Tristesse

Thank you for such a comprehensive answer, Wuozopo. Much appreciated. 

Wow, you are. I had to have all my childhood ones done again before my medical / going to the USA because when I moved from England to Scotland, all my medical records were lost 🤦‍♀️ However, for some reason my GP wouldn't do that particular one so I had to pay for it in London. Perhaps it's NHS policy not to remind people?

And again, if it's a 10 year thing, why does my American Dr think I need one after a year?

Thanks. Yes, I filed for AoS in mid December and included a copy of the medical information. My vaccinations are complete although my Primary Care Physician thinks I should have ANOTHER TTadP despite paying £130 for one in London. Not sure if that's an America thing or a USCIS thing. 

Luckily we have an approved Dr not far at all if a medical is needed. I will take some proof of the K1 exemption though as you suggest. 

Thank you.

Hi. I came over on a K1 in September 2021. My medical was in June 2021 so it's now over a year old. 

No sign of AoS, but I have a couple of questions.

Firstly, will I need another medical? If not, will they need another health summary from my Doctor here?

Secondly, I would like to get some help for C-PTSD, which luckily I am insured for, but I'm worried this will be considered mental illness and may impact my application. 

Thanks in advance.

Ditto. There is a note on the main site about scheduled maintenance, but from the dates given, should have finished on the 20th. 

We were asked in September why we'd left it so long to complete the process since the (cancelled) embassy appointment in 2020, as if it didn't close and the U.S didn't shut its borders. My (then) fiancé was a bit abrupt in his answer and got told off.

I don't expect that to happen to you though. All the best 🙂

Ah okay, thank you. (Quite relieved about that actually. Michigan Lefts and all 😁)

Yes, I'm unable to get that and a social security card in my married name. They kept the original one but did issue me paperwork which can be used in the place of a physical card. 

I don't know if I'm able to take a driving test without proof of status or a State ID? My international permit expires in March. 

(It's Michigan)

Hi. I arrived on a K1 mid-September, applied for a Social Security card in October and was married soon after. My card arrived, and (maybe wrongly) I went to the office again to get a new card in my married name. 

I applied for AoS (just) before my K1 visa expired but apparently a new card / State ID is being held up because DHS have no evidence of my immigration status.

Does this sound correct? I have an I797C showing receipt of the AoS package and went for my biometrics appointment two days ago. Is it just a question of waiting for systems to catch up or is there anything else I can ask USCIS for which Social Security and the State Department would accept?

Thanks in advance 🙂

I'm 49 and did have to give both samples in June but thought it was odd that the doctor didn't examine me closely as it were, because some lassie had posted a different experience recently.

Do they knock any money off their price then? 🤔

Wow, that is crazy! I hope it was sorted reasonably quickly. 

Thank you. I knew I remembered a thread or two about that issue but couldn't find them using the Search. 

Middle of next week with an eighteen hour layover in Amsterdam airport 😮

Well apparently there is a lot you can do in Schiphol, and I'll definitely sleep through most of the U.S flight so there's that! 

I'm just using airline extra baggage for my personal things and thank you again for the very useful posts I've seen recently in that regard too.

I was K1 but yes I brought two but only one was needed. 

It arrived no bother with the big black letters stamped on the front saying not to open it. But I've just noticed that it was sent out with the opening and one side sellotaped up. So who is to say I didn't steam it open and reseal it?

I always use tape too for extra security when sending things. The glue is never brilliant on large envelopes so hopefully it'll be easy to explain.

There's a wee bit of wear and tear. God knows how, it has been kept in the courier plastic bag for two months! These are only a few millimetres long but it's an awful long way to go only to get someone really pedantic sending me straight back 😬 

Hi. I flew from Inverness and stayed in the Travelodge Vauxhall. Because mainly due to an early appointment and not being able to bring much other than your paperwork into the embassy. 

https://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/576/London-Vauxhall-hotel?utm_source=google&utm_medium=GHA_Organic&utm_campaign=GHA_London Vauxhall&WT.tsrc=GHA_Organic

It was fine, basic but there is a Waitrose right next door and it's a nice area. The only problem was only local cabs are allowed down that street and the one I ordered from the hotel wasn't prompt enough for my liking so I walked. It isn't far. 

