Rete

Sounds like you have everything under control with all the required documentation needed. Note that if you are not approved that day, it only means that they are taking the time to consider your issue and will send you notification of their decision at a later time. My online experience here has been that if out and out denied, you are told to apply for a waiver of inadmissibility. If you aren't, they the percentages are in your favor for success.

S Folinsky

A good post. Based on we what OP states, your post strikes me as pretty accurate.

One little detail that strikes me as an issue is that OP was nicked for two offenses, not one. If OP situation was a vignette for a law school exam question, that is an issue that would be addressed.

OP might need training on HOW to answer any inquiry. Sometimes, the rubric of TMI applies.

mum2mom23

Thank you, this feels a bit more positive. Needed that!

mum2mom23

the drunk and disorderly component was a fine not a charge or conviction and not an arrest either. It was all logged under the same arrest case number. Not sure if that makes a difference but I detail I thought worth clarifying

S Folinsky

<sigh> I get the impression that you may be less than forthcoming in your posts and descriptions therein. That can be problematical in consular interviews.

Sometimes legal representation can help address this.

tht

I think what being alluded to here with TMI and reading between the lines is that the offense or the mention of the alcohol as a reason for the offense then opens up the can of worms for the medical (I think you have one with an I-130 as it is an immigrant visa)… USCIS seem to equate UK binge drinking with alcoholic and then a whole new issue opens up…

Rete

If the scenario that tht mention is an issue, you can get a letter from your doctor that you are not an alcoholic and have no problems with drink or drugs.

You have no DUI's on your record and if this was a once in a lifetime occurrence and you were not personally driving, it is likely it will not be an issue.

This letter would be given to the doctor at your physical so make a copy for both him and for your records.

Do not leave home for the physical and/or the interview without making copies of everything you are submitting.

S Folinsky

Good call. An additional factor which would have to be addressed in a law school exam on the subject.

Alcohol or drug abuse is a medical issue and the standards are determined by Center For Disease Control (CDC). Contrary to your implication, the UK standards are not all that different.

So, the advice to disclose to the panel physician is good advice.

To be honest, I was not thinking about that with my TMI comment. Rather than offering all the gruesome details, a brief statement along the lines that my boss put me into a cab home when I had little cash in my purse, then stop unless asked to expand.

tht

I don’t doubt that it’s viewed in a similar way… but it has no relevance in the UK for UK Citizen from an immigration perspective. But having worked in finance in the UK (City of London) and US (NYC) there is a definite difference… here it may happen after an event or work… in the City some pubs are packed from 11am…

But your main point is valid, the more details you give, the more threads there are to pull on.. match what is said to what the paperwork says, if it’s relevant it would have been included by whoever detailed the incident… one persons though of how to explain / downplay the incident is another persons new focus….

Totally different, but coming back to the US last week, I do global entry and go to the desk to see the CBP officer as is the usual process up there, give him my US passport and answer his question about what I do for work, and his response was “was your father in the Military”. Despite my British accent and US passport he noticed my place of birth which is now shown as “Germany” since the 90’s, and he went with what his probably the most common reason they see for that… which in my case is not correct.

mum2mom23

I have my medical on Tuesday so I’m not sure my GP will be able to get that done on time but I will certainly ask, thanks for the tip. There is nothing in my medical summary that suggests there was ever an issue of alcohol because there has never been an issue with alcohol, but I suppose it helps more to have it explicitly mentioned for this purpose. I hope I can explain at the medical that we are talking about a single incident 9.5 years ago, I’ve since been married, had kids etc. and if they were to do any form of blood testing for alcohol or drugs they would find the closest I come to binge drinking now is having too much spag bol

mum2mom23

To be clear, I’m leaning on this forum for advice and perspective which you yourself said was difficult to provide without the details. Hence I’ve given all the details. I’m not (quite) dim enough to word vomit every aspect in the first 30 seconds of interview despite your repeated inferences towards my seeming lack of honesty or intelligence. I feel on the whole I am just looking for some thoughts from the group, or whoever is kind enough to offer it, as to whether they think the petty offences act will be relevant here and help me out of potentially a rather catastrophic plot flaw in my family’s relocation.

S Folinsky

Here is the form you have to complete for the medical exam. Question 10 is the important one.

mum2mom23

I have answered yes to this - as I was fined for drunk and disorderly. I have added this footnote to the form on the advice of someone else I’ve spoken to. I’ve answered no to question 8, as I’ve never needed treatment or intervention.

christmasoompa

They may well do at your medical, they do urine tests and blood tests on some people just FYI. My 18 year old was most miffed that she was the only one out of all of us that had to have it done…."do they think all teenagers are drunk druggies".

You'll also get a more in-depth form at the medical to complete too, as well as the one Mr F has linked to above.

tht

My “green card” medical in NYC was a lot less intrusive than the one I had in New Zealand… there I had to get down to my boxers and they checked between my fingers and toes (I assume for evidence of injections). The bigger deal for the US one was my vaccinations, but they were able to give me everything I did not have evidence for in english that was age appropriate. I maybe had 2 or 3 including boosters (paid on Corp were card as not covered by health insurance ).. and they were able complete the form for me on the day…

good luck 🍀