utrachel29

Great news!!! I just got a text about 2 minutes ago saying that our case status had been updated. I went to the USCIS site and had this message...
"On January 27, 2014, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I129F PETITION FOR FIANCE(E)."
On to the NVC we go!

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!

After the interview
Congratulations! You just finished the first (and arguably hardest) part of your immigration journey. What happens now is you watch your CEAC status to see how things are going. Again, there are two main statuses in this phase:

Administrative Processing (AP): This is normal for London – this just means they're finishing everything up and getting ready to issue the Visa. You should be out of it in 1-2 days.
Issued: This means the visa's been printed, put in your passport and is ready for the courier to pick up. Note: If you were not born in the UK, your visa may take longer to be issued, especially if from the Middle East, Pakistan, India or if you have Muslim ties. This is the dreaded security AP that takes awhile. It’s not the paper shuffling that occurs briefly for everybody prior to issue. Even if the interview is perfect and the guy says you’re approved, there is the option of more security checks they run you through. This is only to alert you to the possibility if you fit the profile, so you’re not blindsided with disappointment.
When the courier is ready for you (either for pickup from the depot or delivery if you paid for it), you will get an email with your tracking number. You will need some kind of ID (bank card, driving license) in order to take delivery of the visa and the BBE (big brown envelope). The latter thing there is your entire casefile which you hand over at your first point of entry into the USA. DO NOT OPEN the brown envelope because it is to remain secure. A small tear or damaged envelope is fine; as long as it is not so open that you could pull out papers and alter your records.

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.

Paying for the Visa
Once you have your interview date, there's one last bit of admin to do and that's to pay your Visa/MRV Fee. Go to this site and follow these instructions: Hit “Register” then select the top option. Enter your details. Hit “Add Applicant” and then pick the middle option in the drop-down menu (“I need to register a K Visa Appointment”) Fill in the details here too, and then you'll be taken back to the main page. Hit “Continue” and select the closest DX Secure depot to your location (You can pay for home delivery afterwards if you want it delivered). Then enter your appointment information. Next up is paying the visa fee which is currently £150. Once that's confirmed, you can then print off a copy of the next page as evidence of paying. After that, you also now have the option of paying an extra $30 (currently about £19) for home delivery of the visa. Print off a copy of that receipt too – you get sent the confirmations via email as well so you can print those off at a library if you have to. Congratulations – your visa (and home delivery if you selected it) are now paid for.

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.

All about the Medical
Before you book the medical exam, you should have your UK police certificate and your LND case number. Some call to schedule the appointment as soon as they learn the LND number from the NVC, and before they have received notification that London has the file and is ready for the beneficiary to begin.
The only clinic contracted to do the UK visa medical is
Knightsbridge Doctors
4 Bentinck Mansions
Bentinck Street
London
W1U 2ER
Website: http://www.visamedicals.info/us.asp
Phone: 020 7486 7822 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
The London embassy page discussing the medical and cost is here: http://london.usembassy.gov/immigrant-visas/medical-examination.html
There is more information and a questionnaire to fill in here: http://photos.state....18a_medical.pdf
Tips of things to do before your medical:
Get your immunization records. If you need any of the shots (as noted in the first post of this thread) get those done before the medical. You can probably see the practice nurse without a doctor appointment if that is the only reason you are going.
Look at the medical questionnaire. The Knightsbridge doctor may want a report from your NHS doctor if you answer yes about any of the conditions on the form. Exception: smoking, pregnancy. They are basically seeking more information about the diseases/conditions of a more serious nature like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, depression, asthma, etc, and not a broken arm or ingrown toenail. They will tell you to send them a medical report before they can complete the exam results. Save yourself some delays and take a report to your exam if you have or had any medical conditions or take medications. They want to know full diagnosis, date, cured or ongoing, if it requires medication, etc. It’s a letter/report from the doctor, not photocopies of you records. If you are claiming to have suffered from depression, there are some magic words your doctor needs to write—“You are not a threat to yourself or others.”
FAQ
Why do they need my police certificate?
They are charged with evaluating if you have any addictions or things that fall under mental health. A view of your police certificate could reveal arrests for drugs, alcohol, drunk and disorderly, pub brawls, etc. It would clue them in to discuss those things further with you.
What will they accept for immunization records?”
Anything from your doctor office…a printout, handwritten, typed. Ideally something typed or handwritten would have a doctor name and address on it, or a signature by the nurse who did it. If your Mum has an immunization book or card from when you were a child, that works too. If you get a flu jab at Tesco or Boots, get it documented on paper. Knightsbridge can use all of that to make one record.
What if the GP office doesn’t have my records?
Not all records have been computerized. Ask them to dig out your paper records and make a list. Experiences vary with getting records, especially if you moved a lot. Some offices want to charge a fee. Work it out best you can.
If I can't get my records, do I need to repeat all the baby shots to catch up?
NO. Get only the shots required for adults.
What if I get to Knightsbridge and the nurse says I am missing a shot but I can get it at my GP and send with AOS?
The nurse does not know adjustment of status. You can’t send something from your GP to USCIS. You will pay a Civil Surgeon in the US to fill out a new immunization sheet. Get your records complete right then by paying. OR tell Knightsbridge to hold your results until you can get the shot and send them proof. Ask for their fax number. Have your doctor office fax the proof as soon as you have had the shot. Ask Knightsbridge to mail your copy of the DS-3025 after they have added the new shot and signed off.
From shana.mike:
Knightsbridge now require 4 passport pictures instead of just 1 now. Here is a quote from the email I received from them after booking an appointment:
"4 X Identical Passport sized photo UK or US size (please note this has recently increased and may not be updated on the online medical packs)"

