Vanitas

Interview Day
You should have paid the visa fee in advance so take the confirmation page you printed when you paid online. Take your appointment letter and documents. Bring photocopies of any document that you need back. They look at the original and file the photocopy. Things you might want back: birth certificate, divorce decree, police certificate, letter from employer (use again for AOS maybe). Basically don’t give up your only copy of something.
The American Embassy is located at 24 Grosvenor Square London, W1A 2LQ
This map from Nich-Nick will be helpful http://www.click2map.com/maps/nichnick/Embassy_London because you can move it or zoom in close to see detail or zoom out if needed. The embassy, medical, hotels, and Gould’s Pharmacy are marked, as well as bus stops and tube stations.
The closest tube stations are Marble Arch or Bond Street.
Before going to the Embassy, check your mobile phones, car keys, headphones, thumb drives, and any electronic items at Gould’s Pharmacy at 37 N. Audley St. (marked on the map). They open around 7:20 AM and will keep your items for about £3-5. They can store larger items like luggage, but if you stayed overnight nearby, ask the hotel if they will hold your luggage while you interview.
The interview line forms near the corner of N. Audley Street and Upper Brook Street. They suggest you get in line no earlier than 30 minutes before your appointment, but it is first come first served. Your appointment time is more of a “suggestion” to stagger arrivals. If you have an 8:00 appointment and don’t get in the door until 8:15, you won’t miss your interview. You will just have a lot more people ahead of you that arrived earlier.
While in line, you will be given plastic bags for putting pocket change, watches, cigarette lighters, etc. in. That is mainly for men. Ladies with handbags can put their watch inside the handbag. At the front of the line, they will check your passport and appointment letter before sending you to the glass security booth. It’s like the airport. Put your things on the conveyor and walk through the metal detector, then collect your things.
The embassy has prepared a YouTube video that shows exactly the process you will encounter on interview day. I think it’s geared toward visitor or student visas with the sample “questions” you will see, but it’s a good preview of things you will see and do at the embassy. You can see how people dress for their interview. The last part about scheduling and paying for the courier at the counter inside the lobby is no longer done by K1s. You handle that part online when you pay your visa fee.
The “interview” is like a chat and is not intimidating. The officer of course has read over your file before you walk in so knows a little about you and is just checking that you know something about your fiancé.
So how did you guys meet? What does she do for a living? Does she have kids?
I have written a detailed account of my experience at the Embassy from queuing up in the cold outside to final approval – this has everything you need to know, from handing your documents over at the first window to what kinds of questions you might get asked at the second window with the Consular Officer.

Again, best of luck. Do NOT panic! We all know this is one of the most important interviews you'll ever have, but we've all done it and come through the other side. Just keep your calm – the Consular Officers themselves are widely reported to be really nice and the interview is usually more of a conversation than an interrogation. At the end, one of two things will happen. Normally, it's an approval and they will tell you what happens next regarding delivery (or pickup) and give you a leaflet on the AOS process, and give you the opportunity to ask them any questions you have lingering.

However, if you are not approved they will explain why and give you a written paper detailing what is still needed, and most of the time it's something that can be fixed by sending them documents of one kind or another – and they will explain how to do that. It could be the wrong police certificate, or not having your “long form” birth certificate. One member got denied because her passport was damaged, but as soon as she had a replacement and had it couriered in, she was approved and is now happily married in the USA. If they call it "denied", don't panic. They give you opportunity to submit whatever is needed for approval.

When I did an adv. search for threads like this, I found that while they started off well they tended to get derailed big time because they didn't focus on the subject matter (the last one went from "you need to do this" to "I want to get this food to take with me" to "I'm going to be living near you"). Others got ignored and pushed to the bottom of the pile.
I would like this thread to be the main resource for things you need to do or cover before you leave for the US from the United Kingdom. Hence I will be dividing it into sections and anyone can contribute items that they know of which needs to be sorted before you go.
Government (inc. Taxes)
-File Form 85 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-tax-leaving-the-uk-getting-your-tax-right-p85 with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
-Check with Jobcentre Plus regarding any benefits you are currently claiming. Most will stop when you move abroad (like JSA and ESA).
-Inform your Local Council you are leaving. You may be able to claim back Council Tax for the time you won't be in the UK if you paid it in one blast up front.
Medical
-Get your Medical Records from the Doctor's. You may have to pay for this. Also inform Doctor's you're emigrating and thus will be leaving the surgery.
-Stock up on any vital medications you will need whilst changing over to a US Doctor. Be aware that some items (or large quantities of items) will need a Doctor's Letter verifying you actually need the medication.
Financial
-Inform your Bank that you are moving abroad to the States. You might want to keep the account open to avoid exchange rate fees when you visit the UK.
-Transfer any savings or anything in that vein over to where you want it to be (be it in a UK or US account).
-Cancel any Insurance Policies you won't need in the US (Car, for example).
-If you're expecting a pension you may need to check on whether it can be paid in the US or if you need to take action now.
Employment
-Hand your Notice in and make sure you get the length of time right. You might lose pay or the like if you don't.
-See if you can get a reference to take over with you, sealed in an envelope (if on good terms with employer).
-Don't do anything silly on your last day of work which might jeopardize you being able to leave for the States.
Possessions
-Anything of sentimental value you can't pack could be couriered over pre-move in plenty of time. Check around for costs and applicable regulations at Customs and Border Protection. See details here: http://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/know-before-you-go
-Get any last items of food or drink you want to take over with you to tide you over, again keeping in mind the Customs regulations (see link above).
-Sell anything you can't take or don't want to take. Ebay or local shops may be an idea. Charity shops are also an excellent idea.
-If renting accomodation make sure it is clean and tidy, nothing is missing from your inventory and the Landlord knows where to send a deposit refund to (or a bill for damages/cleaning).
-Make sure your Mobile Phone is unlocked and therefore can accept a US Simcard to save on roaming and all.
Family/Friends
-Make sure your family can get hold of you in an emergency (be it via email, social media, phone or whatever you choose). You might find that teaching family members to use Skype or the like is a good idea.
-In a similar vein, make sure that you have a nice send-off with your friends and family so they can all see you before you go. This may be the last chance you get for the next six months or so.
--------
What else do you think needs to be added under these categories, guys?

