Melancholic Mage

12 minutes ago, James1998 said:

Hi again, was this without having to re upload anything? Like they accepted all documents first time? They accepted all our documents but my birth certificate so just waiting now for a long version to arrive in the post. Just trying to figure out if it’s a good idea to book a flight to see each other for our anniversary in September (obviously we don’t want to book anything and then have the interview when we are meant to be away together). 

No reuploads on my end at any point, my timescale was with everything submitted and accepted first time. 

I understand not making flight plans. I feel the same but I've given up on waiting and plan to go see my partner in August. I was DQ'd a bit later than others and if they haven't heard anything yet, then I'm taking the risk. 

54 minutes ago, Ambott72 said:

I’ve gone back through this thread and have calculated that we’ve now been waiting longer than anyone else has ever waited in the past year for a CR1/IR1 interview letter at London. 

Me outside the embassy:

Meanwhile in America watching me set up tent outside the embassy:

11 hours ago, James1998 said:

Hi guys, I haven’t been dq’d yet but how long did it take for you all to be dq’d after submitting all the documents? Wishing you all speedy interviews!

It took myself 18 days from when myself and my OH submitted all DS-261 documents to be DQ'd. Just under three weeks. 

I found this on US/UK embassy official website:

(https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visa-faqs/medical-examination-2/)

I would possibly count this as 'circumstances beyond your control' but it looks like that leads to a new medical and new visa fees regardless. It's hard to say if the consular officer your fiancé saw will be able to make exceptions, but I think you'll have to repeat the medical and get a new visa issued. 

On 6/25/2024 at 3:47 PM, andrea804 said:

Hi everyone! New here and just sent more evidence to NVC so HOPEFULLY should be getting DQ'd this week.

I'm getting discouraged from reading this forum... I thought London was one of the quicker embassies for interviews. If we do get DQ'd this week or next, when should we be getting our interview letter? 

 

We both live in England, I'm the USC, and I'm DESPERATE to get home  

Hello, welcome to the forum!

It's been established in stone that USCIS can't be relied upon. No one can give an estimate on when you'll get an interview letter and, as someone who was trying to make sense of the timescale from others, I've given up on trying. All we know for sure is that each month IL's are sent in batches, sometimes twice or more in one month, and there's no knowing if you'll be in that list or not. There's some cases I've seen (Reddit and such) of people being DQ'd earlier than others, but then saw others who received their IL who got DQ'd AFTER them. There's no rhyme or reason by the looks of things. (Of course, their individual applications will vary so that might play a part.)

Incredibly frustrating, I know.

My suggestion to you is if you're that desperate to go back home, you could leave for the US without your partner (very tough, believe me) and just visit each other while everything processes. Otherwise, I'd settle in and try to enjoy things in England that you won't so easily get the chance to once you make that permanent visa jump.

Hold a positive outlook and focus on doing things while you're here in England, rather than desperately refreshing your emails or checking USCIS status. I know it's not news you want to hear, but it's the reality we're all in. You're not alone.

May I recommend you try a Tunnock's teacake if you haven't already with a nice cuppa? Visit the Viking museum in York. Get your fill of fish and chips. Check out any castles close by. Vandalize the King's demonic portrait. Do what you can to stay sane.

Just now, appleblossom said:

 

You said you submitted your I-130 last April (2023) though? This is from 1st April 2024. 

 

So it doesn't matter at all, if you had paid the wrong amount then your application would have been rejected, but you were a year ahead of this it seems. 

I missed the year. Don't mind me, I just finished a 6am - 2pm shift so I'm tired and stressed out. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it, haha. Thanks. (Need coffee. ☕ )

16 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

 

Fee change was implemented from 1st April onwards. https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-fees/frequently-asked-questions-on-the-uscis-fee-rule

 

 

Honestly this table confuses me. I can't tell if I paid the reduced rate or the higher one. Looking at this, I believe I paid the reduced rate yet I filed the I-130 after the new fees were implemented post April 1st. 

I suppose it doesn't matter but it's annoying all the same. 

@Crazy Cat Hi Crazy Cat, just noticed your edit asking about a fee increase? Admittedly I wasn't aware of one. When was this implemented? 

The I-130 fee was paid in April 2023. 

DS-260, Affidavit, and all other extras were paid between April and May 2024.

