Shilps.Vik

Yes, ours took a week as well. It was bothering me too thinking that something was wrong since USPS confirmed delivery, but it seems like they are a few days behind on opening packages right now. Good luck to you!

Thanks so much for the feedback, made me feel a little better.... so much for the 24 hour response from, huh?

hopefully now I'll hear from them soon.

Cheers!

Hi all,

We are filing the adjustment of status for my husband (the immigrant). We just got our marriage certificate in the mail and want to file for AOS ASAP. I requested to have my name changed on my marriage certificate, but haven't yet gone to the SS office to "officially" change it. And, I was planning on holding off for this for a few weeks as we have a trip planned and I wanted to make sure my documents match my ID for now. On the I-485, it asks for the spouse's name. Not sure if we should put my married name as stated on the marriage certificate, or my maiden name since the married name isn't recorded with anyone else yet???

Thanks in advance,

Tanya

We posed this same question a few weeks ago when we were filing our AOS - and the answer we got back was to use your surname as it appears on your official documents.

By that point, my wife had already changed her name with Social Security and changed her Drivers Licence, so we used her married name.

However... if you are eventually going to change your name, I'm not sure....

Hello again friends,

We sent our AOS forms to Chicago earlier this week by UPS (using the correct mailing address needed), and UPS tracking says that our package was recieved by USCIS on Wednesday 20th January.

We also sent the G-1145 notification sheet with this application, with my email address on it.

The form says that we should be notified "within 24 hours of them accepting our immigration forms"

Now.... shouldn't they have sent this email to me by now?

This is bugging us both.... should we be worried? How will we be notified?

As always, thanks all.

V & S

married name

Thanks... I know it makes perfect sense to use her married name, but wanted to check as you never know.

Hey friends,

We got married in December, and since then my US Citizen wife has changed her surname on her driving licence and social security card.

So, as we are now filing the AOS, does she use her maiden name or her new surname on the I-864 Affidavit of Support to identify herself?

I ask this as all of her supporting evidence is in her maiden name... I mean, we are including our marriage certificate as part of the package which has her maiden name....

Thanks all.

Hi All,

I thought I would share my experience regarding the I-693 paperwork we needed to get done last week.

After searching the forums and arming myself with plenty of knowledge (God bless VJ!), I called a Civil Surgeons clinic in downtown Charlotte. They said that they could do my vaccination worksheet and transcribe my I-693 for me with no appointment for $45. Great!

We headed down there the next day, and presented one of the nurses who worked there with all my information. I needed an MMR jab to complete my vaccinations following my medical in London, and this was done in London - so I just needed the Clinic to note this and for the Civil Surgeon to sign it off on the I-693.

Now, the nurse was very nice but really tried to get me to do a full medical exam at the cost of around $375 or else she wouldn't complete my I-693! I stood my ground and told that her that I didn't need a full exam, and thank god I took a printout of the USCIS I-693 instructions with me, as it clearly states that I only need to fill in Part 1 (Info about me), Part 2 (Vaccination Chart) and have the Civil Surgeon complete Part 5.

After some discussion, the nurse agreed that a full medical wasn't required - but a couple of minutes later she came over and told me that I didn't have a record of the 2nd MMR shot I needed.. I said 'what do you mean?', and she explained that since July 2009, US Immigration requires an applicant to have TWO MMR JABS, the 2nd booster jab taking place 30 days after the 1st one.

I did not know this at all, and was especially cheesed off when the clinic said that to get the jab with them then would cost a further $85!

I conceded and got the jab (better to get it sorted there and then), and all my paperwork was signed and completed by the Civil Surgeon - but after the event both I and my wife were pretty shocked and frustrated. At no point did Knightsbridge Doctors in London (the US Embassy's official physician) tell me 2 x MMR jabs were needed, in fact my paperwork/letter from them states clealy in black and white that simply 1 dose of the MMR vaccination was required. And this was in September 09, 2 months after this supposed new requirement came out!

If I needed 2 shots, I would have arranged for my doctor in London to have administered the vaccines rather than paying here in the USA. But my point is that why is this information not freely available to applicants, and why does the USCIS make things so hard? If they are going to change the process, surely their own doctors should be made aware so they can inform applicants well in advance? Why is this type of information so hard to come by on the USCIS websites too?

