Hi to all!!
First of all I want to thank everyone who offered help or advice on this forum – it was invaluable and there are some things I would not have known without your insights.
Now to my experience...
My interview was at 8:00am at the U.S. embassy in London. I arrived at 7:15am to find a small line ahead of me. By 7:30am, when the embassy opened, there was quite a long line behind me. One guy ahead of me was refused entry as he was too early for his non-immigrant visa interview at 10am. So don’t be over eager and arrive too early as you won’t get in. I think 30 mins is the earliest they’ll let you in for your appointment.
I went in and sat in the waiting room for about 30 mins then my no. was called. The gentleman who reviewed my documents was very nice but new to his job therefore a second and equally nice guy stood behind him checking his work. He asked for my documents in the following order:
PASSPORT – No problem. I gave him my current U.K. passport.
PHOTOGRAPHS – No problem. They ask for two U.S. size passport photos. But if you don’t have them I did notice a photo booth within the waiting room.
He then told me to pay the fee at another window (which has gone up to $819). I brought back to him the receipt. He took my finger prints and then asked for...
BIRTH CERTIFICATE– They had a question about why one of my middle names and first name were inverted i.e. say I had always gone by “Jane Sarah Anna Jones” on my birth certificate is says “Sarah Jane Anna Jones.” This wasn’t a problem. I was honest and said I did not know why my names were in the wrong order on my birth certificate but that my first name had always been “Jane.” On a side note: my parents were no help and when I asked them about this years ago they couldn’t remember why this was so!
Then he asked me if I’d ever been adopted or legally changed my name. I said “no.”
POLICE CERTIFICATE – No problem. I had one from the U.K. I didn’t get one from the U.S. (I live there now and for the last 7 yrs). They didn’t ask for a U.S. police certificate. I found out from this forum that I didn’t need one and that the embassy takes care of checking your criminal record in the U.S.
EDUCATION – I heard the supervisor explaining to the “new guy” that all they need is my high school diploma as I was not using work experience as the basis of my application. I gave them my A-level certificates (4 subjects total, completed in the U.K. between ages 16-18). They said they need Mathematics and English to be included in the high school qualifications I submitted. Well, my A-Levels only had Mathematics, Physics, Art and Humanities. LUCKILY, I brought my GCSE certificates with me (completed in the U.K. between ages 11-16). I had my English GCSE certificate which I submitted to them. My understanding was that I only needed the A-Level certificates but the lesson here is that it pays to BRING EVERYTHING with COPIES just in case!!
Oh, and both my middle names were misspelled in all my high school certificates but they didn’t even blink at that. I had obtained “certifying statements of results” for all of my A-Level certificates just in case they requested verification of the correct spellings of my name. They didn't ask for it.
Lastly, the supervisor told the “new guy” to take my BA and MA certificates as it is good to have a “paper trail.” I don’t know what this means but again TAKE MORE THEN YOU THINK YOU’LL NEED. It doesn’t hurt.
EVIDENCE OF SUPPORT: No problem. I am currently on a U.S. work visa and live in the U.S. (I am here on vacation to pick up this greencard). I had my current employer in the U.S. write a letter to verify my job title, current salary, length of time with company including start date, that it is a permanent and full-time position, and bullet points of my responsibilities. I also had my bank branch manager write a letter stating that I was in good standing with the bank, date account was opened, current balance and amount deposited over the last 12 months.
These two letters were all they needed although I brought with me my bank statements (last 12 months); pay stubs (last 12 months); tax returns and W2’s (last 3 years) and 401k statements (last 12 months).
He then said he would pass on originals and copies of my documents to the consular. He wished me luck and I went back to the waiting room. About 20 mins later my number was called again. I went to another window and a very nice woman gave me back my documents. She took my fingerprints again. She then asked me to put up my right hand and asked me to swear my information/documents were accurate. She then asked if I was in the public relations field. I explained politely that it was more communications. She asked me to verify that I work at my current company. I did. She then commented that she went to a university in the same city as where I did my MA (in the U.S.). She smiled and said she was approving my greencard!! It was all so smooth and easy.
She then explained that I would receive my passport in 3-5 business days and when it arrives I can open the clear envelope with my passport BUT NOT the brown envelope which I should give, unopened, to the immigration officer at my POE (point of entry into the U.S.). I waited in another line to pay my courier fee and left at around 9:30am feeling exhilarated!
By the way, I did my medical at Knightsbridge Doctors last Thursday morning meaning they had exactly the minimum of 4 days to get my medical to the embassy by today (Wednesday), which they did with no problems. I was warned at the doctors that if anything was wrong with me it may hold up my visa application – so if you can, try not to leave it to the very last minute. I had no choice because I flew in on a very tight 2 week vacation schedule. I’m glad it all worked out.
Lastly, I got to speaking with another lady there who was there for the DV interview as well. She had the wrong police certificate from the U.K. (don’t know how this could have happened. I showed her what it should look like). She also said she was asked for school transcripts. She was a Cameroon citizen with a U.K. work permit. I was not asked for any transcripts although I did bring them with me. Hope this all helps.
