Anybody else filed in London?

[Holly2234 66]

Hi Holly,

We are nearly partners in crime! I'm slightly ahead of you at the mo. Good luck!

Its good to meet somebody doing the same thing! Good luck for the rest of your journey, i will have to stalk your posts to see what comes next

Edited May 14, 2012 by Holly2234

[Chrissy&Mark 0]

We have also filed DCF in London. I posted the I-130 on 30 November, but it was not marked received/NOA1 until 12 December. DH's interview is tomorrow, and while we've reviewed our stack of paperwork several times now, I'm still anxious about all the boxes being ticked, just in case All being well, we aim to move mid-July, once the current sale on our flat is complete and we have worked our respective notice periods, etc.

Gathering the documents for the DS-2001 (http://london.usembassy.gov/application_documents.html) while you await your NOA2 will be immensely helpful. We had gathered birth certs, located original wedding cert, ordered the police cert, tax transcripts (these took over a month to receive, possibly because it was over the Christmas period), etc., so when DH received the letter from the Embassy saying he was free to file his visa application, we scheduled his medical and had the DS-2001 (notice of readiness) posted the following day.

The Embassy's website and letters have been very comprehensive and helpful, IMO. I had a moment of confusion reading on here about whether or not to send all the documents along with the DS-2001, but the letter from the embassy said explicitly to hold on to the documents and bring originals to the interview. I did have to do a little digging about the I-864. We are using assets to cover the requirement (since I will be leaving my job here in the UK and re-establishing domicile in the USA); I initially printed off the most recent month's bank statements and thought I was ready to go on the I-864 (as the directions on the USCIS made no mention of anything more extensive. However, the FAQ on the Embassy website indicate we need 12 months worth of statements, so we had to omit some of the accounts we previously planned to include, as we wouldn't be able to get historic statements before the interview.

[Holly2234 66]

Thanks for the advice Im working on getting the rest of the forms sorted out now. Ive had to get a few extras for the appointment to get my daughters US passport too (she was born a dual citizen anyway). So we're well on the way

It went very fast for you! I'll be happy with that kind of time frame too if we're lucky Good luck for your interview tomorrow and i hope the move goes smoothly. Have you read any of the reviews of the embassy? It seems to be pretty straight forward from what ive read.

[Chrissy&Mark 0]

Thanks for the advice Im working on getting the rest of the forms sorted out now. Ive had to get a few extras for the appointment to get my daughters US passport too (she was born a dual citizen anyway). So we're well on the way

It went very fast for you! I'll be happy with that kind of time frame too if we're lucky Good luck for your interview tomorrow and i hope the move goes smoothly. Have you read any of the reviews of the embassy? It seems to be pretty straight forward from what ive read.

Thanks! Initially we estimated we would be done with the process in August/September, and are delighted it has progressed so quickly!

DH and I have poured through lots of the reviews, and feel we're sufficiently prepared. Doesn't look like too painful a process if everything is order, so I think I will breathe a huge sigh of relief once we have gotten through the document verification ... I have no issues about DH's ability to answer the questions

Crossing my fingers you see the same swiftness and luck we have so far! I read they anticipate some delays to passport processing as a result of the Olympics, but hopefully it doesn't create too much hassle for immigrant visas, too.

[Holly2234 66]

Thanks Yeah i hope the Olympics doesnt cause too much of a delay, but im glad our timing works out so that we dont have to go to London in the middle of it.

From reading the reviews, it seems like the wait is actually the worst part of it! Give us an update with your good news if you can find time

[Holly2234 66]

Just curious, did they ever ask you for proof your relationship is real? Ive just been looking at a checklist you posted for the DS-2001 and it doesnt mention anything there either. So just wondering if its not required or if they just dont put it there.

[Chrissy&Mark 0]

Just curious, did they ever ask you for proof your relationship is real? Ive just been looking at a checklist you posted for the DS-2001 and it doesnt mention anything there either. So just wondering if its not required or if they just dont put it there.

So far, we haven't been asked for anything, but we have prepared a selection of photos, cards and boarding passes from holidays to show we are legit I doubt we will need it, particularly as we have been married nearly 3 yrs, but will let you know if they do ask for it.

[Holly2234 66]

Thanks

I have a few things hanging around from our visits and obviously photos and things so shouldnt be a problem if they do want it. We've got joint bills and bank accounts here so its quite obvious our relationship is real. We also have a little girl together.

Again, good luck tomorrow!

[Chrissy&Mark 0]

We were approved! We were definitely over-prepared (though I'd prefer it that way, just in case!), and didn't need anything to substantiate our ongoing relationship. We have been married nearly 3 yrs, and I have lived here for 5, so I wasn't really surprised, to be honest. I would still suggest erring on the side of caution and bringing along the few pics, cards, and your joint bank statements and bills just to put your own mind at ease.

Good luck!!

[Holly2234 66]

Woohoo! So happy for you!

Thanks for the advice, i will take a few things for just incase when we get to it. Do you pay for the visa (The $230 i think it was) at the embassy? Any idea when the big move is going to be?

[Chrissy&Mark 0]

Yes, we paid there ($230). We got called to the first window, she looked at DH's letter, got his file, and then asked us to pay (at he neighbouring window), then carried on checking documents.

We're aiming to move mid-July. We're finishing work 3 July, as we already had a holiday and a friend's wedding booked for June, so that'll give us a week or two to do the final packing, have a leaving do, etc. Our flat is under offer, and the buyer knows our planned move date, so now it's just a matter of crossing fingers that there are no delays in completing on that.

[Holly2234 66]

Good luck I hope it all goes smoothly from here