Gav & Jackie

Thank you for your reply.

On our marriage certificate it notes that after the marriage Jackie will be taking my surname. For the purpose of completing the AOS documents should she:

a) Still use her maiden name as her SSN, Bank Information, Passport, Driving Licence etc. are still in this name?

b) Use my surname?

c) Wait and file AOS after she has changed the surname on her SSN, Bank Information, Passport, Driving Licence etc.?

d) A different answer?

Hello fellow VJers,

I just wanted to get clarification about the AOS paperwork. With me having entered the U.S. on a K-1 visa, does my wife have to complete an i-130 to file along with the me filing the i-465, i-864, G-325a and i-765 for AOS?

Thank you in advance

Gavin

Had my interview this morning and after a pretty painless process I was approved.

Just want to say thanks to everyone who answered the questions I had during the process. It helped a lot and I really appreciated it.

Now on to the USA!!

OP, read the Embassy Reviews for Haiti. Without looking at them, and from the impression that I've gotten while reading stories on VJ, I'd say that it's crucial for you to be there.

It NEVER hurts and MAY help if you're there. It scores major points in the mind of the CO if you're "on the premises," even if you're not allowed in the interview itself. Hand your passport to your beneficiary to show to the CO. This is evidence that your relationship is "bona fide" enough that you showed up for this important event.

People in Canada, VWP countries, and certain other lower-fraud consulates don't "need" their petitioner there as much as everyone else does. In certain countries, such as Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and others, the visa can be refused almost automatically if the petitioner isn't there. Haiti is a desperately poor country, meaning high-fraud, and the CO will have this in mind. If you're there for the FIRST interview, it can be the ONLY interview. Avoid what happened to the rest of us. Be there.

Mochamich, definitely go with TBone on this one!!!!!!

I was naive and didn't think that operating procedures would differ to incorporate the countries that the embassy was in.

I got my NOA2 just under 4 months after my NOA1 so fingers crossed your application will get approved swiftly. I know how you feel with the long wait and not knowing the progress of your application but unfortunately that, along with the distance, are just 2 very unfortunate things about the process.

In terms of seeing each other during the process, I was out in the U.S. visiting Jackie for about a month this past July and Border Patrol never gave me any problems at all. I'm not sure if its because they are unaware of the pending K-1 application, the application has no influence on visiting or because I used to have a student visa and was in and out of the country all the time and have been a frequent visitor since it expired, but my time at BP is always very brief.

Something to note in case it helps: If you guys are ever having trouble with Skype, provided you both have google e-mail accounts, you can use the google video chat facility. I find that it can work better than Skype. I'm not sure why but I'm assuming because it does not have to deal with as much traffic as Skype (any comp techs want to confirm or deny this?).

Congratulations!! Good luck with your interview.

Short version: You DO NOT have to to be there.

Longer version: If you can afford to go and want to go then great. It won't be a bad thing if you don't go, but it may be a good thing if you do go.

Best of luck

thank you for this very detailed description! My fiance is headed to his medical on Sept 6th, so I will forward this to him Did they give you any idea of how long it would take them to forward the results to the embassy??

My medical was on Thursday, and after paying the receptionist told me that the embassy would have the results by Wednesday. She then said that the only reason the embassy wouldn't have them by Wednesday is due to anything arising from the medical exam (I assume she was talking about the blood test) but if that were to happen I would be informed on Tuesday.

Another thing I was going to mention is that, when I went to London for the medical, I took the time to go and see where the embassy was and familiarise myself with the setup. I also went to Gould Pharmacy to get my U.S. style passport pictures which I will need to take to the interview with me. I've read that a lot of people go and have them taken immediately before the interview, but I did it on the day of the medical just to save time and to rule out the possibility of any type of freak injury that may invalidate the pictures on the day of the interview.

I'll write another summary after my interview process which hopefully you'll find useful. Best of luck with the rest of your application, sounds like you guys will be right behind me in the process, and if I can answer any other questions then feel free to just ask.

Just thought I would fill out a quick review of my medical (which took place yesterday) with Knightsbridge Doctors in London to give other UK members an idea of what to expect.

Before I even got in to the building I had to run through a gauntlet of fire and lions....just joking. Although, sometimes I think that may be easier and less painful than this K-1 process!

My appointment was at the 4 Bentinck Mansions, London W1U 2ER location**. It’s actually on Bentinck Street and is a building with a couple of stairs leading up to the entrance. The doorway has a pillar on either side with a gold sign on each that reads "BENTINCK". There is an intercom system at the door much like any flat/apartment complex. Knightsbridge Doctors is Flat#4 so I just buzzed them and said I was here for a medical and they open the door for you.

