weeee....im soooo happy

[Dan and Lynne 0]

I GOT IT!

a horrendous journey on the bus from carlisle to london victoria, but was cheaper than the 275.00 quoted by the trains, i arrived in london yesterday morning, my medical at 1510 at bentinck street,i had some time before my medical so i thought i would find the embassy and the doctors prior to going, just so i knew where i was going, the taxi driver who took me to the hotel (shaftsbury paddington) kindly took me passed the embassy and told me to get there early as they start queuing at 5am...

after finding the embassy on foot i thought i would go to where i thought the doctors was...so, after going in the compleatly opposite direction, because i saw a bus with oxford written on it i went in the direction it was going...towards oxford and not oxford street! after getting to the wrong side of hyde park i realised i had gone wrong and retraced my steps back up bayswater road, and back down towards the embassy where i headed for where i thought the doctors was...i was wrong...lmao...i was on berwick street, i think, with no doctors to be found DUH! so, i headed back to the hotel...giving up...i still had a few hours before my medical so i talked the hotel receptionist into letting me in my room before 2pm,she did, at no extra cost, which was good, ( excellent hotel btw)

i made the mistake of wearing heels for my medical, and walking to bentinck street (after i googled it in my room) BIG mistake...dont wear heels in london!!! after arriving there the receptionist was very plesant and helpful, she gave me a form to complete which was basically the same as the form in packet 3, took one of my passport photos, and asked me to take a seat...the building is beautiful! a lady came and asked me to go into a room which had the xray machine, gave me a gown and told me to strip my top half and remove any jewlery, stood me against the machine and positioned my arms on my hips and took the xray, then told me not to get dressed as the doctor would only want me to undress again, she left the room and came back a few minutes later, showed me my xray, which she said was good, and then told me to go into another waiting room to wait for the doctor.

i sat there for about 10 minutes admiring the light fitting...lmao...the doctor came and asked me to follow her to another room, she was american and very plesant and informative, although she couldnt get over my giggles...she asked me why i was in for the medical, i told her i was getting married, she read through my questionaire and then took my height and weight, somewhere i lost 3cm...haha...she told me i smoked too much and that i should consider stopping as i have smoked since i was 11. she asked me about chickin pox, do i remember having it, i told her i didnt remember but my mum said i had it when i was a child, i didnt need any injections as i had previously had them at my own doctors (very much recomended!!) she took blood, checked my breathing, pulse, eyes, ears, nose, and throat. and basically that was it...she wasnt impressed with the plasters on my toes...like i said...dont wear heels!! i was then asked to dress and directed back to the main waiting room where the receptionist told me how long i would have to wait for my notes and xray to go to the embassy, she said because of christmas it would probably be about jan 2nd, and then asked me to go back out into the entrance to pay her the 200.00. that was it...medical done and dusted!!

i headed back to the hotel, feet and legs killing me from all the walking, tip: internet relationships dont do good for legs, lol

in my room i logged into msn and told my SO my news...he was over the moon!! just the interview to get out of the way now.

i fell asleep at 7 (i cant believe that!!) and woke well early for my interview. collected my paperwork together and headed for the embassy, now i knew where it was and how long it would take, i got there just after 8am, there was about 15 people infront of me and the lady asked me to go into the queue for 8am, i told her my interview was at 9am she said not to worry, sooner in...sooner out...she was right too! they put my phone and hotel key in a bag and i joined the queue, went through security, the paperwork and my bag going through an xray machine and i stepped through the big machine like they have in airports, they took my phone and gave me my thongs back giving me a tag with a number on so that i could reclaim my phone after the interview.

the building is ugly, very much like what the jobcentres used to be like, nothing like a bank, theres about 25 windows where you have your interview, and about 200 chairs, there was already about 100 people in there, lots going for non imigrant visas, i was ticket 5008 (by the time i was leaving there was only 5015 left to go) i sat for about half hour then my number was called, directed to window 14 which was round the corner, and i saw a plesant american who wanted to see my interview letter and passport. then he asked for the AOS and all documents pertaining to it, he wanted copies rather than the originals, and then asked for my birth certificate, when he saw it in shreads (age) he asked for a copy, i gave him everything he asked for, he then directed me to the cashier to pay my $200 and then he asked for my finger prints, an electronic scanner was next to me, took four fingers at a time and then the thumbs, he gave me a red for and asked me to go and sit back in the waiting area and complete the form, it was for the couriers, this part of the interview took about 10 mins, i sat for about 20 mins and was called back to window 15...well...i went to 14...lol...i was greeted by another american who took my passport and swore me in and asked me to sign the forms i had sent back with packet 3. he asked me a few questions: how did we meet, when did we meet, had i visited USA, how many times had my SO visited the UK and what did i do in my job...that was it, he said that so long as my medical was ok my visa had been granted! weeee...i could have hugged him had it not been for the wall between us!! he told me to pay for the courier and i was free to go, my passport and visa would arrive early in the new year. this part took minutes!

the paperwork i took (the copy of the original petition) was not needed, as i was leaving he laughed at the size of the box and i said 'i could kill our lawyer' im not sure if that was a good idea...but after lugging the thing to london and half was across the town i feel like slapping the lawyer! lmao!!

so all in all it has been a good two days though i still think london sucks! my nerves have completly gone...they have had the hell shot out of them these passed weeks...all i can say is that there is really nothing to worry about, so long as you have followed your packet instructions to the letter, turn up on time and be pleasant, then you have nothing to worry about...

im soooo glad this is over with...im still stuck in london, cant wait for a decent cup of tea and to get back infront of the screen and see my SO!

into embassy at 8:18 out at 10:28

[*julez* 124]

Congratulations!!!

[Dan and Lynne 0]

just reading back...they didnt take my thong...lmao

[Otto 83]

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

just reading back...they didnt take my thong...lmao

I was wondering about that!

Oh, and by the way, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

[weedebz 0]

CONGRATULATIONS!

[gwenneh 7]

Congrats! Fantastic news! Here's to being reunited soon!

[gwenneh 7]

Congrats! Fantastic news! Here's to being reunited soon!

[Muuuuah 0]

Congratulations

[Amby 490]

CONGRATS!!

[teachmehistory 0]

Congrats! We welcome you across the pond!!!!

Quick question....your timeline says you filed a K-1, but in your interview review you said that you handed AOS papers??? did you mean the I-134 and all the visa papers (DS-156, etc)?? Also, you said that you paid $200.00 at the interview? I thought it was $100.00 (going up at end of Jan to $131.00) plus the courier fee of course. Thanks for posting your experience and answering my Q's!!! It helps to learn from others

[Lansbury 19]

Congrats

[JandC 0]

Congratulations!!

[Zee Bee 61]

Congratulations!!!

[~*Maria*~ 1]

Congratulations