2010 United Kingdom Interview Thread

[Hokie97 5]

Approved for IR-1 visa. Will write up a full report for people of they'd like.

FYI - for those asking about kids, they just let us in, no questions asked.

We got there at 8 for 9:30 appt. Were out in 2.5 hours.

We did not buy any food but we did buy drinks. 2.80 for 2 waters and a fanta. Not insane really. They also had sandwiches, fruit, crsips ect and ice cream!

Congratulations!

Thanks for the details about kids and food. I am encouraged by the short in and out time frames people had today. Hope that's the case when we go. Would love to hear a full review if you have time to do it.

[Hellojulie 0]

No problem - will do it in a bit when I can grab the laptop off my son. He's making up for the fact there are no electronics allowed and spent the morning doing word puzzle books.

should I add it to this thread or make a new one?

[doghandler 2]

Hmmmm. Other half called DOS this morning - Embassy still haven't logged my P3 (2 weeks after I sent it).

Just wanted to double check this is normal - know the wait for P4 is at least a month at the moment but given I foolishly didn't use recorded delivery I'm a little worried that it hasn't even been logged in the system!

J

Hi Missy J, stop worrying. I sent my recorded a couple of days before you, they sure did get it and mine isn't logged either. The woman at NVC sympathetically commented - London are just soooo slow. Good luck at your medical tomorrow.

ohlmpohr - I am angry on your behalf. As you yourself said, why on earth would you bother filing if your USC wasn't intending to move back? Makes no sense to me.

Rito - big congratulations. The sense of relief must feel awesome.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

We had our interview this morning. The lady was very rude and inconsiderate, and was obviously preconceived with not approving us. Unable to find anything substantive she happily handed us the blue sheet and said the USC sponsor failed to prove intent to return to the US.

As if 8 months, RFEs, thousands of dollars, and dealing with HER wasn't enough proof that we are intending to go the US...

fwew, anyway thats off my chest, I guess I'll send them some docs and hope it works out.

ohlpomr -- what did you show to prove intent to reestablish domicile? It's something we have discussed a lot recently over in the DCF forum. Come on over to the UK DCF thread and post your experience, and we can try to help you get this sorted. The thread is here: UK DCF thread There's also a thread on what to present as evidence and how to present it: Re-establishing domicile

[Rito 28]

Approved for IR-1 visa. Will write up a full report for people of they'd like.

Congrats congrats congrats!!! All our worries for nuthin, eh?

I sat near to men with I numbers, but was afraid to ask if any of them were from here!

The cute one was mine!

[Hellojulie 0]

My domicile folder was jammed with stuff. She told me to stop handing her stuff after a while. I'll write what I included and what she actually took from me if it will help! I went overboard I think because that was the bit I was really worried about.

[Y&E 12]

Our interview was scheduled for 9:00am, my fiance got there at 8:30am, and he was out at 11:45am. It was about a 2 hour 30 minute wait before he got to the first window.

Thanks for the info, and the heads up about the card situation.

Miss Jess, I've noticed from other peoples timelines that the time that it takes to record your P3 into the system can take up to a month and that seems to be when they generate the P4 and send out the interview form. I might be wrong but that's how I read other peoples timelines.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

My domicile folder was jammed with stuff. She told me to stop handing her stuff after a while. I'll write what I included and what she actually took from me if it will help! I went overboard I think because that was the bit I was really worried about.

That would be really useful -- can you post it here and in the UK DCF thread too? It would be good to have an up-to-date list over there.

And CONGRATS!!! to all the recent graduates!

[Rito 28]

We did not buy any food but we did buy drinks. 2.80 for 2 waters and a fanta. Not insane really. They also had sandwiches, fruit, crsips ect and ice cream!

My fiance says he saw you - he remembered your family of three and the drink purchase.

Edited April 6, 2010 by Rito

[Lansbury 19]

My domicile folder was jammed with stuff.

That is what it should have been, domicile issues must be the single biggest reason for people having their application refused in London than any other at the moment. They have got quite picky over it in the last 6 months or so. Gone are the days when it was sufficient just to say I will be moving back home to the USA.

