Change to the system in London

[StillScottish 0]

This is my first post here, but I've been browsing these boards for over a year now and it has been immensely helpful. I never had any reason to post until now because i didn't have anything useful to add.

But i had my K1 interview at the embassy in London yesterday, and from what I've read here and what i was told at the embassy there seems to have been a few changes in the way things work there.

I arrived early and had to stand in two different lines to get in, i passed security as normal and got my ticket number just like everyone else on here did.

After that is where things were a little different. I got called to window 1 and got asked for my documents. The man at the window was not interested in any of the copies i had brought with me and only took my originals. He asked for one passport photo which i got back almost immediately. After i handed over all of my original documents i got told to sit back down and wait for my interview which i did. I then got called to my interview and it was pretty straight forward. I got approved.

What's different:

- They did not take any copies and only originals

- I did not receive my original copies back. (Any of them)

- Only one passport photo required, and you get to keep it.

What they took and kept:

- Birth Certificate

- Police Certificate

- MRV fee receipt

- Courier receipt

- Affidavit of support and all supporting documents

I wasn't asked to provide anything else such as my vaccination worksheet from Knightsbridge doctors.

Also for anyone considering replacing a passport: I replaced my passport a week before the interview and had no issues with it. I was asked to provide my old passport at security before i entered the embassy and at the first window i was asked why i replaced it.

Lastly i have a question. My case status on CEAC has not been updated, it still says ready and has the pre-interview description. Is this just because my interview was on a Friday and it hasn't been updated yet?

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Did you ask the interviewer for your originals back? Maybe he/she forgot. Seems unusual/harsh to keep your birth certificate. Thanks for the post.

The status doesn't update immediately especially same day as interview. Then you have the weekend in your case. The next update will likely say AP..administrative processing, meaning paperwork/tasks to finish up. Then it will changed to issued when the visa has been printed. Some have had a day or so on AP status, and others changed in a few hours to issued.

[StillScottish 0]

I didn't actually ask for them back, i was just too grateful to question anything they did.

But at the first window the man told me that they had changed their system when i asked if he wanted copies, and when i asked if it was okay that my passport photos were joined together.

I just assumed that it was a switch to a digital system and that they would be using my original copies as part of that, i could be wrong though.

Maybe it's a mistake, i'll see when i actually get the visa.

[Cody and Daisy 374]

I'm a liar. They did keep everything, I assumed when they have me some papers that my originals were in there, but they weren't. So yeah I guess it'll be in the BBE

Edited July 13, 2014 by Cody and Daisy

[Ketsuban 1,034]

You can get replacement copies of your birth certificate from http://www.gro.gov.uk/GRO/content/certificates/default.asp if you need one. They hold just as much weight as the original one.

[Kiwinyc 62]

I would be in deep shite if they had kept my Original Birth certificate, I was not born in the UK.

[Clair.S 5]

I had my interview today, they wanted copies and I got all my originals back apart from my police certificate.

[StillScottish 0]

Just a little update.

My visa was delivered five minutes ago. The package contained my passport with visa inside, BBE, and all of my supporting documents held together with a paperclip.

Either there was some mistake at the interview, or you no longer require copies of your documents for a K1 interview.

Edited July 18, 2014 by StillScottish

[landr 126]

The package contained my passport with visa inside, BBE, and all of my supporting documents held together with a paperclip.

Just to double-check...you didn't open the internal 'BBE' sealed with a stamp and marked "do not open" did you?

Or do you mean that your original supporting documents were returned to you in the outer package with your passport+visa?

[StillScottish 0]

Just to double-check...you didn't open the internal 'BBE' sealed with a stamp and marked "do not open" did you?

Or do you mean that your original supporting documents were returned to you in the outer package with your passport+visa?

I did not open the BBE, the original copies of my documents were in the outer package with the passport.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I did not open the BBE, the original copies of my documents were in the outer package with the passport.

So we can conclude that London has not changed their policy about keeping the original personal documents? They just forgot to hand you yours so returned them with the passport.

[landr 126]

I did not open the BBE, the original copies of my documents were in the outer package with the passport.

Thanks for the confirmation StillScottish. Best of luck with your POE.

[StillScottish 0]

Thanks for the confirmation StillScottish. Best of luck with your POE.

Thank you, planning on making the move in 9 days. Good luck with your journey.

So we can conclude that London has not changed their policy about keeping the original personal documents? They just forgot to hand you yours so returned them with the passport.

Another in this thread who had their interview recently said that London kept their original documents too.

It could have been two mistakes.

But at the first window at my interview i got told twice that the system had changed. One possible explanation could be that they take the originals and during the "administrative processing" phase on CEAC they scan the original and create a digital copy for their records. I have no basis for this theory, i could be way off the mark.

[Beefheart 31]

Is it going to be a problem if i don't have my OLD passport for my interview next week?

My new passport was issued in Feb this year; my old passport is in California.
I had taken it with me on my last visit in March in case I was required to show it at immigration, which I wasn't. I do havescanned photocopies of the pages with immigration stamps on from all my previous visits however.

There's always something!!

[nobbie 105]

Is it going to be a problem if i don't have my OLD passport for my interview next week?

My new passport was issued in Feb this year; my old passport is in California.

I had taken it with me on my last visit in March in case I was required to show it at immigration, which I wasn't. I do havescanned photocopies of the pages with immigration stamps on from all my previous visits however.

There's always something!!

different thread........ but I took my old passports with expired visas, I mentioned them and the bloke was not interested.