I spoke to another nurse whilst waiting, and she told me that many applicants who had their I-693's signed off by this same clinic between July and December 09, had already come back after recieving RFE's from the USCIS saying that their vaccination records weren't up to date - and that the clinic wasn't aware of this at the time and only realised the change in regulations 'around October, when people kept coming back'. I felt so sorry for those poor people who had wasted their time.

I guess it's just my frustration at being made to jump through so many hoops by US Immigration just in order to be with my wife and to stay with her - and I'm not the first to question why this process is so unneccessarily difficult. But sometimes, it seems that no matter how conscientious or well informed you are, left hand does not seem to know what right hand is doing when it comes to Civil Surgeons and the USCIS!

Hope this post helps someone else avoid a frustrating morning in future. Peace out.

V

I-693 causes so much mayhem. it did for me

Hi All,

I thought I would share my experience regarding the I-693 paperwork we needed to get done last week.

After searching the forums and arming myself with plenty of knowledge (God bless VJ!), I called a Civil Surgeons clinic in downtown Charlotte. They said that they could do my vaccination worksheet and transcribe my I-693 for me with no appointment for $45. Great!

We headed down there the next day, and presented one of the nurses who worked there with all my information. I needed an MMR jab to complete my vaccinations following my medical in London, and this was done in London - so I just needed the Clinic to note this and for the Civil Surgeon to sign it off on the I-693.

Now, the nurse was very nice but really tried to get me to do a full medical exam at the cost of around $375 or else she wouldn't complete my I-693! I stood my ground and told that her that I didn't need a full exam, and thank god I took a printout of the USCIS I-693 instructions with me, as it clearly states that I only need to fill in Part 1 (Info about me), Part 2 (Vaccination Chart) and have the Civil Surgeon complete Part 5.

After some discussion, the nurse agreed that a full medical wasn't required - but a couple of minutes later she came over and told me that I didn't have a record of the 2nd MMR shot I needed.. I said 'what do you mean?', and she explained that since July 2009, US Immigration requires an applicant to have TWO MMR JABS, the 2nd booster jab taking place 30 days after the 1st one.

I did not know this at all, and was especially cheesed off when the clinic said that to get the jab with them then would cost a further $85!

I conceded and got the jab (better to get it sorted there and then), and all my paperwork was signed and completed by the Civil Surgeon - but after the event both I and my wife were pretty shocked and frustrated. At no point did Knightsbridge Doctors in London (the US Embassy's official physician) tell me 2 x MMR jabs were needed, in fact my paperwork/letter from them states clealy in black and white that simply 1 dose of the MMR vaccination was required. And this was in September 09, 2 months after this supposed new requirement came out!

If I needed 2 shots, I would have arranged for my doctor in London to have administered the vaccines rather than paying here in the USA. But my point is that why is this information not freely available to applicants, and why does the USCIS make things so hard? If they are going to change the process, surely their own doctors should be made aware so they can inform applicants well in advance? Why is this type of information so hard to come by on the USCIS websites too?

I spoke to another nurse whilst waiting, and she told me that many applicants who had their I-693's signed off by this same clinic between July and December 09, had already come back after recieving RFE's from the USCIS saying that their vaccination records weren't up to date - and that the clinic wasn't aware of this at the time and only realised the change in regulations 'around October, when people kept coming back'. I felt so sorry for those poor people who had wasted their time.

I guess it's just my frustration at being made to jump through so many hoops by US Immigration just in order to be with my wife and to stay with her - and I'm not the first to question why this process is so unneccessarily difficult. But sometimes, it seems that no matter how conscientious or well informed you are, left hand does not seem to know what right hand is doing when it comes to Civil Surgeons and the USCIS!

Hope this post helps someone else avoid a frustrating morning in future. Peace out.

V

Hi again Friends,

Finally we're together after I arrived on a K-1 and we're married but the one part of the AOS process that is really confusing us is whether we need a Civil Surgeon to approve our 1-693 form or not?

We've read the I-693 instructions and also searched the forums on VJ, but why is not clear whether I need a doctor's approal for my AOS submission.

I had my full UK medical only 3 months back, and I have my DS-3025 signed by the US Embassy approved physicians. So do I need this countersigned? Do I have to go through another medical?

We're in Charlotte, North Carolina - anyone been through this yet in this state/area that can offer guidance?

Thanks for all your help guys.

