SEWI

It was super easy for us. We arrived at 5:30 an hour before we booked, hardly anyone there and we were in test done and out within ten mins. We went and got A coffee at the nearby Cafe Nero and got our results before we even had a first sip - 10 mins no more. Negative thankfully! We went back and picked up the printout however we did notice they made an error on the date of the test as it said the following day, which would have invalidated it as it stated a test taken after we would have travelled, so check all the details match up. No sooner did we go to leave when suddenly the lack of queue turned into a long queue, so I think it’####### and miss to how busy it is. 
departing the next day, prepare to keep your results print out handy. We showed it to at least 4 people, it held up plane a bit but wasn’t too difficult. 
departing plane at LAX we had to show the print out again to a few people as you step off, this slowed things down a bit. Then had to show it again to immigration. Once that was done everything was fine and we were out. All in all not a bad experience all things considered! Just be prepared to show that negative print out over and over again so keep it handy! Good luck! 

Thanks for the Info. They’ve updated their website on Virgin now to reflect PCR And Antigen test, and advising not to use the T2 facility unless absolutely necessary as the queue ‘goes outside the terminal’! Brilliant. 
 
I booked mine at T5 for Sunday evening - We fly Monday afternoon. Did you have to produce your flight info? I’m wondering if I’m allowed to use T5.... it didn’t say I couldn’t! 

It’s fascinating to me how businesses adapt on the fly to serve customers and quickly add a new gig during all the changes that pop up with no notice. 

UPDATE:
 
I've just returned from London Heathrow, where I tested with covidtesting.collinsonassistance.com - I was originally booked to have the RT-PCR, however, after overhearing conversation whilst waiting, it was made apparent that the PCR test results were taking more than 48hours to be delivered, which is beyond my departure time. 
As a result, I changed my test to the ANTIGEN (Covid-19 (SARS CoV-2) Antigen) test, which delivered results within ~1 hour, for 50GBP. (Negative test- yay!)
 
I would like to comment, now that I have calmed down, that the London Heathrow/ Collinson testing is an absolute disgrace. A complete and utter shambles. There is zero coordination/information whilst you queue, they run very behind schedule (my test was ~80minutes after my appointment time), and the results are delayed by a minimum of ~60-90 minutes- whereby you might be required to return to the testing location (pre-security) for a second test, if an issue transpires. 
I would also comment that ~10-15% of those queuing, were in the process of missing their flights, owed entirely to the delays.
 
Essentially, I would suggest allowing ~6 or so hours before your departure, if you are testing on the day of. But, where possible, test before the airport. == this only works for the LAMP/ANTIGEN tests, which should deliver within 90minutes.
Virgin Atlantic advised me that Boots are now able to conduct pre-flight Covid testing-- which I'm sure is a far better service than the Collinson process.
 
Virgin Atlantic also refused to give me a definitive answer as to which tests would be accepted in order to allow me onto their aircraft, regardless of what testing the US government accepts. Due to liability concerns, I'm sure?, just that the accepted tests were changing on a daily basis, and that if checking-in TODAY, they would accept LAMP, ANTIGEN and PCR test results (<72hour).
I was unable to reach Delta, for guidance whilst at LHR.
 
For reference, a member of staff informed me that the LAMP test results take 60-90minutes to be delivered.
 
 
I hope this will be of benefit to members, to ease the aggravation of my experiences! 🥴

UPDATE:
 
I've just returned from London Heathrow, where I tested with covidtesting.collinsonassistance.com - I was originally booked to have the RT-PCR, however, after overhearing conversation whilst waiting, it was made apparent that the PCR test results were taking more than 48hours to be delivered, which is beyond my departure time. 
As a result, I changed my test to the ANTIGEN (Covid-19 (SARS CoV-2) Antigen) test, which delivered results within ~1 hour, for 50GBP. (Negative test- yay!)
 
I would like to comment, now that I have calmed down, that the London Heathrow/ Collinson testing is an absolute disgrace. A complete and utter shambles. There is zero coordination/information whilst you queue, they run very behind schedule (my test was ~80minutes after my appointment time), and the results are delayed by a minimum of ~60-90 minutes- whereby you might be required to return to the testing location (pre-security) for a second test, if an issue transpires. 
I would also comment that ~10-15% of those queuing, were in the process of missing their flights, owed entirely to the delays.
 
Essentially, I would suggest allowing ~6 or so hours before your departure, if you are testing on the day of. But, where possible, test before the airport. == this only works for the LAMP/ANTIGEN tests, which should deliver within 90minutes.
Virgin Atlantic advised me that Boots are now able to conduct pre-flight Covid testing-- which I'm sure is a far better service than the Collinson process.
 
