TIP:
Whilst you wait for your I-130 to be reviewed/ approved, there are a few things you may want to do/ think about to help you on your journey: 1) Sign up to an immigration forum - when the going got tough, I found solace in talking to peeps in a similar position to T and I. This website - visajourney.com - is amazing! Once you register, there are MANY threads you can read or contribute to. It really gave me a sense of belonging to a larger community and helped make the wait more manageable. 2) Change your surname (last name) - if you want to take your partner's surname (last name), now is the time to get your passport changed! What I did not realise until later on in the process is that, even though you file your I-130 petition using your married name (because you have the marriage certificate, right?!), your visa and green card will only be issued in the name that matches the name in your passport. Since you are likely to be waiting a wee while for your I-130 to be approved, it is worth getting your docs in order if you wish to change your name since making changes to your green card once it is issued will cost in excess of $400 (!). 3) Start collating civil documents you will need further down the line - once your I-130 is approved, you will need a whole host of documents to begin National Visa Centre (NVC) processing. Now is a good time to at least review the list and decide when to start getting all the docs in order. Clearly you do not want to jump the gun and have everything ready too early because some documents expire within 6-12 months from the date of issue. However, there are some you may want to gather earlier rather than later: - birth certificate - only the full (long) UK birth certificates are accepted so make sure you either find yours or have enough time to apply for a copy. This UK website may come useful: https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate TIP: if you were not born in the UK then you will have to get your birth certificate (and translation, if appropriate) from the relevant country. I was naturalised and so had to go back to the country of my birth to get everything sorted. It took a few weeks, so I was glad I got it done early! - marriage termination docs - if you (or your spouse) were married before, now is a good time to get officially stamped or certified copies of marriage termination docs (and translation if appropriate). TIP: I was married once before (in the UK) and sent through the original divorce certificate that I got after the divorce was registered. Apparently it was not official enough and was rejected. I had to go back to the courts and ask for a certified copy. Again - if you can do this early, you are likely to avoid issues further down the line. - police certificates - those are only valid for 12 months from the date of issue so you do not want to get them too early, BUT if you lived outside the UK for longer than 6 months at any one time after the age of 16, you will have to get a police certificate from every applicable country. So, if you grew up outside the UK, were a gap-year backpacker or travelled around the world with your family/ friends then you will have to ensure you get certificates from all the countries where you lived for more than 6 months (+ translation, if appropriate).
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About this Blog...I decided to write this blog to capture memories of my immigration journey and perhaps to give other Brits an insight into what they might expect if they find themselves in a similar position. ArchivesCategories |