Damilolly

Sorry to drag up an old post but I need some help.

My BC was issued in 1977. I have a copy which I used for my application but the original is now lost and my interview is in 4 weeks.

I was born in Lagos but live in England.

What will be an acceptable replacement please?

I'm running out of time.

Thank you.

Awesome, well, Baltimore is a great city -- despite its sometimes-fearsome reputation, and I'm more than happy to have a private message/chat about what to do and how to look for jobs in Maryland!

I'll PM you!

Ta!

Haha, sure, @Damilolly, I'm happy to be of help where I can. Where are you now, and how soon are you going to Maryland?

Alexandaaron,

I'm in London. My interview is next month.

As I didn't ever plan to move to the US I've lived in England like I'm here permanently so I have a lot of stuff to get rid of. I don't think I'll leave till the 6 month window is almost up so Dec I think.

F.

Momondo.com is a good resource, and usually has the best prices.

However, to be thorough, i always cross-check it with cheapflights.co.uk and cheapoair.com, then run it by matrix.itasoftware.com (this is the back end of Google Flights, with better prices).

I also like to check routes via rome2rio.com, as they can sometimes map alternative flight destinations + transport to final destination if it'll be cheaper -- e.g. when flying home to Baltimore, I sometimes can save hundreds AND get closer to my house by flying into NYC and taking a train directly down to the city.

Oh my days!

AlexandAaron can we be friends?

I just read your timeline! Congrats guys!

I worked in Islington on Upper Street until last year and I'm moving to MD.

Alex can we speak about career/corporate opportunities and living in MD generally if you don't mind?

I would love to meet an English guy who's open to moving to the States like you met Aaron. Lol

Thank you! We are almost there lol! Good luck with your interview ?

Thanks and you!

Be sure and tell your GP that it is Tetanus/diptheria and pertussis. P is not for polio.

The vaccine for chickenpox isn't a regular vaccine in the UK. Because you have to be totally complete on your shots for an immigrant visa, you will get a waiver for the varicella shot marked "not routinely available" as the reason you are excused. In other words, they will still pass you for immigration without the varicella shot because most doctor offices and even the visa medical clinic in the UK do not have the shot to give you.

(Note to K1 visa people: this isn't true for you because you could still get your varicella shot in the US before your AOS since your visa does not require your to be complete.)

Thanks again Nick!

A certified copy is what you need.

Thanks! I'm now working on it.

Hi everyone!

My interview is on the 25th of July and I have an appoitment at my GP's to get vaccinations on the 20th of June.

I'm a 38 year old female born and breed outside the UK with no vaccination records.

My understanding is that I require Td or Tdap and MMR.

Is there any other vaccination I require? I do not know for sure whether or not I've had chicken pox, do I need a vaccine for this too?

Thanks.

Congrats! You're the day after me.

Congrats everyone!

I rang NVC a couple of days ago and the very nice officer asked if I was sitting down, I giggled and asked why, he said he has good news for me and I should grab a pen! Lol! My interview date is 25th of July! Today I've received my email confirmation.

I'll appreciate links to help prepare for F1 interviews in London please.

Also, from this stage onwards how many passport photos and what types do we need?

I want to take all my photos this weekend and start preparing.

Thanks everyone!

Hey Damilolly,

Yes you will need to get your birth certificate sorted as this is pretty important from what I remember.

Regarding other questions I was asked, it was about my mother and father and what they did, how often I'd been to the US, what my step dad did for a living.. If I'm honest there wasn't a whole lot of questioning for me (not sure if it was down to the type of visa and my circumstance) it was all done within about 20 minutes, minus the waiting time in the waiting hall, and it was out of there.

Just make sure you have everything from the check list and if you can, pre pay for the courier service for the delivery of yours passport, I didn't and had to do this there and then in a different part of the embassy after my interview.

Good luck with it and trust me it's really not as scary as it seems, I was really nervous before and couldn't believe how quick and easy it was!!!

Thanks!

Just that I've never thought I have to prove my Dad is my Dad in the strictest form but just realised that's the main document to establish relationship in this application.

I can't come this far and then have an issue.

Thanks.

Certified copy. Certification can be in many forms stating it is a true copy of your birth record. It might be "certified" with an ink signature, an ink stamp, or a raised embossing you can feel. It can't be a picture (photocopy) of the certification mark.

