London K-1 and K-2 visa issued today - story.
Oct 4th 2001, 8:44 pm
#1
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So we got our K-1 and K-2 visas... but what happened today?
This is an outline of the days events. For more detail see the timeline page on our web site.
- - - -
I was up at 3:30am (BST = GMT+1) today. Was I anxious? Oh yes. Anyway, by 04:30, I had showered, dressed and was sitting with a mug of coffee watching a Giants ball game on UK Channel 4. I called my sweetheart to say "I am off to the embassy now" and we spent about 20 minutes on the phone.
06:30 and I arrive at my ex-wife's house to get my son. Simon is ready and waiting. He sees me arrive and is at the front door ready for me before I have even switched the car off! Is this boy keen or what? Down the tube train network.
07:30, we emerge at Marble Arch tube station and head north towards the doctors surgery. All fiancé visa applicants are sent to Dr Philans for an 8am "appointment". When we get there, we are 7th in line. By 8am, the line is 25 people long!
08:02, the front door opens and we are ushered downstairs. You go into a very nice looking London Victorian/regency style London town house. Very nice upstairs. I couldn't afford such a place in the West End of London!!! Just imagine a place out of one of those BBC period costume drama series (on PBS TV in the US) you have a good idea of the style it's decorated in. DOWNSTAIRS is another matter. The chap who did the ushering of us when we all arrived was the "funny" radiographer and indeed his remarks were "Visa applicants downstairs, family members, children, pets, animals etc into the waiting room please". Ha ha ha.
Downstairs we are all given a form to complete, for basic information like who we are, our doctors address etc. Remember to bring THAT piece of information with you, if you can't remember your docs address. These forms are all handed in with passports, one photo and our passports and the questionnaire that came in the packet 4. As all 25 or so of us are downstairs, this was quite a scrimmage at the small desk where the nurse sits.
08:30 and it's all quiet and we are all sitting and waiting. The nurse behind the desk is typing on a golf-ball typewriter (not seen one of those in action for a while), and assembling folders of all the forms we have given in and new forms too. We are called up as these folders of papers are ready to pay. NOTE that the fees have gone up so check with the note in your packet 4. It is quite clearly explained. Also Dr Phelan DOES accept just about every major UK credit card (MasterCard, VISA, Solo etc), but I didn't see an AMEX sticker. Once paid, we are told to sit out in the hall in line ready for being called through the door into the back rooms.
09:00 still waiting.
09:15 and I get called. The vampire lady (quite a nice chatty lady really), does her stuff in my left arm. Just below the elbow. No pain at all - very well done. I get asked to confirm it's MY name on the container (as expected), so that's fine. I am shown out and back into the waiting room.
09:30 and I get called again. My son is still 14 years old, so is exempt from the blood test and X-ray. This time we are both called into another back room which is like a corridor with booths down one side. Each booth has what are best described as "Ranch-style" swing doors on and are not soundproof. Simon and I are told to strip to the wait.
09:45 and me first for the eye test. Cover right eye with right palm and read this line of letters. Cover left eye with left palm and read another line of letters. Then into the X-ray room. "Stand here, put arms there, deep breath in and hold it.... ok all done." The X-ray man is quite light hearted really, cheerful even!!! Weight and height checked against the forms we filled in from the packet 4.
09:50 and Simon takes the eye test. Interestingly, his eyes are not as good as mine!!! WOW!!! Seems he needs a proper eye test!!!
09:55 and both of us into the docs room. For both of us, it's a basic health check, Doc listens to lungs (all clear), heart beating (cleanly), open mouth, ay "ahhhhhhh", Doc looks into our eyes, ears, mouth with penlight. Hop onto bed and he does the usual push-test around the tummy, also does a "cough-and-drop" (girls, ask your hubbies about this) test. The forms are amazing... zillions of boxes for him to tick and spaces to sign. At the end he assembles the folder of forms again and tells us the news about what shots we need.
Back outside and get dressed.
