Teddy406

I just rang the state department with it now being 16 days since I sent my first part of package 3 back, they said they are still waiting on my DS-230, 156,156k, 157 and that I should resend them if I sent them over two weeks ago and they still havent got them.

Great.

I think you will need a letter from your doc explaining that it cleared up and wasn't serious. There have been quite a few people who have had to do this. One person didn't take a letter and it held up her visa being sent out.

I'd, personally, play it safe and get a letter from the docs. To be even more sure, give the Knightsbridge Doctors a ring and ask them if it is required or not.

I did. The Doctor at my medical actually remarked it was appreciated that someone thought to get a GP's letter to explain a previous condition.

As a teenager I had one bout of depression with vague thoughts along the lines of "I dont want to live anymore", I didnt take any action, plan anything, no 'cries for help' , or give it (suicide) any serious thought. I just felt really bad and "I dont want to live" / "the world would be better off without me / I dont

know how I can go on /It's the end of the world / who would miss me anyway" seemed to sum it up.

I got a letter from my doc mentioning that I had a one time bout with depression, it was brought on by a reaction to a bad event, NOT psychological issues. The letter detailed my initial visit to the GP, the fact it was triggered by an event, that it was treated (including the perscription and treatment), that I showed a excellent response and was never treated before or after, also there were no psychotic incidents, I just felt low.

I was worried about the "suicide / intent to harm" part of the medical because I wanted to be 100% honest in my medical, but yet at the same time not go into things and exaggerate things that werent there.

So I showed my family GP (the one that actual treated me) the actual questionnaire in package 3 and said

"Is this applicable to me and my specific case in question? If so, please be honest and if you think it is applicable, add it to the letter and explain it in detail for the examining physician"

However, my GP said that IN MY CASE, I wasnt considered "suicidal" nor were my "vague ideas" "thoughts of suicide", i was never a risk to myself or others and I should answer "no" to "suicidal thoughts / intent to self harm" as there is a difference between occasional / one off "vague ideas" along the lines of "I've got nothing to live for" when you are emotional and down and "genuine suicidal thoughts"

(which included thinking of elaborate plans, repeated specific ideas, writing practise notes, obtaining medicine / equipment to aid you / actual self harm with intent etc).

It was a relief for me to hear my GP explain things to me, because I was worried. It gave me the ability to answer the question with confidence.

I cant say for specific cases, but I found handing my doctor the literature and asking her to make a professional judgement on my SPECIFIC experience was reassuring.

This morning my fiance got an email from the Embassy stating his interview date will be on April 19th!! I can't believe it, I don't think I will until he gets the official letter in the mail. I don't want to count chickens yet....but I'm excited.

Relieved is more like it. Now that we know the date, it feels like structure has finally come back. I just can't believe it.

Maybe this means the Embassy is NOT as backlogged or messed up as some have thought [including my nervous self], so perhaps this means all who are still waiting will soon hear good news too! I hope so Good luck to everybody and I hope your notification comes soon too!

CONGRATULATIONS!

If you go to the USCIS website

https://egov.immigration.gov/cris/jsps/index.jsp

Create a customer account. You should have a code / case number from USCIS, have that to hand.

Login to your account and you should be able to "add" a case to your portfolio, add the case number USCIS gave you in the NOA1 and select "email updates"

Cheers

Teddy

It seems I had a "measles" jab as a kid and a booster, I didnt realise it was seperate to Mumps and Rubella untill just reading up on it, will I need a MMR jab tomorrow?

Also, any tips on what to wear? A bit of a daft questions but I wondered if jeans and polo shirt would be fine or if you should "make an effort"

The third thing it, the address of where to go, now I have to ring up tomorrow to find out eactly which site im going to (silly me, I know), but the reading of the pinned topics are at an address that wasnt listed for me. I know it doesnt really matter but have they changed premises?

I been asked what language do we speak in England?

How long does it take to drive to England?