For the medical I stayed near Luton airport and cabbed in. I don't know why we can't do this in Edinburgh or Glasgow 🤨

I used the Minicabit app both times and they were great. 

Denver is probably the most "interesting" / mysterious airport in the U.S from what I've read. Was it that or the process itself? 

This one in Michigan has a cool light show tunnel but I won't get to see it this time.

https://www.colorkinetics.com/global/showcase/detroit-airport

Oh also they are really flexible in mine and I think others' experience and it should be pretty easy to book and / or rearrange if needed around your embassy date when you have one. I arrived two hours early and they let me in when I arrived. So no worries on that score. 

I think it depends on how soon you can travel. Your visa will expire six months from the date of the medical, not the interview, so there was that to bear in mind. Some people might choose to just do it and others want the certainty (especially now) of a date for the embassy before shelling out almost £400.

Although I did get a plaster after my blood test which is more than NHS Scotland gives you after needles 🙄

7 minutes ago, laylalex said:

Keep up the y'alls! I have a friend from Louisiana whose stepfather is from Glasgow but has lived in the bayou for the past 25 years. She tells me his accent is completely impenetrable to anyone except immediate family now!  

My fiance moved from Louisiana back to his home state of Michigan during the last year and we'd always joked that I'd end up saying things like, "aye, y'all" and completely confusing people!

Good luck getting a time / date Natachito. I was looking in late May after I had an email saying things were slowly reopening. It was almost as if the system was still getting back up to speed after the lockdown but unless it has recovered I would really recommend checking at all kinds of random points in the day if you aren't already. You never know when slots are going to open up. It was something like two hours between my "nothing" and having three dates. 

All at 9:30 only so that might help you to prepare, maybe stay nearby overnight or whatever. 

Wow, so helpful. 

Thanks all (y'all 😁)

Perfect, thanks Boiler. I hope you're settling / settled and it wasn't too intimidating a process for you 🙂

Hello again. Apologies if this is in the wrong section of the forum.

I'm probably panicking but non-refundable tickets have been bought from Scotland via Amsterdam to Detroit Metropolitan and now I'm thinking I've only ever heard of K1 visas being processed at really major international airports such as LAX and JFK? 

Will it be okay to go through immigration and interview here? Google doesn't seem to be helping regarding specific visas, I can't call and there is no email address that looks like it might deal with this question.

It's beginning to sound like a nightmare what with all the covid-safety preparations for three countries on top of it all... Also will my fiancé be able to stay with me as we will be traveling together?

Thanks for reading. Any advice much appreciated. 

There were two queues, not bad, at just past nine. I was directed to one but still just five or six people in front including a guy ahead who told me he had a 9:30 for a spouse visa. 

"Airport style security" was pretty OTT. I had to open apps on my phone in case it was a disguised bomb and then drink from my permitted plastic water bottle to show I wasn't bringing in liquid explosive.

In the lift going up, a nice man told me to ignore all the other people and go left and left again to the immigration windows. From there on it took 17 minutes in total. 

I was asked for BOTH divorce decree certificates which was a bit odd. Luckily I brought everything but surely I couldn't have married my second husband if the first wasn't divorced or dead? That's probably a good tip to pass on. America doesn't trust the UK to do bigamy prevention properly apparently.

@Wuozopo my visa has been approved! The entire thing took seventeen minutes from clearing security. I think I've seen you posting that the interview will be much more straightforward than imagined and that was certainly the case for me. 

Thanks so much, to you and everyone else here. I'll be sure to keep reading in case I can pass on any help myself.