When I did an adv. search for threads like this, I found that while they started off well they tended to get derailed big time because they didn't focus on the subject matter (the last one went from "you need to do this" to "I want to get this food to take with me" to "I'm going to be living near you"). Others got ignored and pushed to the bottom of the pile.
I would like this thread to be the main resource for things you need to do or cover before you leave for the US from the United Kingdom. Hence I will be dividing it into sections and anyone can contribute items that they know of which needs to be sorted before you go.
Government (inc. Taxes)
-File Form 85 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-tax-leaving-the-uk-getting-your-tax-right-p85 with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
-Check with Jobcentre Plus regarding any benefits you are currently claiming. Most will stop when you move abroad (like JSA and ESA).
-Inform your Local Council you are leaving. You may be able to claim back Council Tax for the time you won't be in the UK if you paid it in one blast up front.
Medical
-Get your Medical Records from the Doctor's. You may have to pay for this. Also inform Doctor's you're emigrating and thus will be leaving the surgery.
-Stock up on any vital medications you will need whilst changing over to a US Doctor. Be aware that some items (or large quantities of items) will need a Doctor's Letter verifying you actually need the medication.
Financial
-Inform your Bank that you are moving abroad to the States. You might want to keep the account open to avoid exchange rate fees when you visit the UK.
-Transfer any savings or anything in that vein over to where you want it to be (be it in a UK or US account).
-Cancel any Insurance Policies you won't need in the US (Car, for example).
-If you're expecting a pension you may need to check on whether it can be paid in the US or if you need to take action now.
Employment
-Hand your Notice in and make sure you get the length of time right. You might lose pay or the like if you don't.
-See if you can get a reference to take over with you, sealed in an envelope (if on good terms with employer).
-Don't do anything silly on your last day of work which might jeopardize you being able to leave for the States.
Possessions
-Anything of sentimental value you can't pack could be couriered over pre-move in plenty of time. Check around for costs and applicable regulations at Customs and Border Protection. See details here: http://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/know-before-you-go
-Get any last items of food or drink you want to take over with you to tide you over, again keeping in mind the Customs regulations (see link above).
-Sell anything you can't take or don't want to take. Ebay or local shops may be an idea. Charity shops are also an excellent idea.
-If renting accomodation make sure it is clean and tidy, nothing is missing from your inventory and the Landlord knows where to send a deposit refund to (or a bill for damages/cleaning).
-Make sure your Mobile Phone is unlocked and therefore can accept a US Simcard to save on roaming and all.
Family/Friends
-Make sure your family can get hold of you in an emergency (be it via email, social media, phone or whatever you choose). You might find that teaching family members to use Skype or the like is a good idea.
-In a similar vein, make sure that you have a nice send-off with your friends and family so they can all see you before you go. This may be the last chance you get for the next six months or so.
--------
What else do you think needs to be added under these categories, guys?

Last Things Last – Post Interview
You've got your passport and BBE – now what? Well, it goes without saying you and your other half will now need to decide when you're leaving so you can book flights. Go ahead and do that now assuming nothing major is barring you (like a pending house sale).

There's a thread on things you need to do before leaving the UK - read the entire thread though, as many people have contributed things not in the first post.

When you arrive at your Point of Entry (POE), make sure you have your Passport, BBE and Customs Declaration ready. Ask the immigration staffers where they want you to go – some airports (San Francisco) have special “New Immigrant” lines. Others will have you go through the “Visitor” line. Some may even have you go through the “US Citizen/LPR” line, especially if your future spouse flew with you. Note if you're flying from Dublin, that IS your POE as they have pre-clearance there and therefore when you touch down in the US it's as if you flew in on a domestic flight.

You will get taken into Secondary Processing, or at least directed to it. In your case this is nothing to fear – you're basically being signed in. They'll take your BBE off of you as this gets sent away ready for AOS later on. Your visa will be stamped or written on and you will be told what date you need to be married by. As with all CBP officers, you might get a nice one, or a grumpy one. Can't help that, unfortunately. Note, if you have a connection you want to leave lots of time just in case there's an issue as you will have to recheck your bags and go through security one last time.

If your first stop is your last one, you best be ready to run into the arms of your beloved. If not, get your bags, recheck them and go through the security checkpoint one more time before you go to get that last flight. Next up is marriage and AOS. But think about that a bit later, first off you might have some serious catching up to do!

Interview Day
You should have paid the visa fee in advance so take the confirmation page you printed when you paid online. Take your appointment letter and documents. Bring photocopies of any document that you need back. They look at the original and file the photocopy. Things you might want back: birth certificate, divorce decree, police certificate, letter from employer (use again for AOS maybe). Basically don’t give up your only copy of something.
The American Embassy is located at 24 Grosvenor Square London, W1A 2LQ
This map from Nich-Nick will be helpful http://www.click2map.com/maps/nichnick/Embassy_London because you can move it or zoom in close to see detail or zoom out if needed. The embassy, medical, hotels, and Gould’s Pharmacy are marked, as well as bus stops and tube stations.
The closest tube stations are Marble Arch or Bond Street.
Before going to the Embassy, check your mobile phones, car keys, headphones, thumb drives, and any electronic items at Gould’s Pharmacy at 37 N. Audley St. (marked on the map). They open around 7:20 AM and will keep your items for about £3-5. They can store larger items like luggage, but if you stayed overnight nearby, ask the hotel if they will hold your luggage while you interview.
The interview line forms near the corner of N. Audley Street and Upper Brook Street. They suggest you get in line no earlier than 30 minutes before your appointment, but it is first come first served. Your appointment time is more of a “suggestion” to stagger arrivals. If you have an 8:00 appointment and don’t get in the door until 8:15, you won’t miss your interview. You will just have a lot more people ahead of you that arrived earlier.
While in line, you will be given plastic bags for putting pocket change, watches, cigarette lighters, etc. in. That is mainly for men. Ladies with handbags can put their watch inside the handbag. At the front of the line, they will check your passport and appointment letter before sending you to the glass security booth. It’s like the airport. Put your things on the conveyor and walk through the metal detector, then collect your things.
The embassy has prepared a YouTube video that shows exactly the process you will encounter on interview day. I think it’s geared toward visitor or student visas with the sample “questions” you will see, but it’s a good preview of things you will see and do at the embassy. You can see how people dress for their interview. The last part about scheduling and paying for the courier at the counter inside the lobby is no longer done by K1s. You handle that part online when you pay your visa fee.
The “interview” is like a chat and is not intimidating. The officer of course has read over your file before you walk in so knows a little about you and is just checking that you know something about your fiancé.
So how did you guys meet? What does she do for a living? Does she have kids?
I have written a detailed account of my experience at the Embassy from queuing up in the cold outside to final approval – this has everything you need to know, from handing your documents over at the first window to what kinds of questions you might get asked at the second window with the Consular Officer.

Again, best of luck. Do NOT panic! We all know this is one of the most important interviews you'll ever have, but we've all done it and come through the other side. Just keep your calm – the Consular Officers themselves are widely reported to be really nice and the interview is usually more of a conversation than an interrogation. At the end, one of two things will happen. Normally, it's an approval and they will tell you what happens next regarding delivery (or pickup) and give you a leaflet on the AOS process, and give you the opportunity to ask them any questions you have lingering.

However, if you are not approved they will explain why and give you a written paper detailing what is still needed, and most of the time it's something that can be fixed by sending them documents of one kind or another – and they will explain how to do that. It could be the wrong police certificate, or not having your “long form” birth certificate. One member got denied because her passport was damaged, but as soon as she had a replacement and had it couriered in, she was approved and is now happily married in the USA. If they call it "denied", don't panic. They give you opportunity to submit whatever is needed for approval.

Application for the Visa/Getting an Interview
London needs 3 things before they will schedule your interview.
Complete online form DS-160. For the photo, you can scan in your US size photo you took before and use that. Otherwise you need to find a white background and take a picture either with a digital camera or with your webcam. Once that's complete, print out the confirmation page at the end and keep it safe, along with your application ID from it.
Tips: Before you start, gather all the information this application is going to ask for—passport number, your work address, trips to US and abroad; fiancé name, address, birth date; your parents’ full names, birth dates (and death year)
FYI: You do not have a national ID number. Tick "does not apply". You do not have a state or province.
Passport city of issue? London works as an answer.

