tea4two

There is an option when you pay for courier service to have pre-noon, pre-10 am and saturday delivery (just is a bit more £). That might cut out an extra weekend of waiting if you're cutting it close, just depends on the embassy to get the visa printed and passport back to the courier in time.

DX Secure clicky linky - though it doesn't show Sat delivery option, it does exist according to their phone representative!

Sorry to hear about your problems! Husband had interview same day as you. He was a bit worried with all the bank holidays and since I was going over to visit the last two weeks and we'd be travelling around the country, he was thinking they might try to deliver it while we were out. He obviously couldn't track on the DX secure site right away, so emailed them on the 21st and they told him they'd already gotten it back from the embassy (one day turnaround?!?!?!) and would be delivered on the next business day, which was Tuesday the 26th.

Fingers crossed for a speedy reply from the embassy for your case.

Any way you can pack it in a suitcase or two and bring it with you, just pay the additional baggage fee? Usually about $50 or £30 per item, much cheaper than shipping if you're travelling the same time.

You have a copy of the I-864 you submitted? Copies of tax transcripts/returns? Scan into PDF format (along with the USPS delivery confirmation), email NVCINQUIRY@state.gov, include your case # in the subject line and both petitioner's and beneficiary's full name & date of birth in the email. Write a little note stating the timeline and what you are attaching. Yes, another 20 days (usually less) for them to review the email, and they could always ask for another original (even if they lost it), but it might work!

I wouldn't get into a giant hurry making calls just yet. The embassy in London is closed today and Monday for Easter. Next week is a big "to do" in the city of London with another bank holiday on Friday the 29th. Things may be a little slower with some catch up to do starting May 2.

Yea, two back to back bank holiday weekends (I think Monday the 2nd is also a day off in addition to Friday the 29th) and the goings-on with the wedding will probably delay processing slightly, but they will still take in and log all packages sent from the NVC. The automated line at NVC will say when your package was sent off, then you can track it using directions in this link. Sometimes the NVC automated messages don't update for 48 hours or more, so you can always speak to a representative to clarify.

After that, call the Department of State at +1(202)663-1225, press "1" then "0" to speak to an operator. Be prepared to wait about 15 minutes on hold, or told to call back later for high call volume, but it is loads cheaper than trying to call the Embassy at £1.20/minute. DoS has the same exact information as the Embassy and can tell you when your case was logged, whether the results of your medical have been received, and when instructions were sent out. Based on recent timelines, instruction packages have been sent 1-2 weeks after the Embassy receives your case and interviews scheduled about 3-4 weeks out.

Same thing for the CR-1 visa - need to get the medical done first. As soon as we sent off the AOS/IV paperwork to NVC my husband booked his medical - London Embassy had the results of the medical prior to receiving our case from NVC. The physical is good for a year, so it shouldn't be a problem!

You'll need the LND # to book it, and they will give you the link for the questionnaire and advise you to bring a passport photo (UK size is totally fine) and your police certificate with you on the day.

Of course! They (NVC and DOS) will ask for case #, name & DOB of both petitioner and beneficiary, then ask to which one are they speaking (I'm sure they can guess based on voice)

I think you can get the NVC case # through the automated menu using your USCIS case #, but will need an operator to update your email addresses if they don't have them on file.

your post just pulled at my heart. a reminder that everything does happen for a reason.

hope your mom's surgery goes well, glad you are able to be with her.

take care, blessings to you and your family.

What time is it? Mine is same day at 0840

Oh great! It's at 0830, my husband might see you there then That is, unless the pesky government doesn't decide to shut down after Friday..... I'm wondering if the embassy is considered "essential" and therefore would remain open. Hmmmmm, think I will look into that tomorrow!

Spoke too soon. Half an hour on the DoS line yielded info that interview is in two weeks! I think I'm going to run around in circles and shriek for a little while.

We submitted our Packet 3 documents on Thursday, 31 March and today (5 April) I was notified that our interview date is April 21. Hope that gives you some hope!