First of all I want to thank everyone who offered help or advice on this forum – it was invaluable and there are some things I would not have known without your insights.
Now to my experience...My interview was at 8:00am at the U.S. embassy in London. I arrived at 7:15am to find a small line ahead of me. By 7:30am, when the embassy opened, there was quite a long line behind me. One guy ahead of me was refused entry as he was too early for his non-immigrant visa interview at 10am. So don’t be over eager and arrive too early as you won’t get in. I think 30 mins is the earliest they’ll let you in for your appointment.
I went in and sat in the waiting room for about 30 mins then my no. was called. The gentleman who reviewed my documents was very nice but new to his job therefore a second and equally nice guy stood behind him checking his work. He asked for my documents in the following order:
PASSPORT – No problem. I gave him my current U.K. passport.
PHOTOGRAPHS – No problem. They ask for two U.S. size passport photos. But if you don’t have them I did notice a photo booth within the waiting room.
He then told me to pay the fee at another window (which has gone up to $819). I brought back to him the receipt. He took my finger prints and then asked for...
BIRTH CERTIFICATE– They had a question about why one of my middle names and first name were inverted i.e. say I had always gone by “Jane Sarah Anna Jones” on my birth certificate is says “Sarah Jane Anna Jones.” This wasn’t a problem. I was honest and said I did not know why my names were in the wrong order on my birth certificate but that my first name had always been “Jane.” On a side note: my parents were no help and when I asked them about this years ago they couldn’t remember why this was so!
Then he asked me if I’d ever been adopted or legally changed my name. I said “no.”
POLICE CERTIFICATE – No problem. I had one from the U.K. I didn’t get one from the U.S. (I live there now and for the last 7 yrs). They didn’t ask for a U.S. police certificate. I found out from this forum that I didn’t need one and that the embassy takes care of checking your criminal record in the U.S.
EDUCATION – I heard the supervisor explaining to the “new guy” that all they need is my high school diploma as I was not using work experience as the basis of my application. I gave them my A-level certificates (4 subjects total, completed in the U.K. between ages 16-18). They said they need Mathematics and English to be included in the high school qualifications I submitted. Well, my A-Levels only had Mathematics, Physics, Art and Humanities. LUCKILY, I brought my GCSE certificates with me (completed in the U.K. between ages 11-16). I had my English GCSE certificate which I submitted to them. My understanding was that I only needed the A-Level certificates but the lesson here is that it pays to BRING EVERYTHING with COPIES just in case!!
Oh, and both my middle names were misspelled in all my high school certificates but they didn’t even blink at that. I had obtained “certifying statements of results” for all of my A-Level certificates just in case they requested verification of the correct spellings of my name. They didn't ask for it.
Lastly, the supervisor told the “new guy” to take my BA and MA certificates as it is good to have a “paper trail.” I don’t know what this means but again TAKE MORE THEN YOU THINK YOU’LL NEED. It doesn’t hurt.
EVIDENCE OF SUPPORT: No problem. I am currently on a U.S. work visa and live in the U.S. (I am here on vacation to pick up this greencard). I had my current employer in the U.S. write a letter to verify my job title, current salary, length of time with company including start date, that it is a permanent and full-time position, and bullet points of my responsibilities. I also had my bank branch manager write a letter stating that I was in good standing with the bank, date account was opened, current balance and amount deposited over the last 12 months.
These two letters were all they needed although I brought with me my bank statements (last 12 months); pay stubs (last 12 months); tax returns and W2’s (last 3 years) and 401k statements (last 12 months).
He then said he would pass on originals and copies of my documents to the consular. He wished me luck and I went back to the waiting room. About 20 mins later my number was called again. I went to another window and a very nice woman gave me back my documents. She took my fingerprints again. She then asked me to put up my right hand and asked me to swear my information/documents were accurate. She then asked if I was in the public relations field. I explained politely that it was more communications. She asked me to verify that I work at my current company. I did. She then commented that she went to a university in the same city as where I did my MA (in the U.S.). She smiled and said she was approving my greencard!! It was all so smooth and easy.
She then explained that I would receive my passport in 3-5 business days and when it arrives I can open the clear envelope with my passport BUT NOT the brown envelope which I should give, unopened, to the immigration officer at my POE (point of entry into the U.S.). I waited in another line to pay my courier fee and left at around 9:30am feeling exhilarated!
By the way, I did my medical at Knightsbridge Doctors last Thursday morning meaning they had exactly the minimum of 4 days to get my medical to the embassy by today (Wednesday), which they did with no problems. I was warned at the doctors that if anything was wrong with me it may hold up my visa application – so if you can, try not to leave it to the very last minute. I had no choice because I flew in on a very tight 2 week vacation schedule. I’m glad it all worked out.
Lastly, I got to speaking with another lady there who was there for the DV interview as well. She had the wrong police certificate from the U.K. (don’t know how this could have happened. I showed her what it should look like). She also said she was asked for school transcripts. She was a Cameroon citizen with a U.K. work permit. I was not asked for any transcripts although I did bring them with me. Hope this all helps.
Last edited by a moderator: