Spouse visa success!

I am a US citizen who recently married a UK citizen. Thanks to the advice we received on this board, my Spouse Visa application succeeded. Thank you, everyone!!!

In case it helps anyone else in the same situation, this is what we did:

We married in US in September, and submitted our online application the very next day. We paid the fee online by credit card. Once this was paid, I was permitted to make an appointment to have my biometric information taken. The earliest appointment available was two weeks away.

My husband returned to work in the UK, while I stayed in the US to complete the visa process.

I took a copy of the online application, my passport, my marriage certificate, and a copy of my appointment confirmation letter to a Manhattan address where biometric information was taken. They fingerprinted and photographed me, and then gave me a stamped piece of paper to put into my visa application package.

That same day, I put the following things into an envelope and Express Mailed it to the British Consulate in New York (it must come by mail, no hand deliveries permitted):
a signed print-out of my online application,
the stamped biometric information form,
my US passport,
a copy of my UK spouse's passport,
a letter from my spouse inviting me to live with him in the UK,
our marriage certificate (the actual certificate, not a copy),
our supporting documentation. (More about this below.)

Two days later, I received an unsigned email from the British Consulate saying that the package had been received.

One week later I received an email saying the Spouse Visa had been approved.

2 days later I received my documents back, including my passport with a UK Spouse Visa inserted into it.

It all went pretty quickly and smoothly. I think we were very, very lucky in that regard -- but I think it also helped that we followed the advise of folks on this board and gave them TONS of documentation about our marriage, funds, etc. This is what we gave them (all neatly organized in an indexed, three-ring binder):

Indentification:
Copies of all my passports, current and expired
A copy of my birth certificate, and of my spouse's birth certificate
A copy of my driver's license

Personal Letters:
My husband wrote a Sponsor's Letter talking about our relationship and why he wanted to settle with me in England as husband and wife.
I wrote an Applicant's Letter that did the same.
It was our one chance to really talk to the Visa Application reviewer person-to-person, and we made the most of it!

Relationship:
Copies of photos documenting that our romantic relationship stretched back five years.
Letters of Reference from friends and family in support of our marriage.

Wedding:
Photographs of our court-house wedding, and of the following reception held in a family member's home.
Other evidence documenting our wedding: ring receipts, receipts for reception expenses, receipts for travel expenses for my spouse's family (who had traveled to the US for the wedding), copies of the wedding reception invitations, wedding and wedding reception guest lists.

Work:
We're both self-employed, so we gave them extensive material explaining the kind of work we do, as well as copies of our financial accounts and of professional honors we've received in our fields (to show that we have on-going and viable careers)

Home:
A copy of the lease on the house my husband rents.
Photographs of the house to show that it was a suitable dwelling for a couple.
A letter from the landlord attesting that I would be moving in as my spouse's wife.

Finances:
1 year's bank statements from each of us, savings and checking accounts. Credit card statements to show we had no credit card debt. A budget projecting our modest monthly expenses, and showing that we had enough money to cover them.

It may have been more information than they needed, but we decided we'd rather be safe than sorry.

I was surprised when they didn't even call me in for an interview, just issued the visa fairly promptly. Surprised but delighted!

Thank you to everyone on this board whose previous experiences helped us through this process -- and good luck to all of you who are still applying.

Well done and congratulation.

I only wish the staff in Asia and Africa get their finger out and deal with applications quickly rather than taking ages,and making the lifes of ones loved ones hell, waiting to hearing of their fate.

Thank you, Batleykhan. My spouse and I only had a few weeks of separation while we waited to hear our fate -- and we both found it very hard and distressful. It must be horrific for couples who have to wait much, much longer. My heart goes out to everyone in that situation. Good luck to you!

congratulations!

my husband has been in albania since july ;/ he has his interview date on 5th november so i'm keeping everything crossed.