Schedule and attend a medical. (Details are in previous post.) Take your police certificate, immunization records, and information from your GP if you have any current or previous medical condition. Your results will be couriered to the embassy 3-4 days after the exam, unless the doctor needs something further from you or information from your GP about a health condition. The delay is because they need to get your blood test results back from the lab.

Complete the online Notification of Applicant's Readiness Form when you have in hand all documents you will be taking to the interview. That includes your fiancé’s Affidavit of Support Form I-134 with proof of income. Review the list of documents on the embassy website.
Tips for the form:
Planned Date of Marriage? Pick something sooner rather than later if you want a soonish interview. It may move you up in the queue over picking a date 7 months away. You don’t have to show proof.
NOTES:
The order for medical and readiness form are interchangeable. If you have all your documents, you can submit the Notification of Applicant's Readiness before you actually attend the medical. The embassy website says:
Please note that you can expect to wait 6 weeks from the date on which you email the forms before being contacted by the Immigrant Visa Unit. We will not respond to status requests during this time.
That means don’t expect to get an interview letter within days of the medical or submission of the readiness form, whichever comes last.

Tips if you don’t like waiting around, or several weeks have passed since your 3 things have gone to the embassy:
Call the Visa Specialist Unit at the Department of State - (202) 485-7600 – when your “Case Updated” field on CEAC changes. This means one of two things – they've either received your online Readiness form, or they've printed and sent your interview date letter. The DOS will be able to tell you when your interview date is, just in case the letter never arrives or is late. It is a good idea to check with them because some have never received their letter.

What happens after NOA2? The Basics
Your Service center will send your file to the National Visa Center (NVC). You are done with USCIS when they hand off your file to the Department of State (DOS). DOS is over the NVC, as well all embassies.

The NVC is a short pit stop for a K1 case. They assign a new DOS case number and forward your file to London. Your new case number will begin with LND for London. The NVC will mail the petitioner a letter saying the file has been sent to London, as well as telling you the new case number. They aren’t fast about getting out the letters, so your case will likely be in London before you hear from them.
Shortcut for those who can’t wait for their letter: NVC accepts phone calls. You can call and ask if your case has arrived, if it has gone to the embassy, and if they have assigned your LND case number.
NVC: 603-334-0700 Press 1 for English
Hours: Monday-Friday from 7:00 AM to midnight (EST).
Best time to call is 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM or 10:00 PM to midnight.

You can also find out your case number from DOS.
DOS: 202-485-7600 Press 1, then 0. 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM (EST)

Your case arrives in London. The embassy will send the beneficiary a letter of instruction. It’s not a “packet”, but just a letter that essentially says “We have your approved petition from the NVC and we're ready for you to begin submitting your forms and have your medical”. The letter has a link to the embassy website where you will find forms and instructions. The letter will have a very important date at the bottom called your priority date. The same date is found on your NOA2 showing the expiration date of the approved petition. This is your four month time limit – if you haven't had your interview by this date, London will require a notarized letter from the US petitioner stating they're still happy to get married. The letter is taken by the beneficiary to the interview.
Shortcut for those who can’t wait for their letter: If you have obtained your LND number, you can enter it in the CEAC Visa Status Check site,. Choose “immigrant” in the drop down. Include the letters LND with your number. The important thing here is to forget the text at the bottom about scheduling interviews or anything like that – the Embassy does that for you once you've sent everything in. There are two main statuses at this point:
In Transit – This one means your case is on its way from the NVC to London.
Ready – This one means London has your casefile and is waiting to receive something needed to progress your case. You may begin submitting forms and booking the medical.

You now attend the medical and complete your forms (separate topics) before London will assign an interview date. London will not notify you each step of the way. The beneficiary will receive an interview letter from London. The interview will likely be 2-4 weeks from when they send the letter.
Shortcut for those who can’t wait for their letter: DOS will know your interview date once it has been assigned. You may call them and ask the date. It is a good idea to check with them because London has sent out late letters or no letters in the past.

Once you know your interview date, you pay the visa fee online. (Details in a separate post)

Application for the Visa/Getting an Interview
London needs 3 things before they will schedule your interview.
Complete online form DS-160. For the photo, you can scan in your US size photo you took before and use that. Otherwise you need to find a white background and take a picture either with a digital camera or with your webcam. Once that's complete, print out the confirmation page at the end and keep it safe, along with your application ID from it.
Tips: Before you start, gather all the information this application is going to ask for—passport number, your work address, trips to US and abroad; fiancé name, address, birth date; your parents’ full names, birth dates (and death year)
FYI: You do not have a national ID number. Tick "does not apply". You do not have a state or province.
Passport city of issue? London works as an answer.

Schedule and attend a medical. (Details are in previous post.) Take your police certificate, immunization records, and information from your GP if you have any current or previous medical condition. Your results will be couriered to the embassy 3-4 days after the exam, unless the doctor needs something further from you or information from your GP about a health condition. The delay is because they need to get your blood test results back from the lab.

Complete the online Notification of Applicant's Readiness Form when you have in hand all documents you will be taking to the interview. That includes your fiancé’s Affidavit of Support Form I-134 with proof of income. Review the list of documents on the embassy website.
Tips for the form:
Planned Date of Marriage? Pick something sooner rather than later if you want a soonish interview. It may move you up in the queue over picking a date 7 months away. You don’t have to show proof.
NOTES:
The order for medical and readiness form are interchangeable. If you have all your documents, you can submit the Notification of Applicant's Readiness before you actually attend the medical. The embassy website says:
Please note that you can expect to wait 6 weeks from the date on which you email the forms before being contacted by the Immigrant Visa Unit. We will not respond to status requests during this time.
That means don’t expect to get an interview letter within days of the medical or submission of the readiness form, whichever comes last.

Tips if you don’t like waiting around, or several weeks have passed since your 3 things have gone to the embassy:
Call the Visa Specialist Unit at the Department of State - (202) 485-7600 – when your “Case Updated” field on CEAC changes. This means one of two things – they've either received your online Readiness form, or they've printed and sent your interview date letter. The DOS will be able to tell you when your interview date is, just in case the letter never arrives or is late. It is a good idea to check with them because some have never received their letter.

Last Things Last – Post Interview
You've got your passport and BBE – now what? Well, it goes without saying you and your other half will now need to decide when you're leaving so you can book flights. Go ahead and do that now assuming nothing major is barring you (like a pending house sale).

There's a thread on things you need to do before leaving the UK - read the entire thread though, as many people have contributed things not in the first post.

When you arrive at your Point of Entry (POE), make sure you have your Passport, BBE and Customs Declaration ready. Ask the immigration staffers where they want you to go – some airports (San Francisco) have special “New Immigrant” lines. Others will have you go through the “Visitor” line. Some may even have you go through the “US Citizen/LPR” line, especially if your future spouse flew with you. Note if you're flying from Dublin, that IS your POE as they have pre-clearance there and therefore when you touch down in the US it's as if you flew in on a domestic flight.

