,285]

33 minutes ago, Clare and Claire said:

This obviously is not ideal but is there any reason why I couldn't travel to the US on a different passport (and ESTA) after interview approval while awaiting return of UK passport? I need to fly out on the same day as interview and return two weeks later. After returning to the UK, I'd then fly out on my UK passport with visa stamp with my other half - with the ceremonial package from the Embassy. I know it'd be better to wait but I'd be keen to know if there are any legal restrictions on this. The two weeks in the US would be tourism. I'd definitely only travel if the interview approved me.

You can ask to keep your passport because you have immediate travel. When you get back, you use “courier in” to send it to the embassy. If you use the other passport, don’t forget to have someone with your ID to receive your visa/passport delivery  a few days after interview.

[Clare and Claire 3]

On 10/4/2022 at 6:30 AM, Wuozopo said:

See below the steps on the London embassy webpage instructions. It tells you how to print your courier info. 
 

Step 2 - Registering Your Interview

After you have attended your medical examination, you should then register your visa interview through the Visa Appointment Service website at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-gb/iv and follow these instructions:

• Select “I have received a Consular interview appointment date from the National Visa Center (NVC), Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), or the Consular Section and I have been instructed to register my appointment on this site”;
• Follow the onscreen instructions to register an account;
  • If your family members are applying under your case number, you may “add” applicants to your account after you have added your own details.
• You will be asked to select your delivery method for the return of your passport if your visa application is successful. Delivery to a courier depot is free. If you wish to upgrade to home/office delivery you can pay an additional fee through your account;
• Please go to “Print Instructions” in order to print your courier confirmation page. You must bring this with you on the day of the visa interview.
• You should also bring your appointment letter you received from NVC.

For more tips and guidance, please see our instructional SlideShare presentation at http://www.slideshare.net/USAinUK/us-immigrant-visa-interview-appointments-scheduled-by-nvc

I received an email that I thought was slightly suspect - telling me I should have registered my appointment. The email shows my email address and case number correctly but felt strange. The link looked kind of ok - but enough for me to raise a question on another thread on VJ. I now see from this post that the link I was sent is slightly different. So I'm wondering if the one I was sent is a scam (it uses uscert-info mid-way through the web address instead of usvisa-info as it should be - and Wuozopo kindly shared) - the rest of the web address is pretty much the same and it links to pages that look similar to official webpages. The email is sent from donotreply@usvisa-info.com which looks plausible.

[Clare and Claire 3]

6 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

You can ask to keep your passport because you have immediate travel. When you get back, you use “courier in” to send it to the embassy. If you use the other passport, don’t forget to have someone with your ID to receive your visa/passport delivery  a few days after interview.

Thanks so much. I'm not sure what 'When you get back' means - but I'd rather leave my UK passport at the Embassy after interview and let it go through the normal process. I'd prefer to do the second part of what you say - use my EU passport to fly out and back and in the meantime have my UK passport collected. It'd be my husband and my passport that'd need collecting so he could collect both I assume (using my driver's license). 

[Wuozopo 4,285]

7 hours ago, Clare and Claire said:

Thanks so much. I'm not sure what 'When you get back' means - but I'd rather leave my UK passport at the Embassy after interview and let it go through the normal process. I'd prefer to do the second part of what you say - use my EU passport to fly out and back and in the meantime have my UK passport collected. It'd be my husband and my passport that'd need collecting so he could collect both I assume (using my driver's license). 

“When you get back” meant when you get back from your trip. So if you did not leave your passport at the embassy, you would send it in when you returned (got back) from the US trip. 
 

Sounds like you have a plan with your husband picking up at the depot. 

[Clare and Claire 3]

3 hours ago, Wuozopo said:

“When you get back” meant when you get back from your trip. So if you did not leave your passport at the embassy, you would send it in when you returned (got back) from the US trip. 
 

Sounds like you have a plan with your husband picking up at the depot. 

Got it! Thanks so much!

