*Updated March 2005*

K1 Visa - US Embassy, London - August 9th 2002

Items required - medical fees & questionnaire, passport, appointment letter, proof of relationship, I-134 Affidavit of Support, birth certificate & copy, police record & copy, 2 photos, DS-156

So my big day had finally arrived, the first of many days that our lives would be in the hands of an immigration official. I had received my invitation letter, complete with directions and questionnaire for the doctors office. I knew that not only was I having a huge interview today but also facing a couple of immunization jabs, and needles being my phobia, wasn't sure what I was most afraid of. My folks, bless them, took the ride to London with me which helped not only for the company but also because my Dad knew the way.

We arrived at the doctors office right on time because they were just opening the doors for the few people already waiting outside. I head in and to a desk where I was given general sheet to look over and handed the lady my passport and questionnaire. I started reading the sheet, which gave a general description on the medical, when they started to call people back to the desk, one at a time. About 20 minutes passed and I was called to the desk where I signed a consent form and paid my fees ( I paid cash but I think it was 85 pounds), then sat back down. I remember thinking to myself that this guy has a good deal going with the embassy and was half way through daydreaming my way through the math when I was called, I guess some 15 minutes later.

I was lead by a nurse downstairs into a smaller waiting room with a few others. I saw a lady exit from a side door, obviously fresh from the dreaded needles and I started to get nervous. I sat down and took deep breaths thinking to myself "I hope Jude realizes what i'm going through here". A little time passed and I was called by a nurse into the chamber of needle terror. I immediately told her that I was terrified of needles and she started to explain that it was common amongst men. By the time I had pondered over that statement, it was all over, the blood tests were complete and I had not fainted or thrown up!. I suddenly felt immortal and that if I could handle that then the rest of the day would be a breeze...

Soon after the blood tests, me and three other guys were called to cubicles and asked to strip to the waist for our chest x-rays. I was feeling so much better now the needles were behind me and chatted to the other guys for a bit. The chest x-ray was quick and easy, done standing, with your chin on a brace, no discomfort at all. We then had to undress fully and don those ever so flattering white gowns.

I was the third to get called to the doctors office where I initially sat and answered a few basic questions about my general health and questionnaire. He then gave me a general examination (yes in those places too) then said everything looked fine and to head back up for my immunizations. That is when the blood just drained right out of me, I had got caught up in the events so far and totally forgot that I still had needles to come. I was led into another room where a nurse took my fee ( again cash but I think 25 pounds) and told me to pick an arm. I grinned nervously and exposed my left arm. Bam! she was quick, before I could scream the place down it was all over and I had survived, my pride intact once again. The nurse gave me a receipt and a sheet to show my jabs were now complete and I was advised to then head straight for the Embassy.

I was in high spirits now, even though I was concerned about the interview ahead. I met my folks outside and explained what a brave soldier I had been. We arrived at the embassy which was just around the corner. Security was very tight due to recent events and the whole street had been cornered off with armed guards patrolling. We had to show ID at various points to get into the building where I showed my letter to main security and they took my mobile phone giving me a receipt, sent us through the metal detector and directed us to the main hall. 

The main hall was open planned with several booths and plenty of chairs, it was not as busy as I had expected. A sign directed me to booth 4 where an official wanted my appointment letter, then we sat down. About 10 minutes later I was called back to the booth where the guy took all my paperwork including copies and asked me when I intended to travel, I replied within two weeks hopefully.

An hour must have passed before I was called up, during that time me and my folks chatted to one of the guys I recognized from the medical office. The American official I went to see appeared to stand 7 foot tall as he was on a raised platform the other side of the open booth. I looked up at him like David to Goliath and he asked me to raise my right hand and swear to tell the truth, a little like giving court evidence. He looked through my papers and asked me to write Jude's name on the DS-156, which I almost messed up as her name is Judy, phew! He then asked me when the last visit I made to the States was and what did I go there for, what were the names of Jude's brothers and sisters and when did we plan to be married. He then said that subject to my medical report, my visa would be ready for collection after lunch and to come back then. I thought the whole interview would have been more formal and intensive so I was pleasantly surprised. I had taken a stack of things he did not request to see, such as photos of us, flight stubs, letters, cards, etc., better to have them and not need them I suppose.

We went out for a bit to eat and made our way back just after 12pm. I waited maybe 30 minutes and was called to the first set of booths again where an official gave me back my police report, birth certificate, a brown envelope and eventually my passport with my K1 visa inside, Yay!. Meanwhile he explained that the visa was good for one entry and we must marry within 90 days of entry and then file for adjustment of status right after that. He handed me a sheet to take away basically detailing that information. I thanked him and beamed a smile at my folks and we head out, I was so excited to call Jude that I forgot my mobile phone at security and we had to go back in and collect it.