You will get taken into Secondary Processing, or at least directed to it. In your case this is nothing to fear – you're basically being signed in. They'll take your BBE off of you as this gets sent away ready for AOS later on. Your visa will be stamped or written on and you will be told what date you need to be married by. As with all CBP officers, you might get a nice one, or a grumpy one. Can't help that, unfortunately. Note, if you have a connection you want to leave lots of time just in case there's an issue as you will have to recheck your bags and go through security one last time.

If your first stop is your last one, you best be ready to run into the arms of your beloved. If not, get your bags, recheck them and go through the security checkpoint one more time before you go to get that last flight. Next up is marriage and AOS. But think about that a bit later, first off you might have some serious catching up to do!

When I did an adv. search for threads like this, I found that while they started off well they tended to get derailed big time because they didn't focus on the subject matter (the last one went from "you need to do this" to "I want to get this food to take with me" to "I'm going to be living near you"). Others got ignored and pushed to the bottom of the pile.
I would like this thread to be the main resource for things you need to do or cover before you leave for the US from the United Kingdom. Hence I will be dividing it into sections and anyone can contribute items that they know of which needs to be sorted before you go.
Government (inc. Taxes)
-File Form 85 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-tax-leaving-the-uk-getting-your-tax-right-p85 with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
-Check with Jobcentre Plus regarding any benefits you are currently claiming. Most will stop when you move abroad (like JSA and ESA).
-Inform your Local Council you are leaving. You may be able to claim back Council Tax for the time you won't be in the UK if you paid it in one blast up front.
Medical
-Get your Medical Records from the Doctor's. You may have to pay for this. Also inform Doctor's you're emigrating and thus will be leaving the surgery.
-Stock up on any vital medications you will need whilst changing over to a US Doctor. Be aware that some items (or large quantities of items) will need a Doctor's Letter verifying you actually need the medication.
Financial
-Inform your Bank that you are moving abroad to the States. You might want to keep the account open to avoid exchange rate fees when you visit the UK.
-Transfer any savings or anything in that vein over to where you want it to be (be it in a UK or US account).
-Cancel any Insurance Policies you won't need in the US (Car, for example).
-If you're expecting a pension you may need to check on whether it can be paid in the US or if you need to take action now.
Employment
-Hand your Notice in and make sure you get the length of time right. You might lose pay or the like if you don't.
-See if you can get a reference to take over with you, sealed in an envelope (if on good terms with employer).
-Don't do anything silly on your last day of work which might jeopardize you being able to leave for the States.
Possessions
-Anything of sentimental value you can't pack could be couriered over pre-move in plenty of time. Check around for costs and applicable regulations at Customs and Border Protection. See details here: http://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/know-before-you-go
-Get any last items of food or drink you want to take over with you to tide you over, again keeping in mind the Customs regulations (see link above).
-Sell anything you can't take or don't want to take. Ebay or local shops may be an idea. Charity shops are also an excellent idea.
-If renting accomodation make sure it is clean and tidy, nothing is missing from your inventory and the Landlord knows where to send a deposit refund to (or a bill for damages/cleaning).
-Make sure your Mobile Phone is unlocked and therefore can accept a US Simcard to save on roaming and all.
Family/Friends
-Make sure your family can get hold of you in an emergency (be it via email, social media, phone or whatever you choose). You might find that teaching family members to use Skype or the like is a good idea.
-In a similar vein, make sure that you have a nice send-off with your friends and family so they can all see you before you go. This may be the last chance you get for the next six months or so.
--------
What else do you think needs to be added under these categories, guys?

Unfortunately not. And I'll explain why I *think* they aren't.
I was looking at becoming a teacher and therefore having to do a Master's over in the States to enable this. When they list the entry requirements they usually talk about coursework or things you should have covered in your Bachelor's degree in order to be eligible straight off the bat (usually you can take courses to bring you up to speed if you aren't). The transcript from University will detail every single module you took. When you then have that transcript looked at by one of the companies in the US, I suspect they then look at your University's module guide (or course guide, whatever) to work out exactly what you had to do to pass that module. I also think they'll translate your grades into the US system of GPAs and all that so you can be assessed for that requirement as well.
In short? If you have a degree, it'd be a good idea to contact your University to get a transcript sorted. Mine from Kent Uni will cost £10 or so.

Interview Day
You should have paid the visa fee in advance so take the confirmation page you printed when you paid online. Take your appointment letter and documents. Bring photocopies of any document that you need back. They look at the original and file the photocopy. Things you might want back: birth certificate, divorce decree, police certificate, letter from employer (use again for AOS maybe). Basically don’t give up your only copy of something.
The American Embassy is located at 24 Grosvenor Square London, W1A 2LQ
This map from Nich-Nick will be helpful http://www.click2map.com/maps/nichnick/Embassy_London because you can move it or zoom in close to see detail or zoom out if needed. The embassy, medical, hotels, and Gould’s Pharmacy are marked, as well as bus stops and tube stations.
The closest tube stations are Marble Arch or Bond Street.
Before going to the Embassy, check your mobile phones, car keys, headphones, thumb drives, and any electronic items at Gould’s Pharmacy at 37 N. Audley St. (marked on the map). They open around 7:20 AM and will keep your items for about £3-5. They can store larger items like luggage, but if you stayed overnight nearby, ask the hotel if they will hold your luggage while you interview.
The interview line forms near the corner of N. Audley Street and Upper Brook Street. They suggest you get in line no earlier than 30 minutes before your appointment, but it is first come first served. Your appointment time is more of a “suggestion” to stagger arrivals. If you have an 8:00 appointment and don’t get in the door until 8:15, you won’t miss your interview. You will just have a lot more people ahead of you that arrived earlier.
While in line, you will be given plastic bags for putting pocket change, watches, cigarette lighters, etc. in. That is mainly for men. Ladies with handbags can put their watch inside the handbag. At the front of the line, they will check your passport and appointment letter before sending you to the glass security booth. It’s like the airport. Put your things on the conveyor and walk through the metal detector, then collect your things.
The embassy has prepared a YouTube video that shows exactly the process you will encounter on interview day. I think it’s geared toward visitor or student visas with the sample “questions” you will see, but it’s a good preview of things you will see and do at the embassy. You can see how people dress for their interview. The last part about scheduling and paying for the courier at the counter inside the lobby is no longer done by K1s. You handle that part online when you pay your visa fee.
The “interview” is like a chat and is not intimidating. The officer of course has read over your file before you walk in so knows a little about you and is just checking that you know something about your fiancé.
So how did you guys meet? What does she do for a living? Does she have kids?
I have written a detailed account of my experience at the Embassy from queuing up in the cold outside to final approval – this has everything you need to know, from handing your documents over at the first window to what kinds of questions you might get asked at the second window with the Consular Officer.

Again, best of luck. Do NOT panic! We all know this is one of the most important interviews you'll ever have, but we've all done it and come through the other side. Just keep your calm – the Consular Officers themselves are widely reported to be really nice and the interview is usually more of a conversation than an interrogation. At the end, one of two things will happen. Normally, it's an approval and they will tell you what happens next regarding delivery (or pickup) and give you a leaflet on the AOS process, and give you the opportunity to ask them any questions you have lingering.

However, if you are not approved they will explain why and give you a written paper detailing what is still needed, and most of the time it's something that can be fixed by sending them documents of one kind or another – and they will explain how to do that. It could be the wrong police certificate, or not having your “long form” birth certificate. One member got denied because her passport was damaged, but as soon as she had a replacement and had it couriered in, she was approved and is now happily married in the USA. If they call it "denied", don't panic. They give you opportunity to submit whatever is needed for approval.