[ukgreencardlad22 25]

Afternoon all - joining this thread as I got an email to say my I-130 application was documentarily qualified on 02nd of November. If anyone with a DQ in Nov gets an interview letter/email for the London embassy please shout out and i'll do the same!

 

Having read through some of the recent comments i'm guessing this may not happen until end of Nov / beginning of Dec at the earliest, but doesn't stop me hoping for something sooner!

[Pat2021 43]

Had my interview just now. Waiting between document check and interview was quite long, about 45 minutes, but then the interview itself was less than 5 minutes.

 

He wanted me to upload my name change document to CEAC originally, but I told him I already uploaded it with all the other documents. So he looked again, took him some time, but then seems to have found it and told me my Visa is approved 🤗

 

Now to just wait for my passport back via Courier 🤗

 

I'm so happy and emotionally drained 😂

 

I've seen some people track their Visa, where it supposedly should change to "Issued" - where is that? CEAC? Or the courier website from the US embassy?

[Wuozopo 4,285]

3 hours ago, Pat2021 said:

I've seen some people track their Visa, where it supposedly should change to "Issued" - where is that? CEAC? Or the courier website from the US embassy?

CEAC. After issued, next you will get email from the courier when they are ready to deliver. Remember the embassy is closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday. Maybe they will get on with it and issue before Thursday.

 

Congratulations on a successful interview.

[Pat2021 43]

24 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

CEAC. After issued, next you will get email from the courier when they are ready to deliver. Remember the embassy is closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday. Maybe they will get on with it and issue before Thursday.

 

Congratulations on a successful interview.

Thank you! 🤗

[Pat2021 43]

23 hours ago, Wuozopo said:

CEAC. After issued, next you will get email from the courier when they are ready to deliver. Remember the embassy is closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday. Maybe they will get on with it and issue before Thursday.

 

Congratulations on a successful interview.

Wow, the Visa has already updated to "Administrative Processing" this morning, and just now to "Issued".

That was very quick!

[Pat2021 43]

Weee I have my Visa in hand

 

@Wuozopo thank you so much for helping me, and so many others, with all the questions. You and your contributions are greatly appreciated.
Same with all the others that helped as well, thank you!

 

One last pair of questions from my side - I have two annotations on my Visa:

• 212(g)(2)(B) - am I reading this correctly that this is the Varicella vaccine exemption thing we get in the UK?
• IV docs in CCD - that means no enveloped for me correct? Will the immigration officer know this or will they be surprised I don't have an envelope with me?

Thank you again

[Wuozopo 4,285]

3 hours ago, Pat2021 said:

Weee I have my Visa in hand

 

@Wuozopo thank you so much for helping me, and so many others, with all the questions. You and your contributions are greatly appreciated.
Same with all the others that helped as well, thank you!

 

One last pair of questions from my side - I have two annotations on my Visa:

• 212(g)(2)(B) - am I reading this correctly that this is the Varicella vaccine exemption thing we get in the UK?
• IV docs in CCD - that means no enveloped for me correct? Will the immigration officer know this or will they be surprised I don't have an envelope with me?

Thank you again

 You’re fine on both of those. Your varicella was waived and the envelopes are mostly just K1s now. POE won’t expect an envelope.

[sunnyd01 0]

Hi All,  we have our interview scheduled for this week, can we take our laptops with us to do some work while waiting or is that not advisable?

Thanks

 

[Wuozopo 4,285]

2 hours ago, sunnyd01 said:

Hi All,  we have our interview scheduled for this week, can we take our laptops with us to do some work while waiting or is that not advisable?

Thanks

 

The embassy  website has a 2-page guide for your appt day https://uk.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/IVK-preparingforyourappointmentJuly.pdf

[DFR 3]

First post on VJ as I’m so close to the end of the process!
 

My dates:

NVC submit: 4 August 2022

RfE: 30 September 2022

NVC resubmit: 1 October 2022

DQ: 16 November 2022

 

Now waiting for the Interview Letter - looks like it should arrive in the next couple of days if previous posters are anything to go by. Not sure if thanksgiving has delayed things a little, however.