London CR1 / IR1 Appointment Updates

[txdoc 35]

Hello guys!

 

I have a quick question. Wife’s interview is scheduled for March 23rd. Her passport is expiring in June 2021. As per the interview instructions, passport needs to have validity beyond 6 months. She’s about to register for her medical. Should she also go ahead and get the passport renewed? can she use the current passport for the medical? A renewal passport takes 3 weeks, it should be here before the interview. What do y’all think? 

[Sm4598 37]

9 minutes ago, txdoc said:

Hello guys!

 

I have a quick question. Wife’s interview is scheduled for March 23rd. Her passport is expiring in June 2021. As per the interview instructions, passport needs to have validity beyond 6 months. She’s about to register for her medical. Should she also go ahead and get the passport renewed? can she use the current passport for the medical? A renewal passport takes 3 weeks, it should be here before the interview. What do y’all think? 

So if you send her passport away to get renewed, presumably you won’t have it at her medical appointment unless the medical is scheduled for right before the interview, which would be cutting it close for other reasons.

 

I would imagine that a currently valid passport would be okay for the medical (they’re doctors filling out forms, not immigration officials) but I would call to confirm your situation.

 

Also, it’s good to realize that 3 weeks is an estimate and that you need to build in time for delays. 
 

Can I ask why you’ve waited this long to renew? Don’t mean that to be judgmental, just curious. 

 

[Wuozopo 4,291]

37 minutes ago, txdoc said:

Hello guys!

 

I have a quick question. Wife’s interview is scheduled for March 23rd. Her passport is expiring in June 2021. As per the interview instructions, passport needs to have validity beyond 6 months. She’s about to register for her medical. Should she also go ahead and get the passport renewed? can she use the current passport for the medical? A renewal passport takes 3 weeks, it should be here before the interview. What do y’all think? 

Ask the medical people if they are okay with other photo ID. Call them on the phone. I know a person who was allowed in medical and interview without passport. It was lost by the UK home office from when they applied for student visa extension 9 months earlier. They eventually got it back after getting a huge run around from UKHO and couriered to the embassy for visa completion. 

[R1CH1991 247]

13 hours ago, Sm4598 said:

Amazing! So glad things have worked out for you two

 

Could I ask you a quick question? When you had your interview, did they ask you for financial documents?

 

The travel.state.gov actually says “you do not need to bring your Affidavit of Support or financial evidence you submitted to the NVC,” and we have a slightly weird tax return situation that’s been giving me major stress, just in case they bring it up at the interview and it delays things. 

 

Did they ask to see your financial stuff/proof of income? (We’re going to bring everything of course, but just trying to figure out how worried I should be)

They already had the copies on their computer if what was uploaded but I also took the originals as some people had reported being asked to reupload documents.

 

Try not to worry! We didn’t even have w transcript and used a tax filing that the IRS still haven’t processed! I’ve just remailed it off last week so they didn’t confirm with them!

[ergreenwell10 11]

Hello Everyone!

 

Our Interview appointment is this Wednesday (February 17th) and I was wondering for people who have had their interview in London recently - how long did it take for you to receive your passport back after the interview? Would 10 days be enough? We are looking to book a flight for maybe the 27th or 28th and Delta has waived all change fees which is awesome but just wanted to see how long people were waiting for their passports first. Thanks!

[KathB 45]

12 hours ago, ergreenwell10 said:

Hello Everyone!

 

Our Interview appointment is this Wednesday (February 17th) and I was wondering for people who have had their interview in London recently - how long did it take for you to receive your passport back after the interview? Would 10 days be enough? We are looking to book a flight for maybe the 27th or 28th and Delta has waived all change fees which is awesome but just wanted to see how long people were waiting for their passports first. Thanks!

I had my interview in London on the 21st Jan, was aprooved at the interview and received my passport back on the 2nd Feb. Others have had it back sooner. There was no obvious reason for my delay, but it still happened.

[KathB 45]

15 hours ago, ergreenwell10 said:

Hello Everyone!

