Checklists & Tools
Stage-by-stage checklists, worksheets, and templates for the London consular process — each one printable. Everything here is a free community resource: nothing is submitted or stored, and worksheet answers exist only in your current browser tab.
Work through this before you file the petition. Most RFEs are preventable — evidence, formatting, and the mistakes that cost months.
Everything you need to upload to CEAC — categorised, ordered, and cross-referenced with common failure points.
Step-by-step guide to determine household size, income thresholds, and whether you need a joint sponsor or additional household members.
Plan your DS-260 answers offline before logging into CEAC — where session timeouts and inability to edit after submission make preparation essential.
Work through the Affidavit of Support form before completing it — including household size, income thresholds, and joint sponsor requirements.
Email template for sending your public charge statement to the embassy before your interview. Treat it as a required document — even where the embassy calls it voluntary.
What to bring to IOM, what happens step by step, and the high-risk failure points that cause same-day problems at the embassy.
How to organise your physical documents binder for the medical, document check, and interview — tab order, what goes where, and what to print.
Most London interviews are under 5 minutes — preparation is what makes them that way. What to bring, where to go, and typical questions by visa category.
Complete immigration and relocation tracker covering every stage from USCIS through to settling in the US — costs, dates, healthcare, banking, driving, and taxes. Created by Nikki, a community member who went through the London process. Available as Excel and Google Sheets.
Complete checklist for all stages (NVC documents, civil documents, medical, interview). Printable and searchable.
Legal remedies for significantly delayed I-130 petitions
For cases pending over 15+ months beyond normal processing times. Disclaimer: This is not legal advice. Consult an AILA-affiliated immigration attorney for guidance for a demand or writ of mandamus.
Ask your Senator or House Representative to file a formal inquiry with USCIS. Free, non-confrontational, and often effective.
Submit a request via the White House contact portal. No attachments accepted; narrative limited to 4,000 characters.
A formal written demand to USCIS under 28 U.S.C. § 1361. Signals intent to litigate and often triggers a decision within 30–60 days.
A federal court order compelling USCIS to act. The strongest legal remedy — attorney recommended. Filing fee $300–500; with attorney $1,500–$5,000+.
Key resources
Official government links for every stage of the process, plus where to go when you need more help.
Official sources
- Travel.State.gov — the immigrant visa process
- US Embassy London (Travel.State.gov)
- CEAC login
- NVC Public Inquiry Form
- CEAC visa tracker
- AIS — appointment & courier registration
- USCIS case status (egov.uscis.gov)
- USCIS e-Request portal (egov.uscis.gov/e-request) — submit requests for corrections, status updates, and other inquiries
- Request typographical error correction (egov.uscis.gov/e-request/typo) — fix clerical errors made by USCIS or correct mistakes on your application
- Track your green card (egov.uscis.gov) — after US entry, use the IOE receipt number from paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee
- Visa Bulletin
- VisaMedicals — London medical clinic
- US Preclearance locations (CBP.gov) — Ireland, Canada, Abu Dhabi
- USPS Informed Delivery
- SSA policy: IV holders
Need a lawyer?
Most straightforward family visa cases do not require an immigration attorney. If your situation is complex — prior visa issues, criminal history, prior removal, previous overstays, or complicated financial sponsorship — professional advice is worthwhile.
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) — the professional body for US immigration attorneys. Use their directory to find a qualified lawyer. Be cautious of notarios or immigration consultants who are not licensed attorneys.
Track My Visa
Track My Visa is a third-party USCIS case tracker that surfaces case movement before it appears in the USCIS UI — useful during the I-130 stage. Their I-130 Consular Processing Discord has channels that cover the full consular pipeline across all embassies (even if their product only covers the I-130 part of the process). Independent — not affiliated with USCIS or this website.
Kseniya International
Kseniya International is a YouTube channel that does an amazing job explaining the different aspects of the I-130, NVC, and interview stages for DIY family green card cases. Start with the online I-130 filing guide for spouses — a step-by-step walkthrough of the marriage-based petition. Independent — not affiliated with USCIS or this website, and not legal advice.