#######! Well, for us, not for you - congrats for you! We had our package rec'd at embassy same day as you, but going CR-1 route, so I guess the wait is longer for our interview.... Fingers crossed for a date soon.

My husband visited me (and I have travelled to the UK) while we are waiting on the CR-1 process. He has a job, a mortgage and plenty of other ties to the UK. He brought plenty of evidence with him just in case - leave slip from work, bank statements, as well as our NOA1/2 to demonstrate we are following procedure, etc. - but was never questioned at immigration. It may have helped that he and I were only visiting for a couple weeks at a time, and it had been about 6 months since he was last in the States for a visit. I think if you have "extended" visits planned (like 89 days out of the 90 allowed for VWP) or it has only been a short time between visits, it will raise flags, but it should not be a problem.

We were prepared that he might be denied entry, but it ended up being a non-issue.

I work for the U.S. government - we do not use white out. Best to start a new form! Send it back in the format you had listed in your cover letter if you had one....

We hired a lawyer on the advice of both my father and a family friend who both (independently) knew people going through immigration proceedings that needed one. In the end, it was mostly a waste of money - not that the lawyer was bad or unethical, just that it wasn't necessary. We had a fairly plain straight-forward case, except we requested an expedite on military grounds, which I did at both the USCIS and NVC levels without any assistance from the lawyer. In fact, when we got an RFE from NVC, I knew about it within a couple of days and had responded before my lawyer had any idea that we'd even gotten an RFE.

Darnell's and Indy's advice is solid. Even if you have a bunch of questions after looking through the forms, there are usually lots of answers on the forums, you just have to recognize the information given isn't legally binding (or sometimes correct), but it's a good knowledge base here. Do I feel like I tossed away a hunk of cash by hiring a lawyer - yes. Did I have a bit more peace of mind because I could call the office and talk to any of the lawyers there and get an answer within minutes - yes.

My fiance just spoke to someone at DOS and they've finally logged in our application! Our packet 3 docs will be sent tomorrow.

Oh, very nice! Our package must have been with yours, DHL showed delivery last Thursday. I was just getting ready to call DOS

I don't know if it's the same for your country as it is for England, but when you request an expedite with NVC, they actually forward the request to the Embassy who makes the decision whether to approve the expedite. If approved, NVC will stop all processing/review of your case files and immediately send it off to the Embassy.

In our case, we had requested the expedite with our initial package sent to NVC - no response. Got an RFE (boo). Sent RFE response and another expedite request, this time through email. Got an email a few days later stating they'd received our expedite request. No further contact for a week. Called NVC again, they said expedite was not logged. Re-emailed expedite request and called congressman. Result - expedite approved and package shipped to Embassy within a week. I'd recommend requesting the expedite just in case (and based on our experience you HAVE to do the email request - see one of the guides), but if NVC is quick and reviews your package before the expedite is logged with the Embassy, your paperwork will be sent there anyways!

Agree with everything that Penguin wrote....

We had all the paperwork together and filed the I-130 petition within days of getting married overseas. We sent all our past and planned travel itineraries (Yahoo/Travelocity printouts) and a MS Word document with about 20 pictures and captions of who/what/where/when over our engagement, wedding and honeymoon. The pictures were really the only things that we had to wait a few days for to send out the package, to get friends and family to send some shots from the wedding itself.

Our situation was a little different (filed for CR1), but the initial process is the same. In the initial package to USCIS I sent in a request from myself requesting the expedite and a letter from my commander stating that I would be deploying. In the Reserves (and National Guard), you often don't get mobilization/deployment orders until much much closer to the date that you actually leave, especially considering that it's in the next fiscal year that he'll be leaving. So the letter from the commander should suffice - PM me if you want more details on what was written.

