Rob&Jen

Well, I'm not gonna be the one to say your plan will work. I can of course not stop you from trying.

Your fiancé should in either case get to work on finding a better paying job or a new co-sponsor for AOS. It will certainly be needed at that time.

I hear you. I'm mostly airing my ideas to get a feel for the pros and cons so I can decide if the risk is worth it. Seems not.

Although something occurs to me: my former sponsor's main concern was the 10-year obligation but would that become null and void if I provide my own financial evidence when it comes time for the ROC?

Sure, but the rules are there for a reason. You need to convince them without a doubt that you won't become a public charge. What happens in the long-term if you for some reason don't find a job or worse, get ill/injured and unable to work? That's why they need to see that your fiancé or a US co-sponsor are able to cover for you.

I'm well aware of that, but I am caught between a rock and a hard place. I need to look at other options otherwise she and I may never get this to work.

But, people don't live off loans. How will you support your life in the US long-term? That's what they want to see during AOS.

I have enough savings to support myself until I can get a job. I just don't have enough according to the poverty guidelines.

There's a difference between what people are assumed to live on and what you actually need.

The loan money would simply be there to show that I do have spendable money *if* the need arises.

I have called my GP and they have told me what I have or have not had. They have also told me that they don't do certain vaccines such as the Hep B. This is a concern as I have read that it is given in 3 to 4 shots over 6 months. They also don't do the Influenza until September... what on earth happens if you cannot get the Hep B in time to finish the course before your medical?

I had the Hep A+B combination shots over the course of a month - an accellerated course with a booster due in 1 year. I don't know if they can offer the same for Hep B only.

Influenza is fine so long as it's not flu season. You *might* have to get it later on but I'm unsure.

You don't need to provide evidence of chicken pox. The London doctor will take your word for it. Try and find out the date just in case though.

I know this is a bit precarious before I even get into it but hear me out.

I'm at the stage where I need to book my interview in London but my co-sponsor has pulled his support for personal reasons. My fiance has nobody else to turn to and her income is only a litte over $7500 per annum.

I am looking at the possibility of taking out a loan from my bank for anything between £30,000 to £40,000 to meet the difference of income based on the 125% poverty level. A loan of £30,000 should (hopefully) convert into roughly $45,000 which is $6,000 more than the difference (3x $13,000). By this logic I'll be self-sponsoring myself with statements from my bank showing the money is available.

My plan, barring any mishaps, is to secure a loan with a 3-month grace before payments are due: long enough to pass both the I-134 and I-864. I will then pay the loan back in full (or as close to) and deal with the interest as a monthly bill. I can afford to support myself on existing savings and she can support me until I get a job, just not on paper.

My question then is whether or not I need to declare the source of the money? Does it matter that it comes from a loan? People take out loans to pay for weddings and other needs all the time. That's what loans are for. But will the embassy and the US government see it that way?

My fiance and I have been struggling to push our application through for the last 5 years now so this is literally our last hope, unless we can find another co-sponsor which is very unlikely at this stage.

Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated.

Hey guys it's me again, we have finally sent the package for the k1 visa application and have received the first NOA which is so exciting! As it is now in process I am looking back at the medical and the vaccination I will need. I am able to find a list but does anyone know of this is something I can speak to my doctor about getting instead of waiting until the medical and then having to have them there in London? I know I will have to pay for them but just wanting to get as much sorted as possible before I have that medical. Obviously I don't want to put any delays in there so if I can get them all sorted before hand that would be great. Any help is appreciated TIA

Go to your local GP and have them check your vaccination records. If you need anything on the list get it done by them and get a printout of your most up-to-date records. The doctors in London will charge a lot more if you wait. Also, find out if you ever had chicken pox as a child and make sure you tell the London doctors.

They don't run any checks so "how will they even know?" is something my fiance and I will have to consider. We have no one else who can help us otherwise.

It's looking like we'll have to base the I-134 on his old job plus 2015 tax return and hope he finds a job between now and the I-864.

Another alternative is that I take out a loan for the income difference. In our case it would be roughly $13k times 3 = $39k (£30k).

I already have savings to support myself until I get a job but not enough to meet the requirements. So the money from the loan would only be for show and will be paid back with interest once my affidavit is appoved at AOS.

The correct answer is, "no it's not valid if he is no longer employed." The dodgy answer is, "how will they even know?" That ought to open a can of worms around here.

