RachC

I don't miss the British obsession with TV soaps and English summers.

Luckily our local supermarket Mejier sells Brown Sauce and Salad Cream!

5:12PM

See I put our date in for when we expected to get married and that did not speed it up at all with London. They really do go at their own speed. I really don't understand why people organise weddings before they have a more stable idea of when they can fly.

Hi All,

I thought I would come back and give everyone an update on my recent passport renewal, especially for those looking for advice on how to renew their British passport. Well...I received a brand spanking new passport in just under 4 weeks. The current processing times (due to the Easter break), are 5 weeks, so I was well within the time frame.

I renewed my passport because I wanted to change my name to my married name. So I am basing my information on a simple renewal, not a long expired or a lost/stolen passport. Here is what I sent with no problems encountered:

Completed C1 form in my new name - I did not get the C1 form countersigned.

2 US SIZED passport photos - I did not crop them down. I did not use computer software. I did not get either passport photo counter-signed.

Marriage Certificate

Birth Certificate

Certfied Check - The only problem with this (I realized too late) is that when it says "4 weeks processing time from when the fee is taken" - I had no idea when the fee was taken! Dohhh!

All in all a very simple process

I hope this helped!

Thanks for the help!

I was having a huge stress this afternoon about it. I've just got married too and wanting to change my surname so everything's the same. And was just reading all those forms about having to have it resigned and your parents birth certificates. They really don't make it clear on the Embassy website do they?!

My boy gets nearly treble what I earn, he has the career the flat and the cat over there and i'm just working in retail and want to get out of it and out of my town. it's the better of the moves! Plus we did try to get my boy over here but the social workers council do not make it easy for non UK social workers to apply if they don't have their degree certificates!

Yeah i had a last minute nightmare of nearly not paying before the interview date but the lady I had the first part of my interview double checked if I had paid or not - implying you could pay on the day. however you might find it harder to get into the embassy in the first place without your MVR receipt because they ask to see it to get through to security and checking in at the reception.

ahhh

Probably be harder fighting with work for a few hours off then actually sorting it out! But yeah i've heard good things about the London embassy so hopefully can get more chilled out soon.

Okki dokki, my interviews on Wednesday so i'm calling in late to work tomorrow to try pay it in the morning. I'm a total stress head, it gets me nowhere I know and my guy puts up with a lot! ~I guess it was good I noticed today and not Tuesday night

Yeap another panicing topic by myself [you can see i'm not having much luck with the visa thing]. Right the first letter from the US embassy states you need to pay for the k 1 visa prior to the interview, but in the second letter the website they link you too and the document iv19 clearly states in the final payment section you pay on the day. I went with reading the iv19 form and now having a massive panic because I haven't paid anything. Whats the thing to do?!

For the interview it stated about having evidence regarding the "Affidavit of Support" documents, I know for the k1 it states you don't need the 1-1864 because you get that when your adjusting status, but do you need the i-134 even on a k1?

Please help im really confused

I mean the i-864

Do you need the i-134 (affidavit of support) for the k-1 visa? The US embassy claims you don't but people on this forum have done it and produced it anyway for the interview.

I'm getting so flipping confused!

i've heard they don't let it if your too early though?

It took me six weeks from posting my forms to getting my interview date which was three weeks later. Can be hit and miss.

Good good! I did find it in the end upon the embassy website that k1 visas don't need it but they hide it pretty well!

What is this ds160 form? It confuses me, is it something k1 visa people need? The embassy goes on on their website stating

Applicants who appear without having completing the form will be asked to reschedule the appointment for another day.

Cool cool, i mean i need to get myself from Kings Cross via dumping my luggage and getting over to the embassy, ah getting all nervy now!

It took me six weeks to get my interview date back from sending my paperwork which was also 5 weeks since having my medical. Just hold in there x

Apologies in advance because this post will probably have been done to death but i can't seem to find any topics on it. I have my interview at the London embassy in 10 days but i'm just wondering at what time should I start queueing up? My appointments at 9:30am and i'm guessing there's the morning rush to get in. What time would people suggest?

Ta in advance x

Brilliant! Thanks for you help folks x

Thank you! I've been going around in circles lately with it all. I kept thinking it was a bit risky [in case it gets lost or ends up in the wrong hands] when it comes to sending the originals. But that is good!

And I meant the DS156k form ...

Or do I just not send these forms till i've had my medical?

so so confused

I know this probably should be in the k-visa section but I wanted peoples experience who have been through the London embassy rather then getting confused with other countries systems and wants. I'm also not too up on knowing which letter is which code wise so you'll have to forgive me!

Basically i'm filling in and sending off all my forms to support my k-visa application to the embassy, so i'm filling out all the DS 156, 156k etc etc forms.

On the DS156 with sending your evidence it states "the following documents must be attached" birth certificates, evidence, police forms. Now is this the originals [because i'm kinda weary about posting my birth certificate off] or just photocopies? Plus I need to keep my police form because I have my medical booked for the 23rd August so i'm not really sure.

I'm really getting confused with these forms!

Awww congrats!!