Have you been to the Eifel tower in London?

Staggeringly I once got asked "are there black people in England?", I couldnt decided if that was worse than "how do i speak English?" or not.

to the english question I said "I knew I was coming to America to visit and really tried hard to pick it up in time so I could speak to Americans when I was out and about"

and to the "blac"k question...well...I really tried not to laugh, it was like a question a parent might get from a small child who really doesnt know.

The funny thing is, they thought I was serious both times and actually thanked 'people like me' for learning a foreign language. My fiancée kicked me under the table because she knew i was taking the pee.

I went to an 'irish' pub in San Diego a few years ago... it was quite a nice pub, but I remember being bemused by the menu. It had a special section for 'traditional irish fare', which contained only two dishes:

1) Clam chowder, served in one of those bread-bowl things

2) Chilli. Served with tortilla chips.

Haha, unreal! Still, I did get asked how I spoke such good English for a foreigner once so maybe I shouldnt be so surprised.

I can't believe I'm going to say it, but I miss the stupid pub quiz!

Damn you mags!

:lol:

I miss quiz machines.

I know, imagine my disgust that I found out I would no longer be able to play Strike It Rich 3 sheets to the wind whilst making a succession of terrible Barrymore jokes with my mates.

It just doesnt seem right.

Cheers, both!

I'm not exactly a master of indian (or indeed any other) cooking, so just as long as the basic ones are all available, I should be happy! S'pose I could bring a ton with me, too... mm, out of all the things I'm leaving behind/selling, my indian cookery books will definitely have to come. Even though I rarely have the patience to follow the recipes properly anyway... I'm sure the results never taste even remotely like they should, but so long as they're edible, and spicy, that's fine by me!

In RI, Super Stop and Shops seemed to have Sharwoods or Patak's cook in sauces in the teensy weensy international sections, next to Jaffa Cakes in the "Irish" section for some reason. (wasnt aware jaffa cakes were particularily Irish, but not that i complained as i brought about 3 boxes)

Hmm, I know the feeling, Teddy... I booked my medical after I'd got home from a night shift, and was not quite 'all there' at the time. I wrote down the time of my appointment but nothing else, assuming that details like which building to go to would stick in my mind. As soon as I put the phone down I realised I had no clue where it was I was meant to be going ('.... place beginning with 'B'... oh wait, they both do...') but was too embarrassed to call straight back and admit I had absolutely no idea what had just been said to me. I called up on the morning of my medical to 'double-check' - must remember to make sure I'm actually conscious before arranging appointments etc in future!

Good to know Im not the only "Shift Zombie" around! Although, perhaps if i was more awake I would have panicked more during this whole process! (well, more than I already did)

I did exactly the same as you, wrote it down the date, time, booked the holiday from work, got the national express tickets ....that all was fine and planned meticulously...haha.

Yes, the infinte loop of hammer to the head and eye squishing seems quite apt.

Oh dear, the amount of times stuff like that has happend to me, you freeze and suddenly realise and say "ohhh F! "

Yeah, it was exactly that reaction.

On first inspection, I thought the second map was a larger scale map of the first tiny map. I was so organised with everything else, (collecting my vaccine info, doctors letters to clear up prior treatment) i just didnt do the most important thing which was double check which bloody clinic it was !

If i had the "smack on head with hammer" smiley, i'd be dropping that in here about now!

Dazed and Confused,

Teddy.

Basil Gardens is the Knightsbridge one...right behind Harrods.

I know, it was the other one that just sprang into existence upon re checking my medical package!

When booking my appointment, I rang the line at 9am, it said "this is the surgery at Basil Gardens" in a recorded voice, i tried at 9.10 and got through..so i presumed (the father of all cluck ups) it was Basil Gardens.

Oh man, what was I always told about reading things through?