10:05 and while I am getting dressed, I overhear the funny X-ray man training a new nurse - he has been there 10 years in this job and he likes it! His views are interesting to hear and overall, quite positive. It shows in his handling of people, better than the NHS, that's for sure!!!
10:10 We get copies of the immunisation records and we get the rolled-up X-ray, and have to go upstairs to get the shots.
10:12 and we are filling in another form. Pay for the shots and get shown into the front upstairs room. A very chatty nurse gives us the shots.
10:25 and we are walking down to the embassy. Round to the south end of the embassy building and through the barriers by waving the appointment letter at the guard. Up the stairs into the reception area. Detector checks for everything. Up stairs to the RIGHT to the immigrant visa area. As we were going to press a buzzer, someone came out through the armoured glass door, so we went right on in.
10:30 and a sign says go to booth 3 or 4 - go upto booth 3 and press buzzer. No noise. Booth 4. No noise... do these bell pushes actually work? An embassy staffer comes up to collect our appointment letter. Tells us to sit down.
10:45 and we are called up to give in all the forms. I hand over all the originals as he asks for them and also copies after. I also give in the photos. Just a point here. If you get your photos wrong, you cannot get them done in the machine in the reception area, you will have to get them done in the pharmacy 2 blocks to the north of the embassy and bring them back latter in the day. READ the specs for the photos and get it right first time.
11:00 and we are called up for the interview proper at booth 5. Raise right hand and swear that everything on the form is the truth. Fill in fiancés name where shown. Both Simon and me signed all the forms where shown. What questions were we asked? "When did you meet?" I lurched into "We are ANOTHER internet couple, we met online as she sent me an email......". "So you are going to Texas are you? Do you know what the weather is like there in the summer?" I said that we do as we were there in the late spring this year. He looked at all the forms as I was speaking, and we spoke briefly about Sharon's job and that was it. "If there is no problem with your medical, when you come back at 12:15 you will get your visa".
12:15 and we were back... BOTH of us were very anxious. "if, if, if"... "Will we get the visa".... "Why isn't anything happening?"....
12:30 and they start to call people up to get payment slips. There is a payment booth at the back of the waiting room. K-1 people don't panic when you are NOT called to get a slip and pay money... they won't do that for you.
12:45 and we are the third K-1 case to be called to the booth. Sealed brown envelopes and visas in passports are handed over along with a note about not leaving the US until we get Advanced Parole. We get the lecture about not
opening the envelopes and the visa is good for entry to the US one time only and that's it. Done. Free to go.
I feel like a 10 ton weight has been lifted!
We managed to talk and joke with some other "visa-victims" whilst we were outside the docs and we all talked whilst in the embassy. Once we got outside at about 12:50, we were there talking some more... seems nobody we talked to got refused.
Well done everyone.
Oh - more details on our web site.
This is an outline of the days events. For more detail see the timeline page on our web site.
- - - -
I was up at 3:30am (BST = GMT+1) today. Was I anxious? Oh yes. Anyway, by 04:30, I had showered, dressed and was sitting with a mug of coffee watching a Giants ball game on UK Channel 4. I called my sweetheart to say "I am off to the embassy now" and we spent about 20 minutes on the phone.
06:30 and I arrive at my ex-wife's house to get my son. Simon is ready and waiting. He sees me arrive and is at the front door ready for me before I have even switched the car off! Is this boy keen or what? Down the tube train network.
07:30, we emerge at Marble Arch tube station and head north towards the doctors surgery. All fiancé visa applicants are sent to Dr Philans for an 8am "appointment". When we get there, we are 7th in line. By 8am, the line is 25 people long!
08:02, the front door opens and we are ushered downstairs. You go into a very nice looking London Victorian/regency style London town house. Very nice upstairs. I couldn't afford such a place in the West End of London!!! Just imagine a place out of one of those BBC period costume drama series (on PBS TV in the US) you have a good idea of the style it's decorated in. DOWNSTAIRS is another matter. The chap who did the ushering of us when we all arrived was the "funny" radiographer and indeed his remarks were "Visa applicants downstairs, family members, children, pets, animals etc into the waiting room please". Ha ha ha.