 

Our Interview appointment is this Wednesday (February 17th) and I was wondering for people who have had their interview in London recently - how long did it take for you to receive your passport back after the interview? Would 10 days be enough? We are looking to book a flight for maybe the 27th or 28th and Delta has waived all change fees which is awesome but just wanted to see how long people were waiting for their passports first. Thanks!

I forgot to say at the interview, I was told it would be 1 - 2 weeks for my passport / visa to be returned. Mine was still within that timeframe, even though it took a bit longer than other peoples to be returned.

[VJmember2020 32]

So happy to hear everyone is getting their interview dates and even teared up reading some of them. Congrats to all. 
 

[Muso303 7]

Hi,

 

Does anyone know the deal on working once entering the US? The 'green card' is granted at the airport, so does that mean we can start working straight away?

[Charlie87 31]

14 minutes ago, Muso303 said:

Hi,

 

Does anyone know the deal on working once entering the US? The 'green card' is granted at the airport, so does that mean we can start working straight away?

Once you land at the port of entry with you IR1/CR1 immigrant visa, they will stamp your passport with an I-551 stamp which is a temporary green card until the physical comes in the mail.

that stamp in your passport acts the same as a green card and you have the right to work.

[txdoc 35]

On 2/13/2021 at 1:08 PM, Sm4598 said:

So if you send her passport away to get renewed, presumably you won’t have it at her medical appointment unless the medical is scheduled for right before the interview, which would be cutting it close for other reasons.

 

I would imagine that a currently valid passport would be okay for the medical (they’re doctors filling out forms, not immigration officials) but I would call to confirm your situation.

 

Also, it’s good to realize that 3 weeks is an estimate and that you need to build in time for delays. 
 

Can I ask why you’ve waited this long to renew? Don’t mean that to be judgmental, just curious. 

 

 

On 2/13/2021 at 1:33 PM, Wuozopo said:

Ask the medical people if they are okay with other photo ID. Call them on the phone. I know a person who was allowed in medical and interview without passport. It was lost by the UK home office from when they applied for student visa extension 9 months earlier. They eventually got it back after getting a huge run around from UKHO and couriered to the embassy for visa completion. 

 

Thanks! We weren't expecting the interview to come through this early, and she just returned to the UK from the US after a couple months visit. Definitely should've renewed before. The GP office for the medical exam is good with driver's license in lieu of passport. Now I'm wondering if I should wait for the new passport number to register for the appointment, since it does ask the passport number.

[twobees 20]

Best of luck to @Zeppeli @ergreenwell10 and @Bubbapora on your interviews today! Please keep us posted on how it goes. 

[more00 17]

On 10/27/2020 at 12:09 PM, DrIdu said:

Hey y'all! Just want to say thank you to all in the last forum and this new one. It was invaluable. 

 

Our interview was this morning, and it's been approved! I wish everyone luck in this stage. Will write a review on my timeline (from my DH, I wasn't there). 

 

I hope this new thread is just as informative as the last one. Remember, discussions will take lots of paths, yet the information is informative to each of us. Even if it's just to say: "hello". 

 

This is a crazy journey, y'all, especially given the global circumstances. Please stay safe and healthy. And be kind to each other! I appreciate crossing paths with all of you! ❤️

Can you please let us know what kind of questions they ask you 

[more00 17]

On 2/15/2021 at 11:59 AM, KathB said:

I forgot to say at the interview, I was told it would be 1 - 2 weeks for my passport / visa to be returned. Mine was still within that timeframe, even though it took a bit longer than other peoples to be returned.

Can you please let us know how long did you interview take and what questions did they ask you please 

[Zeppeli 31]

Dropping in to say that I had my interview this morning and I got it! Super easy, the interview itself was about 3-5 minutes and she just said "it'll be with you in 1-2 weeks!" I was asked how did you meet? Why are you moving there instead of him coming here and if I had read the immigrant rights leaflet. (which i had been given previously)

 

Thank you so much to everyone here, you've been such a good help and for those who are nervous and waiting, the interview was honestly the easiest bit! It'll come soon!

Edited February 17, 2021 by Zeppeli
Wanted to add a few more details.