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)

Wheatley and Nich-Nick have collaborated on this new guide. Because the mods want pinned threads to be for information only, please don't post your individual questions in this thread. Read it carefully and if you don't understand something or have a unique issue then start a new thread with your question. Keep this thread clear of your progress, fears, joys, and frustrations. If anything changes in London, we will add information. The basic guide, once posted, can not be edited by either of us, so read to the end in case there are corrections
Pre-NOA2 Preparation
US Petitioner
Order your IRS Tax Transcript - Tax transcripts are an excellent source of evidence for your I-134 Affidavit of Support. They're certified by the IRS. You only need the most recent one. Start getting the I-134 ready with the supporting documents [e.g. proof of income].London will accept any proof on an I-134 that clearly shows income. Some ways besides a tax return/transcript are employer letter, pay stubs, pension letter, or banks statements showing direct deposits. Pick two. You don’t need to prove income five different ways. If you have a new job or earn more income since your tax return, then an employer letter and recent pay stubs are a better choice than a weak tax return. This one has to be sent the old-fashioned way with a “wet” signature on it. Copies of the form aren't accepted, but your proof of income can be scans or photocopies. London does not typically want to see relationship evidence. In the majority of cases they haven't asked for it. If it gives you peace of mind, get some photos printed but don't panic over it at all. Nor do they want to see your NOA2 or a photocopy of the I-129F packet– what do you think they have in front of them? UK Beneficiary
Go get your photos done. You're going to need 2x UK size and 1x US size. The two UK size photos are for your Medical and for your Police Certificate. Your US size one is for the Embassy – no longer do you need 2 of them, only one as they scan them in digitally. US size photos can be done at most photo booths at a cost of around £7 for 4 photos.
Go to your NHS doctor and get the immunizations you will need for Adjustment of Status. You can get a K1 visa without having any shots, but you will need them before AOS. It’s extremely wise to take care of it before getting to the US so you can avoid civil surgeon hassles and $$$. Many NHS doctors will do them for free, but they are not obligated to do so for immigration purposes. Get the shots documented by your doctor to take to your visa medical exam. If your doctor should say you don’t need something on this list, remember you have to go by US rules and that differs from UK standards. Here are the shots needed for 19 through 59 years of age: Td or Tdap - Tetanus/diptheria/pertussis or get DT, DTP or DtaP and it will be accepted for AOS also. The latest shot must be no longer than 10 years ago or you need a booster. If you have a record of receiving pertussis, then the Td is okay for the booster. MMR - (if born in 1957 or later)-Mumps/measles/rubella. It's two doses in your life, but if you get the first dose, and 4 weeks haven't passed by your medical, they will waive the second dose for "insufficient time interval". If you only had one dose as a child, get a second one before the medical. Varicella - Not routinely given in the UK . A history of having chickenpox excuses you from the shot. They take your word for it at the visa medical exam. Influenza – Required during flu season only, October 1 through March 31. This was a new recommendation dated November 2010 for all ages over 6 months. Older lists will say flu shots for over age 50. It changed. The list on the London embassy website is out of date since 2009. Don’t follow it.
Get all your documents together. Here is a link to London’s list of required documents. Be sure to click any links that say “please follow this link for more information” or you may miss details particular to you. Below are some links on how to get these documents or replacements of them:
Police Certificate
Birth, Marriage and Divorce Certificates
Military Records
Finally, make sure your passport is in order – You need to make sure you have at least 8 months until the expiry date on it, preferably more. If you've damaged it or gotten it wet, or the edges are wrinkled, it will need to be renewed. London is fussy about that.

USCIS and NVC are different departments oF the government. Once it leaves USCIS, it's the Department of State for NVC and the embassy. A K1 is typically at NVC for only 3-4 days before it is forwarded to the embassy.
Start reading this thread so you know exactly what to do for your London part and won't hold yourself up. http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/474161-london-k1-a-complete-guide/
You can request an expedite with London once the case gets there and you have done your part.

Hi all,
We're new to this forum and just thought we'd share our timeline so far...
29 Nov 2013: Mailed I-129F Packet to Texas Lockbox
2 Dec 2013: UPSP Notification of Arrival to Lockbox
5 Dec 2013: USCIS Email Confirmation of I-129F Case Acceptance
12 Dec 2013: NOA1 Hardcopy received by mail
17 Dec 2013: Alien Registration # Assigned


The recent posts about really short wait times has given us hope, but I think sometimes that it makes it harder! I'm in the U.S. military and might be PCSing overseas in July, and so, we're really anxious to get through the process. Good luck to everyone who's going through this with us!

Hi all,
We're new to this forum and just thought we'd share our timeline so far...
29 Nov 2013: Mailed I-129F Packet to Texas Lockbox
2 Dec 2013: UPSP Notification of Arrival to Lockbox
5 Dec 2013: USCIS Email Confirmation of I-129F Case Acceptance
12 Dec 2013: NOA1 Hardcopy received by mail
17 Dec 2013: Alien Registration # Assigned


The recent posts about really short wait times has given us hope, but I think sometimes that it makes it harder! I'm in the U.S. military and might be PCSing overseas in July, and so, we're really anxious to get through the process. Good luck to everyone who's going through this with us!