Medical / Doc Check / Interview Review

[Melon Head 1]

I’m a British citizen married to an American for 9 years and applying for a marriage based Green Card.

 

We used a US based immigration lawyer to sort through the mountains of paperwork for the application and deliberately did it slowly, we started in 2021 but decided not to move until 2025 to fit in with our daughter’s schooling. The lawyers took care of all the paperwork and prepared us for the interview. For the most part the paperwork side was uncomplicated and we sent everything required through in good time. I was Documentarily Qualified (aka DQ) on 28 February and on 17 March received notification of my interview date, 9 May. I was therefore required to attend a medical exactly 2 weeks prior to this on 25 April, when I also went to the US Embassy for a Documents Check.

 

The Medical (visamedicals.com) was booked the day after I received notification of my interview date, it must be exactly 2 weeks before your interview (unless there is a Bank Holiday for instance) and I was sent an email requesting I bring various medical forms including my medical history including vaccines, my interview notification, photo ID, and a filled in one page questionnaire. Prior to the Medical I contacted the NHS for my medical records (which were in 3 different places), and also requested a nurse appointment at my local GP to have any vaccines I still needed. The nurse informed me that I hadn’t had MMR or DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio), so I received both of those, luckily for me as I would have been charged £85 at my Medical for the same jabs.

 

I travelled to the Medical that morning for 09.00 (I live 50 minutes away by train/tube), and got there in good time. At the Medical after checking in I had a short wait before seeing the Doctor. My medical history is unremarkable with no serious illnesses or operations in my own or family’s history, so the Doctor asked some questions related to the questionnaire, took my height/weight and one vial of blood, but no urine sample. I then went to wait for my chest x-ray which was completed quickly by a nurse, and then waited to see a different nurse who checked my vaccine history. Not needing any that was short, and I went back to wait to be called by Reception to get my completed paperwork and pay. I paid the £395 fee and received the all-important pink piece of paper that I had to take to my Documents Check at the Embassy.

 

With that done, I left at about 10.15 and rode the short tube journey to the Embassy, where I was required to attend the Documents Check between 11.30 – 13.00, I dawdled a bit because it was a nice day and eventually got the to the Embassy at 11.00. On arrival there as a long queue (which I later learned were almost all students applying for non-immigrant visas to study in the US for a semester or year). Not knowing if I could go to the front, as I didn’t have an actual interview time like I would in 2 weeks, I joined the queue to be on the safe side. I probably could have just gone to the front and cut the line, but it was a nice day and I also might not have been allowed in until 11.30 anyway. So, I listened to a podcast and waited. I eventually went through security at 12.15, although had to deposit my laptop at the ‘pink café’ up the road for £6, and then joined a smaller and quicker moving queue which provided me with my ticket and where to go (first floor, booths 20 – 24).

 

I went up to the first floor and round to the left to wait my turn. When my number was called after about 20 minutes, I went to the window to provide the requested paperwork (all originals), which included birth and marriage certificates, Police certificate, military record (due to my prior service), passport sized photo (Snappy Snaps originals!) and my passport. I also had to electronically have my fingerprints scanned. Stupidly I had forgotten my original marriage certificate so was told to bring it for the interview in 2 weeks. I was also informed that I hadn’t submitted my wife’s W2 or Tax Transcripts, instead only her Tax Return (obviously on the advice of our lawyer!). The Embassy official informed me that I must submit either the W2 or the Tax Transcripts to the CEAC portal or I wouldn’t be approved at my interview (hard copies at the interview wouldn’t suffice). Not knowing what either of these are I was a little worried, but once home discovered that the Tax Transcripts are a simple document to be requested and these were uploaded that evening along with printed hard copies (just in case) for my interview. The Documents Check was all very professional and on completion I was given a sealed plastic envelope with the original documents inside and the pink slip on the front and told aside from the Marriage Certificate and Tax Transcripts I was good to go for the interview in 2 weeks.

 

Roll on 2 weeks and I attended the interview at my scheduled time of 08.00, luckily, I only live 35 minutes (train) from the Embassy and got there around 15 minutes early. Again, there was a line of non-immigrant seemingly students queuing (but smaller than 2 weeks ago, probably owing to the earlier time), and this time I went straight to the front where my passport was checked against a list of names and I was given a post it with “IV” (Immigrant Visa, presumably) written on it. Without a laptop this time, I went through Security and joined the second smaller queue where I again was given a ticket to go to the first floor, booths 20 – 24. I was second in the queue when I got there and after short wait was called forward at 08.15, where an official took the sealed plastic envelope from the Documents Review and also requested my passport and original marriage certificate (which I brought this time). She did some checking on the computer and presumably saw that the Tax Transcripts had been uploaded (I wasn’t asked for hard copies). I was then asked to sit back down and wait for the actual interview.

 

About 10 minutes later I was called for the interview with a different official. Firstly, I proved my identity by scanning my fingerprints again. The official checked my documents and asked me three questions “Where did you meet your wife” (and asked for some more details after I answered “work”), “Do you live with your wife”, “Where do you intend to live when you move to the US”. Some keyboard taps later he informed me that my application had been approved and that my passport would be returned in 1 – 2 weeks, and I would be informed by the courier when it was ready. With that done, I walked out, feeling elated and relieved that it went without a hitch, and decided to walk the 80 minutes home as it was a nice day!

 

On reflection while the process is stressful as mistakes can cause delays to your plans, if you follow all the instructions without deviation and without cutting corners or getting ‘cute’ it’s quite simple. Using the lawyer was expensive (probably around $10,000 including fees), but ensured that our paperwork was submitted accurately and that we knew exactly what to submit. It took much of the thinking out of it as we followed their instructions and they took care of it. They also provided us with a realistic timeline for when to submit documents and when it would be approved, to allow us to move in summer 2025 (medicals are only valid for 6 months so for us being approved in November 2024 would not have worked). Ultimately the lawyer is unnecessary if you are confident in your ability to accurately follow instructions and submit documents without error.

[Vickys_Mom 244]

Congrats.  Remember that you still need your passport back with a visa in it before you can go.  Do.  Not.  Make plans yet.

 

Just because they said "you're approved" don't make it so.  Things happen.

 

But it sounds good.

 

Regards,
Vicky's Mom