Organisation of K1 Interview Documentation - London

[Matt&Sophie 8]

Hi

So sorry if this has already been asked but I've had a quick browse through and can't find a definitive answer.

How should I organise my documentation for the K1 visa interview at the London Embassy. - I realise that it is consulate specific and just wondered how anyone else who has maybe already been through the experience at London organised their docs.

I feel like I'm drowning in paperwork with originals and photocopies of everything i could think of that i might possibly need :')

Also, I'm planning on bringing a photo/scrapbook that I have been working on as part of a wedding present to my fiancé with pictures of all of our visits to one another over the past 16months. Can I be 100% certain that all of the original (and sentimentally valuable) stuff such as letters and engagement cards etc, will be returned to me after the interview? OR would you recommend only take copies of these?

Thankyou for your help.

Sophie

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

~ Moved from K-1 Process to UK regional - topic is specific to London ~

[Wooderz 314]

London is so easy!

Leave the photo album at home. You don't need it. I think my husband took copies of everything except my i134 which was the original. He didn't bring any proof of relationship at all.

There are tons of samples of people's doc lists in the UK subforum and a great guide. If you haven't been over there yet, do check it out.

Nich-nick will be along shortly to provide some more info, I'm sure.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Wooderz is correct. They will not look at your scrapbook.

Their list https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/fiancee-2/required-documents/ (Open those drop down things to check the details)

Bring the originals or the certified version of your documents like police cert, birth cert, name changes, etc from the list. They will hand them back at the end. They say to also bring one photocopy of those originals, but many, many people have confirmed they don't want them any more.

What's not on the list you should bring:

Ds-160 confirmation print-out.

Receipt they email after you pay the visa fee online

Confirmation of booking your appointment online.

Do not bring:

Proof of relationship or engagement

Copy of the I-129F petition

NOA2

Documents from the USC like birth certificate, etc. It's all about the Brit interviewing. The only thing from the American is the I-134 and 1 or 2 proofs of income.

London is easy. Really.

[Wooderz 314]

Oops I totally forgot about the police certificate and birth certificate.

Just follow whatever Nich-Nick tells you. On this and any other question you might have. She knows it all.

[Matt&Sophie 8]

Thanks so much for getting back to me guys, really do appreciate it.

I'd rather be over than under prepared but anything i can ditch means one less thing i have to carry around all day so thats a bonus

Thanks again

OOH! I forgot, i didn't really make my original question clear in my first post. -

Is there a specific order that you would recommend i file everything in?

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Interview booking confirmation and passport outside to show the guys herding the line.

Inside when first called up to a window--

Your passport, DS-160 and payment confirmation

The documents as shown in the link I gave you. Their order is as good as any. You just hand them over and the person will get them ready to go back to the interviewer.

Inside when called again for the interview. - nothing. You already gave it to the document collector admin person.

All the rest of your "just to be sure load" somewhere in a different bag or folder so not to muck up what you actually need. You may be the first of 1000 London interview reports I have read that need something weird. Ya never know.

I know you are nervousness, but it is a cake walk and not nearly as scary or formal as you are imagining.

[JFH 12,190]

I'm nowhere near interview stage and not doing a K-1 but I'm wondering if London will be just as easy for me. Because my husband has been denied a UK visa and has a criminal record with prison time served and was a former drug addict, I have heard (through a sub group I am a member of) that those of us with such red flags have a hard time, even at the traditionally "easy" embassies such as London.

Nich-Nick, in your many years here, have you known anyone with a more complex background to have a hard time at London? My record is perfectly clean. No arrests, no denials, no overstays, no deportations, nothing. But I've heard other people say that where there are things in the USC's background they are a bit more suspicious of the beneficiary (almost as if they are questioning their choice of husband and the validity of the marriage).

Edited July 14, 2016 by JFH

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

If you were a fiancé, I would think it might be reasonable to expect a few more questions to make sure you know what you are getting into. They do want to protect the unsuspecting foreign bride-to-be and know that she is aware of the complete background. But you already married the guy so they can't really negate that by stalling or denying a visa for lack of seeing Facebook pages where you declare your love. I don't really know what you can expect. Most on here act like they are squeaky clean with no past so it's hard to evaluate. I get a few PMs where people unload.

The only one who said the embassy was awful and wanted more evidence in a post, told me privately--

He had married, had a son, divorced and overstayed 10 years. Left then somehow got back in US for another year and a half overstay. Now the baby had turned 18 and was petitioning for his Dad's immigration. Dad had a middle Eastern name from his country of birth (not UK) but was calling himself some totally British name like Ian Brown without any deed poll document. Meanwhile son, had put address in Lousiana but actually lived in another state, and went to school in a third...nothing matched up in documentation. So indeed, they did ask him a lot of questions and told him he needed more documentation to clear up the many discrepancies. That's the only one I remember and they weren't looking for photo albums, Skype convos, or love notes.

[JFH 12,190]

I can understand that they were looking to tie up the loose ends on that one - I got confused just reading it.

In our favour we have age (we are 42 and 49) and have been married almost two years. Before we got married we had to do pre-marital counselling because we got in the 6-month trap where Washington state made it a requirement for marriage and then changed their minds just after we got married and made it a recommendation, not a requirement. During the counselling we discussed my husband's past and how it had affected things even now, 20-odd years later. The counsellor signed us off at the end of the course of sessions and wrote a report. I also signed this report and sent it with the I-130 to show I was well aware of his past and the consequences. His past is not that bad. I mean, it's not good but he's not Charles Manson. He was young and stupid and thought stealing some money would be the answer to his problems.

There are no children involved on either side from this or any of our previous relationships.

I have always been very open about it. It is what it is. I am prepared for some intense questioning, more than them wanting to see photos or Valentine cards.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Basically you meet the requirements so even if they ask a few more serious questions, I don't think they can deny based on anything he did. Your admissibility to live in the US is the main focus at the interview point....disease, immunizations, crimes, mental health, addictions, financial sponsor etc. You pass!