Consulate Info/I-134 Package

[molly_ 1]

Hello again! Just me being completely ####### and making sure I've got everything right again.

I've just called the NVC to make sure my case had been forwarded there, and it had. They in turn forwarded the case to the London Embassy and I believe the guy on the phone said the consulate would be in touch with me soon, but I could have misheard him.

The London Embassy site says it costs $16 just to call them from my phone and charges a ridiculous fee for calls from within the UK too, so I'm a little wary of calling them unless I know I have to. Will they e-mail me or send information to my fiance? I'm just not sure how the process of setting up the medical exam and the interview and the embassy really works.

Meanwhile, I'm gathering up paperwork to send to him for the consulate and interview and whatnot. I've got:

• a copy of my NOA2
  
• updated letters of intent for both me and my fiance
  
• I-134 affidavits (one from me and another from my dad, who is jointly sponsoring)
  
• a letter from the bank stating how long my dad has had an account there and how much money he has deposited
  
• a letter from my dad's employer stating his job title, date hired, and salary
  
• leave & earnings statements from my dad's job
  
• dad's W2 forms from 2009 and 2010
  

So quite a bit of financial info from my father showing that he's capable of sponsoring Callan (my dad's been an enormous help). Now all I'll need is proof of our ongoing relationship, right? I already sent off a lot of evidence with our I-129F package (I know I didn't have to), which my fiance has a copy of. That was back in June, so obviously I should print off more, but what qualifies?

I've got a recent boarding pass from a June-August trip to England, we've got stupid love notes, and more pictures together. Should I print out screenshots of Skype or Facebook messages? Are those considered valid proof?

I think I'm pretty solid, but I'm sending the whole package off to England today or tomorrow and that always makes me really anxious because the whole process has been very easy so far (except for the waiting). I just want to do as much as I can to make the case go really smoothly.

Edited October 25, 2011 by mollygos

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Hello again! Just me being completely ####### and making sure I've got everything right again.

I've just called the NVC to make sure my case had been forwarded there, and it had. They in turn forwarded the case to the London Embassy and I believe the guy on the phone said the consulate would be in touch with me soon, but I could have misheard him.

The London Embassy site says it costs $16 just to call them from my phone and charges a ridiculous fee for calls from within the UK too, so I'm a little wary of calling them unless I know I have to. Will they e-mail me or send information to my fiance? I'm just not sure how the process of setting up the medical exam and the interview and the embassy really works.

Meanwhile, I'm gathering up paperwork to send to him for the consulate and interview and whatnot. I've got:

• a copy of my NOA2
• updated letters of intent for both me and my fiance
• I-134 affidavits (one from me and another from my dad, who is jointly sponsoring)
• a letter from the bank stating how long my dad has had an account there and how much money he has deposited
• a letter from my dad's employer stating his job title, date hired, and salary
• leave & earnings statements from my dad's job
• dad's W2 forms from 2009 and 2010

Looks good. You may want to check with the embassy - some want the income tax returns to go with those W-2's. (Ankara in Turkey did)

So quite a bit of financial info from my father showing that he's capable of sponsoring Callan (my dad's been an enormous help). Now all I'll need is proof of our ongoing relationship, right? I already sent off a lot of evidence with our I-129F package (I know I didn't have to), which my fiance has a copy of. That was back in June, so obviously I should print off more, but what qualifies?

I've got a recent boarding pass from a June-August trip to England, we've got stupid love notes, and more pictures together. Should I print out screenshots of Skype or Facebook messages? Are those considered valid proof?

Yes

I think I'm pretty solid, but I'm sending the whole package off to England today or tomorrow and that always makes me really anxious because the whole process has been very easy so far (except for the waiting). I just want to do as much as I can to make the case go really smoothly.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Hello again! Just me being completely ####### and making sure I've got everything right again.

I've just called the NVC to make sure my case had been forwarded there, and it had. They in turn forwarded the case to the London Embassy and I believe the guy on the phone said the consulate would be in touch with me soon, but I could have misheard him.

The London Embassy site says it costs $16 just to call them from my phone and charges a ridiculous fee for calls from within the UK too, so I'm a little wary of calling them unless I know I have to. Will they e-mail me or send information to my fiance? I'm just not sure how the process of setting up the medical exam and the interview and the embassy really works.

