Confused...

[lost_at_sea 995]

At the top of the page it says 'Notice of Approval of Relative Immigrant Visa Petition' and the opening line is 'The visa petition you filed has been approved', and 'Classification 201(b) Spouse' so yeah, I'm 99.9% certain!

We're shocked too by how quickly it's moving.

I will leave it until next week before calling them to hassle them though lol

Well! Congrats!

Yeah, that seems wise.

I actually tried to hassle them on the phone (the embassy line) and they said they didn't have my file yet, then the letter arrived the next day dated 2 days previous. I think the guy on the phone probably misheard my name when he put it into their system. If you can cheaply call the DoS line, you might have better luck with that one.

[UKHusband 1]

Thanks, will call the DoS line from the office before I finish work (next week! Woohoo!)

One quick question, was having a look at the Medical form and it asks you to fill in the Interview Date - I thought at that point you wouldn't have the interview date as it wasn't scheduled until after the medical? What do you put there?

Edit: Actually it says 'Visa Appointment Date' - does it mean the date of the medical?

Edited July 23, 2013 by UKHusband

[lost_at_sea 995]

Thanks, will call the DoS line from the office before I finish work (next week! Woohoo!)

One quick question, was having a look at the Medical form and it asks you to fill in the Interview Date - I thought at that point you wouldn't have the interview date as it wasn't scheduled until after the medical? What do you put there?

Edit: Actually it says 'Visa Appointment Date' - does it mean the date of the medical?

The form is general purpose. Some other types of visa folks *do* know their interview date (which is what that field is for). You won't. Leave it blank or put N/A or something.

[Yorkshirelass 1]

This strand is really helpful for me as I set out on DCF process (as is Lost at Seas fab guide) thanks. Is there a way to auto follow your progress UK husband or do I just need to watch out for your posts, very interested in your timeline.....new to this very helpful site as you can tell

Thanks

[*Snowdrop* 604]

My GP practice was just really very amused that I had to have it. The nurse was laughing when she went to check with the doctor whether it was okay to give it to me.

I think they have a lot of discretion over these things - if you have a particular doctor you like or a good humoured nurse I think they just do it for you.

Of course some practices are very strict about inoculations for travel - I think it depends where you live. If loads of people are getting vaccines I think they start to worry about the effect on their budgets.

Worst case scenario if you can't get anyone to do it for you, you may even be able to simply have it done at your medical in London - at a premium cost of course. Might we worth phoning the Knightsbridge practice to see if that is that case and get a cost quotation.

I'm pretty sure that if you schedule an appointment with another doctor or nurse that they might just do it.

[UKHusband 1]

This strand is really helpful for me as I set out on DCF process (as is Lost at Seas fab guide) thanks. Is there a way to auto follow your progress UK husband or do I just need to watch out for your posts, very interested in your timeline.....new to this very helpful site as you can tell

Thanks

I think you just have to click on my timeline, then the follow timeline button! Good luck, it seems London are moving pretty fast at the moment so you shouldn't have to wait too long!

My GP practice was just really very amused that I had to have it. The nurse was laughing when she went to check with the doctor whether it was okay to give it to me.

I think they have a lot of discretion over these things - if you have a particular doctor you like or a good humoured nurse I think they just do it for you.

Of course some practices are very strict about inoculations for travel - I think it depends where you live. If loads of people are getting vaccines I think they start to worry about the effect on their budgets.

Worst case scenario if you can't get anyone to do it for you, you may even be able to simply have it done at your medical in London - at a premium cost of course. Might we worth phoning the Knightsbridge practice to see if that is that case and get a cost quotation.

I'm pretty sure that if you schedule an appointment with another doctor or nurse that they might just do it.

I actually got this done yesterday (no ill effects as yet lol). They were very apologetic about messing me around the first time, and I even managed to get a properly printed vaccination record as well, so that all turned out okay! The nurse I saw is anything but good humoured - I reckon she's either botoxed to death or has no nerves in her face as it seems impossible for her to raise a smile!