V

Hi all,

Due to the very infuriating postal strikes going on in the SE of England these past weeks, I have not yet recieved the Packet 4 letter from the US Embassy in London confirming my K1 Visa Interview date and time.

Although I know the interview is next week (I've called them up and found out), I don't know if my 'Packet 4' letter will arrive in time. So, can anybody help with the following?

1) Is this letter necessary to take with you for the interview?

2) Does anybody know from past experience what the content of that letter was?

3) Were there any special instructions/directions etc, that needed to be followed or adhered to?

As always, thanks for your help everyone.

V

Hi all,

Due to the very infuriating postal strikes going on in the SE of England these past weeks, I have not yet recieved the Packet 4 letter from the US Embassy in London confirming my K1 Visa Interview date and time.

Although I know the interview is next week (I've called them up and found out), I don't know if my 'Packet 4' letter will arrive in time. So, can anybody help with the following?

1) Is this letter necessary to take with you for the interview?

2) Does anybody know from past experience what the content of that letter was?

3) Were there any special instructions/directions etc, that needed to be followed or adhered to?

As always, thanks for your help everyone.

V

Sorry guys, may have accidentally posted to the incorrect section. Should be in US Embassy discussions.

Hi all,

Due to the very infuriating postal strikes going on in the SE of England these past weeks, I have not yet recieved the Packet 4 letter from the US Embassy in London confirming my K1 Visa Interview date and time.

Although I know the interview is next week (I've called them up and found out), I don't know if my 'Packet 4' letter will arrive in time. So, can anybody help with the following?

1) Is this letter necessary to take with you for the interview?

2) Does anybody know from past experience what the content of that letter was?

3) Were there any special instructions/directions etc, that needed to be followed or adhered to?

As always, thanks for your help everyone.

V

Hey everyone.

Just about to send my IV-15 checklist to the UK embassy, but it says we should send the IV-15K too.

Am I missing something here? Is the IV-15K something different - or isn't it just the checklist you send where you check off passports, certficates, etc, ie. the IV-15 as it clearly says on the form?

Thanks for your help!

Hello friends, hoping you can help.

Is it a good idea to wait for my Police Certificate to arrive with me before sending my IV15 checklist back to the US embassy in London?

I know they say 'when you have all documents' - but I'm expecting the certificate any day now, and my fiancee wants me to send the IV15 checklist early to secure a quicker interview... but I'm not sure....

And oh... a quick question on Birth Certificates... do you absolutely need to have one with your parents names on it? I have a short-form one, will that do?

As always, thanks for your help all.

V&S

Doesn't matter what you select - a K-1 beneficiary will not automatically get a SS card/number (the form is used for multiple visa types).

So I guess I should tick NO as I will be applying for that in the USA anyway and it doesn't apply to me?

We checked 'yes' but it still didn't apply to us..

You are a star...

Doesn't matter what you select - a K-1 beneficiary will not automatically get a SS card/number (the form is used for multiple visa types).

So I guess I should tick NO as I will be applying for that in the USA anyway and it doesn't apply to me?

Hi VJ gurus!

I am filling out form DS-230 Part 2 for my K1 visa application.

The question asks if you have ever had a Social Security Number in the USA (the answer is No), but then asks me if I want the Social Security Administration to assign me an SSN and issue a card.

This may be a stupid question, and I'm sorry, but should I answer YES or NO?

Obviously I will need an SSN - but I thought we apply for that when I enter the US on my K1.

Does it make a difference? Is this method quicker or are there pitfalls?

Boy this K1 process drives me wacky!

Thanking you all!

What you received is Packet 3. The Embassy no longer mails out the forms, you need to download and print them from the website link they provided.

Thanks so much for the help guys, and here I was waiting for a package to come to me!

I read somewhere that I would recieve official forms with my applicant/case number (or some reference like that). But its the forms I download for me (just me, no kids) as follows, right?

DS-230 Part 1 (PDF) (DO I NEED TO FILL IN A PART 2 TOO?)

IV-15 & Checklist

Form DS-156

Form DS-157

Form DS-156-K

God bless you wonderful people Visa Journey!

Hello my VJ friends,

I recieved my letter from the UK Embassy this week (woo-hoo!) telling me that our application for a K-1 has reached successfully.

The letter was simply 1 page, and noted some weblinks which I needed to follow.