I knew Jude was panicking as much, if not more than I, so I called her on her mobile and she answered almost immediately. She was just walking into work at the time. I was somewhat cruel, I said "babe, I got something to tell you", in a somewhat disappointing voice. She said "oh, no, go on..", I yelled "I got it!". I think she may have swore at me in relief and we both cheered for joy and laughed.

The first step was complete and although we knew there was a long way to go with immigration, at least we could do it together.

Initial Visit to INS, Philadelphia - April 29th 2003

Items required - Passports, Complete documents I-485, I-131, I-765, G-325A, cheque payments, 2 photos each, copy of passport, copy birth certificate, vaccination record, copy marriage certificate, fees

After the paperwork being returned several times, we were on a mission to get it sorted once and for all. The main problem had been INS returning all documents, whilst cashing cheques on two of them. This was fine except they were in denial over receipt of the two cashed cheques. We went armed with our entire portfolio and copies of the cheques from our bank as evidence. We also took along two photos of Jude which had never been requested in any documentation until our last correspondence from INS.

We had to queue outside for maybe 10 minutes as only those with appointment letters can bypass, then proceeded through security using our passports as ID. We were directed into a large waiting area with several booths and another queue. We waited in line for about 30 minutes and then had to show our passport and give a reason for being there, we explained it was to deliver forms and query a payment. We were given a ticket and took a seat by the booths.

We waited about an hour to be seen, but it felt more like two. The lady was nice, if not somewhat confused. We explained why we were hand delivering the documents and the mix up with the payments. She made several trips to the back office but eventually after about 30 minutes, realized they had erred and found the original payments. She offered an apology and stated that everything was now in order but they would need to zero date our application, meaning the processing would start from today. We agreed this was ok but requested she went through all the paperwork and check it was absolutely correct. 

Whilst she was checking our paperwork, we questioned her on how long the Advanced Parole was likely to take as my Grandad was critically ill and we needed to travel to England very soon. She explained that they are available for collection every Thursday but it takes a week so we would need to come back on the 8th May and as with everything, it is not guaranteed that you will get it.  

After perusing through the paperwork, she reassured us all was fine and then sent us to the cashier desk to get receipts for our payments. There was no queue and the lady handed us receipts for $255 (I-485), $50 (Fingerprint fee), $110 (I-131 ), $120 (I-765). She also gave us a letter of appointment for the Advanced Parole on the 8th. We breathed a sigh of relief and head home.

Fingerprinting - INS, Newark - June 24th 2003

Items required - Letter of Appointment and passport

We made our way into the building, cleared security and headed to an unofficial looking reception area. I handed in my letter and was given a clipboard with an information sheet to fill out. The details were basic, name, address, date of birth, etc. Once that was completed we went up a ramp and into a large waiting area where we were greeted by an out of uniform official. He checked our details and was rather curious as to why we had been sent to Newark instead of Philadelphia but said it was not a problem. He gave us a number and we took a seat along with about 30 others. 

From where we sat you could see various operators and the fingerprinting machinery so we watched others having theirs done. My turn came after about 20 minutes, Jude waited in the seating area. A young guy asked me to first check my details were correct on the screen, gave me some ointment to rub in my hands, then proceeded to roll each finger across a digital scanner. I was expecting the ink and towel treatment so was quite impressed with the technology. Within 10 minutes I was done, he handed me a receipt as proof that I had attended and we were on our way home.

Advanced Parole - INS, Philadelphia May - 8th 2003

Items required - Letter of Appointment and passport

Back to PA INS once again, made our way through security showing our letter to avoid the queue and passports for ID. We headed up to third floor and followed the signs into a large waiting room with a receptionist. After handing in our letter, we took a seat and waited for around 20 minutes until we were called back to the window and handed a sealed white envelope. We sat back down and nervously opened the envelope to find two sets of form I-512, Authorization for Parole, completed and authorized. I was pleased to see that it was valid for multiple entries and valid for one year.

The advanced parole collection process was quick and easy. However, it is not made clear before you go to the appointment that the Parole has been authorized and that causes concern, especially if you really need to travel, as we did. As with the entire immigration system, the waiting and uncertainty is the hardest part.

Employment Authorization - INS, Philadelphia - July 2nd 2003

Items required - Letter of appointment and passport

We arrived at the all familiar PA INS office around 10.30, the letter had stated 11.00. We made our way through security using our passports, remembering that those with appointment letters can show them at the door and bypass the queues. On arriving at the third floor we headed into a large room with a receptionist on the far end and closed doors to either side. We handed in our appointment letter to the receptionist and sat down with the already waiting crowd, around 50 people.