[UKHusband 1]

Still waiting on Packet 3 here, but in the meantime making sure we have everything lined up ready to go. Just wanted to check on the I-864 details with some of you knowledgeable people :-)

Quick recap.

US wife and I have lived in the UK since getting married in 2006.

Wife's parents are sponsoring us to meet the financial requirements until we get work.

As I understand it the forms that need filling in are these:

Wife's Mother - I-864 (ticks 'only joint sponsor')

Wife's Father - I-864a

Does my wife also have to fill in an I-864? Even though she doesn't have a US income yet, or a US 2012 tax return?

Also I believe she has to show intent to re-establish domicile - she has maintained a US bank account while in England, and has a letter from her parents saying we will live there until we source employment and accommodation. Is that sufficient?

Hoping this is the last complicated step lol. Thanks for any help in advance!

[lost_at_sea 995]

Yeah. She does a form too + domicile proof. See this thread (you're both at roughly the same stage doing similar things):

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/445720-i-864-form-for-joint-sponsor-uk-to-us/

Edited August 8, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[UKHusband 1]

Thanks as ever Lost_at_sea - hope you are settling in okay!!

[lost_at_sea 995]

Thanks as ever Lost_at_sea - hope you are settling in okay!!

Gettin' there. Got a new joint account and a regular checking account opened for me today. Feels like some sort of progress!

[lost_at_sea 995]

Oh! And we collected our electric kettle from our US storage locker yesterday, so I can actually make a cup of tea in a reasonable time now (I was boiling water on the hob before). Prepare for tea making to take longer with their half-assed electricity here.

[UKHusband 1]

Sorry, just seeking a clarification - as my US wife has been living in the UK for 7 years she fills in the I-864 but isn't expected to supply a 2012 tax return?

That sounds like a more stupid question written down than it did in my head (sorry )

Just making sure there's not some kind of document required, rather than just taking our word for it!

[lost_at_sea 995]

Sorry, just seeking a clarification - as my US wife has been living in the UK for 7 years she fills in the I-864 but isn't expected to supply a 2012 tax return?

That sounds like a more stupid question written down than it did in my head (sorry )

Just making sure there's not some kind of document required, rather than just taking our word for it!

Uh. Your wife is always required to do a US tax return as far as I understand it (unless she's has a reason to not be submitting - being outside the US isn't a reason). Are you using a joint sponsor?

Check down the instructions for what evidence is needed: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-864instr.pdf

Recent I-864 UK/US discussion: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/445720-i-864-form-for-joint-sponsor-uk-to-us/

London embassy FAQ on tax return information for I-864: http://london.usembassy.gov/faq_i864_taxreturns.html

Edited August 15, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[UKHusband 1]

Ah, that will be me having no clue of the US process then lol.

I will investigate further - I have vague recollection now you say that of it being mentioned at some point.

We are using my wife's parents as a joint sponsor. Tricky stuff all this lol.

[LauraDP 10]

I am sorry you have that frustrating experience with the whole vaccination thing. My GP practice did all of the shots for the kids and me with no charge and no quibble at all. The only one they would not do is the flu vaccine because they have limited stocks they are obliged to give to people in risk groups only. We would have had to get those done privately but in the end we were not doing the medicals in flu season anyway. I wonder if their is an NHS walk-in clinic near you that would administer them?

As for listing trips to the US, I had to go back 20 years of my relationship with my husband to list them all and, since the DVLA lost one of my passports years ago, I don't even have a stamp record for all of them. I, therefore, had to write some down as best guesses as to dates of travel by just having the month and year and not the actual day. That was accepted. Of course, my caveat with this approach is that we have been married for 17 years so the Embassy were definitely not very probing when it came to all that sort of contextual information. They did not even ask to see our dossier of evidence of the intent to establish domicile (which was annoying my husband since it took him ages to compile it.)

Best wishes

Laura