London will send a letter to the one in the UK saying they are ready for the visa applications. It will have his new LNDxxxxcase number and a link to their instructions. This is London instructions http://london.usembassy.gov/iv_15.html He will follow Step 1, 2, 3 as they have lined out. You and he will be doing things differently than your K1 buddies applying through Manila, Sydney, Juarez etc. Stick with what London tells you or ask in the UK forum to get a proper London answer. Click all the links to learn everything there is to know about London procedure.

You will not prove your relationship to London so relax on that. Nobody EVER has to and they won't suddenly start with you. You also do not need the NOA2. Keep that safely in the US to use with AOS.

London will be happy to have the I-134 and two good proofs of income from your dad. Sometimes one proof has been enough. Good choices are

• 2010 tax return with W2 OR a 2010 tax transcript by itself
  
• Letter from his employer
  
• Recent pay stubs from his job
  

That's about all you the USC does for this part of the process---provide an affidavit of support. Your fiance needs to go get his MMR and Tdap/Td shot hopefully free from NHS just to be ahead for AOS. He needs his police certificate before the visa medical exam so that should be ordered. He can't make his medical appointment until he knows the LND case number. You can get NVC to tell it to you if you call them or he can wait on his letter from the embassy. Your fiance needs to have his documents ready for the interview. Here is London's list of what he will bring: http://london.usembassy.gov/interview_documents.html Read each item carefully...like what type of birth certificate since England has a "long" form and "short" form in common use.

Good links

http://london.usembassy.gov/immigrant-visas/medical-examination.html

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/unitedkingdom/164203/cons-visa/IV018a%20_IV%20medical%20letter_%20Aug%202011%20_1_.pdf

http://london.usembassy.gov/immigrant-visas/iv_fees.html

http://london.usembassy.gov/mail.html

Edited October 25, 2011 by Nich-Nick

[molly_ 1]

Ohh thank you so much! You've seriously lifted a huge weight off my shoulders with all that info. Also, I've found I probably included more than I need to in the package I'm sending my fiance, so that's good. Too much supporting evidence is much better than too little.

He sent for his police certificate about 4 weeks ago right before we received the NOA2, but he hasn't heard back yet. I'm not sure if that's normal or if he should call them, but he said he'd call tomorrow regardless.

As for the NOA2, I've got the original document safely here with me. I just included a copy of it in the I-134 package I'm sending off.

The only thing I'm still a little unsure of is the instruction from VJ's K1 Process flowchart to send all the original documents I'd sent copies of with my I-129F to my fiance to bring to his London interview. Does that mean I have to send my original birth certificate? Does London really care much about the original documents?

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

The only thing I'm still a little unsure of is the instruction from VJ's K1 Process flowchart to send all the original documents I'd sent copies of with my I-129F to my fiance to bring to his London interview. Does that mean I have to send my original birth certificate?

Vj is giving instructions that generally covers the whole world. But each consulate have their preferred system in place, so your London journey will be what London says, not VJ. You don't send any of your I129F stuff to him. It has no part in the London visa process. Everything they want is outlined on their webpage and list of documents to bring to the interview. Your petition information is in the file sent to London. I think of sending the petition to the fiance as Cliff's Notes for the fiance that doesn't speak English and has barely met the USC. She/he can study up on the information of how they met, where fiance was born, his parent's names, his job title, etc for an intensive interview. London does not do that kind of interview. They don't have a history of visa fraud like some consulates that causes them to question everybody more closely. In London they will ask him a couple of questions like how did you meet, what does she do for a living, where are you going to live---that's it! It's like having a friendly chat and takes 5 minutes. So your British fiance does not need Cliff's Notes to study up about you, does he? London will not ask your parent's names or want to see their photos. They won't ask him to name your schools or cousins or favorite colors. If you were married before or have children, they may casually say in their little chat 'Does she have kids?' just to make sure you told him and he knows he's getting kids with the deal.

Does London really care much about the original documents?

Only his--birth certificate, divorce decree, military records, police report, court records if he has crimes, etc. And the I-134 and employer letter should have the real ink signature so those are originals I suppose.