29 minutes ago, Nat Murph said:

oh okay.. i guess what i read on the nvc website was wrong when it says they do it one time per month 😕 i must be thick

I always took what I read as estimates if it was time related. Given how long it took just to process the I-130, I don't think USCIS can be trusted to be reliable. That's why I was trying to use other immigrant's timescales to try and work it out, but at this point I've just resigned myself to trying to hold out in my job through the stress and not think about it.

@Nat Murph Oh I see. Looks like I've missed things or misread them entirely. Myself and my husband haven't used a lawyer at all so we were meticulous in reading as much as we could while processing all forms. So I'm kicking myself a bit for not catching on to the NVC IL dates, and especially for not catching the medical appointment booking requirements. 

Maybe it worked in my favour though given the weird timescales going on. Best waiting it out.

@BernieDuck Thanks for the extra info! Sorry about them turning down your ACRO police report. Very strange. 

So it's definitely one batch of IL's per month? That really is a narrow date range... and that's bad news if the DQ date doesn't really count if some are sent IL's and some are not despite being greenlit on the same day... ;;

I couldn't book my medical without an IL so thankfully I don't have to worry about that. I wasn't going to either until I had a definite appointment: I was planning to spend two weeks in London to do the medical, give the practitioner enough time to send my results to the embassy, then attend the interview. So long as I give it 5 working days inbetween I should be okay. 

It's a bit long for me to travel backwards and forwards to London twice for each thing. Even if it's more expensive, I wanted to hang around and knock it all out at once. 

Did you book your medical already? How were you able to?

Maybe they have a quota of so many people they can send IL's to in one month? I'd be surprised if it turns out you missed a cut off by two days. If I was DQ'd May 22nd, then by the above timeline I should get an IL on July 20th, since myself and that user were DQ'd same day, just different month. 

Let's wait it out and see if that's remotely accurate or not, or if the embassy just uses some magical immigrant crystal ball to send out letters whenever they feel like.

It's a step towards trying to figure out timescales at least. I've been trying to throw myself into work or hobbies to keep myself sane in the meantime. It's very hard. 

12 minutes ago, Nat Murph said:

According to those that report their IL’s on different forums, for IR1/CR1 category, maybe like 10ish but whose to say those that haven't joined any forums ya know? But recently, for May- only like 1 person reported getting an IL. And now for June, again only 1 person has reported getting an IL.. And both of those were DQ’d on the same day (April 18th)! Which is really troubling.. I now another member on this forum was also DQ’d on April 18th (making that 3 reported being dq’d on that day) but they haven't said if they got their letter yesterday.. I messaged them on a earlier thread so will see what they have said. 

But as of right now… someone DQ’d on April 21st and myself (dq’d April 24th) have not received anything. And nvc usually sends out IL’s to those that will receive one for that issuing month on the same day… so I feel so sick to think another month or longer to get an IL for me. 

Just cannot believe it.. 

 

Thanks for getting back to me. That's worrying to hear. I know 'how long is a piece of string' heavily applies to the US visa process, but it's very difficult getting essentially stonewalled when all you're trying to find out is an estimate.

Being apart from my husband, especially in my own delicate circumstances where I'm living in an unsafe household for the time being, is needless to say exacerbating poor health. I'm sure you're in a similar situation in terms of dealing with the stress and anxiety that comes with the process.

Any news and I'll be sure to update. I was DQ'd May 22nd.

At least we're trying to measure the string together. Hang in there.

52 minutes ago, Nat Murph said:

I think you might be the only IL sent for June... Like it happened in May for us IR1/CR1 category...

 

Don't know what has happened with London embassy to only be giving barely any slots for our category per month 

What is London's usual IL amount? I've heard London Embassy is fast but then popping on this thread there's a lot of people saying it's slowed down completely.

1 hour ago, k_punam said:

Just got my interview letter through. My interview is on the 7th August.

That's great! Thanks for sharing. If I go off your timescale, I might get an interview for September then being DQ'd late May. I'll have to wait and see. 

11 hours ago, Marieke H said:

I think all this really depends on where you will be living and what exactly you want to do. It sounds like you are still figuring that last part out, so I would not do anything with your certificates for now. Just make sure you bring everything with you when you move here.

 

And just to add a little bit of my experience, because it is so different from what others have shared... I was very nervous about finding a job here. But I applied for a job when I thought I would be getting my EAD soon, and they offered me the job. It was the only job I applied for, and they were willing to wait until I had my EAD. I started at an entry-level wage, but that quickly increased over the past 6 years. You may start at a lower wage than you would like, but if you can show that you are good at what you do, there are lots of opportunities for pay raises and promotions.