What happens after NOA2? The Basics
Your Service center will send your file to the National Visa Center (NVC). You are done with USCIS when they hand off your file to the Department of State (DOS). DOS is over the NVC, as well all embassies.

The NVC is a short pit stop for a K1 case. They assign a new DOS case number and forward your file to London. Your new case number will begin with LND for London. The NVC will mail the petitioner a letter saying the file has been sent to London, as well as telling you the new case number. They aren’t fast about getting out the letters, so your case will likely be in London before you hear from them.
Shortcut for those who can’t wait for their letter: NVC accepts phone calls. You can call and ask if your case has arrived, if it has gone to the embassy, and if they have assigned your LND case number.
NVC: 603-334-0700 Press 1 for English
Hours: Monday-Friday from 7:00 AM to midnight (EST).
Best time to call is 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM or 10:00 PM to midnight.

You can also find out your case number from DOS.
DOS: 202-485-7600 Press 1, then 0. 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM (EST)

Your case arrives in London. The embassy will send the beneficiary a letter of instruction. It’s not a “packet”, but just a letter that essentially says “We have your approved petition from the NVC and we're ready for you to begin submitting your forms and have your medical”. The letter has a link to the embassy website where you will find forms and instructions. The letter will have a very important date at the bottom called your priority date. The same date is found on your NOA2 showing the expiration date of the approved petition. This is your four month time limit – if you haven't had your interview by this date, London will require a notarized letter from the US petitioner stating they're still happy to get married. The letter is taken by the beneficiary to the interview.
Shortcut for those who can’t wait for their letter: If you have obtained your LND number, you can enter it in the CEAC Visa Status Check site,. Choose “immigrant” in the drop down. Include the letters LND with your number. The important thing here is to forget the text at the bottom about scheduling interviews or anything like that – the Embassy does that for you once you've sent everything in. There are two main statuses at this point:
In Transit – This one means your case is on its way from the NVC to London.
Ready – This one means London has your casefile and is waiting to receive something needed to progress your case. You may begin submitting forms and booking the medical.

You now attend the medical and complete your forms (separate topics) before London will assign an interview date. London will not notify you each step of the way. The beneficiary will receive an interview letter from London. The interview will likely be 2-4 weeks from when they send the letter.
Shortcut for those who can’t wait for their letter: DOS will know your interview date once it has been assigned. You may call them and ask the date. It is a good idea to check with them because London has sent out late letters or no letters in the past.

Once you know your interview date, you pay the visa fee online. (Details in a separate post)

Interview Day
You should have paid the visa fee in advance so take the confirmation page you printed when you paid online. Take your appointment letter and documents. Bring photocopies of any document that you need back. They look at the original and file the photocopy. Things you might want back: birth certificate, divorce decree, police certificate, letter from employer (use again for AOS maybe). Basically don’t give up your only copy of something.
The American Embassy is located at 24 Grosvenor Square London, W1A 2LQ
This map from Nich-Nick will be helpful http://www.click2map.com/maps/nichnick/Embassy_London because you can move it or zoom in close to see detail or zoom out if needed. The embassy, medical, hotels, and Gould’s Pharmacy are marked, as well as bus stops and tube stations.
The closest tube stations are Marble Arch or Bond Street.
Before going to the Embassy, check your mobile phones, car keys, headphones, thumb drives, and any electronic items at Gould’s Pharmacy at 37 N. Audley St. (marked on the map). They open around 7:20 AM and will keep your items for about £3-5. They can store larger items like luggage, but if you stayed overnight nearby, ask the hotel if they will hold your luggage while you interview.
The interview line forms near the corner of N. Audley Street and Upper Brook Street. They suggest you get in line no earlier than 30 minutes before your appointment, but it is first come first served. Your appointment time is more of a “suggestion” to stagger arrivals. If you have an 8:00 appointment and don’t get in the door until 8:15, you won’t miss your interview. You will just have a lot more people ahead of you that arrived earlier.
While in line, you will be given plastic bags for putting pocket change, watches, cigarette lighters, etc. in. That is mainly for men. Ladies with handbags can put their watch inside the handbag. At the front of the line, they will check your passport and appointment letter before sending you to the glass security booth. It’s like the airport. Put your things on the conveyor and walk through the metal detector, then collect your things.
The embassy has prepared a YouTube video that shows exactly the process you will encounter on interview day. I think it’s geared toward visitor or student visas with the sample “questions” you will see, but it’s a good preview of things you will see and do at the embassy. You can see how people dress for their interview. The last part about scheduling and paying for the courier at the counter inside the lobby is no longer done by K1s. You handle that part online when you pay your visa fee.
The “interview” is like a chat and is not intimidating. The officer of course has read over your file before you walk in so knows a little about you and is just checking that you know something about your fiancé.
So how did you guys meet? What does she do for a living? Does she have kids?
I have written a detailed account of my experience at the Embassy from queuing up in the cold outside to final approval – this has everything you need to know, from handing your documents over at the first window to what kinds of questions you might get asked at the second window with the Consular Officer.

Again, best of luck. Do NOT panic! We all know this is one of the most important interviews you'll ever have, but we've all done it and come through the other side. Just keep your calm – the Consular Officers themselves are widely reported to be really nice and the interview is usually more of a conversation than an interrogation. At the end, one of two things will happen. Normally, it's an approval and they will tell you what happens next regarding delivery (or pickup) and give you a leaflet on the AOS process, and give you the opportunity to ask them any questions you have lingering.

However, if you are not approved they will explain why and give you a written paper detailing what is still needed, and most of the time it's something that can be fixed by sending them documents of one kind or another – and they will explain how to do that. It could be the wrong police certificate, or not having your “long form” birth certificate. One member got denied because her passport was damaged, but as soon as she had a replacement and had it couriered in, she was approved and is now happily married in the USA. If they call it "denied", don't panic. They give you opportunity to submit whatever is needed for approval.

Application for the Visa/Getting an Interview
London needs 3 things before they will schedule your interview.
Complete online form DS-160. For the photo, you can scan in your US size photo you took before and use that. Otherwise you need to find a white background and take a picture either with a digital camera or with your webcam. Once that's complete, print out the confirmation page at the end and keep it safe, along with your application ID from it.
Tips: Before you start, gather all the information this application is going to ask for—passport number, your work address, trips to US and abroad; fiancé name, address, birth date; your parents’ full names, birth dates (and death year)
FYI: You do not have a national ID number. Tick "does not apply". You do not have a state or province.
Passport city of issue? London works as an answer.

Schedule and attend a medical. (Details are in previous post.) Take your police certificate, immunization records, and information from your GP if you have any current or previous medical condition. Your results will be couriered to the embassy 3-4 days after the exam, unless the doctor needs something further from you or information from your GP about a health condition. The delay is because they need to get your blood test results back from the lab.

