Anna Grant

I know. I have been thinking of them this morning. Before joining the VJ site, it would have just been another terrible news story. Now it means so much more.

Anna Grant who posts in the UK forum got a stupid office and was refused on that same K3 story. She went to the next closest office and put in a new application. Got the card easily.

Yes, this is my tale - http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/442017-ssn-told-i-cant-apply-for-one-as-married-on-k1-visa/

Don't worry too much. I entered the US twice without having a job or a proper home to go back to.

The most important item is your return ticket. By all means, take your parent's itinerary as well as that will show that you're getting the same flights going back.

Do you have anything to show that you have to go back? Car and car insurance? Phone contract? Have a look at this list here:

http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1visit

Don't lie to immigration about your reasons for coming to the US but don't volunteer extra information.

London approved ours in June on the last 6 weekly pay slips and last year's tax transcript only. As Nich-Nick says, the tax transcript would probably have been enough.

I didn't provide an employer letter at all as my husband owns the business and would be writing his own letter!

Costco are doing flu shots for $14.99 this year and you don't have to be a member to use their pharmacy.

I just got my Illinois driving license last week. I have 7 months left on my EAD. All they wanted to see was my passport, EAD card,proof of address and one of my NOA's (cant remember which one). My DL is valid for just over 4 years. Try a different office and you should be fine.

Which office did you go to?

She actually started her "training" today, without pay. My concern is that she'll be working for free for the next 2 or 3 months until she gets her EAD and possibly be told at that time they "no longer need her services", never paying her a dime! I'll discuss it with her later but I want to see about some other form of compensation until her EAD arrives. Not sure what yet, but we can't allow her to work for free that long, and if she stops "training" soon, her position may no longer be available when her EAD does arrive.

Be very careful about what she is currently doing. I believe that it is not just if someone does not get paid for work but if they do work which someone would normally be paid for that can cause problems. Someone with more knowledge that me will explain better. And I agree that the employer sounds a bit dodgy.

I did manage to expedite my EAD based on a job offer - http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/453753-how-to-request-to-expedite-your-ead-based-on-a-job-offer/. Once she has her receipt number, try expediting. Although be prepared to demonstrate financial hardship for trying to expedite so early in the process.

You don't need any relationship evidence. However, I took our scrapbooks just as a 'security blanket'. It did help when she asked me 'So how did he propose?' I whipped out the relevant scrapbook and showed her the photos! I could have just as easily told her but I liked showing her the photos (and it was quite a cool proposal).

I was interviewed in June this year and it was on the list of documents required. I did get a copy of my marriage certificate by physically going to the British Library in Euston to get the reference numbers and then ordering it online (although it seems stupid because you can't get a decree absolute without first being married). However, it was never asked for at the interview.

When I queried this with Nich-Nick at the time, she said 'If they really were requiring this, then there would be more posts about it here!'

I have today received another letter confirming my interview on Monday, this time it was accompanied by a check list letter which included the need for a marriage certificate for all marriages even if dissolved.

I have all my documents and have e decree absolute and copy, but never did I know I needed the original marriage certificate!! I don't remember any time upto now in the process needing it - do they really need to see it if I am showing them te decree absolute?

Major panic time.... Please help someone!!

I sent my stuff in on the 27Th of September and Got message today my card is in production today

Excellent stuff. Glad I was able to help.

Add me to the list of people still in 'Acceptance'. My NOA1 date is 18 July. I got my EAD and AP quite quickly as I expedited it due to a job offer. But I'm having problems with my DMV as they won't allow me to take my driving test until I have my GC!

I take it, as I haven't heard anything at all on my AOS, that I don't have an RFE?

Yeah, she has re-done the forms and she sent them off with FedEx today via their expensive fastest next day air delivery, which should allow them to get to me by 6pm Tuesday. She also scanned copies of them to email to me. So now we will see if the original ones suddenly get here in time, or if the expedited ones get here first.

If worst comes to worst, I will take the scans to the interview, along with the receipts as proof of postage of the original "wet signatures" and explain the situation and just hope for the best.

In short, yes, we jumped the gun slightly with the I-134 forms and I wouldn't recommend it, but we had still planned accordingly in order for me to receive them in time, alas we were blind-sided by this ridiculous and abnormal delay with the postal system that happened at the "perfect" time. All the other supporting documentation and photocopies of such for the I-134's are in my possession already, it's literally just the I-134's I need.

Have you received the second mailed forms now?

Don't forget to tell your fiancee to get a refund from USPS. If there was guaranteed date and the missed it, then you can get a refund. Don't get fobbed off by them saying 'we need to see proof of delivery to show it arrived late'. They tried to do that with me. I eventually received an e-mail from USPS telling me that they were unable to give me proof of delivery.

Hey guys, does anyone have the number for the US embassy in london where I can talk to a LIVE person? I used to call , pay $20 and speak with a live person but now its all automated. The number I have been calling is 703-439-2367 but I cant seem to reach a live person.

I need a code to email the embassy with, and I can only get that code when I speak with a live person.

Help pls!

Thanks,

Who would have thought that we would actually miss the extortion line?! You had to pay to speak to them but at least you could speak to someone!

As Nick-Nich says, they are unlikely to show compassion or leniency as, by mailing in the DS-2001 you have stated that already had in your possession all the documentation you needed for the interview. If you take a scanned version, you are likely to be approved pending receipt of the I-134 with a wet signature. Do you have the evidence to back up income already e.g tax transcripts, pay slips?