[Hellojulie 0]

Ok we I get some time this evening I make a whole big write up about it including what documents they took from us. Our situation is also a bit odd as I'm self employed - all my clients are us based but I thought for sure we'd need a joint sponsor but didn't! She told me to keep the folder containing the joint sponsor info unless he asked for it. He just verified with me that my clients were indeed from the us and that was it! Crazy. All the little bits I was so stressed over weren't such a huge deal.

I promise I will write it all out before I forget in the event it might help someone.

rito It's funny he saw us then as I was frazzled haha! We'd just given them all our documents and was balancing what she didn't want plus the huge envelope with my husbands xeay plus our drinks and my coat and bag ect. And I was annoyed the man behind us had a chair just for his jacket and breifcase and glared at me when I bumped the chair because I was carrying 8 million things. Hehe!

[Hellojulie 0]

Ok - as promised - its REALLY LONG, but hopefully helpful to someone, I know reading other peoples experiences helped me.

We were applying for IR-1 visa DCF through London. My husband is UKC and I am USC/UKC dual living in the UK.

We went down to London the night before and stayed at the Radisson Edwardian Bloomsbury - sorta posh modern feeling but not TOO expensive (for London anyhow) it was about a mile from the embassy - so taxi distance, but not too bad. In the morning the taxi driver was actually super helpful and told us where to queue up!

Our appointment was at 9:30, but since it was my understanding that the earlier you get there the better, I got up at 6 and we planned to get there about 7:30. By the time we had breakfast and all got out the door and checked out ect it was about 8 by the time we arrived.

There are two lines near each other - one for US citizen services, one for visas.

We still needed to check our phones at goulds pharmacy, and I realised I had no idea where it was once we got there. So I checked it on google maps on my phone, it is 26 feet away from the embassy, in case anyone was wondering. Its probably worth looking before you go - I had a panic moment, even though it is indeed very close. It took about 5 minutes to deal with our phones at the pharmacy - they give you a number and ask for your name and mobile number. You have to verify them both and sign for it later when you return to pick it up.

So - we got in the line - there were only maybe 30 people in front of us at about 8:15 but it was going very quick! Took maybe 10 minutes tops to get in the building? There were 2 women at the front of the line checking interview letters and passports. The nice woman added my name and my sons name to the interview letter it no problem. (We did not require visas so I was not sure they'd let us in!)

You walk a bit, and then show the interview letter and passports to another guard just before the security hut. They let people into the small building 3 at a time. They ran our bags through an airport type scanner, and we walked through a metal detector and that was it. You leave through a small door to the side and then around the side of the main embassy building. There are signs pointing to where you go that say "VISAS" so a bit difficult to get lost. Up some stairs and inside.

Once inside there is a desk, they take your letter and passports again and attach several stickers to your letter. It is the number they call when they want you.

The main hall has a few things - restrooms - passport photo machine (broken when we were there FYI but they do them at goulds apparently) food stuff. A few computers but not sure what they were for? Printing off visa forms?

Inside there are lots of chairs facing the centre of the room and a panel of screens with peoples numbers and the window they should go to. Lots and lots of people. They also call the numbers out loud over an intercom system. There are LOADS of N numbers being called. It felt like 100 N numbers for every time they called an I number. (N numbers for non immigrant visas I numbers for immigrant visas)

I tried to read a book but I ended up just staring at the screen as I was too nervous to do anything else. Then I would start spacing out and worry I'd miss them calling our number.

I have no idea how long we waited the first time - we had no watches, normally use our phones!. Maybe an hour? 2 hours? We were called to window 13. The woman asked us my husbands passport. She could tell we were nervous and said to calm down a bit. (Told us to BREATHE.) Then his passport photos. The then asked if he had his medical yet - disappeared somewhere for a while and came back with his medical file and xray. She told us to open the xray to be sure it was his. My husband said he they were definitely his ribs and she laughed. (there is a sticker at the bottom with your name and passport number on it.) We were then instructed to the window right next door to pay.