I just worked out, after checking my paperwork over one more time that Im not 100% sure which clinic have to go to tomorrow. When I booked, the phone line said "Basil Gardens" So I assumed it was there. I guess ill have to ring up on the National Express to confirm whether its Bond Street or Knightsbridge I have to go to.

The woman on the phone told me not to go to the wrong building, I thought she meant 15 or 15a or the clinc was split over two buildings...

Silly me

Does anyone know if there will be possibilities of financial aid for low-income folks? Like many posting to this thread have mentioned, immigration is a privilege, not a right. (Although I would argue that being able to marry the person you fall in love with is part of the "pursuit of happiness.") However, if it is a privilege extended only to mid to high income citizens, then it's quite discriminatory. I can't imagine that this will fail to be an issue in the debates around this proposed increase in fees. Or will it?

Well if your income and financial status is THAT bad, how will you be able to be the affaafafafafafddivit of support? I see what you are saying, but immigration is deffo a privilege and one that is seemingly abused very often in all countries.

Teddy.

I don't think it's so bad to be a stickler for wanting to know what's going on. In a way, I suppose it is kind of like overkill at times to check on things so often, but I come from that 'Damned if you do, damned if you don't" school of thought. I've had so many experiences when I didn't check on things and then only later realized I should have. Wanting to make sure they haven't lost stuff, and if they have I want to know as soon as I can so it's not a month or two later before I do, you know?

I just don't trust bureaucrats, especially overworked ones

Teddy, I see your medical is Monday. GOOD LUCK!

Thank You, Spurs won today with Paul Robinson scoring so I'm taking that as an omen for the best!

Peace and Love,

Teddy.

HAHA @ WATFORD.

ROBBO = #1

I don't know what I have missed in the past few months, but I don't recall that anyone has consistantly been able to get this information you want--confirmation of delivery. Even if you had one of their people by the throat in front of you, they would tell you that they can't see your case & that it takes X weeks to get it into their system.

Clearly it works.. people are moving to the US every day. I hate to see you torture yourselves like this over something that you can not affect.

Are you packed yet?

Half packed...I wont be leaving untill august-ish anyway, but I am a stickler for wanting to know what is going on, and we want to set a date and send the invitations out!

Like Cartman for the Wii---cmon, cmmmmmmmmmmmmon!

Has it occured to anyone that the mail *has* been picked up, but you haven't been notified?

Occom's razor.

Leave 'em alone & they will get to you. You won't feel better in the meantime, and you won't be able to be oh-so-proactive-feeling, but it will all get done.

(isn't it you lot who think it's us Americans who are pushy? <g>)

I rang up Royal Mail (who we all know runs a VERY TIGHT SHIP indeed) and they said that it was sat in the super duper PO BOX OF DOOM and that i should contact the recipient.

Eek - computer spazzed.

I tried to finish by saying -

He's still going to comply with the laws here. He won't be stealing American jobs. Doesn't sound like he's moving here for the welfare benefits. He won't be an undocumented worker or illegal alien. Sounds like victimless crime to me.

Again, like I said, my opinion. Which has nothing to do with the laws or anyone's need to follow them.

True, it's up to people on a person to person basis. Im the type of person that does things "properly" and "legit".

I know people who WOULD literally do something which i would deem "crazy" but not me. Just dont turn up with the Tux in your suitcase though!

The other flip side is you might not think things are fair, but it's the US government, if they say you cant have your ball back, you arent getting back any time soon.

Just my $0.02

I agree LisaD. I think SOOOO many people from my generation have that whole 'If I can't get it now, it's NOT FAIR!" thing. I could write a book titled "1,000 Things I Hate About The K-1 VISA Process", but I feel like it's just one of those hard roads you've got to go down in a committed relationship, if you really want it enough. I make the joke that the actual interviews go so fast because what they're REALLY thinking is "Hey, if you people got THIS far after all the ####### we put you through, you MUST love each other".