They don't run any checks so "how will they even know?" is something my fiance and I will have to consider. We have no one else who can help us otherwise.

It's looking like we'll have to base the I-134 on his old job plus 2015 tax return and hope he finds a job between now and the I-864.

Yes. They do not require the rest of #7 (asset questions) if the sponsor can pass on current income alone.

Situation update:

My co-sponsor has 3 years transcripts showing an income well above the 125% but he recently lost his job and is looking for another. On top of that a tax mishap from several years ago has suddenly come up and he's now having to file for bankruptcy to clear this up. As you can imagine this comes at the worst possible time as I'm currently trying to gather my financial evidence before I book my interview.

He's already filled in the form I-134 with his previous job details and dated it before he lost his job. If I present this at my interview will it still be valid?

We're hoping he'll be working again before it comes time to send in the I-864 (mid-October).

Thanks for the info, guys. I do appreciate it. Just really annoyed with myself. It's one more thing and $$$ more on top.

Your medical was yesterday, so nothing is turned in yet because they wait on the bloodwork results from the lab. . Call Knightsbridge and explain so they can redo your form before it is sent to the embassy. Ask them to mail you a copy of the revised DS-3025.

I called them this morning and they told me to email my request, so I did. This was their response:

"Thank you for your email. Unfortunately I cannot update the form as your medical has already been sent to the embassy. You were given the DS 3025 which you will need for your Adjustment of Status, they will ask you again about the Chicken Pox then and you will be able to let them know."

I can scan my baby book and have a written statement from my mum along with this email as evidence of correspondence. If I send this all with my AOS application do you really think they'll still demand I see a civil surgeon? And if so, will I just need to essentially get an updated version of the DS-3025 from the US surgeon with the chicken pox bit ticked off?

Is there anyway you could post a photo of your DS-3025? You may be fine and aren't interpreting it correctly. Civil surgeons can gouge you for a lot of money.

Yes, as long as your medical was within the past year, it is okay. Read that in the I-693 instructions. The six month thing is for visa travel.

I had my medical yesterday and the doctor confused me about the measles and varicella so I answered 'no' to the chicken pox question, only for my mum to then tell me today that I did in fact have it as a child and it's logged in my baby book at home. She can even remember when it happened in detail.

On my form though there is a tiny mark in the 'Varicella History' box where he was about to tick it before the confusion so I'm hoping the AOS agent accepts it. Also, page 2 states "This K non-immigrant visa applicant did receive the required vaccines and the US vaccination requirements are complete for this applicant." He did mark it with the 'D' waiver though.

I think I'll take my chances with an RFE and deal with it when/if it happens. If it does happen am I correct in assuming that a copy of my baby book and a signed statement from my mum won't be enough to satisfy the adjudicator? I don't see how taking the vaccine when I'm already immune will do me any good.

This has probably been asked already but anywho...

Do I need to make any preparations before the blood test?

I know some tests require a period of fasting beforehand and since it's my first test ever (never needed one) I'm a little in the dark.

No. The NVC letter will not tell her that. It will say the case has been sent to the appropriate embassy. For a K1, the NVC is merely a handoff point between USCIS (petition) and Dept of State (visa/consulate).

Yes. That is the ONLY thing she has to do....mail you the I-134 stuff.

Thank you.

I was certain that was the case but since I haven't seen the NVC letter I wanted to make sure. I really don't know where she's gotten this idea from. It rings a bell for some reason. I think maybe a different visa or maybe she's looking into the AOS process and getting mixed up. She mentioned needing to choose her consulate.

Only you, the beneficiary will have an interview at this point.

Yes, that's my understanding but somehow she's got it in her head that she needs to attend one too.

Hiya,

So I'm at the stage where my medical is booked and I'm now trying to get my fiance (US) to contact our co-sponsor to sign the I-134 and gather financial evidence. When I asked her when she planned to do this she was under the belief that it would be several months before my interview with the London embassy would be scheduled because according to "the government website" she would need to send the financial documents to her local consulate and schedule an interview for herself. She is under the impression she will need to visit NYC for an interview.

I tried telling her otherwise but she had to leave for work and couldn't discuss it.

Before we speak about it again can I just clarify whether the NVC letter that is sent to the petitioner makes any mention of this?

Because as far as I'm aware once the case is forwarded to my embassy the ONLY thing she needs to do is mail me the signed I-134 and financial evidence and the rest is handled by myself and the embassy.