Virgin Atlantic also refused to give me a definitive answer as to which tests would be accepted in order to allow me onto their aircraft, regardless of what testing the US government accepts. Due to liability concerns, I'm sure?, just that the accepted tests were changing on a daily basis, and that if checking-in TODAY, they would accept LAMP, ANTIGEN and PCR test results (<72hour).
I was unable to reach Delta, for guidance whilst at LHR.
 
For reference, a member of staff informed me that the LAMP test results take 60-90minutes to be delivered.
 
 
I hope this will be of benefit to members, to ease the aggravation of my experiences! 🥴

If you test positive it is a great way to get out of any " Non-refundable" anything. I tested positive last week, not 1 day before a domestic flight. I was able to cancel my Hotwire ( Non-refundable car reservation), and got all my money refunded for the flight ticket. Was also able to cancel Non-refundable hotel reservations for the weekend also. I was amazed how all the " No way your getting your money back" itineraries were able to " Magically" qualify for a refund. I got lucky I guess, saved myself a good chunk of change, and got to stay home for Christmas. But, since it is only a 10 day quarantine now, I'm back in the air on Monday. Just have a PDF file of your test results available to send via E-mail or chat, and you should be able to cancel/refund anything you have booked. And come January 6th I already scheduled an antibody test to cover me for the next 6 months of travel at least.

Carrier will fall in line with country requirements, they just haven’t had time to update it. 
 
if you test positive they take you somewhere and a nurse spends some time with you going through things and an airline official will discuss rebooking your flights. Also Virgin has £3000 insurance for any accommodation etc that you need as a result of not being able to fly. It’s on their website if you click up the top regarding Covid notifications a page comes up it’s all there. 

Sounds like he supports his parents and wants them to have a lump sum should he pass and is looking to mitigate the exchange risk.

@Andy&Jamie really really happy for you! Enjoy this moment, and all of the wonderful times to come! ❤️
 
It seems our experiences are similar, with regards to processing times and missing 1040s!
It took 10 days for my passport to be returned to me, after my interview and the (second) submission of my spouses 2019 1040. Hopefully yours will be returned a little faster than mine! 

@Andy&Jamie really really happy for you! Enjoy this moment, and all of the wonderful times to come! ❤️
 
It seems our experiences are similar, with regards to processing times and missing 1040s!
It took 10 days for my passport to be returned to me, after my interview and the (second) submission of my spouses 2019 1040. Hopefully yours will be returned a little faster than mine! 

Well guys... 
 
I got... 
 
 
 
 
APPROVED!
 
 
Well, technically I got the green slip asking me to upload the missus' 1040 for 2019. But uh... That is now already uploaded, because despite my wife being in california she's still awake and she did it 😂. CO told me as long as I did it today it wouldn't add any processing time to my visa processing. 
 
The words do not exist in the English language to express my relief thst this is done, and that in all likelihood I'll be home with my better half for Christmas. This year has been horrible, I'm sure we can all agree. But thank you guys all so much, for all the information, support, encouragement, all of it. I'm feeling a lot of things right now so I'm not sure if I'm even typing this in English. 
 
I'll do a interview review thing shortly. Right now I need to decompress. I'm sure those of you recently approved will be familiar with the feeling but it's like... Literally my whole damn life from august last year to right now has revolved around this process and now it's done. Do I laugh? Cry? Scream all of that stress into the void and breathe in the glorious fresh air of relief? I'll update you all which one(s) I decide to do. 
 
Much love. ❤️❤️❤️

what phone where you thinking of buying?  My last 3 phones I have purchased have all been dual sim phones so I can rock 2 sim cards at the one time, one for my US sim the other for my UK sim, so I'm contactable on both at all times.  Funnily enough I had the exact same deal on three mobile as @SEWI and I remember being annoyed when they changed it to £20 and thinking I was being screwed, looking back I had it so good compared to here in the states 🤣😅. I changed from 3 to giff gaff due to 3's fair use policy, plus I only need to top it up £10 every six months to keep the line active and send a text or make a call, plus most calls back to the UK are over WhatsApp or instagram to family and friends, and if I have to call a UK business I've also used rebtel which is an app for cheap calls which is linked to my UK mobile number too.
 
 Oneplus phones are great for dual sim purpose and they make high spec phones. However if your more the apple than android fan, there handsets will work just fine too.

You’re good to go. The UK “mockdown” (seriously, I can’t call that a lockdown but that’s just me...) has no bearing on your ability to leave the country and come here with your valid visa. Your immigration documents will be sent electronically so all you need is your passport, ticket, luggage and your good self. 
 
No need to carry your marriage certificate. You’re traveling on a spousal visa. 