Within 30 minutes an official appeared from the left door and called 5 people who showed him ID then followed him through the door. They were gone for around 15 minutes and then another 5 were called. On around the fourth batch, my name was included so I showed my passport for ID and followed the man, along with 4 others, through to a small office. 

We took a seat each, while he typed our details into the PC. He was jovial and threw a few jokes which relaxed the atmosphere. He then asked us to check the details he had input and in turn we placed our fingerprint on a card. We had to shuffle chairs so we could in turn sit in front of the machine for our pictures to be taken. This lead way to more jokes as the room was so small. Afterwards, we were escorted back to the main room and were told that he would have our cards ready within ten minutes. True to his word, ten minutes passed and he appeared with a batch of laminated cards which he handed out.

Social Security Card - Local SS Office - August 7th 2003

Items required - Passport, Employment Authorization Card and Form SS5 (also available at counter)

This was fairly simple, no appointment was needed. I looked up the local Social Security office and opening times and headed down there. Once inside, I took a ticket from the auto machine and sat down. The form that you need to fill out is available by the counter so it is possible to fill it while you wait. There were about ten people in various family groups. I was fourth in line and waited  about 30 minutes to get seen. I needed to show the lady my Employment card and passport. She typed on her PC for a few minutes, checked a few files, then handed me back my passport and card along with a printed confirmation sheet. She informed me that it would take up to two weeks to receive my Social Security card in the mail. The card arrived in the mail 5 days later on August 12th.

Permanent Residence - April 7th 2004

Items taken - Passports, Interview letter, Bank Statement, Insurance Document, Pay stub, Letter from employer, Rental Agreement, Joint named bills, Notarized letters from family & friends, Social Security card.

Note: The items listed above were all stated as being needed in the appointment letter so we knew exactly what to take and had a couple of weeks to prepare as they requested photocopies to be taken for certain items.

We arrived about an hour early, we were scheduled for 1.30pm. The famous room 300 was packed but we assumed a lot of the people there were awaiting Employment Authorization Cards. This turned out to be right, they were called up every 15 minutes or so in groups of 4. Surprisingly, at almost 1.30 on the dot, a guy called my name and we followed him into the back area. He made a joke right away about me being the next victim so we were instantly relaxed, he had a nice demeanor. He then took my fingerprint and had me sign my name. This is actually onto the card that will become your green card.

We then followed him into an office, full of files, a desk, pc and a looming camera mounted on a tripod. We took a seat and took off our jackets. He told us his name and position, etc. and then asked us to stand to take an oath. He opened up our file in front of us and asked me a few questions, very basic stuff, like what is your date of birth, parents names, that kind of thing. I forgot our telephone number, doh!, but he laughed and asked Jude what it was instead. He also asked if I was a terrorist or secret agent, although a lot of this was in jest. I said yes I was double O nothing and  laughed again. We were questioned on any prior marriages and if I had paid Jude to marry me, which he followed up by saying the going rate was around 15000 dollars. He asked about our working situation and generally made small talk. At no time did we feel like we were being interrogated or scrutinized, in fact, we actually enjoyed the interview, it was fun and we had a good laugh! He was interested in this website and had a look with us on his pc, cracking more jokes like, do you know these people in your gallery?, we of course replied, nope, have no clue who they are, hehe.

Within ten minutes he told us we were approved and that my green card would arrive in the mail within 3 months. He also gave us a sample of the form we would need to complete in 2 years time for a continuation of the green card which would make it good for ten years. He lastly said that I could become a citizen in 3 years if I wanted but he saw no reason why I would want to as I was from England as it would only give me the right to vote. A stamp, valid for 1 year, was put in my passport basically saying I was passport approved and this acts as a temporary green card until my official one arrives. I can now freely leave and re-enter the U.S. without need of advance parole.

He was curious if we had used an attorney at any time and we said we had not. He said that was good because we had done everything correct ourselves and saved around 2500 dollars.

We had a few questions also, for example what to do when my passport expires in 2 years time and also if I could go through the citizen line at the airport from now on. He gave us all the answers we needed.

I also asked when I would get a copy of the home movie but he said he did not bother to film or tape us as we were such a straight forward and easy case. He also pointed to around 200 files on shelves, etc and said that was the denied pile as opposed to the maybe half a dozen approved ones. Apparently, around 90% of cases are denied, with most people being arrested and deported on the spot, eeew! Our advice is be honest and accurate with your paperwork and interview.

With the questions and the light humour, we were in there no more than 20 mins. As I said, we enjoyed the interview and would have no nerves or worries going to a follow up as the guy was professional, courteous and civilized, not to mention quite comical.