Aargh!! Waiting on fiance visa approval

Hello everyone.

I'm waiting on approval for a fiance visa application I made to the NY consulate on the 31 Jan via e-fastrack.  I fedex'ed our documents/passports etc. the next day (a Wednesday) and they arrived on Friday at 11:17 a.m. (money's tight, unfortunately, so had to go the two day route...sigh).  I received an email the following Tuesday the 7 of Feb. saying my documents had arrived, were being processed, don't call until 5 days have passed, etc.

So now it's the 18th, there have been 8 working days since the email, ten since the documents actually arrived, and I still haven't heard anything.  I talked to ABTRAN briefly on Thursday and the guy on the phone seemed pretty sure that I would hear something in the next couple of days and said after I asked that ten days was pretty normal, which was reassuring at the time, but now I'm beginning to wonder.

I have a sinking feeling that something is wrong and was wondering if anyone here can tell me whether they think if the consulate is considering turning us down would they do it this way (leave us hanging I mean) or would they have wanted an interview early on in the process?  The application isn't exactly straight-forward but there isn't anything too strange on there either.

My fiancee and I have had an internet relationship for just under a year.  We've met in person twice (two weeks in August when she visited me, and two weeks in December when I visited her) for which I have provided proof, plus phone bills (a couple of them were outrageous :-( ) and photos.  It's possible that there is a problem with the financial side of it because about half her income comes from public funds (working families tax credit + child benefit), though my understanding is that's not supposed to matter (but who knows if the ECO will see that and start looking for reasons to turn it down; I'm still not really sure how this public funds thing is viewed by the average UK citizen, especially as pertains to a potential immigrant who will be indirectly receiving support from it).  She is recently divorced (finalized in early Jan. '06), but it was extremely amicable and she and I will be taking over mortgage payments on the house, which is in her ex-husbands name atm.  We have a letter from him stating this included in the supporting documents, plus a brief explanation on the application itself.  I didn't include a CV or job offers in the UK (that's a problem I've decided would be best tackled when I'm actually living there and can beat the streets as I'm in construction (no degree, just otj experience).  I'm kicking myself now for that omission though, tbh.  I did include the last 4 months worth of my pay stubs showing a decent income and somewhere around 45 hours/week, which I hope counts for something.

Anyways, hope no one was too bored reading this.  It turned out longer than expected.  My fiancee and I have been on pins and needles about this and I have been looking around at old posts this evening and it seems like everyone here who applied by post (at least the one's I could find) got theirs approved or a request for an interview within the first few days.  Thanks for any help you can give us.

K

with the income bit, do either of you have a savings? It's my understanding fiance visas are rarely turned down as long as the consulate feels like the relationship is genuine, and you have enough money to support yourself without recourse to public funds. If you can't do this on your own you are allowed a co sponsor. As for proof of your relationship they usually want photos and things of that nature. If they have any questions I am sure they will call you. The wait is hell though. Good luck!

Hang in there---waiting is the worse part without a doubt. Try to keep yourself busy and don't try to second guess yourself too much. I found the consulate was good at phoning with questions if they have any. Good Luck!

with the income bit, do either of you have a savings?

A little, but not enough to cover 6 months.  Part of the problem is that we are both working during this process, so are actually building some savings while this is going on.  However, at the time of the application, I could only show 800 pounds in her account, plus project what I would have from my wages when I arrived in England assuming it happened on a certain date (I was pretty near skint when I applied).  But barring anything disastrous, she makes enough to support us for a couple or three months while we're getting married and getting the FLR, and I'm willing to work pretty much any job necessary at first to make ends meet, so in my mind at least it isn't an issue.  I hope they see it that way too. 

It's my understanding fiance visas are rarely turned down as long as the consulate feels like the relationship is genuine, and you have enough money to support yourself without recourse to public funds. If you can't do this on your own you are allowed a co sponsor. As for proof of your relationship they usually want photos and things of that nature. If they have any questions I am sure they will call you.

Any idea what the time frame on that is?  Seems to me that if they did have questions, it would be early on in the process.

The wait is hell though.

I had no idea it would be this bad.  This really sucks.

Good luck!

Thanks.

K

Hang in there---waiting is the worse part without a doubt. Try to keep yourself busy and don't try to second guess yourself too much.

