Instructions for Immigrant Visa Applicants Applying for a Visa in London

Introduction

The Immigrant Visa Unit at this Embassy is processing your application for an immigrant visa. While no assurance can be given regarding the appointment date of your visa interview, you should now prepare for that appointment and obtain the documents required for your visa application. When you have obtained all of the required documents and are prepared for the interview, please notify us. You may notify us that you are prepared for the interview by mailing to the Immigrant Visa Unit, the attached Form DS-2001 and document checklist.

Topics Covered in These Instructions

More information on the Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration (download Form DS-230 Part 1 as a PDF).

Document requirements for the application are listed below:

• Birth certificates
• Adoption certificates
• Passports
• Marriage certificates
• Termination of Prior Marriages
• Military records
• Affidavit of Support
• Police Certificates
• Police Certificates for the United Kingdom
• Court & Prison Records Court & Prison
• Records for the United Kingdom
• Photographs
• Translations

Other factors:

• Vaccination Requirements
• DS2001 & Checklist
• What Happens Next
• Children

Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration (Form DS-230 Part 1)

Document Requirements

Please obtain the original documents or certified copy and one photocopy for yourself and each family member who will accompany you to the United States. All documents that pertain to your petition are required, even if they were previously submitted to the USCIS with your petition.

Birth certificates

Obtain the original or certified copy, of the birth record of each family member (yourself, your spouse, and all unmarried children under the age of 21, even if they are not immigrating with you). The certificate must contain the:



• Person's date of birth
• Names of both parents, and
• Annotation by the appropriate authority indicating that it is an extract from the official records.

The short form British birth certificate is not acceptable.

More information is available for those whose birth certificate is:



• unavailable
• under a different name, or,
• they were born in India or Pakistan



Adoption Certificate

The certificate must show date and place of adoption, along with the names of the adoptive parents. This certificate must be issued by a public authority and show that a public record exists of the adoption.




Passports

A Passport must be valid for travel to the United States and must have at least eight months validity beyond the issuance date of the visa. Children may be included on a parent's passport, but if over the age of 16, they must have their photographs attached to the passport.




Marriage Certificates

Married applicants must obtain an original marriage certificate, or a certified copy, bearing the appropriate seal or stamp of the issuing authority.




Termination of prior marriages

Applicants who have been previously married must obtain evidence of the termination of EACH prior marriage. Evidence must be in the form of original documents issued by a competent authority, or certified copies bearing the appropriate seal or stamp of the issuing authority. Acceptable evidence is:



• final divorce decree
• death certificate, or
• annulment

Military records

Persons who have served in the military forces of any country must obtain one copy of their military record.

Note: Military records from certain countries are unavailable. For further information, please contact the Immigrant Visa Unit.

Affidavit of Support

From I-864, a contractual affidavit of support, must be submitted for most family-based applicants and employment-based applicants when a relative is the petitioner or has ownership interest in the petitioner's business. Note: Other applicants must show evidence that they are not likely to become public charges while in the United States.

Police certificates

Police certificates are required for each visa applicant aged 16 years or older. The table below shows how many police certificates are required based on where each applicant lives and has lived previously. Present and former residents of the United States should NOT obtain any police certificates covering their residence in the U.S.

The police certificate must cover the entire period of the applicant's residence in that area, and state what the appropriate police authorities records show concerning each applicant, including all arrests, the reason for the arrest(s) and the disposition of each case of which there is a record.

Note: Police certificates from certain countries are unavailable or are obtained by this office.




If the applicant…					And...					Then the applicant needs a police certificate from...
is living in their country of nationality at their current residence for more than 6 months					is 16 years old or older					the police authorities of that locality
lived in a different country for more than 12 months					was 16 years or older at that time					the police authorities of that locality
was arrested for any reason, regardless of how long they lived there					was any age at the time					the police authorities of that locality




Police Certificate for the United Kingdom

An immigrant visa applicant who has resided in the United Kingdom for 6 months or more since the age of 16, is required to obtain a police certificate from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). Further information is available from their website at http://www.acpo.police.uk/certificates.asp . This police certificate will serve to advise the U.S. Embassy, London whether or not any criminal conviction is held against him/her.
The police certificate will be sent to the address provided at the time of application. Please note that the Immigrant Visa Unit considers the police certificate valid for 12 months from the date of issuance, not six months as stated on the certificate.