[molly_ 1]

Vj is giving instructions that generally covers the whole world. But each consulate have their preferred system in place, so your London journey will be what London says, not VJ. You don't send any of your I129F stuff to him. It has no part in the London visa process. Everything they want is outlined on their webpage and list of documents to bring to the interview. Your petition information is in the file sent to London. I think of sending the petition to the fiance as Cliff's Notes for the fiance that doesn't speak English and has barely met the USC. She/he can study up on the information of how they met, where fiance was born, his parent's names, his job title, etc for an intensive interview. London does not do that kind of interview. They don't have a history of visa fraud like some consulates that causes them to question everybody more closely. In London they will ask him a couple of questions like how did you meet, what does she do for a living, where are you going to live---that's it! It's like having a friendly chat and takes 5 minutes. So your British fiance does not need Cliff's Notes to study up about you, does he? London will not ask your parent's names or want to see their photos. They won't ask him to name your schools or cousins or favorite colors. If you were married before or have children, they may casually say in their little chat 'Does she have kids?' just to make sure you told him and he knows he's getting kids with the deal.

Only his--birth certificate, divorce decree, military records, police report, court records if he has crimes, etc. And the I-134 and employer letter should have the real ink signature so those are originals I suppose.

Ohh, I see. Well I had given him a full copy of the I-129F package back in June because I read we'd need it later, so I guess it doesn't hurt that he has it for whatever reason. I guess I've prepared pretty well on the petitioner end of things then! If my I-134 says I'm unemployed, will they look at him funny if he tells them I work in a flower shop at the date of the interview? Because I do, but I don't "officially" work there yet. Do they care? Should I just tell him to make sure he doesn't mention it?

Part of my anxiety is that the UK border patrol just getting into the country to visit is really nasty. The last time I went, the officer held me up for 30 minutes and basically called me a loser because I didn't bring tons of money with me. The time before that, another officer genuinely questioned whether I had ever left the country because she was having trouble finding my passport stamps, despite the fact that I had clearly just come off a plane from America and couldn't have gotten in her line any other way. The time before that, I was detained for several hours for not having enough information on hand.

So I'm overpreparing a lot because for whatever reason, authority figures in the UK do not like tiny and inoffensive ladies like myself and always seem to think I'm there for some nefarious purpose.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

At the interview he is talking to an American, not the UK border folks so your experience is different, but I can see how immigration scares you. Maybe you are such a nervous Nellie, that you look like you're hiding something so they question you more than most.

At his interview he should just be himself and not be scripted on what they might think or want to hear.

Them: "What does she do?"

Him: "She just got a job in a flowershop." or "She's been learning from a florist and hopes it will lead to a real job."

Is that the truth? (Your vague description kinda sounds like you work for cash, which is a bad idea because it's income tax evasion.) The trouble with covering up details is that it can come across as suspicious. The nature of the whole interview is like he just met somebody in a pub who heard he's got an American girlfriend. That person would chit chat out of interest. "Oh cool, how'd you meet her? Where does she live? Where does she work?" If you fiance goes white-faced like he's not just shooting the breeze naturally, then they will wonder what's going on with this guy. London is not a scary interview. I knew a guy who was asked "so how many times have you been over to see her?" He said, "I dunno... Lots." It wasn't a bad answer. He didn't remember because he had been so much and never counted them all up. It was a natural, honest response.

[Ro Damon 7]

Ohh thank you so much! You've seriously lifted a huge weight off my shoulders with all that info. Also, I've found I probably included more than I need to in the package I'm sending my fiance, so that's good. Too much supporting evidence is much better than too little.

He sent for his police certificate about 4 weeks ago right before we received the NOA2, but he hasn't heard back yet. I'm not sure if that's normal or if he should call them, but he said he'd call tomorrow regardless.

As for the NOA2, I've got the original document safely here with me. I just included a copy of it in the I-134 package I'm sending off.

The only thing I'm still a little unsure of is the instruction from VJ's K1 Process flowchart to send all the original documents I'd sent copies of with my I-129F to my fiance to bring to his London interview. Does that mean I have to send my original birth certificate? Does London really care much about the original documents?