Once inside, I went to the reception window gave my name and what time my appointment was scheduled for. The very friendly receptionist asked for 5 things:

1) Photo ID - I used my passport but driving licence would have also been accepted.

2) Passport Picture - They will accept either UK or U.S. spec pictures

3) Police Certificate - I handed over a copy of my original document but she photocopied it anyway and gave me back my copy

4) Immunisation Record - Hand over the original and they use it to complete a form and give it back to you before you leave.

5) USA Medical Questionnaire - You are required to have this completed and signed BEFORE you get to your appointment

I was then issued a clipboard with a questionnaire to complete and pointed in the direction of the Waiting Room. It asks almost identical questions to the "USA Medical Questionnaire" and in my case I just ticked the "NO" box for every question. Upon completion I took the questionnaire back to the window and was told that someone would be with me soon.

The Waiting Room was quite busy and I was maybe in there for about 35-40 minutes when the Radiologist called my name and took me into her office to take the chest X-ray. You don't have to take clothes off, just any jewellery around your neck, which didn't apply to me. You press your chest up against the screen, hands on hips, take a deep breath and that is all there is to it. It took about 1 minute. After this it is out to the Waiting Room again.

I waited another 20-25 mins (time I used to charge up my phone as there are outlets in the Waiting Room) before I was called through by the Dr. for the medical check-up. She just double checked the answers I had put on the questionnaire that they had issued to me when I arrived. I was asked to take off my shoes and sweatshirt and told stand against the wall to measure my height and then to get on the scales for my weight measurement. We then discussed eyesight and if I wore glasses or corrective lenses before I was asked to read the eye chart with my back against the same wall as before.

Next step is popping up on the examination bed where the doctor measured my blood pressure, had a look at my mouth, eyes and ears, and then put the stethoscope against my back while I took a few deep breaths and then did the same with the stethoscope on my chest. After this the Doctor pulled the curtain closed and asked me to undress down to my boxers and lie on the bed while she returned to her desk. When I was ready she came back in and did some prodding around my abdominal region before asking me to lift up the band of my boxers and cough (sorry Jackie ) Finally, she took a blood sample from me and then I got dressed and returned to the Waiting Room.

I was waiting for about 2 minutes when one of the reception staff called me through to make the payment of £210, which I put on my credit card. I was then given my Immunisation Record and a "U.S.Department of State Vaccination Documentation Worksheet" The receptionist told me to keep hold of this document and to not hand it in to the U.S. Embassy because I wouldn't get it back and the document is necessary when I get married and apply for AOS.

So that was my entire experience of the medical process. Only advice I can offer is to maybe get there a bit earlier than your appointment and you might get things going a bit quicker. My appointment was at 2:50pm but I got there right at 2:50pm because I went to Stamford Bridge before the appointment. A man in before me was scheduled for 3:00pm but he got in and out before I did. It may not always happen that way, and on the day you might not really mind how long it takes, but I felt like I would share that with you.

**This link on the US Embassy London page has directions to each Knightsbridge Doctors location

I would just look at Igor's List in the Immigration Timelines section to give yourself an idea of when you can expect the NOA2. My own took 117 days which was right in line with what I could deduce from Igor's.

My fiancee received notice that our petition had been approved on June 15th and she received the hard copy in the mail today. Such a massive relief because for months I was checking the "My Case Status" section on USCIS and it was telling me that my case could not be found, so I couldn't see if there had been any touches or any activity at all.

Just wondering what the process of notification is for the application being received by the NVC and then by the embassy in London? Is there a section on the NVC website I can check to see if they have my application and also to see when they send it to London?

Thanks in advance for any help. Congratulations to everyone else who has had their petition approved and to those who are still waiting, keep the faith.

Thank you for the help.

Hello everyone. I recently got engaged over Christmas and have now embarked upon the K-1 application journey with my fiancee. I am confident that I know all the forms that we need to complete the initial I-129F packet (thanks to this site and forum) but I did have a question about filling out the G-325a which I will detail below.

I was in the USA on a student visa from Aug 2005- Aug 2009 and as such I was hoping someone could give me some insight into the following:

1) Should I input the temporary SSN# I was issued to allow me to work on campus?

2) Should I include my on-campus employment under "Applicant's employment last five years" or just stick to what I have done in my home country (United Kingdom)?

3) Should I include my on-campus address under "Applicant's residence past five years" or only use my places of permanent residence in the UK?

Any help that can be offered in regards to these questions would be a big help and greatly appreciated.