What is the cost to file the DS160 and the DS156K?

There was no cost for the DS-160 and I haven't filed the second one so I can't say.

Received my letter from the embassy today with my NVC case number. Completed the DS-160 (a total chore) and will call to book my medical tomorrow. Finally moving along.

I've been out of touch with VJ since my NOA2 so I'm wondering: what is the current average waiting time between NOA2 and my petitioner receiving the NVC letter?

Thanks

Hey everyone - me again!

I'm just wondering a few things RE our K1... So firstly, I'm a bit confused when it comes to gaining a police report from the UK - how much does one cost? I've never had any sort of police interaction and as I'm only 21 don't know if I can even collect one from my local station? As I think it stated somewhere online it counts your legal record from the age of 18 or 20...

Also, I'm wanting to use our FaceTime's every single night as proof of relationship but I cannot seem to find on my iPhone records of every nights conversations. Only the most recent one :/.

Also, I've seen a few people have had problems with credit rating and building it up after they move to the U.S what is the best way to ensure I maintain a good credit rating? Am I allowed to apply for credit as soon as I arrive? I obviously want to take out a contract cell phone so don't know if I, or my fiancé should purchase it?

Lastly, I've gone through all of my driving lessons and I'm at a point where I could sit my test anytime now - however, it's so expensive over here and if I fail first time and have to resit it'll just cause me more unnessacary stress and excessive costs on top of this visa.

Thank you in advance :-)

The police certificate must be ordered from the Acro website as mentioned by Nick and costs either £45.00 or £80.00, depending how quickly you want the certificate to be delivered (11 days for £45). If you have a clean history it will come back as "no trace" which is what you want. Expensive, but mandatory.

Even though relationship evidence may not be necessary with London I personally will be taking transcripts of conversations on Facebook over a certain time period. Not too much, mind you, but enough in case I get that one interviewer who makes me into the exception.

As far as I know your credit rating starts from scratch when you become a permanent resident, or at least, doesn't carry the same value as it does over here.

If you intend to return to the UK every few years to visit family you might want to be able to drive during that time so a licence would be useful. Otherwise, it might be worth abandoning your UK test and focus on getting your US licence. You're not likely to be driving stick in the US, after all.

Thank you both. It's a relief to know London are reasonable about this stuff. They must deal with thousands of everyday people who aren't in the best financial situation.

Hi there.

I'm in need of advice from my fellow Brits who have passed through the K1 process via London. Specifically in relation to the Affidavit of Support.

My situation is this:

My fiance only works part-time earning barely $10,000 per year before tax. We have a co-sponsor who earns over $40,000 and is happy to sign the forms. He is unmarried and has no children but he does live with a girlfriend. He is/was my fiance's neighbour before he moved one town over a few years ago. I have met him and his partner on several occasions over the last 7 years.

I have asked my fiance to gather the following documents for both herself and my co-sponsor and would like to know if I should include anything else:

Tax transcripts from 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Copies of recent pay stubs to be gathered nearer my interview date.

A signed letter on company headed paper from their employers stating the nature of their employment and their annual salary.

A signed letter from my co-sponsor explaining how we are acquainted and reaffirming his wish to sponsor me.

Now the instructions for the I-134 state that a letter from the bank is required to show when the account was open and the total deposits. I would like to know from personal experience if that is a definite requirement because we would both rather stick to the evidence we already have. I do not have any worthwhile assets to contribute and will only have roughly £3,500 saved once the visa is paid and my savings for the AOS and ROC removed.

How strict is London when it comes to co-sponsoring on a K1? And how might this impact me when it comes time to file for the I-864?

Thanks in advance.

Approved at last. Damn that is a feeling.

Here's hoping the luckless Feb 8th filers get some USCIS love this week.

It's strange that within the 500 cases around mine there were no approvals...anyone else with a received date of Feb 8th see approvals?

Mine was received on the 8th and I haven't been approved either, so you're not alone. There are some being approved according the USCIS app but it seems to be completely random when an 8th is adjudicated. Also consider that there are a lot of January filers who are still waiting. I think... maybe they got a little behind into the beginning of Feb and started taking the most recent cases and are slowly working the backlog on the side. My employer does this all the time and it feels like this might be the case, which would explain why some later cases are approved a lot sooner.

Of course, that's just my gutt feeling and could be completely wrong but there you go. Don't let it drive you crazy. Even an RFE is good news.