Interview- accompanying spouse/fiance(e) to the Embassy?

[wee carrington 33]

We just received our interview date in the mail today for the 23rd of November!! (This will give me cause to be off work since I usually take time at Thanksgiving)

Anyway, my question is: Has anyone accompanied their spouse/fiance(e) to the interview in London? My understanding is I just call that premium number, get the code and e-mail the London Embassy with my details explaining that I plan on going with my husband.

I had thought since I live in the UK (where by we were eligible for DCF) that it would be strange if I weren't with him? Plus, I'd like a wee jaunt down to London myself

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I attended the K1 interview of my fiance by showing my US passport to the guy at the head of the line and saying "may I go in with my fiance?" Others have done the same. You can get added to the list in the way you describe. There's no advantage/disadvantage for the spouse attending. London isn't going to question one's marriage (or engagement) and wonder why the other half isn't there. Spending the day together in London is a good reason to take off work and go.

[wee carrington 33]

I really appreciate all your advice nich-nick! It's nice to know that it's not essential I be there, but I'd like to be there with him and also do a bit of Christmas shopping around town. I'm excited!

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I'd like to be there with him and also do a bit of Christmas shopping around town. I'm excited!

Harrod's will be a lovely place to visit. Pick up a £600.00 box of Christmas crackers while you're there.

If you haven't seen London's Christmas lights, you might want to spend the night. Some beautiful sights on Oxford St near the West End or on Regency St near Picadilly Circus. Now I'm excited and wish we were going to London again.

[wee carrington 33]

Harrod's will be a lovely place to visit. Pick up a £600.00 box of Christmas crackers while you're there.

If you haven't seen London's Christmas lights, you might want to spend the night. Some beautiful sights on Oxford St near the West End or on Regency St near Picadilly Circus. Now I'm excited and wish we were going to London again.

I wonder what you'd get one of those Christmas crackers?! I'm interested in having a peek in Liberty too...

We're spending the night at the Travelodge in Marylebone. So short walk from the embassy and the shops. I've never been to London, so it'll be great!

When you went to the interview with your husband did they ask you any questions? Or was is just the beneficiary they wanted to hear from?

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

When you went to the interview with your husband did they ask you any questions? Or was is just the beneficiary they wanted to hear from?

I didn't even bother going with him back to the room that has the interviewer's windows. I was just there to celebrate and enjoy London. The interview is a very informal chat, so I imagine if you are standing there with him, they may include you in the conversation out of politeness, not because they need information from you. I suppose if there were any questions about your Affidavit of Support, you could jump in and explain if you had more understanding of it. I recall you asked something about transcripts of a joint sponsor. I was going to comment on that but didn't. I'll look for that post and add what I was thinking if it wasn't already covered by somebody else.

[wee carrington 33]

My dad is my joint sponsor-- he's employed and makes well over 125% of the poverty guideline as required per household size. I have copies of his 1040's (all filed on time) and all w2's for the 3 most recent tax years and copies of his pay stubs.

Question is: Do you think I should have him get transcripts as well, just as a precaution? I mean I am one for following directions down to the ground and it states you don't need transcripts if returns have been filed on time and you have the W2's but, you see, paranoia is setting in...

That was my affidavit of support question.

The only other lingering question is:

Do I need an ORIGINAL certified copy + photocopy of the household member's birth certificate?

I have an original certified copy + photocopy of my dad's BC (is the original even needed?). My step-mom is his household member who is willing to allow her wages and assets to be used as well (even though my dad qualifies on his own), they do file joint taxes.

I really do apologize if this isn't very coherent, but any light you can shed on this would be an immense help.

Edited October 30, 2011 by Mrs GH

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

My dad is my joint sponsor-- he's employed and makes well over 125% of the poverty guideline as required per household size. I have copies of his 1040's (all filed on time) and all w2's for the 3 most recent tax years and copies of his pay stubs.

Question is: Do you think I should have him get transcripts as well, just as a precaution? I mean I am one for following directions down to the ground and it states you don't need transcripts if returns have been filed on time and you have the W2's but, you see, paranoia is setting in...