Downstairs we are all given a form to complete, for basic information like who we are, our doctors address etc. Remember to bring THAT piece of information with you, if you can't remember your docs address. These forms are all handed in with passports, one photo and our passports and the questionnaire that came in the packet 4. As all 25 or so of us are downstairs, this was quite a scrimmage at the small desk where the nurse sits.
08:30 and it's all quiet and we are all sitting and waiting. The nurse behind the desk is typing on a golf-ball typewriter (not seen one of those in action for a while), and assembling folders of all the forms we have given in and new forms too. We are called up as these folders of papers are ready to pay. NOTE that the fees have gone up so check with the note in your packet 4. It is quite clearly explained. Also Dr Phelan DOES accept just about every major UK credit card (MasterCard, VISA, Solo etc), but I didn't see an AMEX sticker. Once paid, we are told to sit out in the hall in line ready for being called through the door into the back rooms.
09:00 still waiting.
09:15 and I get called. The vampire lady (quite a nice chatty lady really), does her stuff in my left arm. Just below the elbow. No pain at all - very well done. I get asked to confirm it's MY name on the container (as expected), so that's fine. I am shown out and back into the waiting room.
09:30 and I get called again. My son is still 14 years old, so is exempt from the blood test and X-ray. This time we are both called into another back room which is like a corridor with booths down one side. Each booth has what are best described as "Ranch-style" swing doors on and are not soundproof. Simon and I are told to strip to the wait.
09:45 and me first for the eye test. Cover right eye with right palm and read this line of letters. Cover left eye with left palm and read another line of letters. Then into the X-ray room. "Stand here, put arms there, deep breath in and hold it.... ok all done." The X-ray man is quite light hearted really, cheerful even!!! Weight and height checked against the forms we filled in from the packet 4.
09:50 and Simon takes the eye test. Interestingly, his eyes are not as good as mine!!! WOW!!! Seems he needs a proper eye test!!!
09:55 and both of us into the docs room. For both of us, it's a basic health check, Doc listens to lungs (all clear), heart beating (cleanly), open mouth, ay "ahhhhhhh", Doc looks into our eyes, ears, mouth with penlight. Hop onto bed and he does the usual push-test around the tummy, also does a "cough-and-drop" (girls, ask your hubbies about this) test. The forms are amazing... zillions of boxes for him to tick and spaces to sign. At the end he assembles the folder of forms again and tells us the news about what shots we need.
Back outside and get dressed.
10:05 and while I am getting dressed, I overhear the funny X-ray man training a new nurse - he has been there 10 years in this job and he likes it! His views are interesting to hear and overall, quite positive. It shows in his handling of people, better than the NHS, that's for sure!!!
10:10 We get copies of the immunisation records and we get the rolled-up X-ray, and have to go upstairs to get the shots.
10:12 and we are filling in another form. Pay for the shots and get shown into the front upstairs room. A very chatty nurse gives us the shots.
10:25 and we are walking down to the embassy. Round to the south end of the embassy building and through the barriers by waving the appointment letter at the guard. Up the stairs into the reception area. Detector checks for everything. Up stairs to the RIGHT to the immigrant visa area. As we were going to press a buzzer, someone came out through the armoured glass door, so we went right on in.
10:30 and a sign says go to booth 3 or 4 - go upto booth 3 and press buzzer. No noise. Booth 4. No noise... do these bell pushes actually work? An embassy staffer comes up to collect our appointment letter. Tells us to sit down.
10:45 and we are called up to give in all the forms. I hand over all the originals as he asks for them and also copies after. I also give in the photos. Just a point here. If you get your photos wrong, you cannot get them done in the machine in the reception area, you will have to get them done in the pharmacy 2 blocks to the north of the embassy and bring them back latter in the day. READ the specs for the photos and get it right first time.