These links took me to where I could download the necessary immigration forms to fill and return to the embassy... but both me and my fiancee are now confused? We thought that I would recieve the forms from the embassy in the mail, a packet 3 as it say in the K1 flowchart.

Is this correct? Do I need to wait for these official forms from the UK embassy to be mailed to me? Or do I just fill in the online ones and return?

V&S

Hi again Friends,

Our NOA2 came through last week (hooray!) - but since then we have noticed that I filled in my birth date on the application using the UK date format DD/MM/YYYY rather than the US date format MM/DD/YYYY. (!)

Subsequently, they think my birth date is different to what it actually is.

The NVC has already sent our package to the UK embassy, but it hasn’t arrived yet. So how do we go about changing our application so it reflects my correct birthdate? This is just an honest mistake but will it affect our application?

Sorry for sounding so worried… but this immigration to-and-fro sure is a stress and worry for us couples who just want to be together.

Your help and guidance is very very appreciated!

Thanks,

V & S

Hi Friends,

Hoping you can help us with a big worry we have on our K-1 application.

We received a NOA2 last week (at last!) and the NVC has already sent the package to the UK embassy.

I was in the process of selling my own home in London at the time, so I originally used my parents home address in London on our initial application form (as I did not know where I would be). But since then I have actually decided not to sell my home and have been living back there ever since.

I am quite confident that the package will get to me ok as it will arrive at my parents address – but my questions are –

1) Who do we need to inform of this change in my home address?

2) What is the best way to contact them (email, phone, etc).

3) When do we inform them (when I send back my filled in package to the UK embassy, or before that when the package arrives at the UK embassy)?

4) Does this affect our application In terms of processing time?

5) Does this have any negative effect on my Police Certificates, etc?

As always, your help and guidance will be much much appreciated!!

Many thanks (and good luck all!)

V & S

This is fantastic help everyone - thanks!

Hi all,

I live in the UK, my fiance lives in the US.

We've applied for a K-1 in the USA at the beginning of March 2009 - but I can't seem to correctly understand the timelines/processing times guide on this and the USCIS websites, so could anyone estimate when we will get the K-1 issued in London?

Also - Could someone arrive in the the USA 5 months after getting the K-1 in London, and still have 90 days to marry their fiance(e)?

MANY THANKS ALL!

V

Hi all,

Can anyone from the UK who has been through the K-1 visa process to join their fiance(e) in the US please help me out?

I've looked through lots of posts/FAQ's/historical trends on the K-1 process, but I'm looking to hear from any helpful souls about their own knowledge and personal experiences.

I have the following immediate queries -

1) How long did the K-1 Visa process take for you to get, from start to finish?

2) Is the visa valid for 90 days or 6 months from date of issue in London?

3) Could you have asked for a specific date for the K-1 Visa to be vailid from (ie. From January 2010) ?

4) How long did it take for you to arrive in the USA from receiving the K-1 in London?

5) How long did your AOS and Green Card process take?

6) Are you happy in the USA!

Any other thoughts/tips on handling the UK application much appreicated too.

MANY THANKS TO YOU ALL!

V.

Hi all,

A possible scenario -

Leave the UK and Arrive in USA on a K-1

Get Married (yay!)

Apply for AOS

Hopefully Receive Permanent Residency/Green Card

Now my Questions based on this are -

1. Do I need to stay in the USA for a minimum amount of time before I can go back to the UK?

or

2. Can I go back to the UK for 3-12 months and stay there, or does that affect my US permanent residency status?

Thanks for your advice and help all.

Many thanks - The main thing for us is doing everything legally and above board, so we want to find out if having an 'unregistered' marriage ceremony (religious) will affect the process negatively. We don't want to be turned away after 9 months of waiting!

Although there's no legal problem with what you suggest you need to be very, very careful. If USCIS get the slightest hint of a 'wedding' of any kind it is unlikely that they will issue your visa. There have been two people that I know of on VJ who had that problem. I wish I could remember their user names, perhaps someone else will come along who can. There have also been people who have successfully done what you are suggesting - just bear in mind that it does carry some kind of risk.

Thanks for the good advice mate, and you've hit the nail on the head - it is risky and we don't want to give any cause for extra worry or stress. Although I think its 'technically' possible, I just feel that it would have long-term repercussions should the USCIS inadvertently find out.

It would be great to hear from anyone who has been through this same dilemma and lived to tell the tale.