I must have drafted a UK 'Dreaded 221g' thread a dozen or so times, since being rejected at my Interview on November 23rd, as I've become more and more anxious by the situation.
But, I can now, finally, update my 221g situation! Yay! 
 
23/Nov/2020 INTERVIEW: US Consulate London 
23/Nov/2020 CEAC: Rejected
23/Nov/2020 UPLOADED documents as requested by the interviewer
24/Nov/2020 E-mail response to my e-mail notifying the embassy of the documents being uploaded
24/Nov/2020 CEAC: Case last updated, still marked as rejected (I was expecting this to have updated to Administrative Processing)
...
...
30/Nov/2020 CEAC: Case last updated, still marked as rejected (this was the update that aggravated my concerns!)
...
03/Dec/2020 CEAC: ISSUED
 
ISSUED! ISSUED! ISSUED! Someone plz. pass me some TISSUES so I can wipe away my tears of joy! 16-months of separation, and my flight is now in sight! 
...Time to wakeup my wife!
 
 

Hi @Ugoogli, 
My understanding is that you're pretty much set to go on the basis of your passport having the visa. Beyond this, it seems sensible to have a copy of your marriage certificate at hand. It sounds like you'll be travelling with your visa interview documents- so, you're likely to have all the evidence you might need. 
 
I plan on entering the US with my CR1 in the coming weeks, so I'm interested in following this thread for updates and experiences. 
Best of luck- please do keep us posted and update this thread with your POE experiences! 

 
 
 @PBabz recently travelled to the US to visit their spouse, so It is probably very useful for me to share the post with you in this thread- 
 
 
 

It's getting to that time of the month when the next round of appointments seem to be announced... Do let us know if you get your January interviews scheduled - here's hoping!! Good luck everyone!

My passport was delivered today at ~16:00. Somewhat concerningly, it was delivered via a hired van-- I guess DX is just a courier broker service, not a full (DHL/ FEDEX type) courier service? 
I'm hoping you will also receive your passport today!

I know this is an old post, but replying because we just went through this with my husband. We were married a few years ago and he applied to have the conditions removed from his green card. We received a letter stating he was okay to be in the country for the next year and then a letter stating he was approved and we'd receive the card within 60 days.
Long story short the card did not arrive, but showed as 'Delivered' by USPS, USCIS told us we'd have to re-pay the fee because of that, even though it was never actually delivered.
Through tons of research (and no lawyers) we were able to both: travel internationally/re-enter the U.S. without the green card, and get a new green card without paying the $450 fee again. Here are those steps...
Know when your green card was supposed to arrive, get tracking from USCIS, you can call their number to request this once it has shipped. If the tracking shows it should have been delivered and it has not - file a lost mail claim with USPS. You can do this online: https://www.usps.com/help/claims.htm Keep a copy of this claim#. USPS should contact you back with an update on the claim - chances are they won't, continue to check back in on status of the claim, they will conduct an internal investigation and you should have an answer in 2-4 weeks. Pester them until they have finalized the investigation on the claim. Each time you speak with someone over the phone, make sure they make notes in the system about your discussion. You'll need those later. At this point we also got a cryptic call from our local USPS office which was useless. They also said they stopped by and our name wasn't posted on our mailbox, which is a lie, it has always been there. When you do get a response on the final status of the claim, you can move onto the next step. Chances are USPS will say 'it was delivered, the post person said they delivered it' which makes you feel like steps 2 and 3 were a total waste of time, but they're necessary. Next you need to call the Postal Inspection Service (877-876-2455) and file another claim with them, for mail theft. You'll get another claim#, keep a copy of that. At this point there may be further investigation needed, if so follow up with them until you get an answer (that answer will likely be, 'we couldn't find it, case closed'). Make sure they note all the detail about the investigation in the claim, including the final findings that it wasn't found. When your secondary claim is also closed, call the USPS Consumer Affairs office, you can find the contact info for your local office here: https://ribbs.usps.gov/locators/find-cam.cfm (You may be on hold for about an hour.) Tell them both of your claim numbers and that you need a copy of your claim mailed to you. They may tell you they can't, or that you have to call another department or your local post office, they can, and will, talk to a supervisor if you have to. Now re-file your paperwork with USCIS, including all the necessary forms and a copy of the claim from USPS (also keep a copy for your own records). However check the box stating the the green card was lost or never delivered. Include a cover letter explaining the situation, and highlight key points, including the USPS confirming it wasn't delivered. They should waive the fee, if they do not, you can contact your local senator's office, but in my experience it takes about 2-3 months for a response. The only thing this step helped us with is through them we got written confirmation from USCIS that if we could submit paperwork from USPS confirming it wasn't delivered (the 2 claims), then they would waive the fee. This is why ensuring notes are made in your claim is so important throughout the process. At any point, if you need to travel abroad, if you have a letter stating you have legal status through whatever date (assuming it's at least 3-6 months int he future), this along with ID suffices to get back into the country. But call USCIS in advance of travel to confirm for your specific case. I also recommend bringing all key paperwork when traveling to be safe upon re-entry.
Also, you can re-file paperwork at any point in time with USCIS (knowing it will get denied until you have completed the steps above), but as long as your case shows 'open' you can then go to your local USCIS office and they will stamp your passport for free. In general they may do this for only 30-60 days in the future, but my husband was able to get his stamped for 5 months in the future due to pending travel.
Good luck!!