After we came back she asked for his birth certificate + copy, marriage certificate +copy, police report + copy. She then asked for the DS-230. We handed her part 2 (unsigned) and she asked where part 1 was. I said I'd mailed it and wondered if they'd not received it! She left and came back a while later with it. (*phew)

She then asked for the I-864. We tried to hand her the whole stack of stuff at once but she gave back and said to give her just the form. So we did, and after that only gave her the items she asked for (I think we were being a bit eager, and she probably felt like we were shoving things at her - she was patient with us though.) Something to bear in mind, is to only give what they ask for, not a big pile of documents together.

She looked through the form briefly to be sure I'd filled it out and signed it. She then asked for my 2009 tax returns. I had all 3 years since I am self employed but she only wanted 2009. She then asked if I had bank statements. She asked for clarification on what part was savings and that was it. I had made a really detailed file showing quarter 1 earnings (since the form asks for CURRENT earnings, not 2009 earnings) but it was not questioned and so I never gave it to her.

My dad filled out an I-864 as well - I thought we would need a joint sponsor as it is difficult as a self employed person. They look at line 22 of your tax return FYI. (income after expenses are taken out) I was over the poverty level + had savings, but, basically you never know!

She told me I probably had enough earnings +savings and just to keep my dads sponsor form. If it was needed later I had it, but she didn't think so.

The then asked me "Have you taken any steps with regards to moving back?"

The big domicile question! She did not ask if I still had a US license, or voters record or US banks accounts. If that was all I'd brought I'd have been in trouble - its not what she asked for.

I had a whole folder of things as I knew they were looking at this more closely.

I gave her:

1 ) Deposit we paid a relocation agent to help us find somewhere to live - it included a date we planned to use her services to find a place to rent and a page describing what the services are. Basically - proof we would find somewhere to live, even though we don't have an address yet.

2 ) Deposit paid + contract on 3 week holiday apartment rental while we find somewhere to live.

^ with regards to the above. We paid deposits, but in the grand scheme of things, I would have just lost a deposit if everything went to poop. Not the end of the world, but I think helped a lot.

3) School applications for my son. I had a HUGE stack of things including financial aid packets and all sorts - she kind of looked at the GINORMOUS pile and sighed and said to just give her info for one school.

After that she said to stop (please). I also had but she did not take: emails regarding driving lessons for my husband, moving quotes, medical insurance info. plus the usual stuff like voting record ect. I have no idea if any of these would have helped as she didn't know what else I had in my big enormous folder.

After that she gave us a form to fill out for the courier and said to sit back down. Maybe 30 minutes later a lovely man called us back up. He asked a few questions to my husband I could not hear as I was not all that close to the window. I think he asked how long we'd been married - and when we planned to move.

He then said he wanted to ask me some questions - he asked if my clients were US based as they needed to be in order for me to sponsor my husband. I said yes - and that was it really. He asked where we were moving - he had a big smile and said he had lived there too and like it. That was that. OH! he did mention the brown envelope that comes with the courier and not to open it.

We then went to the courier counter and paid. The person at the counter also said not to open the brown envelope when it arrived. Left and did a little happy dance.

We were all very tired - it was a bit emotionally draining to be honest. Got the train home earlier than planned as we were all pretty wiped out.

Sorry - its late and this is long, and I know I have forgotten bits. Overall everyone there was nice - it was much easier than I thought, but I think I overcompensated with the documents a bit. (I recommend this over under compensating though!)

Edited April 6, 2010 by Hellojulie

[Hokie97 5]

Thank you so much Hellojulie for that detailed report!

It's good to know that we should wait until they ask for things and don't shove them all at them. I know I'm going to be so nervous, even though there should not bee a problem with our application. Other than asking about your clients, did they ask any other questions? About your relationship or intentions when you get there?

This is was helpful. Thanks again! And congratulations again

[Rito 28]

Ok - as promised - its REALLY LONG, but hopefully helpful to someone, I know reading other peoples experiences helped me.

Hey Julie -

On your timeline, there's a space to write a review of your interview. If you put the great information you just posted there, it will be easier for people to find it for help later because it will be accessible via the "Embassy Info" link.

Thanks!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Julie -- thanks so much for posting the bit about domicile. I'll link to your post in the DCF forum so the UK peeps can have an idea what's being asked for now.