In order to obtain the required statement, you should apply to your local police station, where you will be given the application forms. When completing the application form, the applicable category is "prosecution/conviction history". There is a fee of £10 sterling.

The local police will submit your application to the National Identification Service and the response to the application will be sent directly to you. The National Identification Service does not accept applications from individual applicants; the request must be made through your local police. Under the legislation, it can take 40 days or more to receive this document.

You are legally entitled to gain access to the this information about yourself under Section 21 of the Data Protection Act, 1984.




Court and Prison Records

Persons who have been convicted of a crime must obtain a certified copy of each court record and any prison record, regardless of the fact that he or she may have subsequently benefited from an amnesty, pardon or other act of clemency.

Court records should include:

• Complete information regarding the circumstance surrounding the crime of which the applicant was convicted, and
• The disposition of the case, including sentence or other penalty or fine imposed.



Court Records for the United Kingdom

Court Records, usually called a "memorandum conviction" (MOC) in Great Britain and Certificates of Conviction in Northern Ireland, must be obtained from the clerk of the court(s) in which you were tried.

If you are not able to obtain the MOC or Certificate of Conviction rom the court in which you were tried, you can still obtain your court record(s) from either a division of New Scotland Yard at the address below, if convicted in Great Britain, or the individual Police Service of Northern Ireland station, if convicted in Northern Ireland:




National Identification Service Subject Access Office, Room 331 New Scotland Yard Broadway, London SW1 0BG Tel: 020 7230 2958 Fax: 020 7230 3628




Color Photographs

Three color photographs which meet Department of State specifications.




Translations

All documents not in English must be accompanied by certified English translations. The translation must include a statement signed by the translator that state that the translation is accurate, and the translator is competent to translate.




Person born in India or Pakistan

A person born in India or Pakistan must present the registration certificate if his birth was registered. If it was not registered, either in the locality or, if a Christian, in church, sworn affidavits may be submitted. Such an affidavit must be executed before an official authorized to take oaths (i.e. a magistrate, commissioner of oaths, justice of the peace or the like) by the mother, If she is deceased, the father may swear to the affidavit. The affidavit should include:



• that the applicant's date of birth was not registered;
• the date of the applicant's birth;
• the full maiden name of the mother of the applicant;
• the full name of the applicant's father;
• the place of the applicant's birth.

If neither parent is alive, the next closest relative, who was old enough and of such relationship as to have personal knowledge of the birth at the time and place it occurred, may execute the affidavit.




Different name to that on the birth certificate

A person who has used a different name from the one shown on the birth certificate, must produce a document explaining the use of such name. The documents re commonly available as evidence:



• Baptismal;
• Deed Poll;
• School records showing early use of name.



Unobtainable birth certificates

Your birth record may not be obtainable. Some reasons are listed below.



• Your birth was never officially recorded;
• Your birth records have been destroyed;
• The appropriate government authority will not issue one.

Please obtain a certified statement from the appropriate government authority stating the reason your birth record is not available. With the certified statement you must obtain secondary evidence. For example:



• A baptismal certificate that contains the date and place of birth and both parent's names providing the baptism took place shortly after birth
• An adoption decree for an adopted child, or
• An affidavit from a close relative, preferably the applicant's mother, stating the date and place of birth, both parent's names, and the mother's maiden name.

Notice to Immigrant Visa Applicants Concerning Vaccination Requirements

Immigrant Visa applicants require certain vaccinations prior to the issuance of an immigrant visa.

Vaccination requirements

Mumps, Measles, Rubella, Polio, Influenza Tetanus and Diphtheria Toxoids; Pertussis; Influenza Type B (HIB); Varicella; Pneumococcal

Panel physicians who conduct medical examinations of immigrant visa applicants are now required to verify that immigrant visa applicants have met the new vaccination requirement, or that it is medically inappropriate for the visa applicant to receive one or more of the listed vaccinations.

In order to assist the panel physician, and to avoid delays in the processing of an immigrant visa, all immigrant visa applicants should have their vaccination records available for the panel physician's review at the time of the immigrant medical examination. Visa applicants should consult with their regular health care provider to obtain a copy of their immunization record, if one is available. If you do not have a vaccination record, the panel physician will work with you to determine which vaccinations you may need to meet the requirement. Certain waivers of the vaccination requirement are available upon the recommendation of the panel physician.

