Consulate Review: London, United Kingdom
Review Topic: K1 Visa
|
| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
September 25, 2013 |
| Embassy Review : |
*This is very, very long*
BACKGROUND:
- I was born in Hong Kong but moved to NZ when I was 6 weeks old (NZ-born father) and lived there until age 23 and have NZ Citizenship & passport
- I've lived & studied and worked in the US for 9 years prior (I first met my Fiance in New York after grad school) I've previously had a J1, B1, F1 and two H1B's and lived in New York and Los Angeles during that time.
- My Fiance and I are both divorced with two kids each, I'm taking my kids to the U.S with me.
- My first husband is a Brit and I've lived here 12 yrs
- I also lived in Australia for 3 years in between living in the US and the UK and obtained Australian citizenship after qualifying for it during that time.
My interview was yesterday, 24 Sept. I returned with my kids from the US on the weekend where we've been for the past 5 weeks waiting for the interview to be scheduled and because they needed to start the school year at the end of August with their classmates. NB: There were no issues entering the US while our K-1 visa process was pending, POE was Houston and we entered initially for 3 weeks, (which is what I told the Immigration Officer at the time) and changed our return tickets once the interview was scheduled.
TOP TIP #1: DON'T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT!!!
Because even though I'd had all this time to meticulously prepare, jet lag is a bitch! I got there at 7.45 for 8am on my Appt letter to realise this I DIDN'T HAVE MY PASSPORT. Luckily I live in Central London only 20 mins away by car so I raced home in a cab, and made the driver wait and bring me back to the Embassy. But you really don't need this extra drama and expense in your life so don't do what I did!
I also got bounced out of Security twice, first for my iPod headphones (no wires) and second time for my HSBC Internet Banking Secure ID card. Another lady got ejected with a compact mirror that had a light, and I also saw a gentleman run off into the park to dispose of a pair of scissors in the bin.
TOP TIP #2 - Ladies, EMPTY OUT your handbag and refill it with nothing that has a sharp or pointy edge, a wire or a battery, however minute, otherwise you will be visiting Goulds Pharmacy 100 mtrs down the street if you want to keep it.
Really, the biggest hurdle is getting into the building. Once you're in, they give you a number and you wait...
Btw, in the first line to be checked off the Register to get in, both my children are listed on my Appt letter and both of them were also listed on the Register. I had to explain they were children ((10 & 7) who do not need to attend the interview) and then they were crossed off too.
I finally got in at 9am and I didn't get out until just before 1pm. It took a long time to wait for the first interview - I estimate an hour and a half as I don't wear a watch, during which I read my book and was generally only semi-conscious with jet lag and no coffee.
My first interview was with a friendly American chap who reminded me of a younger, slimmer, better looking and much less sarcastic David Brent, who went through all the document requirements. This took a long time for me as I am complicated and my kids are included.
First he gave me back a CD containing my chest x-ray from the medical and told me these can be used for the AOS process. (My children also required medicals but did not have to have chest x-rays btw)
Then he asked if I'd paid the Visa fee and arranged courier and I said yes, did it all online and paid £450 for the three of us.
Then I had to furnish:
- passport(s)
- photo(s) (i had to write the names of my children on the back of theirs)
- birth cert + copy
- name change deed poll + copy
- divorce cert + copy
- Certified copy of Consent Order (A legal document from my Divorce giving me permission from my ex-husband to take our children to the US) + copy
- Police Certificates: UK & Australia which I obtained myself. He kept the originals of these, not the copies.
For the AUSTRALIAN Police Certificate there are two kinds, one that includes a fingerprint check and one that does not. I was led to believe on the Visa Journey forums that the one WITH FINGERPRINT check is required, so I had to have my fingerprints taken (in my case Scotland Yard was the nearest place providing this £70 service) and mail the application form to Australia.
