Has anyone had their (spouse visa) interview in London recently? Few questions!

[LondonWelsh 0]

Hello!

I have my interview in London next week and I think a few things have changed since some of the guides I've read. Wondering if anyone can advise on the following:

1) Are you permitted to take phones in now? I know you definitely weren't when I went to get my son's citizenship a few years ago. My husband and child will be waiting for me in the park/cafes nearby so be quite handy to keep in contact with them!

2) I know you have to take two copies of everything, does this include the affidavit(s) and all the accompanying evidence? I've read conflicting things!

3) With the courier, I currently have 42 Hounds Ditch as my collection point and I know I have til the morning of my interview date to change this, is that all I have to do at this stage? I think at other times you've had to pay the courier fee in advance or something? I don't want to leave anything til the interview then find out I should've done something beforehand!

Any other tips for interview day welcome of course

Many thanks in advance!

LWx

[LondonWelsh 0]

Hello!

I have my interview in London next week and I think a few things have changed since some of the guides I've read. Wondering if anyone can advise on the following:

1) Are you permitted to take phones in now? I know you definitely weren't when I went to get my son's citizenship a few years ago. My husband and child will be waiting for me in the park/cafes nearby so be quite handy to keep in contact with them!

2) I know you have to take two copies of everything, does this include the affidavit(s) and all the accompanying evidence? I've read conflicting things!

3) With the courier, I currently have 42 Hounds Ditch as my collection point and I know I have til the morning of my interview date to change this, is that all I have to do at this stage? I think at other times you've had to pay the courier fee in advance or something? I don't want to leave anything til the interview then find out I should've done something beforehand!

Any other tips for interview day welcome of course

Many thanks in advance!

LWx

Fourth question!

Are we expected to bring anything along from the medical? I can't see anything about it on the checklist but I'm sure I remember somewhere reading that you're meant to take your vaccination records from the medical along with you...? Thank you!

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Yes to phones allowed.

Photocopies- London website still says one photocopy of your supporting documents along with original. That would be of things you want back like birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree. You don't really need the I-864 affidavit of support form back and tax records can be photocopies anyway so not a irreplaceable original, but do make a photocopy just for your records before your turn in the only one you have. With that said, London has not actually wanted any photocopies of anything at the interview for over a year. They say something like "we don't need these anymore." You will be given back your originals of birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc even if they don't take photocopies of them from you.

The courier scheduling website normally would give you an option for home delivery by paying a fee online. It's free to pick up at the depot and $30 (converted to ££) for home delivery. When setting it up online you typically choose your closest depot first and the optional home delivery choice comes later.

Nothing from the medical needs to be taken to your interview. They get what they need straight from Knightsbridge. They will hand back your chest x-Ray on cd at the interview. You don't really need it for anything else in immigration, but they don't have a reason to store them at the clinic or embassy so give it to you.

[LondonWelsh 0]

Thank you!

The evidence my FiL has sent me is EPIC. There must be a couple of hundred pages or more in all with 3yr complete tax returns, mortgate statements, bank statements, deeds on houses etc etc...

With our tight turnaround I'm very afraid of being turned away for not having copies of things :/

As long as I haven't done anything wrong with not having paid for the courier yet! I'll look into changing it, I thought there would be an obvious link in the correspondence they gave me but there isn't! I do find the communication from the Embassy quite confusing even after dealing with it for months, oh well!

Thank as ever for your help

LW x

Yes to phones allowed.

Photocopies- London website still says one photocopy of your supporting documents along with original. That would be of things you want back like birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree. You don't really need the I-864 affidavit of support form back and tax records can be photocopies anyway so not a irreplaceable original, but do make a photocopy just for your records before your turn in the only one you have. With that said, London has not actually wanted any photocopies of anything at the interview for over a year. They say something like "we don't need these anymore." You will be given back your originals of birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc even if they don't take photocopies of them from you.

The courier scheduling website normally would give you an option for home delivery by paying a fee online. It's free to pick up at the depot and $30 (converted to ££) for home delivery. When setting it up online you typically choose your closest depot first and the optional home delivery choice comes later.

Nothing from the medical needs to be taken to your interview. They get what they need straight from Knightsbridge. They will hand back your chest x-Ray on cd at the interview. You don't really need it for anything else in immigration, but they don't have a reason to store them at the clinic or embassy so give it to you.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Thank you!

The evidence my FiL has sent me is EPIC. There must be a couple of hundred pages or more in all with 3yr complete tax returns, mortgate statements, bank statements, deeds on houses etc etc...

With our tight turnaround I'm very afraid of being turned away for not having copies of things :/

As long as I haven't done anything wrong with not having paid for the courier yet! I'll look into changing it, I thought there would be an obvious link in the correspondence they gave me but there isn't! I do find the communication from the Embassy quite confusing even after dealing with it for months, oh well!

Thank as ever for your help

LW x

If your FIL qualifies on income alone, then you don't need to submit all the assets, mortgage, savings, deeds, etc. He is only required to submit ONE tax return, not three. You might want to simplify your submission and take a lot of that out if he has a job that pays enough. You do need a photocopy of his US birth certificate or passport showing he is a US person. London is very easy on the affidavit of support as long as you have the required things included.

The embassy does not take payment for the courier. That's through an independent contractor website.

If you pick a depot, then you don't pay anything. Just go collect your passport/visa when you get the email saying it's there.

If you want to switch to home delivery, go back to https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-gb/iv and pick

"Continue - Review and manage your existing Consular Immigrant Visa Appointment or Returning Resident request."

Log in and see if you can find the option to give a delivery address and pay online with a credit card.

Edited September 7, 2016 by Nich-Nick

[LondonWelsh 0]

Thank you

He doesn't qualify on income not this year anyway as his accountant wrote so much off!

Ah OK, I got confused as it says "have you filed for the last three years" but actually you only need evidence for one year.

I think I might just take *everything* but just initially hand over the essential stuff and have the rest as back up if needed!

LW x

If your FIL qualifies on income alone, then you don't need to submit all the assets, mortgage, savings, deeds, etc. He is only required to submit ONE tax return, not three. You might want to simplify your submission and take a lot of that out if he has a job that pays enough. You do need a photocopy of his US birth certificate or passport showing he is a US person. London is very easy on the affidavit of support as long as you have the required things included.

The embassy does not take payment for the courier. That's through an independent contractor website.

If you pick a depot, then you don't pay anything. Just go collect your passport/visa when you get the email saying it's there.

If you want to switch to home delivery, go back to https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-gb/iv and pick
"Continue - Review and manage your existing Consular Immigrant Visa Appointment or Returning Resident request."
Log in and see if you can find the option to give a delivery address and pay online with a credit card.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Good plan. Don't overwhelm the document collector with hundreds of pages. If the interviewer has questions, he can ask for more.