Daz&Hank

Hope everyone is having a great weekend and not stressing too much about the NOA2 (I know, easy to say once you have it). I think next week will be a good week for a lot of you. I spent a full week in the dark, when actually I had already been approved. So don't lose hope, it will come when you arent expecting it to! My fiance called me in the middle of my work day, before USCIS had even opened for work, and I had been up very late talking with him the night before (with no NOA2 at that point). The last thing I expected was a NOA2 surprise. I guess the mail came super late the day before. 
 
My police certificate arrived in the post today. For all those in the process from the UK, it took exactly 7 working days from the day I ordered it online. I applied for 2, just to be safe. My birth certificate however, is taking much longer. Since I already have a birth certificate at home i'm not worrying too much - this one can just act as a replacement. If you don't have one already though, I would advise ordering it online early. It will really save you some last minute stress when the time comes .
 
Thanks for your reply @Daz&Hank. I guess asking for a medical history summary isn't a common thing over here, especially in small towns and villages where people dont often emigrate. Im happy to at least hear that they accepted those at the medical exam, thats one less thing for me to be worrying about (this process has me stressing about everything imaginable).

Hey there! My fiancee is the UK citizen, and what she did was make two separate inquiries to her local medical center, where her GP works and where she goes for any doctor's appointments. One phone call to ask for her vaccination record, and a separate phone call to ask for her "Patient Care Summary", I believe it was called, per the emailed medical appointment instructions from Knightsbridge (Bentinck Mansions). Neither my fiancee, a lifelong UK citizen and resident, nor the reception staff at her medical center, knew what the "Patient Care Summary" was, but they said they'd do their best. Three days after requesting this Care Summary, the medical center called my fiancee back so she could come pick up the two documents. The Care Summary was two or three pages long and contained a list of all hospitalizations, prescribed medications, diagnosed conditions, as well as vaccination history. The vaccination record (a separate document) matched the vaccination history part of the Patient Care Summary.
 
Compared to the medical documentation I have seen as a lifelong US citizen and resident, from my perspective I would agree, the things looked like I could have typed and printed them myself. So it became one of many things to worry about! But the staff at the medical center said that was all they had to give us. So we took both documents to the medical appointment, and everything was accepted by the business admin. staff and doctors without comment.
 
This was just my experience, there seem to be some variation between different peoples' stories out there -- but hopefully it can help.
All the best

I did exactly the same thing, ordered two police certificates as i noticed they needed one at the medical and the interview and i was worried that they would take the certificate at the medical and i wouldn't have one for the interview. No harm in being extra cautious eh?  Good luck for your interview if you haven't already had it  

I attended the medical appointment with my fiancee at Knightsbridge on 08/01/2017. Our attorney had advised us to bring an original copy of the police certificate with us, and we're glad we did, because they asked for it. We had ordered two copies of the original police certificate just to be safe, but the desk personnel simply photocopied one of these originals and handed it back to us - they did not keep it. This was just our experience, I know there's some variation between different peoples' stories but hopefully this helps! Good luck!

The short version:  Visa APPROVED!!!
 
The long version:  My fiance had some trouble reaching the embassy today but made it just in time.  He had no problem getting checked in and was waiting for his number to be called.  They called his number after about 10 minutes and he went to the first window where they asked for his paperwork and then tried to say that they couldn't find the DS160.  He sent me a message (yay technology!) and I told him to show them the confirmation page.  By the time he pulled it out, they had somehow found the DS160 and then handed him the CD with the chest X-Ray on it...this should have been my first sign that things were going to go a little wonky for him.
 
He went and sat back down and waited for his number to be called again.  He ended up waiting about 45 minutes when his number was called for the second window and interview.  This is where things started to go off script.  At first the CO started going through the standard questions for London (When did you meet?  How many times have you met?  What does he do for a living?) and then the interview jumped the shark.  The CO started asking questions about why my parents divorced, why my fiance's parents separated, what year the city I live in was founded, how many computers do I work on in a day, exactly how many people work at my company, etc. etc.  My fiance said that these questions were totally random and all over the place in no particular order, nothing like we've seen mentioned for London, and didn't seem like the typical interview that was been described in other London reviews.  My fiance held his ground, answered when he could, said he didn't know when he didn't know, and kept trying to focus the CO on us and our relationship very politely.  The CO then asked how we stay in touch and my fiance said Skype, Viber, and others, and then the CO asked to see his cell phone and read through the last several days of our conversations.  I think this was the turning point in the interview back to normal because the CO saw how we joked around, what we talked about, and even laughed at some of the things we had said to each other back and forth.  After a few more questions with the interview going on for about 20 minutes at this point, the CO said "okay, well, I am going to go ahead and approve you and you should have your passport back in about 2 weeks".  My fiance then thanked him, left the embassy, immediately called me and we kept having ####### moments about all the questions he was asked.  There were more that I can't even remember right now that I was like "really, he asked that?!?" and when I speak more with my fiance later I'll see if he can jog my memory on those.
 
