Green card questions not covered by official websites
 

Since I'm now taking that dramatic step from H1B to LPR (Immigrant Visa petition approved earlier in the week) I have a few simple procedural and timing questions that it seems are not covered on FAQ's anywhere so I thought I'd ask those who have been through it all!!

1) I'm going to be going the "Consular processing" route rather than the AOS route since this is much faster currently. This means I will attend for the visa interview in London. AFter all the documents have been sent to there what's the experience about a) how long before being given an appointment and b) how much notice you are given?
2) I understand that we get our immigrant visas there and then - but what exactly are these? ARe they a stamp in the passport or what?
3) What happens when we then return to the US for the first time as immigrants at the POE?
4) How long after returning to the US does it take to actually get the green cards?
5) Can my wife and children apply fro SS numbers as soon as we get back?

Sorry for all the questions - I know there are specific immigration and visa forums but these questions were more along the lines of what do we Brits expect and what's the experience etc...

TIA,
Andy.

Sorry, I just knew there were a couple of other questions! :)

1) What's the experience of getting the police certificate thingys. I'm going to be in the UK for a weekend in August (don't ask!) and my plan is to wander into the nearest cop shop and get the appropriate forms and mail them to the police authority where I last lived. Does this work and how long does it take?

2) Vaccinations. Probably like many of you, when we came out here on H1B/H4 we completely forgot to bring vaccination records from our GP. We managed to get the kids' ones by fax but our records no longer exist at our old GP in the UK. Do we really need these records at the interview and, if so, how did y'all get hold of them??

Again, TIA.
Andy.

Hi there,

numbers relate to first and second email, hope it makes sense.

1.1 if you look at cptracker.com you will see some data for the London Embassy, not a lot but some.

1.2. Immigrant visa no longer issued on day, they send it to you via courier, takes approx 3 days, it is a big old visa in your passport until the 'proper' greencard arrives.

1.3. Taken to a room, fingerprinted, paperwork processed, takes about 30 mins

1.4 See cptracker

1.5 Yes, as soon as they show in system, they can be automaticallty issued but sometimes / usually this seems not to work.

2.1. Police Certificate - Yes, that should work, can take up to 40 days I think but rarely does.

2.2. Probably easiest just to get the injections again at the day of the interview

Good Luck, good place to look is American Embassy in London website

Thanks very much Dufus - that CPTracker website is very useful isn't it?

Andy.

I tell you Andy, when i sat and waited and waited and waited for what seemed like ever, and then found that site, i think it saved my sanity.

I did become a bit obsessed with tracking every step, but hey it is important.

Cheers

So, are you "FloridaJoe"?

I need also to do a little more research to find out the stages and what some of the column headings mean..
God, you cheer and party when you get the I-140 AD and you think it's all over ("they think it's all over!"), then you find out that this is just the first stage in a complicated (and worrying) sequence involving quadrillions of dollars, mountains of paper etc. etc.
All this had better be worth it dammit!!!!

Andy.

Yup, you rumbled me - am FloridaJoe.

The NVC people are much more efficient than the INS or whatever they are called these days.

Patience is something I never did have though.

And, as for whether it is worth it.....

Cheers

Hi Andy ... hopefully you'll find it's all plain sailing at the Embassy - I was a little worried when I went, but it was all for nothing ...

When I got my police certificate, it was just a case of filling it in a the local cop shop and they then send it off to New Scotlad Yard, who will forward it on to you in a week or so, from memory ...

vaccinations/chest x-rays are a piece of cake at the doctors about 15 mins walk from the embassy ...

I applied for my SS number at the local SS office and was issued with it a couple of days later - green card arrived within 10 days ..

best of luck!!

Barry

Presumably you mean you were in the UK then? I plan to simply visit the police station while passing through the UK, I wonder if they will mail them to Texas???

"15 mins WALK"!!! :scared
They still WALK in the UK :D

Thanks Barry, I just talked to my lawyer (=$$$$$!) and he is using some new capbility fro him to deal directly with the London embassy to speed things up (not involving the NVC) - he claims that I should have my interview by Mid November at the latest - wohoo!

Andy.

You can download the forms and then just mail them off. I applied for mine outside of the UK and it took 40 days to get them back to me. 40 days is the limit in which they have to send them back, though it has been quicker for some people. The US Consulate in London accepts Brit Police certs as being valid for a year.

Thanks Sibsie,
It took a while to navigate the Dorset Police website but I finally got the forms...

Andy.

Not sure how long the Police Certs take at the moment, I ended up getting 2, the first one nearly took the time limit, working days btw, during that period I had found out that it mattered not as everything would take much looooonger than I had assumed.

The second one took 3 weeks. I think they need proof of address, in my case a utility bill, if you do not ahve a UK address, something to check on.

And vacinations were done by NHS, free.

Do you mean proof of your old UK address or proof of your US address?
I've downloaded the forms and I'm assuming the "current address" box should be the current US address? - I'm actually planning to put both my US address and my brother's address in the UK who'se address I use fro UK mail and whose address I will ask them to send the report to.

I bet the NHS won't do vaccinations free now since they've stopped giving you "free" things just because you are a UK citizen and have paid zillions of pounds into NI!!!!

Andy.

I think they want to see a UK address as part of checking you are who you say you are. Best check, my guess is that the system is not set up for people who do not live in UK or keep it simple and use your Brotehrs address.

Well I went with my list and the Nurse at the Surgery did them, not a prob.

Re: Green card questions not covered by official websites
 

I got my PR visa through London.

1. I got 3 weeks notice of my appointment. My wife filed the I-130 in early march 2003 got my interview at end June 2003. 4 months end to end.

2. Got it then and there it was a large brown sealed envelope packet with your visa which is kind of an A4 sheet thing attached to the front of the sealed packet. You give them this at POE and they open it there.

3. I came through Atlanta last Oct. Go through Us citizens PR line and they will process you and send you to room where you get processed(take you visa paperwork/envelope) fingerprinted and photographed. Took me around 25 mins. All very painless.

4. Got my plastic PR card through the mail around 3 weeks after arrival at POE. (Its white not green by the way)

5. Yes if they have PR status. This was the slowest bit for me. I applied around 5 days after coming through POE in mid October. Actually got my number and card in late November. It was a pain as i couldnt get a drivers licence or bank account without it but it came eventually and no trouble so far.

Your supplementals.

1. Mine took the 40 days to get one from the PSNI in Belfast and also an english one from scotland yard as i had lived in both jurisdictions.

2. Yes you wont get it without them. If you cant prove you have them the Doctor will give them to you at the medical(for around £40 each injection).

Hope that helps and good luck.