An example of my American birth record-- Somebody at my county gets my original record out and makes a photocopy of it. Then she adds an ink stamp stating it is a true copy of my Birth record from Jones County, Texas. Then she Signs in ink--Mary Smith 5/25/2016. Then she crunches the corner with an embossing of the County seal.

Her ink signature and the county seal shows she "certified" the copy she made on 5/25/2016. The ink and the embossing are real. I couldn't just photocopy her certification marks. I would have to take the one with her original marks/signature. Does that help? That's the only kind of certification I know. Somebody official from the birth record office signs off that it is my true birth record on file.

Do you have anything similar to that?

Thank you.

I'm looking into getting a certified copy from the register, only that record keeping isn't the best at the Nigerians local govt level.

Hey guys!

Just looking for some help on what questions they might ask during my interview at the embassy in London in a couple of weeks?

I've had a look over the site and haven't found much in the way of people sharing experiences for the F1 i-130 (over 21, unmarried son of USC) interview. I've found loads of examples of couples interviews and what questions they have been asked however basically nothing about a person in my situation.

Not that i have anything to hide, i would rather just have an idea of what they may ask! I like to be prepared!

Does anyone know anything/could share anything?

Thanks in advance for any help!!! :D

Miles

Hi,

I have my interview coming up but I've lost my original birth certificate which is the main thing as I'm F1 through my dad.

What did they ask and how did it go?

Thanks.

Hello Damilolly,

Let me congratulate you on your successful journey and for the interview first.

As a mother, I would advice you to:

1. make a police declaration regarding your Birth Certificate where you are. Tell them when you lost it, where and how if you can remember. And also state that you would like to apply for the duplicate of your birth certificate. This might will help the Consulate to understand why you cant provide them with your original Birth Certificate.

2. If you are a Christian, get your "Baptism Certificate" from your church as it is also contains both of your parents names and date of birth plus your Godparents details too. This takes few hours and you can send someone in case you are far and let them courier it to you.

3. Please do re-apply your Birth Certificate soonest for future use. Im not sure why you saying you cant get a new Birth Certificate (did they refuse or you haven't contacted them maybe because you are living far or is that the procedure that if you lose one they wont issue a duplicate?).

4. If you are living in UK, find out if they can issue you a duplicate Birth Certificate at Nigerian Embassy before you run out of your certified copies. There should be something someone can do to help you regarding this issue, even just letting you know what steps you need to take to get your Birth Certificate duplication.

I hope this little info and advise would contribute a little towards your question.

Good luck and may God be with you through your journey.

Monika

Thanks Monica.

I will begin to take steps to get a re-issued birth certificate from Nigeria.

It's just that lack of good records and authenticity issues with Nigerian documents put me off getting a re-issue.

I was baptised as an adult only a few years ago and it didn't have my parents' names on it.

Getting a passport at the Nigerian High Commission is a task in itself talk less of birth certificate. Lol

Amen and thanks for your post. I will begin to work towards getting a re-issue.

It has just dawned on me that the strongest document is my birth certificate which is missing.

I'm filing through my Dad who's USC. I have certified copies which I got from applying for my masters years ago but I don't have the original and as I was born in Nigeria it's impossible to get an extract of the birth register.

I have a family studio photo from when I was 6 but I could've been his orphaned niece or something lol. It doesn't prove paternity.

In your experience what's the US embassy in London like on stuff like this?

Thanks.

Don't lose that NOA2. It should have stayed in the USA. It is NOT for the visa interview. A photocopy of it goes in the AOS application.

Hi Nick!

I'm hoping you can give me some suggestions.

I just got my interview date yesterday; yay! 25th of July!

It has just dawned on me that the strongest document is my birth certificate is missing.

I'm filing through my Dad who's USC. I have certified copies which I got from applying for my masters years ago but I don't have the original and as I was born in Nigeria it's impossible to get an extract of the birth register.

I have a family studio photo from when I was 6 but I could've been his orphaned niece or something lol. It doesn't prove paternity.

In your experience what's the US embassy in London like on stuff like this?

Thanks.

I have this same issue with my Nigerian birth certificate. The original is missing but I have copies certified by a solicitor.