Only a physician can determine which of the listed vaccinations are medically appropriate for you, given your age, medical history and current medical condition. Vaccination Chart [PDF, 12Kb]

Children who are about to Reach 21 Years of Age

If you have children who intend to immigrate with you to the United States, or to join you in the United States at a later date, please read this important information. In order to immigrate with you to the United States, or to follow you at a later date, your children must be:

• unmarried;
• Eligible to be listed under your visa classification; and
• Under the age of 21 at the time they enter the United States.

Note: Children of mothers, fathers, or spouses of United States citizens, must have separate immigrant visa petitions filed on their behalf.

Who to notify

If any of your children will turn 21 within 60 days, please notify the United States Embassy or Consulate immediately.

Note: If visas will be available in your category prior to your son or daughter's birthday, your case will receive expedited processing in order to ensure that your son or daughter will be able to immigrate with you. Unfortunately, we cannot assist you, if visas are not available in your category prior to your son or daughter's birthday.

Failure to notify

Failure to notify the Embassy that you have a child who will turn 21 could result in that child being above the legal age at the time your visa is issued. In that event, you will be required to file a separate petition for your child after you immigrate, and your son or daughter will face a waiting period before he or she will be eligible for visa processing.

Children of U.S. citizens

Your child may have claim to U.S. citizenship through birth abroad to a U.S. citizen. If your child is an American citizen he or she will require a U.S. passport to travel to the United States. If your child's eligibility for citizenship has not yet been determined, you should contact American Citizen Services at the Embassy for further information.

Applying for an immigrant visa

The first step in applying for an immigrant visa is for the U.S. citizen (petitioner) to file an immigrant visa petition, Form I-130, with the office of the Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A separate petition must be filed for each person immigrating.

Please refer to the Instructions for Immigrant Visa Applicants for further information. If a child is applying for a visa at the same time as his or her parent, the applications will be processed concurrently. Each person immigrating will be required to complete a biographic data form DS-230 Part I (download the DS-230 Part 1 as a PDF) ; the parent may complete the DS-2001 and document checklist on behalf of him/herself and child(ren).

The appointment for the visa interview and medical examination will be scheduled on the same day.

What Happens Next?

Overview

This table below provides you with an overview of the steps that take place once you have obtained all your documents and have completed the necessary forms.




Step	Action
1	Mail the DS-230 Part I Form (download the PDF here) for each applicant to the Immigrant Visa Unit, 5 Upper Grosvenor Street, London W1A 2JB.
2	Assemble all of the documents required in support of your application and mail the Form DS 2001 and checklist to the Immigrant Visa Unit.
3	The Embassy will complete all necessary administrative processing of your immigrant visa application. You may be requested to provide additional information if you have incomplete or are missing documents.
4	Approximately one month before your scheduled interview appointment with a consular officer, you will receive an appointment letter containing the date and time of your visa interview along with instructions for obtaining a medical examination.




Bring your documents

Do not send any documents to the Embassy. You will need to bring all your original documents, or certified copies, plus one photocopy to the immigrant visa interview.




When to call or write

The Embassy cannot guarantee how long it may be before you are scheduled for an appointment for a visa interview. Please notify the Embassy he circumstances of you application have changed.

For example:



• Change of address;
• Change of Marital status;
• Death of petitioner; or
• Birth or adoption of additional children

Notification of Applicant Readiness

Introduction

You may notify the Immigrant Visa Unit that you are ready for an interview by using this form DS-2001. The form indicates that you and your family members (if applicable) have obtained all the necessary documents for the immigrant visa interview.

Document Requirements

Please obtain the original documents, or certified copies, listed in instructions for Immigrant Visa Applicants for yourself and each family member who will accompanied you to the United States. All documents that pertain to your petition are required, even if they were previously submitted to the Immigration and Naturalization Service with your petition. As you obtain each document, please a check before each item on the checklist.

Form DS-2001 & Document Checklist

Please download the form DS-2001 [PDF, 12Kb], complete and return to the Immigrant Visa Unit together with the checklist.

Where to send the Form

Please mail the Ds-2001 and checklist to:

Immigrant Visa Unit
5 Upper Grosvenor Street
London W1A 2JB

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