As soon as we got the NOA1, I called USCIS to request an expedite as well - you will probably have to do the same as soon as you have confirmation that your package was received. I called the normal #, not the military line, and they took all the information on the petitioner/beneficiary. Got a phone call about a week later requesting a copy of my military ID card to be faxed (so you might want to include that in your initial package too!). Received an email with the confirmation of service request to expedite the same day as my NOA2 approval (took about a week in the mail to get it hardcopy).

Keep in mind that you do NOT need to be deployed for only OIF (now NEW DAWN) or OEF - it can be any number of operations/missions - but it does need to be justified and is no certainty that an expedite will be approved.

So that means that you have one name on the passport and another name on the driver's license, correct? which one is on what name, because I still don't understand...!! You bought your ticket on your married name, that is (I assume) on your passport but not on the driver's license?! And now you called the airliner to have it changed back ?!?

I got what she was saying. I'm in the same boat - I've changed my driver's license over to my married name (just came up for regular renewal and had it changed then), as well as my SSN and most credit cards, but I simply don't feel like paying the US government another $150 or so to have my passport changed to my married name. So I keep my passport and one credit card in my maiden name, make all international airline reservations in my maiden name, and carry my marriage license as a backup.

I guess the OP made her airline reservations in her *new* (married) name, but hadn't changed her passport yet. Because of the major travel restrictions these days, she had to change the reservation/ticket to her maiden name in order to board. Simply showing her married name driver's license, maiden name passport, and marriage certificate probably is no longer sufficient to allow her to travel internationally. Domestically, it should not be a problem (at least it hasn't been for me - yet).

Men have it so easy sometimes!!

Hiya all, hoping there's someone who's dealt with the military (esp British) and obtaining records.

Husband's still in the RAF and we've sent a JPA printout of his service, but now have an RFE. NVC wants *original* military records, but it sounds like his personnel records are like ours here, basically a self-service online thing that you can print out on your own. (I'm in the US service here and ours are all online.) He can print out more copies of his JPA records, and maybe this time get an admin person or his supervisor to pen-and-ink "certify" that they are true and correct, but beyond that, we're at a loss! NVC says we can send them an email stating as such, but I don't want to waste more time if they decide they need more documentation beyond what we've already sent.

Anyone have suggestions?

I've used Xoom (used it to send money to our wedding venue and also to my husband) - it gets deposited straight into a bank account and any transaction amount is only $4.99. Much much cheaper than Western Union or some of the others. Plus, if it's a national bank, it transfers usually within 1 business day.

Just keep an eye on exchange rates for the best time to transfer (have saved up to $50 at a time by just watching exchange rates for a week or so, as long as you're not in a hurry to send cash).

congrats!

We included a copy of our marriage certificate, copies of past (and one future) travel itineraries printed off Travelocity, wedding invitation and program, and about 17 photos with captions of when, where, who else was in them with us. Like the others have said, you shouldn't need to worry about including a lot since your spouse is from the UK

Aha, thanks I had read through that info before, a bit hastily, and thought the case # they were referring to was from the embassy, didn't know if they were one in the same from NVC. I knew London had changed procedures recently and wouldn't schedule an interview w/out the medical results, again wasn't sure if the embassy would direct you to schedule the medical or if you did it on your own. Guess he'll have to make two trips....

Hey Paloma & Adam, congrats on your expedite, such a great holiday present! Glad you guys will be together sooner xx

Our case was expedited also (different criteria) and now we're collecting all the documents for the NVC stage. Sorry to tag along on your post, but wanted to ask RichiJenny or one of the others from the UK about the medical process. We didn't realize you could schedule your physical before the consulate received your case! Do you just ring up the docs in London? How long a wait before you can be scheduled? Do they look for a case # or anything? Also, how long does it take results to get back... just wondering if hubsy could do it all in a oner by taking a week off work and travelling to London to do the physical and then have his interview (once scheduled) a few days later, or if he'd need to make a couple trips. Lots of questions, I know, but we're hoping to get more info before he books any train tix or whatever.