Chrissy&Mark

I thought this would be better to reply to rather than starting a new topic. We plan to move back to America next year but are unsure when to apply via DCF, whether it should be 10 months before or 4 months? My wife (USC) will be returning to America on March 17th and I intend for the interview to be approximately 2 months after that date so what would be the best date for us to begin the application?

I would apply sooner rather than later; it is much easier to length the process than it is to speed it up; for example you have 6 months to submit the visa application after NOA2 - we sent ours in immediately, but you could delay it. The visa is also valid for 6 months after you receive it, so you don't have to enter the US straight away. Our process took about 6 months in total, and we were on top of everything - sent back all forms immediately, booked the medical ASAP, etc. I would suggest applying at least 10 months before you want to go to the US, as USCIS suggests.

Hi guys,

I am writing in this forum as you all just had your interviews.

I am interested to know what 'extra' proof of relationship evidence you guys carried to the interview.

Did you all carry years and years of phone records??? hundreds of pages of skype logs???

In the end we didn't need it, but just in case, we brought along about 5-6 photos, equally as many cards (from Valentine's Day, anniversary, etc), and a couple of boarding passes with our names (both before and after marriage) to show we travelled together. In the pack, we also had joint bank accounts for the I-864 anyway, and if you have any shared bills, that would help, too.

Congrats everyone so far! I am sure the success will continue with our final 2 May interviews!

Yes, we paid there ($230). We got called to the first window, she looked at DH's letter, got his file, and then asked us to pay (at he neighbouring window), then carried on checking documents.

We're aiming to move mid-July. We're finishing work 3 July, as we already had a holiday and a friend's wedding booked for June, so that'll give us a week or two to do the final packing, have a leaving do, etc. Our flat is under offer, and the buyer knows our planned move date, so now it's just a matter of crossing fingers that there are no delays in completing on that.

We passed we passed we passed!!! Visa approved!!! Still at hotel...just got back and I want to go relax a little More later!

Congratulations!!! Good month for interviews!

We were approved! We were definitely over-prepared (though I'd prefer it that way, just in case!), and didn't need anything to substantiate our ongoing relationship. We have been married nearly 3 yrs, and I have lived here for 5, so I wasn't really surprised, to be honest. I would still suggest erring on the side of caution and bringing along the few pics, cards, and your joint bank statements and bills just to put your own mind at ease.

Good luck!!

APPROVED!!! I'll post a full review when I'm back at work this afternoon, but we were done by 8.52 according to the receipt from the courier

Just curious, did they ever ask you for proof your relationship is real? Ive just been looking at a checklist you posted for the DS-2001 and it doesnt mention anything there either. So just wondering if its not required or if they just dont put it there.

So far, we haven't been asked for anything, but we have prepared a selection of photos, cards and boarding passes from holidays to show we are legit I doubt we will need it, particularly as we have been married nearly 3 yrs, but will let you know if they do ask for it.

Thanks. But as I said before most of those options don't apply to us right now.

1 - We don't have property here in the UK - we rent unfortunately.

2 - We're going to live with my MIL to save money to buy a house - so therefore no rental contract Stateside.

3 - Seems job offer in the US is the only thing left at the mo...but even that is quite difficult to do as both of us need to give 3 months notice in the UK...as I don't think a US company us going to sit and wait around for 3+ months after a job offer....

OR will anything else like US Bank Statements etc work as most of my wife's "stuff" still goes to her mum's address in the US?

GOOD LUCK with your interview tomorrow! Hope everything goes 100%!

Thanks!

I think you should agree a 'rental contract' with your MIL (this is what we are doing). I've previously heard the UK are less strict on this than other countries, so even contacting recruiters actively in the US or copy of notice given to your work or landlord may suffice to show you are winding things up here. At the end of the day, you are seeking to legitimately move there, so it is just a matter of documenting how you are going about it, even if they aren't documents as significant as a valuation, etc.

Thanks for the advice Im working on getting the rest of the forms sorted out now. Ive had to get a few extras for the appointment to get my daughters US passport too (she was born a dual citizen anyway). So we're well on the way

It went very fast for you! I'll be happy with that kind of time frame too if we're lucky Good luck for your interview tomorrow and i hope the move goes smoothly. Have you read any of the reviews of the embassy? It seems to be pretty straight forward from what ive read.

Thanks! Initially we estimated we would be done with the process in August/September, and are delighted it has progressed so quickly!

DH and I have poured through lots of the reviews, and feel we're sufficiently prepared. Doesn't look like too painful a process if everything is order, so I think I will breathe a huge sigh of relief once we have gotten through the document verification ... I have no issues about DH's ability to answer the questions

Crossing my fingers you see the same swiftness and luck we have so far! I read they anticipate some delays to passport processing as a result of the Olympics, but hopefully it doesn't create too much hassle for immigrant visas, too.

How long is your notice period? I would at least wait until your interview is scheduled (they give you 4-6 wks notice). We sent our final packet in just 2 days after another vj'er in the exact same situation, and got an interview a couple of weeks later, so it really is luck of the draw/which mail stack you're in! I am on 3 months notice, so have already handed in my resignation (also, we can comfortably live on DH's salary), with a view to finishing 3 July. DH is only on 4 weeks, so will resign in early June to finish the same date. We have a mate's wedding to attend here in the UK at the end of June, so knew even if we are approved tomorrow (*fingers crossed*), we won't move until at least July. Our flat is already under contract, and we have told the buyer we intend to move mid-July. That'll give us 12 days to do the last of our packing/loading up the shipping container, but we have already started selling/donating things we don't want to move and don't use often, and will slowly be selling/donating other things as July approaches. To be fair, even with a 2 br flat, we don't have a lot of stuff, and also don't plan to take a huge amount with us.