Thanks all! Yes...calling was definitely the way to go! Passport in hands today after a 4 day delay! Thrilled!!!!!! Good luck everyone.

My passport was delivered today at ~16:00. Somewhat concerningly, it was delivered via a hired van-- I guess DX is just a courier broker service, not a full (DHL/ FEDEX type) courier service? 
I'm hoping you will also receive your passport today!

Hi @yvettejj, I understand your frustration and concerns,
The DX delivery tracking information tells me my passport is due to be delivered 04/12/2020. I will update this thread when it is delivered. 
 
In the meantime, I have found a few contact details you might want to explore on the DX website:
 
Service Contact Numbers
If you would like to speak to our team about a delivery please call us on:
DX Express (mail and smaller parcels-tracking number between 9-12 digits) UK - 0333 241 5700
https://www.dxdelivery.com/consumer/dx-services-for-us-embassy/
 
I would definitely encourage you to call verses e-mailing, due to the fact that your date keeps getting pushed back.

It also depends on where you are - I am in the north of Scotland and getting to London for the medical and then again for the interview has to be factored in. With so many fluctating travel restrictions at the moment it adds to the uncertainty. I took the chance of my 6 months validity on the medical being enough and have had my medical already, but no interview scheduled yet. If needs be, I will just have to have the medical again! But for my current situation, it made the most sense to do it this way - but if you can easily get into London for the medical, then yes, it seems prudent to wait a bit. Good luck!

I agree with PBabz, here. You will definitely want to make sure it is done before your interview - try to make sure it is at least ~1week before, to allow enough time for the Medical Office to process and forward it to the Embassy. If you interview before your medical, your case will be held back for Administrative Processing, which will introduce delays.
 
I will also comment that I made three medical appointments (twice rescheduled) all with less than 10 days notice, and the actual appointment I attended was within 24hours notice of my booking. So, if the trend of 2-4weeks notice continues, you should be perfectly fine! 
 
I would encourage you to utilise this time over the coming weeks/months to ensure you're fully up-to-date with the required vaccinations (including the Flu jab if you interview before 31-March), and to have any outstanding issues/advisories accounted for- i.e. doctor's letters produced, etc.

I agree with PBabz, here. You will definitely want to make sure it is done before your interview - try to make sure it is at least ~1week before, to allow enough time for the Medical Office to process and forward it to the Embassy. If you interview before your medical, your case will be held back for Administrative Processing, which will introduce delays.
 
I will also comment that I made three medical appointments (twice rescheduled) all with less than 10 days notice, and the actual appointment I attended was within 24hours notice of my booking. So, if the trend of 2-4weeks notice continues, you should be perfectly fine! 
 
I would encourage you to utilise this time over the coming weeks/months to ensure you're fully up-to-date with the required vaccinations (including the Flu jab if you interview before 31-March), and to have any outstanding issues/advisories accounted for- i.e. doctor's letters produced, etc.

I must have drafted a UK 'Dreaded 221g' thread a dozen or so times, since being rejected at my Interview on November 23rd, as I've become more and more anxious by the situation.
But, I can now, finally, update my 221g situation! Yay! 
 
23/Nov/2020 INTERVIEW: US Consulate London 
23/Nov/2020 CEAC: Rejected
23/Nov/2020 UPLOADED documents as requested by the interviewer
24/Nov/2020 E-mail response to my e-mail notifying the embassy of the documents being uploaded
24/Nov/2020 CEAC: Case last updated, still marked as rejected (I was expecting this to have updated to Administrative Processing)
...
...
30/Nov/2020 CEAC: Case last updated, still marked as rejected (this was the update that aggravated my concerns!)
...
03/Dec/2020 CEAC: ISSUED
 
ISSUED! ISSUED! ISSUED! Someone plz. pass me some TISSUES so I can wipe away my tears of joy! 16-months of separation, and my flight is now in sight! 
...Time to wakeup my wife!