Just a quick note on the birth cert....You might want to check the requirement for London London Consulate Site....as I've seen on my consulate website that an ORIGINAL NEWLY ISSUED Birth Cert is necessary for both petitioner & Beneficiary, it gave a time frame from the last 2 years I believe.

And just because it can be a really frustrating process if the petitioner is in the US have them call the NVC perhaps they'll be able to help you out...(603) 334-0700 <---- this number was a savior to me when petitioning for my mother (who will be in here in 2 weeks =) )

best wishes to you!

Ro

[molly_ 1]

At the interview he is talking to an American, not the UK border folks so your experience is different, but I can see how immigration scares you. Maybe you are such a nervous Nellie, that you look like you're hiding something so they question you more than most.

At his interview he should just be himself and not be scripted on what they might think or want to hear.

Them: "What does she do?"

Him: "She just got a job in a flowershop." or "She's been learning from a florist and hopes it will lead to a real job."

Is that the truth? (Your vague description kinda sounds like you work for cash, which is a bad idea because it's income tax evasion.) The trouble with covering up details is that it can come across as suspicious. The nature of the whole interview is like he just met somebody in a pub who heard he's got an American girlfriend. That person would chit chat out of interest. "Oh cool, how'd you meet her? Where does she live? Where does she work?" If you fiance goes white-faced like he's not just shooting the breeze naturally, then they will wonder what's going on with this guy. London is not a scary interview. I knew a guy who was asked "so how many times have you been over to see her?" He said, "I dunno... Lots." It wasn't a bad answer. He didn't remember because he had been so much and never counted them all up. It was a natural, honest response.

Funny thing is, I've never been all that nervous talking to border force! At least, not 'til they start getting really rude. The third time I went I think I even started off by joking about my previous experiences and I had all my information ready. The guy was just a jerk. My fiance has never had trouble getting into the US, but I guess he's a whole lot more suave and British-y. haha

And as for my job situation, that is basically the truth. I've been working as a temp employee but I'm about to be a full, on the books employee.

Thanks!

Just a quick note on the birth cert....You might want to check the requirement for London London Consulate Site....as I've seen on my consulate website that an ORIGINAL NEWLY ISSUED Birth Cert is necessary for both petitioner & Beneficiary, it gave a time frame from the last 2 years I believe.

And just because it can be a really frustrating process if the petitioner is in the US have them call the NVC perhaps they'll be able to help you out...(603) 334-0700 <---- this number was a savior to me when petitioning for my mother (who will be in here in 2 weeks =) )

best wishes to you!

Ro

Alrighty. I wasn't sure if the NVC would be that helpful or not. Thanks for that.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Just a quick note on the birth cert....You might want to check the requirement for London London Consulate Site....as I've seen on my consulate website that an ORIGINAL NEWLY ISSUED Birth Cert is necessary for both petitioner & Beneficiary, it gave a time frame from the last 2 years I believe.

She has a link that explains exactly what London needs. It doesn't have to be a new certificate but it needs his parent's names on it.

The NVC won't be able to help much with a fiance visa except say what the new case number is and when they sent it to London. That's all that happens there because it's not an immigrant visa.

[Ro Damon 7]

Funny thing is, I've never been all that nervous talking to border force! At least, not 'til they start getting really rude. The third time I went I think I even started off by joking about my previous experiences and I had all my information ready. The guy was just a jerk. My fiance has never had trouble getting into the US, but I guess he's a whole lot more suave and British-y. haha

And as for my job situation, that is basically the truth. I've been working as a temp employee but I'm about to be a full, on the books employee.

Thanks!

Alrighty. I wasn't sure if the NVC would be that helpful or not. Thanks for that.

Welcome, if I helped in anyway I'm glad.... never hurts to try. They were helpful in my mom's case, sometimes i get a rude person but others, there are people that are human and helps out a great deal.

She has a link that explains exactly what London needs. It doesn't have to be a new certificate but it needs his parent's names on it.

The NVC won't be able to help much with a fiance visa except say what the new case number is and when they sent it to London. That's all that happens there because it's not an immigrant visa.

I know a lot of consulate requires new birth certificate....i was just speaking esp from the request made from mines....Very well, You'd know much more about this in regards to London

Ro