LONDON K-1 Success!!!! my experience......(long)
Jan 24th 2003, 10:26 am
#1
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 125
LONDON K-1 Success!!!! my experience......(long)
Well.... I am now the proud owner of a K-1 visa. A HUGE thankyou to everyone who has been an amazing help in the run-up to this point in the immigration process. I hope that this account of the day will be a help to future people going through London Embassy. Hello to Richard Green who is another fellow newsgrouper who I met at the Embassy yesterday. Congrats on getting your K-1 Richard!!!!
7am - Thursday 23rd January 2003
I stayed at a hotel near Lancaster Gate and did not sleep well the night before. However my nerves were settled when I went down to breakfast to try and stomach some food before the long day ahead. I got chatting to a nice man from Alaska who was on holiday and completely forgot about the impending day ahead and managed to eat a bun and a croissant and a cup of coffee.
15 minutes walk to the Dr Phelan's office. I arrived at 7:45 and there were 4 or 5 people already there. By the time the doors opened at about 8:02 there were about another 15 people behind me.
THE MEDICAL (DR PHELAN'S PLACE)
We were handed a pink folder as we walked into the door and taken through to the waiting room. The instructions told us to place the following in the folder and take it back to reception:
PASSPORT, ONE PHOTO, VACCINATION RECORDS AND MEDICAL QUESTIONNAIRE.
Because of various other previous posts I was prepared so just needed to plop my stuff into the folder and take it back to reception. I handed it in and it was placed in a rack on the desk. I waited about 10 mins until I was called on the (new and audible!) intercom to pay my £125. I paid cash and was given my passport back. Waited again for 5-10 mins and was called FIRST for the medical. They split the medicals into male and female. It was the case that the 5 or 6 males were first this time as there were more men than women. Then I think it was the order which they were returned to reception.
I was handed my information in a now green folder and told to go down the stairs and wait in the waiting room down there.
I put my green folder in a holder on the wall and the nurse came out and took it into her little room. A coupl eof minutes later she came out and took me in for the blood test. It was very painless and she got me to confirm my name on the test tube and sent me out to the waiting room to wait for the chest x-ray.
The guy came and took me to the cubicles with the saloon doors! He told me to strip to the waist and qualified that it was chin to waist! I asked if he had people stripping the other way! - he said many times!! He was very chatty and a bit of a joker. Had the chest x-ray and was sent back to the cubicle to wait for Doc Phelan. He called me a couple of minutes later. He checked my vaccination records and although I only had a mish-mash of papers from various places, he accepted them and said I didn't need any other jabs!! He did blood pressure, eye test, looked in my ears and mouth and the 'cough test'.
Got dressed and picked up my rolled up chest x-ray and off to the embassy!
Before I left the docs I had to visit the notorious and infamous toilet. How bizzare!! the half size 'Alice in wonderland' door and the kitchen foil on the ceiling - weird!!
THE EMBASSY (9:30 AM)
I walked to the embassy and there is only 1 door to go in now - it is on the Audley street side of Grosvenor Square. IGNORE ALL QUEUES! It confused me and others there on the day as the signs on the metal fence say "queue for visa applications here" GO STRAIGHT TO THE SECURITY GUARD BOX AT THE FRONT OF THE QUEUE AND SHOW YOUR INTERVIEW LETTER AND PASSPORT. they will let you through and you walk up the side of the building turn right and wait outside the door for a security check. you need to hand in your mobile phone and get your bag scanned etc...
I then went and checked in at Booth 1. No-one was there so I rang the 'call bell' They took my letter away and I waited......
About 30 mins later I was called up to provide all my info. Gave him my passport, two pictures - I asked whether he wanted full face or ADIT style. He said to keep the ADIT ones for AOS, so he took the full face ones. Didn't seem bothered either way!! I had to sign my 2 copies of DS156 and provide the originals and 1 copy of the following documents: Police Certificate, My birth certificate, Biographic form. He took the I-134 Affidavit and the copy of the supporting documents giving me the originals to keep for AOS. May have been other stuff - can't remember exactly...
Make sure you take an extra copy of everything in your file - useful to have as they do want orginal and copies of some forms.