11:00 and we are called up for the interview proper at booth 5. Raise right hand and swear that everything on the form is the truth. Fill in fiancés name where shown. Both Simon and me signed all the forms where shown. What questions were we asked? "When did you meet?" I lurched into "We are ANOTHER internet couple, we met online as she sent me an email......". "So you are going to Texas are you? Do you know what the weather is like there in the summer?" I said that we do as we were there in the late spring this year. He looked at all the forms as I was speaking, and we spoke briefly about Sharon's job and that was it. "If there is no problem with your medical, when you come back at 12:15 you will get your visa".
12:15 and we were back... BOTH of us were very anxious. "if, if, if"... "Will we get the visa".... "Why isn't anything happening?"....
12:30 and they start to call people up to get payment slips. There is a payment booth at the back of the waiting room. K-1 people don't panic when you are NOT called to get a slip and pay money... they won't do that for you.
12:45 and we are the third K-1 case to be called to the booth. Sealed brown envelopes and visas in passports are handed over along with a note about not leaving the US until we get Advanced Parole. We get the lecture about not
opening the envelopes and the visa is good for entry to the US one time only and that's it. Done. Free to go.
I feel like a 10 ton weight has been lifted!
We managed to talk and joke with some other "visa-victims" whilst we were outside the docs and we all talked whilst in the embassy. Once we got outside at about 12:50, we were there talking some more... seems nobody we talked to got refused.
Well done everyone.
Oh - more details on our web site.
Oct 4th 2001, 11:08 pm
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Is it just me, or are the times confusing??
Did you actually get the visa after 2400??
Did you actually get the visa after 2400??
Oct 5th 2001, 6:41 am
#3
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2001
Location: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 307
>Is it just me, or are the times confusing??
>Did you actually get the visa after 2400??
The clue is in the first time posting... the times are GMT+1 hour, (timezone is BST - British Summer Time). If you like, I was using the 24 hour clock...
It starts at 3:30 in the morning when I got up and goes to just passed midday, London time.
It WOULD indeed be strange if we have a 13 hour delay from interview to visa issue in a place like London.
Brian.
- - - -
[The message header may show a diffrent time as I don't know where the server is based and of course, usenet sends messages out to other servers in a kind of cascade from server to server, so it may have got to the server that others use to read the message server at a strange time.]
>Did you actually get the visa after 2400??
The clue is in the first time posting... the times are GMT+1 hour, (timezone is BST - British Summer Time). If you like, I was using the 24 hour clock...
It starts at 3:30 in the morning when I got up and goes to just passed midday, London time.
It WOULD indeed be strange if we have a 13 hour delay from interview to visa issue in a place like London.
Brian.
- - - -
[The message header may show a diffrent time as I don't know where the server is based and of course, usenet sends messages out to other servers in a kind of cascade from server to server, so it may have got to the server that others use to read the message server at a strange time.]
Oct 5th 2001, 6:51 am
#4
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2001
Location: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 307
>Oh - more details on our web site.
And this morning the server is telling me that the disc is full.
My Service Provider has to clear this up before I can upload an even longer version of the days events, with extra info about both the medical and the interview.
I HAVE emailed my service provider so we are just going to have to wait for them to fix it!
And this morning the server is telling me that the disc is full.
My Service Provider has to clear this up before I can upload an even longer version of the days events, with extra info about both the medical and the interview.
I HAVE emailed my service provider so we are just going to have to wait for them to fix it!
Oct 5th 2001, 11:42 am
#5
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2001
Location: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 307
>And this morning the server is telling me that the disc is full.
Not any more it isn't
All updated, more details remembered after I posted to the NG (I rewrote chunks of the original story) on the web site now - just click on the timeline link on the left.
Brian.
Not any more it isn't
All updated, more details remembered after I posted to the NG (I rewrote chunks of the original story) on the web site now - just click on the timeline link on the left.
