After 800 miles driven from the Bay Area down to Los Angeles, waiting in my car from 5AM to 8:30AM and then from 11AM to 2PM, walking from the Consulate down to the Santa Monica Pier and thensome, and a drive back home from HELL, a sore bum and lower back...I got my fiance visa.
And after all the work I had put in on my little visa binder. A visa cover letter, a table of contents, my CV, a work cover letter, enquiries into work, plans for self-employment, e-mails, cards and letters, refrence from my employer...All they looked at was: Aquila's Birth Certificate, my mutual fund statements going back to July '05, my bank statement from WAMU for October '05, our tenancy agreement for our flat, registry reservation for the wedding, Aquila's employer letter, pictures of us together, and a record of all the phonecards I've bought.
It pretty much went like this, no hello or nothing, which kind of miffed me because I'm a big customer service freak.
"Which visa are you applying for?"
"Fiance visa."
"Do you have your completed application?"
"Yes."
-Slide through the little slit-
"Do you have your passport?"
"Yes."
-Slide through the little slit-
"Have you visited the UK before?"
"Yes."
"When?" -Asked even though she was staring at the stamp from Birmingham-
"August 22nd to September 3rd."
"Do you have a photograph?"
-Slide through the little slit-
"Do you have your fiancees British passport?"
"She doesn't have one, but I have her Birth Certificate."
-Slid through the little slit-
"Has she travelled to any countries?"
-Blank look-
"Wales..."
"Do you have any records of her employment?"
"I have a letter from her employer."
-Slid through the little slit-
"Do you have any financial records."
"I have these mutual fund statements in chronilogical order and this bank statement details their liquidation and deposit into my bank account."
-Slid through the little slit-
"Do you have proof that you've met?"
"Yes."
-Slide through the little slit-
"Do you have any proof that this is Aquila in the pictures?"
-Mentally I was like, WTF!?-
"Nope. Her Birth Certificate." -And then I got a little cocky, New York attitude, etc, etc.-
"Blah-blah-blah she has to support you."
"Cocky-Cocky-Cocky-Cocky we're getting married in December and I intend to be working ASAP."
"Trying to be bitchy but failing. Take this coupon and come back at 2."
About ten miles later and three hours sitting in my car doing nothing...
"Nationality?"
"American."
"Here you are."
And that was that. Followed by the nightmare drive home, etc...but that story is one of physical anguish and mental woe.
Anywho, seriously, for everyone stressing...and if you're going to Los Angeles to file for it. Don't worry. They'll try to trip you up, that's for sure. I think that's what they were trying to do, trying to make you feel like you've messed up some how. The lady wanted me to go to "Kinros" which was really supposed to be "Kinkos" and print out more e-mails going as far back as the start of our relationship because she couldn't understand that when you forward e-mails to GMail it prints the date that they were forwarded, not the date they were originally sent. But I had the phonecard records and that shut her up. Then there was the whole proving that the girl in the pictures was really Aquila...And well, I stayed firm and she took it.
Now...She did say something that I need you guys help with...She asked me if I intended to stay in the UK and I said..."Yes, after I get married I'm flying back here to get my marriage visa." And she proceeded to tell me that I don't have to fly back to LA to do that, that it be a waste of money in airfare and having to pay another $494, etc. That once I get married I could contact the Home Office in London and do it there. Now that was the first time I had ever heard about that...So once again, I'm a bit WTF!? I always thought I'd have to fly back and do that all over again and get a marriage visa. So how do I proceed after I'm married?
But anyhow, to everyone planning on going to LA...Keep your heads up! It's a breeze! Just imagine yourself as George Washington circa 1776 for 12 minutes, that's how long it took...and they were late...by fifteen minutes.
And, of course, thank you for everyone who has answered all the question that I've had, along with all the questions and answers that have been posted on here. Without UKY I seriously would have been lost. They should put a link to UKY on the Home Office website or the UKVisas site...On my drive home I thought I should have suggested it to the Consular lady, but, well...she didn't seem the type to think it was a good idea.