I wonder how the US embassy in London will treat it.

Hi Everyone!

I rancy NVC yesterday and my interview has just been scheduled for 25th of July! Yay!!

After he confirmed my identity he asked whether I was istting down! Lol! I replied no; why? He said cos your interview date has just been set and I'm about to tell you the date.

He said it and I was so happy! He then congratulated me for all my hard work! Lol!

So guys, you've all been so helpful; now I need assistance to prepare for my interview please.

I filed through my Dad being a USC so F1.

One thing that concerns me is that I lost my original birth certificate about a decade ago in London (I was born in Nigeria so can't get a new one but have a certified copy) and don't have many photos of my dad and I so I'll appreciate advice and suggestions as to what I should put together to help at the interview.

Thank you.

I think I've posted this in a similar thread before, but here's what we did when we moved internationally.

We went through everything and asked ourselves:

– Can we ship this for less than it costs to replace?

– Does this have sentimental value, i.e., is it irreplaceable?

If no to both of those, into the donate/Craigslist pile it went.

If yes, we asked ourselves:

– Will we need this now, or can we bring over later?

Depending on that answer, we prioritized what to pack in our suitcases.

That's a really good system!

No problem, ours is a private connection.

If you tell me which crossing dates and cabin type you are looking at I can tell you current US pricing?

You're too kind.

I'm looking for the cheapest price available between September and March 2017.

I'll PM you! Xx

You can book either www.cunard.co.uk or www.cunard.com. Booking from the US (or through a US VPN connection) allows you to visit the US site (www.cunard.com), where prices are typically much less, and are changeable without a fee. We've now rebooked our crossing three times, and yesterday were able to get the same exact cabin for $600 less. You just have to watch the prices and then call and ask to rebook. I think you could also call the US booking number: 1-800-728-6273 and use a US credit card to book through them. I use Skype to call them and haven't had any problems. The least expensive I've seen for a crossing on the US site is $799 per person. The current promotion ends May 31.

If you don't have access to a US credit card you'll have to book through the UK, when you go through the booking process you can check "I don't need a return flight" and the price will decrease, but not by a huge amount. US fares do not include the return flight.

Thanks for this!

I can get my sister in the US to pay with her her.

The main issue is me being able to see the US site in US prices.

What program do you use?

Provided you intend to return within six months of your initial entry then it won't be a problem.

Do you mean re-enter within six months of last exit/departure from the US?

You have to book the QM2 kennels very far in advance, but the prices just decreased for our crossing, so it is a lot less to take the boat than a one way flight!

Could you please post links for where to search for crosing please? The site I checked cost £980 from Southampton to NY and then flight back to London.

Is it possible to get a one way crossing Southampton to NY?

Tax return transcript

Thanks.

Hi Damilolly,

Sorry I can't be of more help. We had everything handled by a specialist immigration attorney in London. He booked our visa appointment (we had options as early as two weeks away and as far as 3 months when booking). We don't require any medicals, I think that may be for more permanent emigrants. No-one yet has asked about our health as far as I can recall.

This site is full of knowledgeable and helpful folk. I'm sure anything you need clarified, you'll get here in one forum section or another. There is precious little about the processes, the requirements or the necessary steps from what I've found. That's why we chose to spend a bit more cash and go with a specialist lawyer. On reflection, I think we could well have done the whole thing ourselves but better safe than sorry.

Thanks Scotsman!

I've found answers to my questions.

By boat ( I used Excess Baggage) - but make sure you chuck out most of your stuff first. I had a complete houseful and condensed it down to the two pallets . At least one of which is still in the garage. Every pound of stuff you ship will cost you UKP....

My focus was bringing stuff that was personal to me and couldn't be replaced over here. The only clothes I brought over were the stuff in the my two suitcases. Mind you I was moving from Watford to California.

You need to be really ruthless. If it's not valuable it's highly unlikely you won't be able to replace it here. Stuff like British foods aren't hard to find either locally (albeit more tricky in Farmsville USA) or online

Thanks Richard.

I see what you mean.

I've had a look at Excess Baggage; they only do a 2 day express to the US so no slower cheaper option.

At this point it looks like a couple of flights is my best bet and I have to give away more stuff.