Starting Out Advice

[SheffieldGuy 0]

Ok, i've filled in all the forms and copied all the relevant certicates and such, and was going to post to the US embassy in London, but i've had a nasty thought, if i send this application in and start the visa process, will this affect my rights to travel to the US when we go across to the states? We travel twice a year to Boston, and i'd HATE to think i'd have trouble getting through immigration the next time we go because they think because i've filed for an immigration visa i want to stay there permanently, i know how twitched some of these guys can be.

[athena_ny 1]

Ok, i've filled in all the forms and copied all the relevant certicates and such, and was going to post to the US embassy in London, but i've had a nasty thought, if i send this application in and start the visa process, will this affect my rights to travel to the US when we go across to the states? We travel twice a year to Boston, and i'd HATE to think i'd have trouble getting through immigration the next time we go because they think because i've filed for an immigration visa i want to stay there permanently, i know how twitched some of these guys can be.

I know this is a question that comes up a lot in the K1 forum (don't ask me why I read there...I never had to go through the process myself) and filing for an immigrant visa does show you eventually have intent to immigrate. It however, does not mean that they will automatically deny you entry into the US to visit. Showing that you still have strong ties to the UK (a home, a job, etc.) can overcome the assumption that you're going to stay. To me, filing for an immigrant visa shows that you want to do it the "right" way, but you're right that some of the CBP officers overthink things a little. (Suppose they have to.) That would probably be a question you want to ask in the IR1/CR1 forum though, as they'd be more familiar with it.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Also, i've started filling in the G-325A forms, can i ask, it informs you to fill in all 4 pages but the pages are duplicates, i take it you have to fill them all in with the same info. Seems a bit unnessesarly labourious, but i guess i'll get used to all the beaurocricy.

Seems like I may be too late to save you time on this, but the London Embassy only needs one copy of the G-325A (clipped from the I-130 checklist from the Embassy website):

"Only one form to be completed by the petitioner and one form by his/her spouse. Do not submit multiple copies (even though you might see instructions elsewhere to do so)."

My husband and I submitted one copy each and left off the other three, and as you can see by my timeline we are now awaiting Packet 4 so it is clearly the way to go!

Edited April 30, 2007 by elmcitymaven

[SheffieldGuy 0]

Thanks for the tip, i found some PDF file whereby you can fill the G-325A online and it automatically fills in the other 3 forms, thanks to a tip on here.

I went looking for some US style passports in Sheffield today only to be told on one photographer does them, and he wanted £50 for 2 single photo's. i just laughed and left, i'll have to make a trip up to snappy snaps in leeds where we got 4 for something like £13 when we got my son's photos for his US passport.

But the I-130 should be away be the end of the week.