Visa processing times for UK fiancees going to the US

[KnightAndMagpie 7]

Heya, all!

I haven't posted on here before, but my wonderful fiance (<3!) in the US has done so plenty =D.

I just received the letter from the UK immigrant visa branch outlining the next few steps to take. I did have a look at the guidelines on VisaJourney, but I'm so overwhelmed and jittery I can't think straight =D so thus I'll leave it to all you lovely people on the forums to help me .

Since the medical documentation is sent directly to the embassy, how long does it take for the visa itself to be processed and the interview set up? For cultural reasons (and my psychotic parents), my passport is being withheld so I have to wait until closer to my departure to order in a new one. You can imagine the considerable amount of planning, and the undying support from Knight, that has gone into this. I have to time it carefully, especially since I want to take my kitty cat Bean with me.

Any information would be happily appreciated -- I have emailed the embassy about it, but I don't know what their response time is.

Thank you all so much, and the best of luck with your own fairy tale endings =D.

The Knight's Magpie.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I'm not following the passport bit you posted, so can't quite understand what you're asking. ???? If you're saying you don't have a passport, then you need one NOW.

After you fill in your DS forms as outlined in you Packet 3 from London and check off the checklist showing you have all the documentation they ask for, you mail that (DS forms and the checklist) back to the Visa Branch in London. Then they will schedule your interview and you will receive another letter from them telling you when the interview is. Nick's interview appointment letter (we call that Packet 4) took about 3 weeks to come after mailing the forms in. We asked for a later interview so I don't know how far out the interview is normally scheduled. Some got their letter and the interview was within a week. For others it was several weeks away.

Edited October 12, 2008 by Nich-Nick

[KnightAndMagpie 7]

I'm not following the passport bit you posted, so can't quite understand what you're asking. ???? If you're saying you don't have a passport, then you need one NOW.

After you fill in your DS forms as outlined in you Packet 3 from London and check off the checklist showing you have all the documentation they ask for, you mail that (DS forms and the checklist) back to the Visa Branch in London. Then they will schedule your interview and you will receive another letter from them telling you when the interview is. Nick's interview appointment letter (we call that Packet 4) took about 3 weeks to come after mailing the forms in. We asked for a later interview so I don't know how far out the interview is normally scheduled. Some got their letter and the interview was within a week. For others it was several weeks away.

Thank you so much for your response!

Now, in regard to my passport, it's being withheld from me. I can't order a new one until closer to the time, because my parents would find out what I'm doing and then -- to put it carefully -- things would get very, very bad. There's a long story behind this, and there's no other way around this issue. Until I can get my new passport, I can't go to the interview.

How long do I have to submit the medical documentation? And can I schedule an interview for next year or something?

Anything you can tell me would be muchly appreciated!

Magpie.