Visiting my fiance while papers being processed

[ambibamma 0]

Hi everyone!

I'm so glad I found this forum, the site has already helped me get all my papers in order so I'm hoping you guys can help me out with any little questions I have.

I know nobody here will magically be able to tell me how long these things take, but my fiance and I are mailing our papers hoepfully August, September at the latest. I live in the UK, and although I visit a lot (I'll be there September for my third visit this year), due to work I'm not able to see my fiance as much as I'd like.

Right now he lives at his work so I am not able to stay with him and we have to stay in hotels when I visit. Obviously at some point when we foresee the papers being "about done" we will need to get our own place. I'm thinking about leaving my job around Christmas and us getting our place in the new year so I can go over and spend three months with him, so we can get our house nice and as it's a VERY small town, I can ask around to try find some work for when I am back and able to do so. By my calculations, I should probably be back just about "in time" for my interview in March/April...right?

Can anyone in the UK tell me - do you get a letter informing you on when your interview is, or do you call and schedule a time? The info I've read has been a little unclear on that.

I miss my fiance so much I'd love to be able to start our new life together for three months of this awful waiting! I'd be grateful if anyone could tell me whether they think my timescale looks about right..I mean it's no big deal if I have to fly back for my interview, but flights being as expensive as they are not ideal!

[KimandRuss 0]

It's impossible to know when the interview date will be because processing times vary so much throughout the year. For instance, VSC was taking less than a month for approvals in January and now they are 3+ months. London takes a couple months to interview and you get a date from them. Others here have noted that when an estimated wedding date is noted on the packet 3 info they tried to be accomodating but I have to wonder if they're catching on over there now.

You will find tons of very helpful UK folks here than can give you more detailed info regarding the Embassy and what is required. You can click on the portals link at the top which will bring you to all other UK files and you can click on Embassy info which will bring you to reviews of the Embassy and what the process is like there.

Whether or not you can come back into the US is up to the discretion of the POE officer. You should bring as many items tying you to the UK as possible.

good luck

Edited July 20, 2008 by KimandRuss