Of course I had to wait for my fiance to recount the whole interview and after he kept telling me more and more I finally stopped him and said "So, are you approved?!?" and he said yes and then kept going on about the CO and all the random questions.
 
I realize that this is definitely not the typical interview situation, probably because my fiance is not a UK citizen but has the right to live and work there as a citizen of another EU country, but I wanted to let everyone know who still has their interview coming up to be prepared for anything.  Be polite but hold your ground and focus on the two of you and your story, not what year a city was founded

I want to share my excitement with all of you that have been immensely helpful through out this whole journey ! 
 
My fiancé got APPROVED this morning !!! 😍
 
We are beyond happy and blessed ! 
For those of you who are still waiting on some news or are waiting for your interview dont lose hope and remain strong !! Everything will be just fine !! 

Yes, we're notified. There is no tracking though (even though they called it tracking), just a date that they will deliver on. It's was an email notification.
 
"Hello ......,
The U.S. Department of State Consulate located in London has released document related to your Visa application to our courier DX Group. The document is being sent via the courier option you selected at registration.
The tracking number for the package is #######. It can take up to 24 hours after receiving this notice before your shipment is available to be tracked. Please do not contact the courier company before this time as no additional information will be available. You may track the progress of this shipment at https://www.dxdelivery.com/consumer/my-tracking/?tn=#####&tpc=xxxxxx. The shipment process takes an average of one to two business days from the time you receive this notice.
For a list of identification required to receive returned document(s) and additional information related to courier services, please refer to the information at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-GB/niv/information/courier
The data we have on file is:
Applicant Name: Y........
Passport Number: 1106......
Best regards, 
The CSRA Visa Appointment and Information Service Team"
 

For all of those still waiting on NOA2 or other things. I am still here at the finish line rooting for you. Hang in there.

On this note, can anyone comment on the following claim made by US Embassy (London) on the home delivery by mail of an approved K-1 visa? The delivery confirmation page generated by the embassy states: "Tracking information will be sent to the following mobile number..." 
 
Does anyone know if this feature actually works, if the foreign fiance(e) did receive package tracking info from their embassy by cell phone, and if so was it by text message or phone call? Given the history of these failed notification services we're skeptical.
 
We are elated to have been approved yesterday and are certainly hoping for a successful first visa delivery attempt. Our thoughts are with you all out there!
Thank you!

On this note, can anyone comment on the following claim made by US Embassy (London) on the home delivery by mail of an approved K-1 visa? The delivery confirmation page generated by the embassy states: "Tracking information will be sent to the following mobile number..." 
 
Does anyone know if this feature actually works, if the foreign fiance(e) did receive package tracking info from their embassy by cell phone, and if so was it by text message or phone call? Given the history of these failed notification services we're skeptical.
 
We are elated to have been approved yesterday and are certainly hoping for a successful first visa delivery attempt. Our thoughts are with you all out there!
Thank you!

I don't want to get your hopes up but I just pulled my NOA2 to check what you said you saw.  To the right of my address on mine the first line says Notice Type: Approval Notice and the next line says Valid from 06/09/2017 to 10/08/2017.  This could be the same No and V that you can see on your informed delivery.  I would guess it's your approval based on what you see.  *fingers crossed*

I had my interview today (exactly 7 months after NOA1) and it was APPROVED 
I feel like this huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, such a relief...
 
The interviewer asked me about: my fiancé's name,  how and where we met,  where does he live, what is his proffesion, his last marriage. Regarding to myself, how many times I have been to US, where, how much time I spent there. I mentioned about the situation when I was denied entry, however he didn't ask about it. He also asked me about my eyes disease which made quite surprised because at medicals the doctor said it would not be bring up at the interview. I didn't have to present any proof of our relationship.
 
Thank you all for your posts, support. Congratulations to those who already got theirs approvals and good luck to all who still waititng, stay strong 
 
 

My fiancee got his visa today!!!!! It was 3 am when i found the wonderful news and it made me break down and cry of happiness cause its been a long journey!! & this forum has helped me so much and everyone was just so wonderful!!! 

How about making sure she has pocket money without asking for it.  My wife would get money out of the cash machine and lay it out on the counter at home and say I got us some cash today. Then she would take half and push half toward me.  Or she would say "when you are out today, will you stop and get us some cash?" Or she might say, "I'm out of cash, do you have any left?" and take a twenty off me.  She kindly made it feel like her money was our money. It never felt like she was giving me an allowance. 
And when you're in the city, send her over to the hot dog cart to pay for the dogs with her pocket money, so it's not all one-sided. 

You are about to embark on a wild ride that makes anything you see at an amusement park seem tame. I commend all of you for actually thinking about preparing for your partner's arrival. Things I wished I had done:
1. Knew more about early marriage issues (it was both of our 1st marriages). Understanding the dynamics at play, especially the power dynamics. So read some marriage manuals if you have time.
2. Knew more about her health issues and connected it with the new environment. It's really dry here with lots of different stuff floating in the air that absolutely wreaked havoc on her allergies.
3. Lined up a personal doctor for her that she could see in the first month of her arrival.
4. Understood better her transportation preferences. I thought she would feel comfortable riding a bicycle. Huh uh, that didn't work.
5. I wished I had taken her to the only Colombia restaurant in the region (one in Albuquerque) within the first week or month. Home food is important.
 