Brian.
Oct 5th 2001, 3:46 pm
#6
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2001
Location: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 307
>Is it just me, or are the times confusing??
>Did you actually get the visa after 2400??
ARGH!!!!!
Sorry Michael - I was wrong...
I just looked at the message on a different server and news reader program and it seems that SOME reader programs are seeing the times as index numbers and they are coming out as a numbered list.
If you think we got the visas issued late at night, no we didn't it was at about 1pm in the afternoon.
Either view the message via the web interface at: http://www.britishexpats.com or look at it on our web site, which is displaying it properly and it also has more detail in it too.
Sorry again if this has confused some people, darn computers... hehehehe.
Brian.
>Did you actually get the visa after 2400??
ARGH!!!!!
Sorry Michael - I was wrong...
I just looked at the message on a different server and news reader program and it seems that SOME reader programs are seeing the times as index numbers and they are coming out as a numbered list.
If you think we got the visas issued late at night, no we didn't it was at about 1pm in the afternoon.
Either view the message via the web interface at: http://www.britishexpats.com or look at it on our web site, which is displaying it properly and it also has more detail in it too.
Sorry again if this has confused some people, darn computers... hehehehe.
Brian.
Oct 6th 2001, 2:15 pm
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Yes, and 1 pm would be 1300. 2300 would be 11 pm. and there is no such =
thing as 25:45.
If you are going to use military time, it is good to have at least a = basic
understanding of it. ;o)
>
Steen's Visa Pages http://www.mindspring.com/~docsteen/...o/visainfo.htm
Newsgroup FAQ http://www.k1faq.com Immigration and Naturalization Service
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov {I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. For
reliable legal advice, please consult with a professional immigration attorney.}
[usenetquote2]> >Is it just me, or are the times confusing??[/usenetquote2]
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[usenetquote2]> >Did you actually get the visa after 2400??[/usenetquote2]
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thing as 25:45.
If you are going to use military time, it is good to have at least a = basic
understanding of it. ;o)
>
Steen's Visa Pages http://www.mindspring.com/~docsteen/...o/visainfo.htm
Newsgroup FAQ http://www.k1faq.com Immigration and Naturalization Service
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov {I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. For
reliable legal advice, please consult with a professional immigration attorney.}
[usenetquote2]> >Is it just me, or are the times confusing??[/usenetquote2]
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Oct 6th 2001, 2:50 pm
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
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This is a "known flaw" in BritishExPats. Been going on for a while. Sorta like a
Microsoft program - it thinks it knows what you mean and starts to increment numbers
on you, when you really don't want that.
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This is a "known flaw" in BritishExPats. Been going on for a while. Sorta like a
Microsoft program - it thinks it knows what you mean and starts to increment numbers
on you, when you really don't want that.
Oct 6th 2001, 3:39 pm
#9
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2001
Location: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 307
>This is a "known flaw" in BritishExPats. Been going on
>for a while. Sorta like a Microsoft program
hahahahahahaha... you are talking to someone who for a living administers large scale Unix systems, and I always smile when they get things like uncontrolled virus attacks on MS web servers... they PANIC and there we are with the Apache server with a couple of thousand concurrent web users just chugging on and on and on and on
>it thinks it knows what you mean and starts to
>increment numbers on you, when you really don't want that.
Yup that's exactly the effect. Shame the 'expats' web interface is such a user friendly one - SIGH....
Brian.
>for a while. Sorta like a Microsoft program
hahahahahahaha... you are talking to someone who for a living administers large scale Unix systems, and I always smile when they get things like uncontrolled virus attacks on MS web servers... they PANIC and there we are with the Apache server with a couple of thousand concurrent web users just chugging on and on and on and on
>it thinks it knows what you mean and starts to
>increment numbers on you, when you really don't want that.
Yup that's exactly the effect. Shame the 'expats' web interface is such a user friendly one - SIGH....
Brian.