For the NZ Police Certificate, for the purposes of an IMMIGRANT visa, you cannot obtain this directly - There is a form you have to complete which you submit with a photocopy of your passport photo page, to the Embassy processing your K1 (London). They send it to the US Consulate in Auckland, who send it to the NZ Police Department, it goes back to the Consulate to Auckland who return it to London - you never get to see it. I sent the form for this in with my packet 3 documents and asked them to process it in the Cover letter. I don't know how long it takes NZ to provide it, but it was in my file already, and I assumed they wouldn't have scheduled the interview without having received it back first. (Packet 3 docs were logged Aug 16 and interview scheduled Aug 27)
- i-134 Affidavit of Support:
I had one full copy of the i-134 and the supporting documents (3 years tax transcripts, last 3 payslips) but it turned out each of the children needed a copy of the i-134 form too (just that, not the supporting docs) for their applications. (My application needed the full original with 'wet' signature) Not to worry though, I gave him the one copy I had and he made another copy for me (no charge  ).
At some point in all this he asked for proof of having paid the MRV, and I handed over the email I received after I paid online, he just took the first page and circled the amount paid and put it in my file. Fingerprints were scanned somewhere at the beginning of all that too, and photographs were (copied?) under some device to the side of the counter and then stapled to the Application forms.
Then we went through the process of handing over documentation for the children - in their case, just birth certificates and he explained that they are eligible to obtain citizenship after they get their green cards too.
FINALLY I got to go and sit down again, and by then it was 11.45 so I must have been with him for at least an hour!
SIDE NOTE: At one point during all this, a rather flustered lady appeared behind me who had apparently spoken to the gentleman dealing with me on the phone earlier that day (How, i don't know!) - But she had received her passport and visa and sealed envelope from the courier, who had told her upon delivery to open it and she had inadvertently opened the sealed envelope, which is supposed to be handed over intact at point of entry. She'd been told to go straight to counter 13 and he'd deal with it, which he did, she handed it over and was told to go and wait and he took it off to be resealed in a new envelope I presume. After he returned to me, he grinned and said 'Now you understand that if the courier says please open and check the contents, don't open THAT envelope!' I heard her called over later after i'd returned to my seat to retrieve it.
After a shorter second wait, I met with another genial American lady. I did not get the sort of grilling some have about our relationship, but I took the Oath and I did have to establish quite clearly my timelines, when I arrived and how long and why I lived here in the UK, that I was divorced, how I met my fiance. This led to much babbling on my part about how we originally met in 1994 when I was working after finishing my degree in NY and further questioning as to when my divorce was finalised (Nov 2012) and when the i-129f petition was submitted (Dec 2012) and how were they so close together and I had to explain that my ex-husband and I had been separated since Nov 2010 when he went to work abroad, we decided to divorce in July 2011 and it was after that that things developed in a long distance manner between my fiance and I. But there were no questions about how we talked to each other, how frequently or any actual details about contact, perhaps because it was clear that we had reestablished an old relationship.
She did want to know had he visited and how often and where. She also asked when his divorce was finalized, if he had kids, what the custody arrangements were for them (50-50). Then the poor lady had to summarize all that and put it onto the computer, she verified again that I had permission to take the children with me. Then came the signing of all the forms, I had to sign each copy of my children's applications on their behalf, this took a while as I had to write their full name, sign, include my relationship and date each one. She also answered my query about being worried about needing additional security checks from having made 3 trips to Qatar in 2011 - I explained these were to take the children to visit their father when he was working out there. She reassured me that those trips wouldn't be a problem, that it would only be an issue if we had lived there for a year or more, and the duration of those trips (10-11 days each) were inconsequential.
Finally she told me she had no more questions and that I was Approved!
TOP TIP #3: I knew once I got in there that all the staff you encounter are perfectly kind and professional. They just have a process to follow and get you through, and they're not out to 'catch you out' or assume that you're not there for legitimate reasons. Just be organized and ensure you have all of documentation you know you will need in the format required and you shouldn't encounter any problems.
I gave London 4 stars because I had such a tedious time getting through security - they really should include in the appointment letter and in a better, more obvious place on their website what you cannot go in with!
|
| Rating : |
Good |
|
ver 5.0