British Expatriate Network

After getting an instruction from the National Visa Center, I sent off my Immigrant Visa Fee a week ago.

I wondered if anyone here had done Consular Processing for a Greencard rather than Adjustment of Status recently? (I wasn’t prepared and didn’t need to wait a couple of years for an I-485 to be processed)

If so, how long before you got your Packet 3 after the Fee was sent and also, how long for the Interview date in London?

All in all it's been a pretty quick process (submitted I-140 in January, approved in July) but I have travel plans coming up and don't want a clash.

My lawyer hasn't had any CP cases with London so doesn't want to put his neck on the line with travel advise.

Cheers

Richie

Can't help with your specific questions, but can reassure you that London is very accommodating with interview dates.

With me, the entire process (earlier this year) took about 2 and a half months from the time I filed the petition to the time I got the visa. They are pretty much on the ball in London provided you've got all the paperwork ready and in order.

Josie

hi,
i'm only a few miles from durham,
what visa did you apply for????
neil

EB-1 Immigrant Visa under the Multinational Manager Classification (http://uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/eligibility.htm)

I have already been approved I just now need my interview date to get my Grubby Mits on my Greencard.

I've been on an L-1 for the last 4 years.

A Month from now I'll be in Durham again myself, first time since Christmas.

Was that for an immigrant visa? Seems short. It the USCIS 5 Months just to approve my I-140 Petition, which I was actually quite happy about. It then took the NVC another 6 weeks to ask for the Immigrant Visa Fee. I was hoping to get a date back for an interview in October so I could combine it with my upcoming trip but I’m thinking that’s going to be unlikely.

My wife filed an I-130 petition/application for me on 3rd May 2004. ($180)
We posted a DS-230 and appropriate paperwork mid June 2004.
My interview date was 17 August 2004 and was a piece of cake.

As previously mentioned, as long as your paperwork is in order, there's no reason for it to be a lengthy process via London.

August 17th started with an 8am US Medical about 15 minutes walk from the embassy. (£125)
At 945, we'd reached the embassy ready for the "interview". ($335)
We left there at 1150am pretty much with an OK for my US VISA, being advised that we would receive it via courier (£10) shortly after lunch the following day... RESULT!

The "interview" was purely checking paperwork - we weren't asked ANY questions. The only "problem" that we had was that one of the embassy staff must have screwed up entering the Exprity date for my Credit Card, so the transacton was declined - thankfully, I had taken another (or two) in reserve!

Yes, it was an immigrant spousal visa!

2 Months. Ok guess I'll be making two trips back as I haven't even been issued with my 'Packet 3' (or whatever it's called now) yet so haven't sent off my DS-230.

Thanks for the answer.

Yip, they fly through, in comparison to us Immigrant Worker Plebs and I was one of the Lucky EB13 cases. Some poor buggers have to wait years.

Good look to both of you with the emigration and the marriages.

Richie

After sending in the I-130, we were just sitting back, waiting for our notice of approval (NOA).

But then my wife was in a US-Expats forum and someone said that they'd sent in both the I-130 and the other forms at the same time, suggesting that we download the DS-230, fill it in and send it in early (although the DS-230 goes to a different address).

After a couple of weeks, we got the NOA and then my wife phoned the consular office to advise them, and got our case number off of them.

Then, about a week after that, she lost the case number, so emailled them again - they replied and advised us of our interview date, with the confirmation arriving in the post a couple of days later.

To snatch a bit of a post from "marsbar" at talk.uk-yankee.com...

So basically, send inthe DS-230 and your DS-2001 to advise that you're ready for the interview and have all the necessary paperwork.

To clarify, we had the following:

Passport (and a FULL COPY - take two, as you may need one for the medical)
Birth Certificates (and copies if you want to keep the originals)
Marriage Certificates (and copies if you want to keep the originals)
Police Certificate (and copies if you want to keep the originals)
copies of your last 3 years US tax returns (I took further copies too)
Affidavit of support - you MUST have one from the petitioner (your spouse), but can have additionals if required.
All affidavits require Proof of assets - we took (along with copies) a letter from our estate agent confirming the value of sale of our house and a copy of our mortgage statement showing how much we owe.

Helpful link for Filling out the affidavit of support:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants_...erty3.html

Helpful link for 2003 Poverty Guidelines:
http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/03fedreg.htm
For us, our family size was 4, so the poverty line was $18,400
- 125% = $23000 (about £13,500) Your assets need to cover 5 times this amount for your affidavit of support.

(I am sure that all of the above is correct, from what I remember, but most of my paperwork has now been boxed up ready for shipping - I could open up my brown VISA envelope and check, but ... NO CHANCE!)

Any more questions? Ask away...

Thanks for the info mate.

Our cases, although similar, are a little different, such as; I don't need the Affidavit of Support etc. (Not required for Employment based IV’s – PUSH ME.

My DS-230 is ready to fire off but I was unaware of the possibility of firing off the DS-2001 early. I just fired off a question to my lawyer being as we're paying him a King's ransom for a reason, so thanks for the ‘heads-up’.

My main concern is dates right now and immediate travel plans and regardless of what happens, I’ll be making two trips back, based on the 2 Months you waited yourself.

I guess I just sit tight and be a patient subterranean homesick alien.

I'm here (US) - he's there (UK)...
he's sending me a copy of the one letter we've received... I'm assuming it is the NOA. We didn't send the stamped return envelope with the original packet of paperwork ~ so I'm thinking I should email the consulate and would be grateful for the email contact your wife used.

We sent our stuff in about two weeks after you did, and they've taken the money off dh's credit card, but nothing since.

:roll: it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier going from here to there than from there to here !!!!!!!! argh.

Thanks for any help :)

Carrie