That was my affidavit of support question.

The only other lingering question is:

Do I need an ORIGINAL certified copy + photocopy of the household member's birth certificate?

I have an original certified copy + photocopy of my dad's BC (is the original even needed?). My step-mom is his household member who is willing to allow her wages and assets to be used as well (even though my dad qualifies on his own), they do file joint taxes.

I really do apologize if this isn't very coherent, but any light you can shed on this would be an immense help.

Here's what I was going to say--

A tax transcript is not needed if you have a complete tax return meaning form 1040, any schedules A,B,D, etc that are part of the return, and the W2 wage statement (or 1099s if any that show income.) If you want to avoid all the pieces of a complete tax return, use a transcript. Either one is fine but the transcript is less pages.

Ok, so next is how to make sure the I-864 is done properly. Print out a copy and follow along if you don't have Dad's yet.

You will need to clearly separate out your dad's income. (Actually he does this, but it's easier for me to say you.) I just read of some interview hiccup in London where they only provided the joint tax return for a dad joint sponsor. That return could include mom's money too. The embassy said mom needed to fill out an I-864A as a household member of dad. Sometimes it's hard to know what people actually provided and how they filled out forms. So it's hard to know why they got told what they did. You can't always draw a conclusion based on what you read in a post, especially if it doesn't give enough details. But I wanted to mention that hiccup to you since you're in a similar position and nobody else was answering you.

I am familiar with the I-864 because I did one for AOS. This is from a long memo about acceptance of an I-864 from a person with a joint tax return:

If a sponsor filed a joint tax return with a spouse, but is qualifying using only his/her own individual income, the sponsor must submit evidence of that individual income. This evidence would include, for example, the sponsor’s own W-2(s), Wage and Tax Statement, and if necessary to reach the income requirement, evidence of other income reported to IRS which can be attributed to him/her, usually on Forms 1099.

So my opinion is that to do it properly, on Dad's I-864:

Part 6, Line 22, 23, 24a --only his income and back it up with his W2 and an employer letter. This establishes that he on his own meets the threshhold without mom's income.

Part 6, Line 24b -- leave it blank. If he lists Mom's part or their joint income (like interest earned in both names), then they will expect an I-864A from her. If he leaves it blank, then he is going it on his own as making enough to qualify.

Part 6, Line 24c -- again it's his income only.

Part 6, Line 24d, 24e -- not checked

Part 6, Line 25 -- Tick first box. List the income tax figures straight off his joint returns for the 3 lines. He doesn't subtract out Mom's part. The numbers don't have to match his personal income. That's the literal answer to what does you tax return have on it. (One of my tax lines was straight from a joint tax return with my spouse who died that year and was over $100K different than the income I was reporting on the previous section. The line 22-24 doesn't have to match line 25 taxes.) Tick the last box if you are going to provide the returns for 3 years. They are NOT required and probably will just clutter up the documentation. If sending only the required 2010 tax return, then don't tick the last box.

Part 7 -- if Dad has sufficient salary, then I would totally leave the asset section blank. That's what I did. It won't help to be way over the top. And with assets, it get's complicated to prove what might be his and what might be joint with Mom.

Whew!! That was long. I just didn't want you to get to London and not have your Dad's form and documentation done properly.

A photocopy of his certified copy birth certificate will be fine to establish he is a USC. If he has a passport, then the bio page of it would also prove he is a USC.

Confused much??? Take it slow and read a few times and it will make sense.

(Now you see why I didn't answer stright away when I read your other post. I didn't have time.)

[wee carrington 33]

Nich-Nick, you are fabulous!! Thank you so much for taking the time to type all this explanation out. I really can't express enough how appreciative I am for this. I'm feeling very prepared for London right now, but I won't have that major sigh of relief until he has that visa in the post! Then all we'll have to worry about is poor wee mum coping with the move

I know I'm becoming a broken record, but again, thank you very much.