 

And my job is a state government job and I did not need to be a citizen. I also did not need to do a drug test. And I was never asked for any documentation to show the equivalency of my university degrees from the Netherlands.

I'll be living in Illinois. I actually know exactly what I want to do. I want to become a writer and artist. Perhaps both: I've been working on a children's book. It's written! Just the first draft - it needs editing and pictures now. My degrees are in art and graphic design. I also have a 100% distinction in a fiction writing course. 

My confusion career wise is more in terms of being grounded and realistic: to get financial stability over trying to break into a pretty hard-to-crack industry that may take years/more qualifications or education than I have. 

To put my money where my mouth is, here is an example of my artwork. This was done way back in 2009. There were no job opportunities back then, coming straight out of college and slap-bang into a UK recession, especially in my poor region, so I ended up taking up menial work to put bread on the table. I would love to re-educate myself in the medium to include digital techniques and give pursuit of my dream once again. I couldn't afford university back then and I'm hesitant that I could now. 

I figured my time in America would be similar: to be reasonable and find a job to give me financial stability first before persuing lofty dreams. Then again, sister-in-law has been telling me to go self-employed doing T-Shirt designs. Maybe I can home school with YouTube? Who knows. 

A small example of my writing style is here in this little Fallout 4 game-based snippet. Just if anyone is interested/to prove I'm serious. I've been writing for years but all fan-based fiction.

Thank you for all the advice and hopeful comments. I'm eager to start my 'American Dream' but part of it is knowing just how to get my feet on the ground first. It's really good to know I don't need to give equivalencies unless asked. It'll help save me a little bit of money that I could have spent needlessly. 

26 minutes ago, Ontarkie said:

I'm not sure if I'm understanding your questions right. For highschool you took the Uk version of the US GED, but you mention college certificates? If you have college certificates you most likely will never show anything before that, no GED, no high school diploma. Just use your college certificates and call it a day, they would trump everything else. 

 

For applying for jobs, try and look up the US equivalent of your certificates. For example you may have what would be the equivalent of a Associates Degree. You can check that off on an application. Again it look into it. 

Maybe my own culture is bleeding in here. Around my parts, even if you have a college NVQ level 2, 3, etc, employers still want to see your GCSE results. You need to prove you have basic Maths and English skills. Even if you're applying for an artistic role, they may ask to see basic English qualifications and even Maths, depending on the job. I've never not been asked for my GCSE's/GED equivalent. I thought US was the same, and my in-laws voiced enough concern about it that it made me concerned. 

12 minutes ago, LaJumpa said:

Side note: In my personal experience, the job market here is brutal compared to what I was used to back in the UK. Here's some advice I wish I had before I got here.

 

1. Job referrals are really big here and having one can make a big difference. Speak with friends and family to see about getting something whilst you figure out what you want to do long term. 

2. On occasion, some companies prefer a local candidate with experience and references they can easily verify with a quick phone call or email. Having nothing but work experience from abroad closed a few doors for me.

3. Some jobs (mostly government) require US Citizenship. Something to take into account if you wanted to pursue federal or enforcement employment.

4. Don't do what I did and apply for too many jobs. Im forever getting phone calls and emails from recruiters now. Your information gets passed around more than you think and it can be a job in itself blocking all these numbers.

5. Do some online courses whilst you're looking (Udemy etc) I added this to my resume and it was a good talking point in interviews and it shows you're taking yourself seriously. 

6. Job hunting here is exhausting, don't burn yourself out. Designate time in your day just for applications. 

 

Lastly, educate yourself with how US taxes work if you haven't already. It's not like the UK where payroll do everything for you and you can kick back!

 

Again, this is personal experience! My background is creative/tech and I live in a city which gets most of its money from tourism and has very few fields that I studied or worked in. That was 50% of the battle!

This is super helpful, thank you! I do Google what I can and ask on here what I can't find now that I found this Forum. Sorry if some questions are obvious to visa vets. I've been preparing as much as I can for work over there mentally but it's intimidating when I'm not from a well-off family/area for opportunities. 

2 minutes ago, Boiler said:

I have a Government job and it did not need Citizenship. I did need to pass a drugs test, first time ever and I think that significantly cut down the competition.

 

I was reading you can be a cop in Seattle without even being a resident.

I don't drink or take drugs. Drug tests of any kind don't bother me one bit. I used to work for HMRC tax office. It was a long time ago but it might help in terms of my character if I looked at any kind of US government job role. 