There are so many different motivations for trying to go the VWP route, every situation is different and the K-1 DOES test your limits quite a bit. When I think about the day it's all done though, when this era fades into that story we'll tell our kids about "Wanna hear the ####### Mommy and Daddy had to go through to be together?", I know overwhelmingly that I'm alright doing it this way. It's just worth it.

Yeah, I hear you on that. I think it's good to have a bit of adversity and hard work in life, makes you appreciate the simpler times. When people ask why my fiancée and i dont argue or that, it's because life is too short and our time together is precious. We could never fall into the "sat infront the TV in silence" and we talk everyday, really talk and get to know each other.

When people question / laugh at our relationship, I can take great pleasure in knowing that deep down, I probably know my fiancee better than they know their wife/husband because i have talked to her for HOURS in the last 3 years, more than they will in 10.

My fiancée and I both take turns to freak out over this (one minute i was convinced i'd mythically contracted a disease through the power of being sure something would come up, then she would say "2 months has been a LIFETIME, AAARGH, THIS SUCKS" but deep down we know we'll have the rest of our lives together. When I was out there last time and I proposed, (no plans to on arrival)

I must admit, VJ and it's members have been spot on and first class. I am someone who takes comfort in the counsel of others more experienced, so this has been great.

Perhaps instead of spending One TRILLION dollars on Iraq, they could bung the US embassy £10k or so and get them to hire someone to check their freaking PO BOX.

You wouldnt happen to know the State Department's hours of business ROUGHLY would you?

I'm at work untill 10pm GMT, so I can call tomorrow or about 7pm EST tonight, I have my medical on monday though, so I might wait till Tuesday to call (i have to day off, go me!)

Catica, I hope you call on Monday and find out that you're in the interview allocation system. It took about a week for them to get Gary's paperwork in, and I assume most of that time his packet 3 was sitting in the same mysterious PO box. I can't believe they lost your first packet 3, and I can certainly understand your frustration. I hope you get your interview date ASAP.

TheZilla, have you tried calling the State Department to ask about your case status? They seem to know more than the Embassy does. Copied from another post:

Here is a number you need to call: (001 from the UK) 202-663-1225

Once the recorded message answers, just press 1, then press 0, then press 0 again...no need to keep waiting for the message to finish speaking.

In a couple of months, I hope we'll all be looking back on this time with our SOs by our sides and breathing big sighs of relief.

I hope so, I mean it just seems that legitimate couples who just want to be with their fiancé(e) / Spouses get a right royal run around. My packet 3 said "GET THIS STRAIGHT BACK TO US SO WE CAN GET PROCESSING!" you pay your £4.50 to mail it back Special Delivery, then almost two weeks later you find its stuffed in PO BOX PURGATORY with people as far back as Dec/Jan.

I mean, Im not trying it on, I'm SOLEY going to the US because my fiancée has since got a better job then me (since our engagement) and the future inlaws decided that "The wedding will be in the US" was the 11th commandment that Moses just merely didnt have time to tell people about. Its frustrating the Bank Of America are giving illegals credit cards, and i've met people doing things the "other" way who think I'm stupid for doing things properly.

I wouldnt have it any other way myself, however, the sort of "randomness" isnt very comforting to people running the maze. Our application has flown through so far, so I cant complain, but you never feel "confident" the wheels of progress are turning! Untill you get surprised (pleasantly so far, thank God)

We want to book a date and I want my fiancée to have the well planned and organised wedding she deserves!

Sorry to people who have been waiting for ages, but it's like pulling a ticket at the delhi counter and thinking "great, when's my turn?" then seeing a waiting room full of people going "we dont know either, but we've been here a LOT longer than you"

Teddy

Thanks,

I just read your embassy troubles thread...God, When I heard my letters were in a PO BOX, I thought "poopy" (not the actual word, obviously) and that I had sent them to a junk mail hell PO BOX and missed a trick.

It's good to know I'm in PO BOX PURGATORY with everyone else. Or not.