# Visa granted at U.S. Embassy London today, here's what we did.



## someshine (Dec 5, 2012)

I wanted to share this information in case it can help someone else as this forum was very good to me when I got my UK spousal visa a year ago. 

My UKC husband and I (USC) were granted his U.S. immigrant visa today at the London Embassy. We did it through Direct Consular Filing (DCF) because I am a resident of the UK so this may not apply to those mailing their visas in to the NVC. 

Here is our timeline for filing through the U.S. embassy in London:

Timeline for DCF London:
I-130 sent Sept 19
NOA1 not received
NOA 2 received Nov 5
(With approval date of Oct 17)
Packet 3 'arrival' Jan 13
(Our packet got lost in the post. After several emails, I received an email with our LND number in lieu of a packet in the mail)
Completed DS-260 Feb 4
Medical booked on Feb 5 for Feb 7
E-mailed NOA Readiness Feb 5
Packet 4 arrival Feb 26
Interview March 26
Visa granted March 26

Here is the list of documents we brought with. The ones in bold are the only ones they asked for, we didn't need the rest:

General:

*Passports
Photos (3)
Birth certificates 
Marriage certificate 
Police certificate 
Letter with interview time*

Just in case:
Medical info from London doctor 

Proof of Maintenance of Residency:

Flight receipt/itinerary for Sponsor
Letter of rental termination for Sponsor & intending immigrant's UK residence
Confirmation of job interview in the US - Sponsor
Copy of Sponsor's Drivers License showing I renewed it in December
Copies of bank statements from the past years or so proving sponsor's retention of permanent address
Copy of UK lease showing 6 months contract 
Cover letter


Affidavit of Support:

*Sponsor’s Affidavit 
Sponsor's tax return 2013 with stamp of receipt from U.S. Embassy IRS London & record of account from IRS website*
Sponsor's tax return 2012 with stamp of receipt from U.S. Embassy IRS London
Sponsor’s wage & income transcript 2012 and 1099’s
Sponsor’s tax return transcript 2011, and wage & Income transcript 2011
Sponsor's tax return transcript 2010

Photos and such from our wedding in case they wanted evidence of our legit marriage (they didn't).

*Joint Sponsor’s Affidavit
Joint Sponsor’s passport photo page
Joint Sponsor’s 2013 tax return with scanned copies of 1099s and W2 copies and 2013 transcript under Record of Account (You can get this online on the IRS website)*
Joint Sponsor’s 2012 tax return & wage & income transcript
Joint Sponsor’s 2011 tax return & TurboTax certification of electronic filing & wage & income transcript

That's it. Not asked for proof of maintenance of residency, any tax forms beyond current year, etc.

At the time of writing, we were allowed to bring our mobile phones in with us - there is conflicting information on the Embassy web site about this but as of today we were allowed. 

Also note the lines were long at 8 a.m. - we had to wait in one line outside to check in then another longer line outside for security before we went in. All this took about an hour. Once inside we waited a good 30-45 minutes until we were first called to present our documents then about an hour until we were called up again to have the interview. Our interview was really short - he asked us where we met, how we know the joint sponsor, what our plans were once we get to America, and what my husband's occupation is. That's it. Then he said our visa is granted. 

Note: This is our personal visa interview, I don't mean to imply that you don't need all those other documents, etc. I'm just sharing how our interview went in London today. 

Best of luck, everyone. Thanks again to all who helped me on this forum when I did my UK visa a year ago, I couldn't have done it successfully without you.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Congratulations !!!


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## koppazee (Mar 11, 2011)

Congratulations! Just as a sidebar having read your story, I wanted to say that two years ago, in preparation to marry my then French fiancée, we had to go to the US Embassy in Strasbourg, France. Security was pretty high and they were very, very firm about bringing in cell phones and even required that the batteries be removed from them before they were checked with other items. What they do with iPhones is beyond me. We arrived about five minutes before our appointment, no real waiting. All the work took about 45 minutes and it was a huge pleasure to see the other side of my Government working as well as they did. All the best and warm regards!


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## sarahincos (Feb 1, 2014)

Congrats!! I'm about to do the same thing for my husband. I have a question I'm wondering if you could answer. I'm trying to figure out how many i864's we need to do. I will be the petitioner for my husband, so I presume I fill out an i-864 marking "I am the petitioner" and attach my latest tax return (even though I have not worked in a year). We are using my mom as his financial sponsor, so I would get her to fill out an i-864 marked as "joint sponsor" and attach her tax return. At this point, could I (if wanted) use an additional joint sponsor (aside from myself and my mother)?


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## English (May 7, 2011)

I wish we'd done dcf.... We stupidly hired a lawyer in the US and started this process in May 2013...with application finally submitted in Oct 2013.... We're still waiting for my visa but we're at the last hurdle now,..just waiting for my interview date! Whole thing has cost a fortune and the lawyer made mistakes which delayed the application . Advice to anyone from the UK trying to do this, definitely go the DCF route and DONT ask a US immigration lawyer!


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## mrstamatiou (Jul 2, 2014)

Thanks, congratulations.
Me=Beneficiary, Brit.
Wife= Petitioner, American.

We live in the UK and I have my interview in 8 days. 

Does the petitioner have to fill out an i864? Or can I just use my father-in-law (Lives in USA, earns enough money) as the sponsor? 

Thanks!


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

mrstamatiou said:


> Thanks, congratulations.
> Me=Beneficiary, Brit.
> Wife= Petitioner, American.
> 
> ...


Yes the petitioner has to fill out an I864 at the main sponsor - *other joint sponsors* then, also, fill out an I864


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## mrstamatiou (Jul 2, 2014)

Thanks again. 

Now I feel silly. Is a Tax Return copy (1040 from TurboTax online) and a W2 enough to accompany the i-864 for my wife, sponsor (petitioner)? 

Ta


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Your (wife's) questions are well and fully answered in the instructions to USCIS Form I-864, pages 7 and 8.


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