Went and waited again for another 30-45 mins. then I was called for the INTERVIEW...
Nice man - very straight forward. Asked where and when we met. Where we would be living - when the wedding was and had I met her family and her met mine.....That was pretty much it. He handed me back my original police certificate and birth certificate and said to go away and come back at 12:30 - it was now 11am. He said that everything was fine pending medical results...
Went to the local starbucks with the other K-1ers and discussed the experience. had to make sure we still had our interview letter to get back into the embassy at 12:30pm!!
Came back at 12:30 and waited about 15mins - we were called up and handed our pasasport WITH VISA and the rules explained about using the visa once and within 6 months of issue and then marrying within 90 days of entering. Got handed the infamous sealed brown envelope and told to hand it to POE officer with x-ray and to carry them both in hand luggage......
YAY SUCCESSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I left the embassy to find a phone to tell my fiancee the good news!!
I will be joining her at the beginning of April.....now just need to find the flight!!!!
Hope this is of some use to future London people -
It is not as scary as you think - very straight forward and everyone is really nice - Try not to worry....
All the best,
Pete
7am - Thursday 23rd January 2003
I stayed at a hotel near Lancaster Gate and did not sleep well the night before. However my nerves were settled when I went down to breakfast to try and stomach some food before the long day ahead. I got chatting to a nice man from Alaska who was on holiday and completely forgot about the impending day ahead and managed to eat a bun and a croissant and a cup of coffee.
15 minutes walk to the Dr Phelan's office. I arrived at 7:45 and there were 4 or 5 people already there. By the time the doors opened at about 8:02 there were about another 15 people behind me.
THE MEDICAL (DR PHELAN'S PLACE)
We were handed a pink folder as we walked into the door and taken through to the waiting room. The instructions told us to place the following in the folder and take it back to reception:
PASSPORT, ONE PHOTO, VACCINATION RECORDS AND MEDICAL QUESTIONNAIRE.
Because of various other previous posts I was prepared so just needed to plop my stuff into the folder and take it back to reception. I handed it in and it was placed in a rack on the desk. I waited about 10 mins until I was called on the (new and audible!) intercom to pay my £125. I paid cash and was given my passport back. Waited again for 5-10 mins and was called FIRST for the medical. They split the medicals into male and female. It was the case that the 5 or 6 males were first this time as there were more men than women. Then I think it was the order which they were returned to reception.
I was handed my information in a now green folder and told to go down the stairs and wait in the waiting room down there.
I put my green folder in a holder on the wall and the nurse came out and took it into her little room. A coupl eof minutes later she came out and took me in for the blood test. It was very painless and she got me to confirm my name on the test tube and sent me out to the waiting room to wait for the chest x-ray.
The guy came and took me to the cubicles with the saloon doors! He told me to strip to the waist and qualified that it was chin to waist! I asked if he had people stripping the other way! - he said many times!! He was very chatty and a bit of a joker. Had the chest x-ray and was sent back to the cubicle to wait for Doc Phelan. He called me a couple of minutes later. He checked my vaccination records and although I only had a mish-mash of papers from various places, he accepted them and said I didn't need any other jabs!! He did blood pressure, eye test, looked in my ears and mouth and the 'cough test'.
Got dressed and picked up my rolled up chest x-ray and off to the embassy!
Before I left the docs I had to visit the notorious and infamous toilet. How bizzare!! the half size 'Alice in wonderland' door and the kitchen foil on the ceiling - weird!!
THE EMBASSY (9:30 AM)
I walked to the embassy and there is only 1 door to go in now - it is on the Audley street side of Grosvenor Square. IGNORE ALL QUEUES! It confused me and others there on the day as the signs on the metal fence say "queue for visa applications here" GO STRAIGHT TO THE SECURITY GUARD BOX AT THE FRONT OF THE QUEUE AND SHOW YOUR INTERVIEW LETTER AND PASSPORT. they will let you through and you walk up the side of the building turn right and wait outside the door for a security check. you need to hand in your mobile phone and get your bag scanned etc...
I then went and checked in at Booth 1. No-one was there so I rang the 'call bell' They took my letter away and I waited......
About 30 mins later I was called up to provide all my info. Gave him my passport, two pictures - I asked whether he wanted full face or ADIT style. He said to keep the ADIT ones for AOS, so he took the full face ones. Didn't seem bothered either way!! I had to sign my 2 copies of DS156 and provide the originals and 1 copy of the following documents: Police Certificate, My birth certificate, Biographic form. He took the I-134 Affidavit and the copy of the supporting documents giving me the originals to keep for AOS. May have been other stuff - can't remember exactly...
Make sure you take an extra copy of everything in your file - useful to have as they do want orginal and copies of some forms.
Went and waited again for another 30-45 mins. then I was called for the INTERVIEW...
Nice man - very straight forward. Asked where and when we met. Where we would be living - when the wedding was and had I met her family and her met mine.....That was pretty much it. He handed me back my original police certificate and birth certificate and said to go away and come back at 12:30 - it was now 11am. He said that everything was fine pending medical results...
Went to the local starbucks with the other K-1ers and discussed the experience. had to make sure we still had our interview letter to get back into the embassy at 12:30pm!!
Came back at 12:30 and waited about 15mins - we were called up and handed our pasasport WITH VISA and the rules explained about using the visa once and within 6 months of issue and then marrying within 90 days of entering. Got handed the infamous sealed brown envelope and told to hand it to POE officer with x-ray and to carry them both in hand luggage......
YAY SUCCESSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I left the embassy to find a phone to tell my fiancee the good news!!
I will be joining her at the beginning of April.....now just need to find the flight!!!!
Hope this is of some use to future London people -
It is not as scary as you think - very straight forward and everyone is really nice - Try not to worry....
All the best,
Pete
Jan 24th 2003, 10:43 am
#2
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Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Bristol UK/MD USA
Posts: 477
CONGRATS 
Its easier said than done..LOL.
I have mine soon and I'm really worried,Keep thinking maybe I haven't got this or I've done this wrong..LOL Its a nightmare.
Anyway all the best for the future.
Sal
Its easier said than done..LOL.
I have mine soon and I'm really worried,Keep thinking maybe I haven't got this or I've done this wrong..LOL Its a nightmare.
Anyway all the best for the future.
Sal
Jan 24th 2003, 11:12 am
#3
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,816
Yaaaaaayyyy, PeteJ!!!!
Must be my ears, as I still couldn't hear the tannoy system very well!!!!! I actually embarrassed myself, too. When I went to pay my fee, I told her about the experiences I'd read, and she asked if anything in particular stood out. I told her the rubbish tannoy that no-one could hear, and she informed me they'd got a new one!! Oops! Thankfully, she found it quite chucklesome!! I didn't visit the infamous bathroom, either, I was so desperate for a ciggie!!! Many congrats to you and your lady.
Sal, really, DON'T WORRY!!!! It's so bizarre seeing how relaxed the interview is after all the worrying!! You'll be just fine, and then you'll be telling others, "Don't worry!!" Just you wait and see!!!
Kate. x
Must be my ears, as I still couldn't hear the tannoy system very well!!!!! I actually embarrassed myself, too. When I went to pay my fee, I told her about the experiences I'd read, and she asked if anything in particular stood out. I told her the rubbish tannoy that no-one could hear, and she informed me they'd got a new one!! Oops! Thankfully, she found it quite chucklesome!! I didn't visit the infamous bathroom, either, I was so desperate for a ciggie!!! Many congrats to you and your lady.
Sal, really, DON'T WORRY!!!! It's so bizarre seeing how relaxed the interview is after all the worrying!! You'll be just fine, and then you'll be telling others, "Don't worry!!" Just you wait and see!!!
Kate. x
Last edited by katesuiter1; Jan 24th 2003 at 11:20 am.
Jan 24th 2003, 11:20 am
#4
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 68
Congrats boy! well done. I had mine last week friday. Where are you off to and when? Better hurry, british airways is doing a deal on flights now and I booked mine through ebookers.com
Jan 24th 2003, 11:23 am
#5
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Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Bristol UK/MD USA
Posts: 477
Thanks Kate
I think the ins has a secret agenda!!! to make us all go insane..LOL
Sal
I think the ins has a secret agenda!!! to make us all go insane..LOL
Sal
Jan 24th 2003, 11:28 am
#6
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Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Hondo Tx
Posts: 264
Congrats Pete
I did pick up some more information that might come in handy on Monday thank you.
Pete take a look in ebookers.com they have some great flight deals on at the moment, so be quick to get a good price.
All the best kit
I did pick up some more information that might come in handy on Monday thank you.
Pete take a look in ebookers.com they have some great flight deals on at the moment, so be quick to get a good price.
All the best kit
Jan 24th 2003, 11:30 am
#7
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,816
Originally posted by sal_whit
Thanks Kate
I think the ins has a secret agenda!!! to make us all go insane..LOL
Sal
Thanks Kate
I think the ins has a secret agenda!!! to make us all go insane..LOL
Sal
Kate. xxx
Jan 24th 2003, 11:34 am
#8
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Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Bristol UK/MD USA
Posts: 477
ROFL Kate
Sal
Sal
Jan 24th 2003, 11:50 am
#9
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 237
Re: LONDON K-1 Success!!!! my experience......(long)
Hooray for you Pete! I have forwarded your post to my Kenny his interview is Feb 3rd. Hopefully your post will make him a little less nervous......Best of Luck to you and your future Mrs.
Jill
Jill
Jan 24th 2003, 1:37 pm
#10
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Posts: 536
Congratulations...see.....easy-peasy!
Andy & Julie
Andy & Julie
Jan 24th 2003, 1:40 pm
#11
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Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Collinsville, IL (from Scotland, UK)
Posts: 332
Re: LONDON K-1 Success!!!! my experience......(long)
That's fantastic news for you...well done.
You'll be visiting the travel agents today then!
Peace,
D.
You'll be visiting the travel agents today then!
Peace,
D.
Jan 24th 2003, 1:43 pm
#12
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Joined: Oct 2002
Location: UK Citizen Now In Baltimore County USA
Posts: 906
Re: LONDON K-1 Success!!!! my experience......(long)
Congratulations, it makes it sound so easy, still doesn't stop us interview virgins from worrying our socks off, lol.
Well good luck with the move to the states, I hope you find it a smooth path to happiness,
Rob
Well good luck with the move to the states, I hope you find it a smooth path to happiness,
Rob
Jan 24th 2003, 1:50 pm
#13
finally home with thing1
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Michigan USA, originally London, UK
Posts: 278
Congratulations Pete and best of luck on the next stage of your journey
Thanks for detailing the interview experience. I know mine is a long way off thanks to NSC but posts like yours help me to know what to expect
thing2
Thanks for detailing the interview experience. I know mine is a long way off thanks to NSC but posts like yours help me to know what to expect
thing2
Jan 24th 2003, 2:10 pm
#14
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Joined: Sep 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 352
congratulations, got my K-3 in 5 days, im not really nervous, but i expect that is because i may not walk out with my visa, but i will get home at some point in the future.
goodluck and let us all know how you get on looking up a flight
dee
goodluck and let us all know how you get on looking up a flight
dee
Jan 24th 2003, 2:47 pm
#15
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Posts: n/a
Re: LONDON K-1 Success!!!! my experience......(long)
Jill:
Congrats on yer interview date... we're still waiting, now in week 9 since
packet 3 was received in London. *sigh*
Good luck to you both!
Dana
"gracejilly" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hooray for you Pete! I have forwarded your post to my Kenny his
> interview is Feb 3rd. Hopefully your post will make him a little less
> nervous......Best of Luck to you and your future Mrs.
> Jill
> --
> Posted via http://britishexpats.com
Congrats on yer interview date... we're still waiting, now in week 9 since
packet 3 was received in London. *sigh*
Good luck to you both!
Dana
"gracejilly" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hooray for you Pete! I have forwarded your post to my Kenny his
> interview is Feb 3rd. Hopefully your post will make him a little less
> nervous......Best of Luck to you and your future Mrs.
> Jill
> --
> Posted via http://britishexpats.com