Complete the online Notification of Applicant's Readiness Form when you have in hand all documents you will be taking to the interview. That includes your fiancé’s Affidavit of Support Form I-134 with proof of income. Review the list of documents on the embassy website.
Tips for the form:
Planned Date of Marriage? Pick something sooner rather than later if you want a soonish interview. It may move you up in the queue over picking a date 7 months away. You don’t have to show proof.
NOTES:
The order for medical and readiness form are interchangeable. If you have all your documents, you can submit the Notification of Applicant's Readiness before you actually attend the medical. The embassy website says:
Please note that you can expect to wait 6 weeks from the date on which you email the forms before being contacted by the Immigrant Visa Unit. We will not respond to status requests during this time.
That means don’t expect to get an interview letter within days of the medical or submission of the readiness form, whichever comes last.

Tips if you don’t like waiting around, or several weeks have passed since your 3 things have gone to the embassy:
Call the Visa Specialist Unit at the Department of State - (202) 485-7600 – when your “Case Updated” field on CEAC changes. This means one of two things – they've either received your online Readiness form, or they've printed and sent your interview date letter. The DOS will be able to tell you when your interview date is, just in case the letter never arrives or is late. It is a good idea to check with them because some have never received their letter.

Last Things Last – Post Interview
You've got your passport and BBE – now what? Well, it goes without saying you and your other half will now need to decide when you're leaving so you can book flights. Go ahead and do that now assuming nothing major is barring you (like a pending house sale).

There's a thread on things you need to do before leaving the UK - read the entire thread though, as many people have contributed things not in the first post.

When you arrive at your Point of Entry (POE), make sure you have your Passport, BBE and Customs Declaration ready. Ask the immigration staffers where they want you to go – some airports (San Francisco) have special “New Immigrant” lines. Others will have you go through the “Visitor” line. Some may even have you go through the “US Citizen/LPR” line, especially if your future spouse flew with you. Note if you're flying from Dublin, that IS your POE as they have pre-clearance there and therefore when you touch down in the US it's as if you flew in on a domestic flight.

You will get taken into Secondary Processing, or at least directed to it. In your case this is nothing to fear – you're basically being signed in. They'll take your BBE off of you as this gets sent away ready for AOS later on. Your visa will be stamped or written on and you will be told what date you need to be married by. As with all CBP officers, you might get a nice one, or a grumpy one. Can't help that, unfortunately. Note, if you have a connection you want to leave lots of time just in case there's an issue as you will have to recheck your bags and go through security one last time.

If your first stop is your last one, you best be ready to run into the arms of your beloved. If not, get your bags, recheck them and go through the security checkpoint one more time before you go to get that last flight. Next up is marriage and AOS. But think about that a bit later, first off you might have some serious catching up to do!

Interview Day
You should have paid the visa fee in advance so take the confirmation page you printed when you paid online. Take your appointment letter and documents. Bring photocopies of any document that you need back. They look at the original and file the photocopy. Things you might want back: birth certificate, divorce decree, police certificate, letter from employer (use again for AOS maybe). Basically don’t give up your only copy of something.
The American Embassy is located at 24 Grosvenor Square London, W1A 2LQ
This map from Nich-Nick will be helpful http://www.click2map.com/maps/nichnick/Embassy_London because you can move it or zoom in close to see detail or zoom out if needed. The embassy, medical, hotels, and Gould’s Pharmacy are marked, as well as bus stops and tube stations.
The closest tube stations are Marble Arch or Bond Street.
Before going to the Embassy, check your mobile phones, car keys, headphones, thumb drives, and any electronic items at Gould’s Pharmacy at 37 N. Audley St. (marked on the map). They open around 7:20 AM and will keep your items for about £3-5. They can store larger items like luggage, but if you stayed overnight nearby, ask the hotel if they will hold your luggage while you interview.
The interview line forms near the corner of N. Audley Street and Upper Brook Street. They suggest you get in line no earlier than 30 minutes before your appointment, but it is first come first served. Your appointment time is more of a “suggestion” to stagger arrivals. If you have an 8:00 appointment and don’t get in the door until 8:15, you won’t miss your interview. You will just have a lot more people ahead of you that arrived earlier.
While in line, you will be given plastic bags for putting pocket change, watches, cigarette lighters, etc. in. That is mainly for men. Ladies with handbags can put their watch inside the handbag. At the front of the line, they will check your passport and appointment letter before sending you to the glass security booth. It’s like the airport. Put your things on the conveyor and walk through the metal detector, then collect your things.
The embassy has prepared a YouTube video that shows exactly the process you will encounter on interview day. I think it’s geared toward visitor or student visas with the sample “questions” you will see, but it’s a good preview of things you will see and do at the embassy. You can see how people dress for their interview. The last part about scheduling and paying for the courier at the counter inside the lobby is no longer done by K1s. You handle that part online when you pay your visa fee.
The “interview” is like a chat and is not intimidating. The officer of course has read over your file before you walk in so knows a little about you and is just checking that you know something about your fiancé.
So how did you guys meet? What does she do for a living? Does she have kids?
I have written a detailed account of my experience at the Embassy from queuing up in the cold outside to final approval – this has everything you need to know, from handing your documents over at the first window to what kinds of questions you might get asked at the second window with the Consular Officer.

Again, best of luck. Do NOT panic! We all know this is one of the most important interviews you'll ever have, but we've all done it and come through the other side. Just keep your calm – the Consular Officers themselves are widely reported to be really nice and the interview is usually more of a conversation than an interrogation. At the end, one of two things will happen. Normally, it's an approval and they will tell you what happens next regarding delivery (or pickup) and give you a leaflet on the AOS process, and give you the opportunity to ask them any questions you have lingering.

However, if you are not approved they will explain why and give you a written paper detailing what is still needed, and most of the time it's something that can be fixed by sending them documents of one kind or another – and they will explain how to do that. It could be the wrong police certificate, or not having your “long form” birth certificate. One member got denied because her passport was damaged, but as soon as she had a replacement and had it couriered in, she was approved and is now happily married in the USA. If they call it "denied", don't panic. They give you opportunity to submit whatever is needed for approval.

Application for the Visa/Getting an Interview
London needs 3 things before they will schedule your interview.
Complete online form DS-160. For the photo, you can scan in your US size photo you took before and use that. Otherwise you need to find a white background and take a picture either with a digital camera or with your webcam. Once that's complete, print out the confirmation page at the end and keep it safe, along with your application ID from it.
Tips: Before you start, gather all the information this application is going to ask for—passport number, your work address, trips to US and abroad; fiancé name, address, birth date; your parents’ full names, birth dates (and death year)
FYI: You do not have a national ID number. Tick "does not apply". You do not have a state or province.
Passport city of issue? London works as an answer.

Schedule and attend a medical. (Details are in previous post.) Take your police certificate, immunization records, and information from your GP if you have any current or previous medical condition. Your results will be couriered to the embassy 3-4 days after the exam, unless the doctor needs something further from you or information from your GP about a health condition. The delay is because they need to get your blood test results back from the lab.

Complete the online Notification of Applicant's Readiness Form when you have in hand all documents you will be taking to the interview. That includes your fiancé’s Affidavit of Support Form I-134 with proof of income. Review the list of documents on the embassy website.
Tips for the form:
Planned Date of Marriage? Pick something sooner rather than later if you want a soonish interview. It may move you up in the queue over picking a date 7 months away. You don’t have to show proof.
NOTES:
The order for medical and readiness form are interchangeable. If you have all your documents, you can submit the Notification of Applicant's Readiness before you actually attend the medical. The embassy website says:
Please note that you can expect to wait 6 weeks from the date on which you email the forms before being contacted by the Immigrant Visa Unit. We will not respond to status requests during this time.
That means don’t expect to get an interview letter within days of the medical or submission of the readiness form, whichever comes last.