That's easier said than done.  :-\  We're both going a little nuts atm, because this is basically the only thing keeping me here plus the process of getting to this point has been going on so long.  We've known we wanted to get married since October and have put a lot of effort to within our capabilities reorganize our lives to make this possible, so the idea that we could be turned down because of someone else's paranoia has taken on a life of it's own.  People shouldn't have their lives put under the microscope like this and then be shut out of the process this way, imo.  Granted I could have gone to NY in person (why didn't I just go in person;  5 working days my a**; I should have known better), but FEDEX manages to tell you when your parcel is on their truck in real time.  It seems like something similar wouldn't be too difficult for Home Office to set up...sigh.  Sorry about the rant.

Um, I know you're right.  It's good advice.

I found the consulate was good at phoning with questions if they have any.

So how long did it take them to phone you, then?

Good luck!

Thanks.

K

Please let us know how you get on we are going to be married in the states in April 06 and are in the same position in terms of tax credits and child benifit and we are nervous to about all of this, we do have a little saved and some other bits to put forward though, if you are in constrution you should not have to much trouble with a job there is loads of work going on here.

good luck

Sonya and Chris

Please let us know how you get on we are going to be married in the states in April 06 and are in the same position in terms of tax credits and child benifit and we are nervous to about all of this, we do have a little saved and some other bits to put forward though, if you are in constrution you should not have to much trouble with a job there is loads of work going on here.

Okay, I can do that.  I'm hoping that I will at least hear something in the ten day time frame and when I do I'll update this thread.  Thanks for the reassurance on the job front.

good luck

Thanks.  And to you as well.

K

Please let us know how you get on we are going to be married in the states in April 06 and are in the same position in terms of tax credits and child benifit and we are nervous to about all of this, we do have a little saved and some other bits to put forward though, if you are in constrution you should not have to much trouble with a job there is loads of work going on here.

good luck

Sonya and Chris

Okay, here's the update I promised you.  On Tuesday this week, I phoned ABTRAN as it was at the ten working day mark plus I have an address change coming up so needed to get moving on that in case things took too much longer.  The lady I spoke to told me the visa wasn't issued yet, that maybe they were still checking something, but would pass a note along to the consulate about the address situation and a request for them to phone me.  Yesterday (Wednesday) around 11:00 I received a call from a lady at the consulate asking to schedule a phone interview for 9:30 this morning.  I had the interview on time, it lasted about twenty minutes or so, and mainly consisted of questions from the application, but also there were some about future plans, whether we had set the wedding date yet, proof we were engaged, etc.  To answer your specific question regarding what they were looking at, it seemed to me that the public funds issue was less relevant (at least to me based on the questions; who knows really? <shrug>) than the fact that it is a real relationship and that we will do what we say we are going to do.  Also, it seems like since you guys will be applying for a spousal visa the fact that the American half of you will be legally able to work immediately should make it even less relevant, imo. 

So anyways, I got the approval email about an hour and a half ago.  Talk about a load off my mind.  I was shaking during the interview (glad it wasn't face to face) but managed to keep my composure well enough to not make a fool of myself (hopefully :-) ).  Hope this helps.  Best of luck to you guys and anyone else applying for their visa atm.

Good for you!  Glad you got your visa.  It is certainly a huge weight lifted off your shoulders, isn't it?  I also got my fiancé visa from the NY Consulate.  I applied in person, though.  When are you headed to the UK?

Good for you!  Glad you got your visa.  It is certainly a huge weight lifted off your shoulders, isn't it?

Yeah, for sure.  There's still plenty left to do but at least it feels like I'm on my back down the mountain instead of clawing my way up it.  Thanks.

I also got my fiancé visa from the NY Consulate.  I applied in person, though.

Wish I'd done that.

  When are you headed to the UK?

ASAP.  I had actually planned on going Tuesday this week based on the way things usually go for people, but didn't buy the plane tickets just in case.  Assuming I can get one for this coming Tuesday, I will probably go then, but again I am going to wait until I have my passport in my hand before I buy the tickets.  <grin> 

Congrats--I know it is a huge relief for you. Just wait til you receive your passport, if you are like me you will find yourself constantly looking at the visa!

Congrats--I know it is a huge relief for you.

Yeah, it really is.  When I first saw the confirmation email, every muscle in my body relaxed.  Was nice.  Thanks.

Just wait til you receive your passport, if you are like me you will find yourself constantly looking at the visa!

Probably. <grin>  I've checked FEDEX every hour on the hour.  It's flying as I'm typing this, I'm pretty sure.