USPS was not affected by the shutdown but I also had something mailed through them by priority mail that stopped tracking after it got to Chicago O'Hare. It turned up a day after the guaranteed delivery date and I got a full refund.

I strongly suggest that the documentation is resent using UPS or DHL - I sent something by UPS at 3pm on a Thursday and it arrived at 9am the following Monday. It cost around $65. I think there was a faster service also.

Congratulations - especially after all your worries about being denied.

Our appointment was at 8:00am. We started queuing up at 7:00am. We went to the first window at about 8:20am. The second window at about 9:30am and we were all finished and out the door by 10am.

However, I wouldn't add the stress of worrying about racing to the airport to the stress of the interview process. If you have to fly on the 5th, make the flights late afternoon or early evening (assuming flying from Heathrow or Luton).

I was the beneficiary and I completed all the forms and got my husband ti sign them where needed. I just made him read the notes about the I864 to ensure he knew what he was signing about! To be honest, because I couldn't work and he was working, I had the time to do them and he didn't. Plus I'm better at this type of paperwork.

Yeah there were people in tracksuit when i was there.

Although they were probably getting visitor's visas.

I wore dark jeans, a casual top and sneakers. My then fiance wore jeans (the only time I have seen him wear anything but jeans was on our wedding day!), a t-shirt and casual shows.

Anna, she could be missing you and not know how to express it. Sure, there is envy mixed in with her feelings. If you want to keep in touch with her, don't give up.

Before I left, she told me how much she was going to miss me. I told her that I would miss her too. Obviously, as my best friend, she was the first person who knew about my soon to be fiance. She was happy initially but then started to say 'How much do you know about this man?' I was know she was anxious for me and wanted to protect me. I told her than the process takes some time anyway (in my case, 11 months from NOA1 until entering the US on the K1 visa). What also annoyed me at the time of telling her was I told her that she could not tell anyone about my plans. She told at least two other people. I also think what has happened to me is making her reflect on her own life. She has a record of dating users. The last one led her to have to get an IVA! So now she has no money and the bloke has scarpered.

I will keep trying. I ask her for her news in my emails to her as well as giving her my news but I get nothing back. But I will keep trying.

Most friends and colleagues were happy for me. They also didn't understand why the whole process took so long.

However, it does appear that I have lost my best friend. She is only 9 months older than me (I'm 50) and has settled for her single life with 2 cats. When she saw what was happening to my life, I think she became quite jealous of it. That I could meet someone at my time of life that I was willing to relocate 4000 miles to be with. I have tried to keep up the communication. I've talked to her about Skyping but she says she can't remember what she did with her webcam. I've sent her long e-mails and she responds with two lines on her iPhone. I've ended up coming to conclusion that we were friends only because we lived two floors apart - I was on the 1st floor and her on the 3rd floor. When I had to life in temporary accommodation when I sold my flat and it was an hour bus ride, I always went to visit her and she wouldn't even meet me half way.

It's a shame because we have known each other for over 20 years.

Check out this long running thread about visiting the US whilst going through the immigration process (it is under the K1 area but is still relevant to I-130):

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/67796-yes-you-can-visit/

And here is a checklist of things to show their ties to the UK:

http://www.visajourn...content/k1visit

Most trips to the US go without a hitch but it is best to be prepared - people have been denied entry to the US because they could not demonstrate that they had to go back to the UK (i.e. it looked like they had immediate immigrant intent).

Hi all,

Didnt want to create an unnecessary thread, so quick question:

My sealed packed has a 3 inch tear on the side, I can see it has docs in it. The seal is not broken though and I cant remove anything from it and nor can it fall out.

I emailed the embassy and they said as long as the seal is not broken it should be fine, shall I just ask to get it re-done?

I'm quite worried this will cause me problems at POE.

Don't worry. Mine had a slight tear in it also - it arrived like that. You'd think that if it were so important that it remained intact, that they'd put it in something more robust than a large manila envelope, wouldn't you

Another question:

My fiancees U.S. ESTA visa is currently expired (as of 2 months ago). Is it alright to renew it through the ESTA site or will this raise red flags since she's in process for the K1 visa? Thanks much again.

I renewed my ESTA as I had a new passport. It was about 3 months after we had submitted our K1 petition. I had no problems.

I had a different passport to the one that I had when I submitted the I-129F. I had no problem. I took my old passport with me to the interview, in case they wanted to see it as it had about 3 of my VWP stamps for entry to the US in it. But they only wanted to see my current passport. If you can get to London, then that is a lot quicker but you have to pick up your passport at the end of the day.

See here for the different ways of getting your UK passport:

https://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/passports

Personally, I would probably go to the Post Office and do their 'Check and Send' service. It tends to be quicker (although a little more expensive than mailing it direct) - https://www.gov.uk/how-the-post-office-check-and-send-service-works. Not all Post Offices offer this service - check whether http://www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder and select 'Passport Check and Send'.

It looks like some folks are getting interviews super fast and others are not. I was amazed when looking at other sections of VJ to see K1 folks getting their NOA2s in 2 months. I definitely feel like we applied at the worst time with all of the hassles of Vermont/Texas, change of forms, delay sending to NVC, etc.

Yes but just be glad you weren't applying last summer. It took us 9 months to get our NOA2 (NOA1 date of 24 July 2012). It's quite galling to see people getting their NOA2s in 2 months.