Move to USA – Getting the Visa

Well, i am going to start writing my experience in how i got here in the USA. First of all i tried to enter US  for many years and get a Visa. The first advise i wish to give is never give up. If that is what you want continue forward.

You can have a visa by several ways. By being a student, by employment, holidays, sports, or even trough a lottery. I went to their website to find all the information https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/.

So after i decided i wanted to go to the US i made the decision to find work on an international company that could sponsor me a way there. After 3 years working harness in UK i grab an opportunity for a position to the US, so in my case i was sponsored  a Visa. All the process took 6 month till i got the visa. I am going to speak in particularly about the employment sponsored Visa. All the information needed is in this website https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/temporary-employment/ .
When you are sponsered the company will ask you for a lot of documentation, nothing major they will probably fill almost everything for you, but some documentation is for example the marriage certificate and your degrees and diplomas certificates in English. My documents were all in Portuguese so you will have to translate it to English by a service US Immigration approves . I used US Certified Translation Service https://www.uscts.com/. They are quick, good and  not the cheapest regarding the cost but not the most expensive also. I think at least you will have no problems when you use this service.

After the documentation is all ready, your company will start the process with the US Government and you will have to wait and you company will let you know when you can arrange the interview on the US Embassy, in my case in UK. So below is a copy of the email i received from Human Resources regarding the interview in the embassy and the preparations:

“Hello Sergio, please find detailed information regarding your Embassy Appointment.

The following documents will be included in the L-1 petition. (These items will be mailed to your work address unless instructed otherwise, you should be receiving them on Tuesday 8/9 or Wednesday 8/10):

1. Form I-129S(3 sets).  
2. Form G-28 – Notice of Representation(3 sets)
3. Copy of blanket L approval notice.(3 copies are enclosed in the file) (case #/ petition #: EAC1410751807)
4. Support letter from U.S. Company(3 sets)
5. Documents regarding B/E US and B/E UK
6.  Org Charts
7. Employment verification letter, employment records, job description with B/E UK
8.  Signed US Offer letter
9. College degree and training certificates
10. copy of your passport ID page
11. copy of your spouse’s passport ID page and marriage certificate

To book your appointment with the U.S. consulate in London, please follow the instructions below:

• Go to https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-gb/niv/information/niv After creating your account, please follow the process and guidance for each of the below steps:

• Determine your visa type (You are applying for an L Intra-company Transferee visa (or blanket L-1 visa) and your wife is applying for anL-2 dependent visa. The petition number is: EAC1410751807. (your wife uses the same petition number if required)

• complete form DS-160 for you and your wife (link: https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/) -> see attached FAQ
• Select a courier return location;
• Pay your U.S. visa fee via debit card (Visa or Mastercard);
• Schedule an appointment for you ANDyour wife; 
• Appear at the U.S. embassyfor an interview (you and your wife need to attend a personal interview) – see attachment.
• Bring the items listed on the checklist (L-1 file prepared by B/E, passports, appointment confirmation page, fee receipt for each applicant, Confirmation page from DS-160 submission , originalmarriage certificate, etc.)
• Pay the Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee of $500.00  (The fee(s) can be paid in cash or by credit card, or money order. Please be prepared to pay with cash if the credit card verification system is temporarily unavailable. Payment by credit card is billed in US dollars.) The Border Security Act fee of $2,250 does not apply.
• The US embassywill keep your passports and will return the documents to you by courier when the application has been approved.

The average visa processing time for successful applicants is five-six  workdays.  However, in some cases, processing can take longer. Applicants who received an “Administrative Processing” handout at the interview, can check the status of their case on the Consulate web site.   When your passport has been processed and handed to the courier company, you will receive an email with your tracking number.

Embassy Location: 24 Grosvenor Square London, W1A 2LQ

For additional information regarding the process, please visit the Embassy web page:  https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/

Before applying for the visa, please watch the Consulate YouTube video for tips on applying:   https://uk.usembassy.gov/visa-videos/ “

So on the interview day, be sure to be there 30min sooner, the process takes more or less 1 hour. You will wait outside the embassy for your turn, you will pass trough a metal detection like on airports and then  you´ll get to waiting room where you wait your number to be called . When you get your turn you go to a cabin where you give all the documentation and your finger prints are scanned, be sure not to have any finger tip damaged otherwise you will not pass this stage. After all is checked you are asked to go to another cabin to pay the $500 Fraud Prevention Detection Fee and then return to the original cabin. After this stage i went to a waiting line to get the interview . The interview was quite quick and simple, just asking where i was going and why, what i was going to do there and for how long. A colleague of mine  also had a question regarding the marriage date, and that some question was made to the spouse separately nothing major really.

After this you are told if the visa was accepted and they will retain the passports and they will send them by post or you have to get them in the embassy, this you can choose when you arrange the interview. I choose the UPS certified mail and i received the passport and other important documentation.

Be sure to take with you the passport and the documents you received also from the embassy.

After a a week i believe we received the passports with the visa and started the process of moving with my wife, 2 Dogs and 1 turtle.

On the next post i will talk about the move preparations to the US and what i went trough to arrange everything.

Thank you and if you need more specific details let me know leaving a comment on this post.