July15 is still under AP?

Not entirely sure; I haven't seen an update since the interview date

APPROVED!!!

It happened just like yours, Peter... they didn't have the medical results with the file, but the officer went to get them, so there were no problems there. I guess the wait was gruesome (showed up early for an appointment scheduled at 8am, and didn't call me with the results until 11am) and they asked tons of questions, but they didn't ask to see any of the forms or proof of relationship he had brought.

I'm so relieved! He's going to get to come be with me for our anniversary after all

Congratulations!!! Our appointment is 8am tomorrow, and I am hoping we are out of there before 11... as long as it ends in an approval, I won't mind if it takes a little longer though

Looks like a good month for interviews... we are now at:

Amanda&Elvio: April 30 (APPROVED!)

dimples: May 3 (APPROVED!)

DanHill13: May 4 (APPROVED!)

StephanieM: May 4 (APPROVED!)

Matt & Rocio: May 7 (APPROVED!)

Peter D: May 8 (APPROVED!)

cheekyerica: May 9 (APPROVED!)

Divs: May 9 (APPROVED!)

July15: May 9 (AP)

BerryNRocco: May 10 (AP)

Peaksy: May 11 (APPROVED!)

Alaska2012: May 16 (APPROVED!)

ny123: May 16 (APPROVED!)

RiaB: May 17 (APPROVED!)

nica: May 21 (APPROVED!)

Amrita&Terry: May 21

Trav&Shell: May 22

Chrissy&Mark: May 22

diani0626: May 23

GoingCrazy2012: May 30

mrsbinns: May 30

Yeah. I know how you feel. The domicile "thing" has got me confused right now....I can't understand how you supposed to proof (or the intent thereof) "domicile" if the USC has lived in the UK for 6 years.......maybe some one can comment on that please?

The options that are on the US London Embassy website and the Dept of State website does not apply to my wife right now...

The instructions for the I-864 (http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-864instr.pdf) and the Embassy website (http://london.usembassy.gov/faq_i864_domicile.html) indicate that things such as a valuation of property in the UK (ie showing you are selling your home), rental contract for property in the US, job offer in the US, etc are all suitable to show intent to re-establish domicile in the US.

Our interview is tomorrow, and we have included both a rental contract (other counterparty is a relative; we have done a 6 month contract) and the valuation/memorandum of sale for our property. I have already resigned from work, as I am on 3 months notice, and am tempted to also include the letter from my employer confirming my resignation for further evidence. Hopefully all this suffices, but I will let you know if not.

We have also filed DCF in London. I posted the I-130 on 30 November, but it was not marked received/NOA1 until 12 December. DH's interview is tomorrow, and while we've reviewed our stack of paperwork several times now, I'm still anxious about all the boxes being ticked, just in case All being well, we aim to move mid-July, once the current sale on our flat is complete and we have worked our respective notice periods, etc.

Gathering the documents for the DS-2001 (http://london.usembassy.gov/application_documents.html) while you await your NOA2 will be immensely helpful. We had gathered birth certs, located original wedding cert, ordered the police cert, tax transcripts (these took over a month to receive, possibly because it was over the Christmas period), etc., so when DH received the letter from the Embassy saying he was free to file his visa application, we scheduled his medical and had the DS-2001 (notice of readiness) posted the following day.

The Embassy's website and letters have been very comprehensive and helpful, IMO. I had a moment of confusion reading on here about whether or not to send all the documents along with the DS-2001, but the letter from the embassy said explicitly to hold on to the documents and bring originals to the interview. I did have to do a little digging about the I-864. We are using assets to cover the requirement (since I will be leaving my job here in the UK and re-establishing domicile in the USA); I initially printed off the most recent month's bank statements and thought I was ready to go on the I-864 (as the directions on the USCIS made no mention of anything more extensive. However, the FAQ on the Embassy website indicate we need 12 months worth of statements, so we had to omit some of the accounts we previously planned to include, as we wouldn't be able to get historic statements before the interview.

Many Blessings and the Best of Luck to all of You with Interviews this week. Keeping fingers crossed

THIS WEEK

nica: May 21

Amrita&Terry: May 21

Trav&Shell: May 22

Chrissy&Mark: May 22

diani0626: May 23

NEXT WEEK

GoingCrazy2012: May 30

mrsbinns: May 30

Thank you!!! The anxiety started to set in last Friday, but we have checked, double checked and triple checked our stack of paperwork. Our appt here in London is at 8am, so we plan to get there for 7, and one of us can go drop phones and keys at Gould's before we go in. Everything has been smooth up until now, I am crossing everything I can say the same this time tomorrow!

Adding us to the list - DH's interview scheduled for 22nd May!

We will bring it anyway, but none of the lists on the London Embassy's website indicate a need for evidence of an ongoing relationship. Have those filing direct with the NVC - have their document lists explicitly listed a request for evidence?