Tips if you don’t like waiting around, or several weeks have passed since your 3 things have gone to the embassy:
Call the Visa Specialist Unit at the Department of State - (202) 485-7600 – when your “Case Updated” field on CEAC changes. This means one of two things – they've either received your online Readiness form, or they've printed and sent your interview date letter. The DOS will be able to tell you when your interview date is, just in case the letter never arrives or is late. It is a good idea to check with them because some have never received their letter.

What happens after NOA2? The Basics
Your Service center will send your file to the National Visa Center (NVC). You are done with USCIS when they hand off your file to the Department of State (DOS). DOS is over the NVC, as well all embassies.

The NVC is a short pit stop for a K1 case. They assign a new DOS case number and forward your file to London. Your new case number will begin with LND for London. The NVC will mail the petitioner a letter saying the file has been sent to London, as well as telling you the new case number. They aren’t fast about getting out the letters, so your case will likely be in London before you hear from them.
Shortcut for those who can’t wait for their letter: NVC accepts phone calls. You can call and ask if your case has arrived, if it has gone to the embassy, and if they have assigned your LND case number.
NVC: 603-334-0700 Press 1 for English
Hours: Monday-Friday from 7:00 AM to midnight (EST).
Best time to call is 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM or 10:00 PM to midnight.

You can also find out your case number from DOS.
DOS: 202-485-7600 Press 1, then 0. 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM (EST)

Your case arrives in London. The embassy will send the beneficiary a letter of instruction. It’s not a “packet”, but just a letter that essentially says “We have your approved petition from the NVC and we're ready for you to begin submitting your forms and have your medical”. The letter has a link to the embassy website where you will find forms and instructions. The letter will have a very important date at the bottom called your priority date. The same date is found on your NOA2 showing the expiration date of the approved petition. This is your four month time limit – if you haven't had your interview by this date, London will require a notarized letter from the US petitioner stating they're still happy to get married. The letter is taken by the beneficiary to the interview.
Shortcut for those who can’t wait for their letter: If you have obtained your LND number, you can enter it in the CEAC Visa Status Check site,. Choose “immigrant” in the drop down. Include the letters LND with your number. The important thing here is to forget the text at the bottom about scheduling interviews or anything like that – the Embassy does that for you once you've sent everything in. There are two main statuses at this point:
In Transit – This one means your case is on its way from the NVC to London.
Ready – This one means London has your casefile and is waiting to receive something needed to progress your case. You may begin submitting forms and booking the medical.

You now attend the medical and complete your forms (separate topics) before London will assign an interview date. London will not notify you each step of the way. The beneficiary will receive an interview letter from London. The interview will likely be 2-4 weeks from when they send the letter.
Shortcut for those who can’t wait for their letter: DOS will know your interview date once it has been assigned. You may call them and ask the date. It is a good idea to check with them because London has sent out late letters or no letters in the past.

Once you know your interview date, you pay the visa fee online. (Details in a separate post)

Last Things Last – Post Interview
You've got your passport and BBE – now what? Well, it goes without saying you and your other half will now need to decide when you're leaving so you can book flights. Go ahead and do that now assuming nothing major is barring you (like a pending house sale).

There's a thread on things you need to do before leaving the UK - read the entire thread though, as many people have contributed things not in the first post.

When you arrive at your Point of Entry (POE), make sure you have your Passport, BBE and Customs Declaration ready. Ask the immigration staffers where they want you to go – some airports (San Francisco) have special “New Immigrant” lines. Others will have you go through the “Visitor” line. Some may even have you go through the “US Citizen/LPR” line, especially if your future spouse flew with you. Note if you're flying from Dublin, that IS your POE as they have pre-clearance there and therefore when you touch down in the US it's as if you flew in on a domestic flight.

You will get taken into Secondary Processing, or at least directed to it. In your case this is nothing to fear – you're basically being signed in. They'll take your BBE off of you as this gets sent away ready for AOS later on. Your visa will be stamped or written on and you will be told what date you need to be married by. As with all CBP officers, you might get a nice one, or a grumpy one. Can't help that, unfortunately. Note, if you have a connection you want to leave lots of time just in case there's an issue as you will have to recheck your bags and go through security one last time.

If your first stop is your last one, you best be ready to run into the arms of your beloved. If not, get your bags, recheck them and go through the security checkpoint one more time before you go to get that last flight. Next up is marriage and AOS. But think about that a bit later, first off you might have some serious catching up to do!

Interview Day
You should have paid the visa fee in advance so take the confirmation page you printed when you paid online. Take your appointment letter and documents. Bring photocopies of any document that you need back. They look at the original and file the photocopy. Things you might want back: birth certificate, divorce decree, police certificate, letter from employer (use again for AOS maybe). Basically don’t give up your only copy of something.
The American Embassy is located at 24 Grosvenor Square London, W1A 2LQ
This map from Nich-Nick will be helpful http://www.click2map.com/maps/nichnick/Embassy_London because you can move it or zoom in close to see detail or zoom out if needed. The embassy, medical, hotels, and Gould’s Pharmacy are marked, as well as bus stops and tube stations.
The closest tube stations are Marble Arch or Bond Street.
Before going to the Embassy, check your mobile phones, car keys, headphones, thumb drives, and any electronic items at Gould’s Pharmacy at 37 N. Audley St. (marked on the map). They open around 7:20 AM and will keep your items for about £3-5. They can store larger items like luggage, but if you stayed overnight nearby, ask the hotel if they will hold your luggage while you interview.
The interview line forms near the corner of N. Audley Street and Upper Brook Street. They suggest you get in line no earlier than 30 minutes before your appointment, but it is first come first served. Your appointment time is more of a “suggestion” to stagger arrivals. If you have an 8:00 appointment and don’t get in the door until 8:15, you won’t miss your interview. You will just have a lot more people ahead of you that arrived earlier.
While in line, you will be given plastic bags for putting pocket change, watches, cigarette lighters, etc. in. That is mainly for men. Ladies with handbags can put their watch inside the handbag. At the front of the line, they will check your passport and appointment letter before sending you to the glass security booth. It’s like the airport. Put your things on the conveyor and walk through the metal detector, then collect your things.
The embassy has prepared a YouTube video that shows exactly the process you will encounter on interview day. I think it’s geared toward visitor or student visas with the sample “questions” you will see, but it’s a good preview of things you will see and do at the embassy. You can see how people dress for their interview. The last part about scheduling and paying for the courier at the counter inside the lobby is no longer done by K1s. You handle that part online when you pay your visa fee.
The “interview” is like a chat and is not intimidating. The officer of course has read over your file before you walk in so knows a little about you and is just checking that you know something about your fiancé.
So how did you guys meet? What does she do for a living? Does she have kids?
I have written a detailed account of my experience at the Embassy from queuing up in the cold outside to final approval – this has everything you need to know, from handing your documents over at the first window to what kinds of questions you might get asked at the second window with the Consular Officer.

