one last check-in before NYC consulate...

Well, the appointment has been made, and we're all ready to go to NYC for my fiancee visa.  Here's a list of everything we're planning on taking; if anyone notices any gaps in our paperwork arsenal, I'd be so grateful for a heads up!  Here goes...
 
Identification:
-me and my fiance (in the flesh)
-online application print-out
-appointment confirmation print-out
-payment confirmation print-out
-our current passports
 
Proof of Accommodation:
-copy of his shared-house tenancy agreement
-3 pieces of mail sent to him at that address
-letter from his landlord saying I can stay there until we get an apartment of our own
-letter from his housemates saying I can stay there until we get an apartment of our own
-copy of Bristol newspaper with places to let listed (to show aprox. prices and availability)
-letter from his parents saying if it's necessary I can live with them until we find an apartment
-copy of his parent's deed to house
 
Evidence of Funds:
-3 months bank statements from my checking and savings accounts (is it OK to white-out the account #'s or not?)
-his bank stuff
-letter from his employer stating position at company, salary earned, that it's permanent position, etc.
-his last 3 pay stubs
-my CV
-letter from my parents saying if my funds are depleted, they'd be willing to help out
-copy of my parents' bank statement
 
Date and Plans for Marriage:
-letter from church stating when we booked it
-my e-ticket for flight over
-a wedding invitation
 
Proof of Relationship:
-few postcards
-photos (at least one from each of our visits back and forth)
-few emails
-two plane ticket stubs
 
Miscellaneous:
-letters of support/intent
-my old BUNAC blue card
-letter from an interested UK employer
-2 passport photos (is standard 2x2" size OK, or do I need to cut to 35mmx45mm?) 
-my old passport (they asked for this in the confirmation email...weird)
-my birth certificate and SS card (necessary?)

SUCCESS!  It was much easier than expected thanks to you UK-Yankees and our tendency for over-preparedness.   

That's great  !!  I'll be doing the same thing at the NYC consulate soon.  Would you mind posting about what documents they ended up asking for, what you didn't need after all, etc? And also anything else you think might be good to mention to those of us about to do the same thing.

Congratulations!

I'm sure the answer to this question is somewhere on the board, but...it seems everyone is applying in person for the fiancee visa. Is there a reason for that, other than faster turnaround?

I'd rather not, for a lot of reasons (like not wanting to take time off and tip off my employer that something is afoot). Is applying by mail problematic?

I don't think applying by mail is problematic. 

My home town in Philadelphia, just a couple hours bus ride away so I feel it will be less stressful for me to be right there should they have any questions, etc.  And then the joy of getting your visa stamped right then and there if everything (hopefully it wil!) goes smoothly.

Congrats! 

I'm sure the answer to this question is somewhere on the board, but...it seems everyone is applying in person for the fiancee visa. Is there a reason for that, other than faster turnaround?

That's it in a nutshell - it's faster.  No other benefits whatsoever, except that in our case the ECO didn't bother asking for the (otherwise required) sponsor's letter, since my British fiance was standing right there next to me! 

That's it in a nutshell - it's faster.  No other benefits whatsoever, except that in our case the ECO didn't bother asking for the (otherwise required) sponsor's letter, since my British fiance was standing right there next to me! 

Same thing happened to me, good thing because he forgot to write a letter.

Andee:  Our appt. was for 10:15, and there was a small queue outside the building.  We were allowed to enter about 15 min. prior to appt. and pass through security and go up to the 10th floor (pretty sure it was 10th...there was poor signing on the elevator we were on, so we were a bit confused).  Once there, we got in line at the bank teller-like area until we were called to a window.  We introduced ourselves, said we were here for a fiancee visa, handed over my online application.  She then started asking us for documentation, and I began taking it out of my plastic-sleeved binder; then she just asked for me to hand the binder under the glass.  She came back a few minutes later, having made photocopies of my documents, and said my visa would be ready in an hour and we could either leave the building and come back or wait there.     

It was MUCH easier than I thought it would be, but I think that's because our case was so cut and dry and we were over-prepared (and compulsively organized). 

Since she left when she was looking at our stuff, I'm not entirely sure what she did/did not look at, but I do know that she didn't remove to copy:
-my e-ticket
-the wedding invite

She also didn't ask to see what we had in our "extras" folder:
-my birth certificate, SS card
-my old passports
-my old BUNAC card
-ANY of our "proof" of relationship stuff

We did write a letter of intent (by me) and letter of support (by him) for formality's sake.  It was a few lines stating our intentions.  Piece of cake. 

She also seemed to keep the originals of most of the letters, but gave back anything that we might need for the future (bank statements, receipt of church booking, etc.). 

Stoatula, we applied in person for the probably silly reason that we didn't like the idea of sending our passports in the mail, and because we knew he would be here and we would probably want to visit NYC anyway.  (The bus ride from my hometown isn't too far.) 

Hope this helps!

ps.  Andee, I live in PA, too. 

 

Thanks for that follow up bristolbound!

Great idea to have an extras folder!  That way if they ask for the whole binder you are not burdening / annoying them with extra stuff they may not need or care about.

So your proof of relationship stuff was in the extras folder--your photos, emails, letters to and from each other?

When you say she kept originals of letters I assume that's your letters of intent, sponsorship, and letters from employers, not letters to and from each other, right?

was your appt on tues the 19th? if so we were there at the same time I had a 10:15 also!

Andee:  yep, all of our relationship proof and extra things we thought they might not ask for (apartment listings in Bristol, my old passports, etc.) were in the extras folder.  And yes, all the letters she kept were ones we would have no use for outside of the application process. 

Julia_atlanta:  Ours was the 12th.  Congrats on your success at the consulate! 

Hi everyone!

I'm the one in London & my parter is in New York. We're planning on getting hitched some time at the end of this year and one thing that continually confuses me is the advance wedding arrangement.

According to everything I can find, in order to register our intent and post our "notices" we have to already have the visa. Yet to have the visa, we seem to already need the date planned!

I'm confused Can you shed any light on this? How did you arrange the wedding date without being able to post the notices?

I hope the question makes sense! Many thanks
Peter

I hope the question makes sense! Many thanks

Yes, it makes sense, and I look forward to the answer. I'm confused on this point, too.

Where and when do you want to marry (roughly)?

Vicky

Hi Vicky
I'm hoping we'll be able to do this around end-November/start-December.
I've so far assumed I have to book a provisional date and then get written confirmation of that, then get the visa and then show the visa when posting the notices.
Can I PM you a couple of extra bits of info on this please?
Many thanks
Peter