leigh

Hello again everyone.
Well, the London Embassy received our file on 20 October, but we didn't hear anything from them so I called them on 20 November and was told when they had received my file. As I already had everything ready for sending off Packet 3 to the Embassy, I went ahead and made my appointment for a medical, which I had on 2 December. The staff were fantastic, polite and friendly and everything went well. A few days later, the Embassy finally sent Packet 3 by email and so I filled in the forms and sent everything off by recorded delivery post. I was aware that they give you 4 weeks notice for interview, but asked for their earliest appointment anyway, and was surprised to hear from them by letter on 22 January saying my interview date was 2 February! I went along with a large file full of evidence of relationship, sponsor information - just about anything they might want. My appointment was at 9am and I arrive outside the Embassy at 8.40am to find that you have to go through security OUTSIDE the building (just like the airport, have to put your bag through an x-ray machine and go through a metal detector. I already knew I wouldn't be able to take my phone, so I left it behind. Lots of other people were being redirected to a local pharmacy to deposit their phones etc before they could go through security. I got into the Embassy at 8.55 and was given a number. I sat and waiting for 10 minutes before my number was called, and a nice girl at the window took my original birth certificates etc and went through the papers in my file. She was very friendly, and asked me to pay the fee at another window, and then took my fingerprints. This took about 15 minutes, then she told me to sit back down and wait for my call for interview. I sat another 40 minutes and then was called up to speak to a lovely young man who made small talk with me while tapping some things into his computer. After about 1.5 MINUTES, he said Congratulations, your visa is approved! Didn't ask me for a single piece of paper, or even ask me any questions of note. Just pleasantly chatted to me about how I met my fiance, and what he does, etc. I was beginning to wonder when my interview would start when he told me I was done! After a brief further stop to give my address details to have my passport/visa couriered to me, I left. I was in the building about an hour and 15 minutes. Lovely! I've booked my flight for 1 March. My passport was delivered to me today with my visa inside, along with a large sealed envelope with instructions not to open it, but to hand it over when I enter the US. My point of entry will be Atlanta, so now all I need to do is find out from this forum if anyone has experience of entering in Atlanta, and what kind of reception they got. HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!

Hello again everyone.
Well, the London Embassy received our file on 20 October, but we didn't hear anything from them so I called them on 20 November and was told when they had received my file. As I already had everything ready for sending off Packet 3 to the Embassy, I went ahead and made my appointment for a medical, which I had on 2 December. The staff were fantastic, polite and friendly and everything went well. A few days later, the Embassy finally sent Packet 3 by email and so I filled in the forms and sent everything off by recorded delivery post. I was aware that they give you 4 weeks notice for interview, but asked for their earliest appointment anyway, and was surprised to hear from them by letter on 22 January saying my interview date was 2 February! I went along with a large file full of evidence of relationship, sponsor information - just about anything they might want. My appointment was at 9am and I arrive outside the Embassy at 8.40am to find that you have to go through security OUTSIDE the building (just like the airport, have to put your bag through an x-ray machine and go through a metal detector. I already knew I wouldn't be able to take my phone, so I left it behind. Lots of other people were being redirected to a local pharmacy to deposit their phones etc before they could go through security. I got into the Embassy at 8.55 and was given a number. I sat and waiting for 10 minutes before my number was called, and a nice girl at the window took my original birth certificates etc and went through the papers in my file. She was very friendly, and asked me to pay the fee at another window, and then took my fingerprints. This took about 15 minutes, then she told me to sit back down and wait for my call for interview. I sat another 40 minutes and then was called up to speak to a lovely young man who made small talk with me while tapping some things into his computer. After about 1.5 MINUTES, he said Congratulations, your visa is approved! Didn't ask me for a single piece of paper, or even ask me any questions of note. Just pleasantly chatted to me about how I met my fiance, and what he does, etc. I was beginning to wonder when my interview would start when he told me I was done! After a brief further stop to give my address details to have my passport/visa couriered to me, I left. I was in the building about an hour and 15 minutes. Lovely! I've booked my flight for 1 March. My passport was delivered to me today with my visa inside, along with a large sealed envelope with instructions not to open it, but to hand it over when I enter the US. My point of entry will be Atlanta, so now all I need to do is find out from this forum if anyone has experience of entering in Atlanta, and what kind of reception they got. HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!