I was slow to do all of these things. Way too slow. And it caused conflict. There are many, many other things I should have done too.
 
Remember, you are the petiitioner. You already live in this culture. All you have to do is adapt to the marriage. The beneficiary has to adapt to the culture and the marriage and being far, far away from her family and friends. Which means... you need to do all the listening. Less talking, more listening. Every little thing that he/she might say in those first few weeks could be hugely important. Don't forget or dismiss anything. Take care of his/her health... that's probably #1. If you have to work for 8 hours a day, make sure the remaining 16 hours are devoted to your partner. Even if your partner knows english, and even if english is their first language, don't be put off by having to make calls on their behalf. It's initmidating to them all of the crazy things we do, day to day.
 
Best of luck! I know you'll do great because you're already asking the right questions.
 

The 1040 is not a pay stub, the 1040 is a "tax return" form. If you earn enough money in the US (this minimum $ amount depends on your exact situation), you fill out a Form 1040 one time every year - it is your way of telling the federal government how much money you earn. If the government believes what you write on the 1040, then they know how much tax money you must pay. A W-2 is a piece of paper your employer should send to the federal government once per year, telling them how much money you earn, and it is not the same as a pay stub either. But for the sake of appearing honest and transparent, I don't see why you couldn't show pay stubs in addition to 1040s, W-2s, etc.
 

Hey Silvia,
We have the same NOA2 date as you (5/25/17) and I received a letter in the mail from NVC yesterday, 6/23/17, saying they received our case from USCIS, so I wouldn't worry -- But it is very common for people report not receiving any letter or email from NVC, ever. So I am in full agreement with what Jaimekr08 said, and keep calling (during not peak hours)!

Hey Silvia,
We have the same NOA2 date as you (5/25/17) and I received a letter in the mail from NVC yesterday, 6/23/17, saying they received our case from USCIS, so I wouldn't worry -- But it is very common for people report not receiving any letter or email from NVC, ever. So I am in full agreement with what Jaimekr08 said, and keep calling (during not peak hours)!

I want to offer a suggested correction on this comment. 
 
" It should not matter which form they see unless you have other income from other sources then I would show the 1040 tax return. "
 
The 1040 shows many things the W2 doesn't. Example, number of dependents. Also money in certain retirement accounts, business income or loss. Interest from savings. Tax credits!
 
i would not arrive with only a W2. Use your 1040 AND any supporting tax forms associated t
with it. 

Well, is getting harder everyday, we end up having an arguments about this, the stress is hurting the relationship. Is too much. 143 days is a longggg wait!
My initial plan was travelling at the end of the summer, but now, that might not even be possible. We have a dog, i need to do the dogs papers 15 days befores travelling... there is nothing i can organice or plan... just wait. 
I'm also resigning my job... feels just too unfair! I'm happy about other filers, but what's wrong!? Why do i feel like they are treating us like we are less!! 
I'm sorry for this, there is days is just too much.
We have had call and call USCIS, write the congressman... nothing, nothing at all works

I know how you feel though, I have been calling the NVC every other day. I want it to come early!

Hi February family. Does anyone have an idea of how long NVC takes to send petitions to Embassy after assigning a case number? NVC received my petition on June 19. I called and obtained my case number on June 21. Now just wondering how long they will hold it before they send it out to my Embassy in Johannesburg.

Hello! I'm new to this site & since we recently got our NOA2, went ahead and updated our timeline here. I know it can be trying, but hang in there! It comes out of nowhere! Lol :-)
I have a question that some of you might have the answer to: Does the petitioner need to send his I-134 or any other supporting financial document to the NVC prior to the beneficiary's interview, or do these documents only need to be sent to the beneficiary? 
Thanks for your inputs! This is a helpful forum :-)

I was calling (603) 334-0888 every other day, and always received good service saying sir/ma'am after everything. Always called before 7:30am Pacific time and never was on hold more than 20 minutes. 

Hey all, another newbie/lurker here waiting til I had some useful numbers to contribute.
But first, I wanted to send my love to everyone on this forum, the support and information we provide one another is invaluable. An extra thank you to those who run the scans. Speaking for myself, being able to know roughly what's going on out there has at times kept me sane, and given me strength to fend off the anxiety and pain.
Today my fiancee and I are blessed to have received our NOA2. Dates as follows:
Petition received by CIS: 2/22
NOA1 issued by CIS: 2/27
NOA2 issued by CIS: 5/25
NOA2 showed up in the mailbox: 6/2
 
To all still waiting, you WILL get there! My heart goes out to you all, in spirit we are all sharing this journey together, and our love will get us there.
 
dbmathis hang in there buddy!