Again, best of luck. Do NOT panic! We all know this is one of the most important interviews you'll ever have, but we've all done it and come through the other side. Just keep your calm – the Consular Officers themselves are widely reported to be really nice and the interview is usually more of a conversation than an interrogation. At the end, one of two things will happen. Normally, it's an approval and they will tell you what happens next regarding delivery (or pickup) and give you a leaflet on the AOS process, and give you the opportunity to ask them any questions you have lingering.

However, if you are not approved they will explain why and give you a written paper detailing what is still needed, and most of the time it's something that can be fixed by sending them documents of one kind or another – and they will explain how to do that. It could be the wrong police certificate, or not having your “long form” birth certificate. One member got denied because her passport was damaged, but as soon as she had a replacement and had it couriered in, she was approved and is now happily married in the USA. If they call it "denied", don't panic. They give you opportunity to submit whatever is needed for approval.

Application for the Visa/Getting an Interview
London needs 3 things before they will schedule your interview.
Complete online form DS-160. For the photo, you can scan in your US size photo you took before and use that. Otherwise you need to find a white background and take a picture either with a digital camera or with your webcam. Once that's complete, print out the confirmation page at the end and keep it safe, along with your application ID from it.
Tips: Before you start, gather all the information this application is going to ask for—passport number, your work address, trips to US and abroad; fiancé name, address, birth date; your parents’ full names, birth dates (and death year)
FYI: You do not have a national ID number. Tick "does not apply". You do not have a state or province.
Passport city of issue? London works as an answer.

Schedule and attend a medical. (Details are in previous post.) Take your police certificate, immunization records, and information from your GP if you have any current or previous medical condition. Your results will be couriered to the embassy 3-4 days after the exam, unless the doctor needs something further from you or information from your GP about a health condition. The delay is because they need to get your blood test results back from the lab.

Complete the online Notification of Applicant's Readiness Form when you have in hand all documents you will be taking to the interview. That includes your fiancé’s Affidavit of Support Form I-134 with proof of income. Review the list of documents on the embassy website.
Tips for the form:
Planned Date of Marriage? Pick something sooner rather than later if you want a soonish interview. It may move you up in the queue over picking a date 7 months away. You don’t have to show proof.
NOTES:
The order for medical and readiness form are interchangeable. If you have all your documents, you can submit the Notification of Applicant's Readiness before you actually attend the medical. The embassy website says:
Please note that you can expect to wait 6 weeks from the date on which you email the forms before being contacted by the Immigrant Visa Unit. We will not respond to status requests during this time.
That means don’t expect to get an interview letter within days of the medical or submission of the readiness form, whichever comes last.

Tips if you don’t like waiting around, or several weeks have passed since your 3 things have gone to the embassy:
Call the Visa Specialist Unit at the Department of State - (202) 485-7600 – when your “Case Updated” field on CEAC changes. This means one of two things – they've either received your online Readiness form, or they've printed and sent your interview date letter. The DOS will be able to tell you when your interview date is, just in case the letter never arrives or is late. It is a good idea to check with them because some have never received their letter.

What happens after NOA2? The Basics
Your Service center will send your file to the National Visa Center (NVC). You are done with USCIS when they hand off your file to the Department of State (DOS). DOS is over the NVC, as well all embassies.

The NVC is a short pit stop for a K1 case. They assign a new DOS case number and forward your file to London. Your new case number will begin with LND for London. The NVC will mail the petitioner a letter saying the file has been sent to London, as well as telling you the new case number. They aren’t fast about getting out the letters, so your case will likely be in London before you hear from them.
Shortcut for those who can’t wait for their letter: NVC accepts phone calls. You can call and ask if your case has arrived, if it has gone to the embassy, and if they have assigned your LND case number.
NVC: 603-334-0700 Press 1 for English
Hours: Monday-Friday from 7:00 AM to midnight (EST).
Best time to call is 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM or 10:00 PM to midnight.

You can also find out your case number from DOS.
DOS: 202-485-7600 Press 1, then 0. 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM (EST)

Your case arrives in London. The embassy will send the beneficiary a letter of instruction. It’s not a “packet”, but just a letter that essentially says “We have your approved petition from the NVC and we're ready for you to begin submitting your forms and have your medical”. The letter has a link to the embassy website where you will find forms and instructions. The letter will have a very important date at the bottom called your priority date. The same date is found on your NOA2 showing the expiration date of the approved petition. This is your four month time limit – if you haven't had your interview by this date, London will require a notarized letter from the US petitioner stating they're still happy to get married. The letter is taken by the beneficiary to the interview.
Shortcut for those who can’t wait for their letter: If you have obtained your LND number, you can enter it in the CEAC Visa Status Check site,. Choose “immigrant” in the drop down. Include the letters LND with your number. The important thing here is to forget the text at the bottom about scheduling interviews or anything like that – the Embassy does that for you once you've sent everything in. There are two main statuses at this point:
In Transit – This one means your case is on its way from the NVC to London.
Ready – This one means London has your casefile and is waiting to receive something needed to progress your case. You may begin submitting forms and booking the medical.

You now attend the medical and complete your forms (separate topics) before London will assign an interview date. London will not notify you each step of the way. The beneficiary will receive an interview letter from London. The interview will likely be 2-4 weeks from when they send the letter.
Shortcut for those who can’t wait for their letter: DOS will know your interview date once it has been assigned. You may call them and ask the date. It is a good idea to check with them because London has sent out late letters or no letters in the past.

Once you know your interview date, you pay the visa fee online. (Details in a separate post)

What I mean is.. as soon as one of their own number is insulted, they come out like the Secret Police and start executing at will.
So seeing as we're being ignored (no surprises there!), I'm going to open fire myself. A common defense against the above is "We're volunteers, therefore you should treat us with respect". Let me tell you something - if I acted in any of my voluntary positions that I have held in the way the moderators do here, I would be fired. If I were lucky, I'd get off with a verbal or written warning. But in all probability, dismissal would be the result.
I've been told that they won't talk to us because we're not Nich (and by a moderator who isn't supposed to be intervening in any kind of actions with myself, so that deal by Ewok has been broken and nullified). Not only this, the only way they will resolve this is through the so-called review system. That system only works in the favor of one group, and that is the moderators. Never has Kathryn, the head mod, ruled in favor of the membership when reviews have been called for. In fact when I called for a review of a decision against me, she decided to make a public example of me and tried to make me look like an idiot.
The entire system is a shambles. The moderators act like they are above the Terms of Service and do not have to stick to them, and use them as a shield when we try to call them to account. They do not treat the membership with any level of respect, yet demand it constantly otherwise you will be punished. This place is a personal "1984" haven for the owner and his "staff".
Well, no more. We won't be silenced, we won't be cowed into obedience and we certainly won't forget this.

So I've just had a chat with another member of the forums and found out that someone I consider a good friend has decided to leave the forum because of a moderator decision by Ryan H. Specifically, the member leaving is Nich-Nick, a longtime helper on this site and essentially the "mother" of the UK Regional Forum.
Can someone tell me why the hell she was suspended? Because this is getting ridiculous - do you actually want people helping on this site, or not? Because your moderator just caused one of the best helpers on this site to leave, and frankly it is an absolute disgrace.