Thank you for the replies. I'm not ruling out going back into education, but I honestly don't know what career I'll pursue once I'm in the US. I do have dreams I want to chase since I was a child, but the knowledge gap is too big for me. I come from a poor part of the UK which only have a limited range of job sectors and hence choices within that region. Pigeonholing is the common norm here. 

How would I go about getting an equivalency? My high school/comp and college don't even exist anymore, they've been bulldozer or converted into something else, so I don't know who to contact if an education board or employer asked. There's also the question of cost. 

I couldn't find any information on the Forum about this, but there's some confusion about whether my GCSE certificates will be counted at face value as proof of myself finishing high school once I'm in the US. 

In-laws tell me I may need to resit exams to earn a GED for employment, while others say I can convert my GCSE's and other results to a US recognised grade using WES.org, while some say it isn't an issue at all. 

My highest degrees are College level which I have certificates for. I also have some spare degrees (Generative AI for example) which I'm unsure what these would equal in US terms, or if they'll be taken as they are. Would appreciate some kind of conversion scale or advice. Thank you. 

Just checked and edited the list, missed it off first time. There might be more things I've missed but this is as accurate as I can make to my knowledge. 

Hi @coffee_joy, I'll try and break down some of the costs I've paid for while processing my CR-1 as an applicant. Please note I'm awaiting an IL so the fees listed here aren't a final representation of the cost of the whole process. They're also subject to currency conversion and GBP to USD rates where specified. 

There's also extras I've paid for that may not apply to you. So this is all just approximation. 

UK Applicant, US Citizen Petitioner:

I-130 Filing Fee: $535

DS-260 Fee: $325 

Affidavit of Support Fee: $120

ACRO Police Report: £115 (Expedited) 

Full Birth Certificate: £35 (Expedited) 

AQA Exam Board Certificates: £43

*Pending - Estimates*

Medical: £385 Est. 

Additional Vaccinations: £90 per missing

Accommodation: £1400 Est.

Flights: £300 Est. 

I hope this helps give you an idea of the costs involved. 

1 minute ago, pushbrk said:

Brash or not, he point was made.  That's my priority.  You can ask the landlord to change the locks at your expense.  

This is not a rental property, I'm staying with family.  It's a lot more complicated than that but @appleblossom and @Boiler already answered my query without your abrupt point. No need for the hostility. 

49 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

Above is the correct answer.  So change your locks.  If that's not enough, stay away from your house.  This is not grounds to expedite your visa.  It's a problem for YOU to solve.

I understand that, I was just asking the question if there was grounds to speed it up due to my circumstances. They're not my locks to change, which is one complication, for example. I have nowhere else to go. Your last comment can come across as a bit brash.

It appears USCIS think that his nickname is an actual legal name change rather than, well, a nickname. 

Personally I would provide all legal name evidence: birth certificate, passport, marriage certificate, employment records... just as much as you can that's shown in that list.

Try not to provide anything with his nickname going forward, except as relationship evidence at the interview perhaps. Chat logs between you, for example, just to avoid confusion.

If there's any 'additional comment' boxes online, you could try and explain the mix up and that no legal name change has been made. I think your best bet is submitting as much official legal documentation showing his full name as you can. 

1 hour ago, appleblossom said:

 

I don't think this would qualify as a life or death emergency tbh, but it doesn't cost anything to ask for one, so you could try on the off chance. Where is your case at the moment according to your online status, NVC or the consulate?

 

As above, London is so quick that you're likely to have your IL before somebody would even look at your expedite request anyway. If you were at a consulate with a 2 year wait for an interview it would be different, but hopefully you'll hear soon if you've already been DQ'ed. 

 

If your relative has no conviction, then it won't have any effect on them applying for ESTA. So all you can do is make sure they don't have details of where you are living etc, keep everything very private.

 

Good luck. 

 

 

My case is still at NVC when I've just checked. How quick is London Embassy as an estimate? Thank you for the info. 

6 minutes ago, Boiler said:

For an expedite it would have to be something that happened to the USC and even then I do not see the situation warranting an expedite.

I see. It was a long shot. It's bad that I'm living in vulnerability and fear which is affecting my health quite severely, and it's frustrating that I was assaulted and essentially nothing has come of it. Not even repurcussions upon the assailant. I was hoping to escape sooner for safety. My living conditions are very poor at current.

Here's hoping America's justice system is better, though with what's happened in the news lately I know I'm just kidding myself.