Sharing time.....slept like a baby last night....I did not realized that I am that dead tired.....I stayed for days in my hotel room due to heavy rains and wind in Manila...glad I am back home now enjoying the sun....
Interview experienceAugust 5th : The night before my interview, I just can't sleep at all. My Darling called me at 3:00a.m. to wake me up. He was my alarm clock....hehehhe....but I did not sleep all night long.
August 6th: Interview DayArrived at the US Embassy a little past 5:30a.m. My interview time was 7:30a.m. There was a long line when I got there. I noticed that on the right side the guard entertains people and there was only two of them there. So I went right to the right side instead of going to the left line. I asked the guard which line should I go for immigrant and my interview is 7:30a.m. He asked if I have my appointment letter (original). I have in prepared already with my ID so I automatically handed it to him. He looked at it and check my name from the appointment letter if it's the same from my ID and then he let me in. Told me to go sit next to the man in pink shirt at the waiting area. I saw my VJ Twin Rea alrealdy there.
Note: Prepare your appointment letter (original) and your ID. Automatically hand it to the guard. Do not fall in line the moment you saw a line. Ask the guard first.
CAUTION: DO NOT LISTEN TO ANYONE WHO ASK YOU QUESTIONS OR TRYING TO TALK TO YOU. THEY ARE NOT EMPLOYEES OF THE US EMBASSY. YOU WILL ENCOUNTER MANY OF THEM AT THE EMBASSY. DO NOT FALL IN LINE RIGHT AWAY. ASK THE GUARD AND SHOW YOUR APPOINTMENT LETTER. OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE IN LINE FOR HOURS ONLY TO FIND OUT YOU ARE AT THE WRONG LINE.
Do not bring your cellphone or any battery operated gadgets or electronice devices. You are not allowed to bring them inside nor you are allowed to leave them with the guard. No courtesy booth in there. At 6:15a.m. we slowly went inside passing through X-ray and guard check.
Once inside the Embassy, the guard asked me what time is my interview and told me where to sit and wait. A moment later a lady approached us and checked our DS forms and appointment letter one by one. Make sure to prepare your DS Forms plus the receipt of your payment from BPI. FILL UP THE FORM BPI BANK GAVE YOU WHEN YOU PAID YOUR VISA FEE. DOUBLE CHECK IF THE FORM IS VALIDATED BY THE BANK. YES! YOU NEED TO FILL UP THE FORM FROM THE BANK.
Step 1: Number CounterThe guard called us by row and told us to go to the counter to get our number. (Don't worry the guard will guide you where.) At the counter, I submitted the following:
[*]DS-156 (2 copies)
[*]DS-157 (2 copies, one of which is the validated form from the bank)
[*]DS-156k (1 copy)
[*]Appointment Letter.
Then the lady gave me my number stub --- 7020.
Note: Your 2x2 picture should be glued already on the DS-156 form.
Back at the waiting area, I waited for my name to be called for fingerprinting. I heard my
name called after a few minutes of waiting.
Step 2: FingerprintingI went to
Window 33 for fingerprinting. Fingerprinting was done in less than a minute and I am back to the waiting area again for the next step. Fingerprinting is electronic, so no need to worry of getting your fingers dirty with black ink....hehehhe
Note: Always keep your number stub. Show but do not give it to the lady at the counter. If you give it make sure to get it back. You will need it throughout the entire process.
Step 3: Pre-screeningIt took a while longer, probably 30 minutes before my number flashed at the queuing board together with the window number for my pre-screening. It was
Window 25. The Filipino pre-screener was nice. She asked for my birth certificate and NBI Clearance. I told her that I have specific instructions from our lawyer to give this (I showed her the FedEx from our lawyer). When she saw how bulky it was, she just told me, no, just keep it. I handed her my birth certificate (original), and NBI Clearance (original). I also included my CENOMAR (original), she looked at it and said okay, I'll take it.
Questions asked:
[*]Who petitioned you?
[*]How did you met? .... follow-up question: What website? (she smiled and told me, this is new, interesting and smiled again)
[*]When was the last time you saw him?
[*]Were you married before? Do you have kids?
[*]Age of your fiance? your age?
[*]Was he divorced? I told her no. He's widowed. She was searching through the file (original petition). I asked her what was she looking for and she said the death certificate of my fiance's ex-wife. I told her I have a copy with me here. She can take it if she want. She said ok. I gave it to her and she said thank you. Your petition is so thick/bulky I can't find it....and she smiled again. I smiled back.
[*]Have you travelled outside Philippines?
[*]Do you have photos together?
She was scanning through the file again and I asked her what she is looking for. She told me she's looking for my fiance's income. I voluntered to give her the latest ones I brought along with me. She accepted it and said thank you and smiled again. Finally, she said ok. You are all set and go back to the waiting area. Your my number to be called again for the interview. I smiled and said thank you Ma'am. She looked at me and smiled.
My pre-screener was a very nice lady. We even talked a little.....hehehehe...The entire process took only 5 mins or less. She's very fast.....
Caution: DO NOT TELL THEM THAT YOU ARE NERVOUS. I heard the pre-screener at the next window, window 26 was giving the applicant a hard time. She told her, why are you nervous? Is there any reason for you to be nervous? Why, is there something wrong that you have to be worried and nervous about? The lady said, nothing, it is just my first time and I am so nervous. The pre-screener again said, Maybe you are hiding something that is why you are nervous? ....and it goes on and on like this.
Just smile and smile....they will smile back at you. And it helps ease your nervousness. Show them that you are confident and speak clearly and loud enough to be heard also. Observe what they are doing and if it seem they are looking for something, scanning the petition file, asked what they are looking for and voluntered to submit the docs if you have it with you. They will thank you for that.
Step 4: InterviewThis one was really a long wait. My number flashed at the queuing board after almost two hours of waiting. I was to go to
window 30. My consul was a pretty young man (I peeked at the door)...hehehehe...I sat outside the cubicle waiting for the lady applicant to go out after her interview. Moments later she was out.
I went inside and he look at me and said good morning. I said good morning. He motioned me to sit. He said my name and I said yes that's me Sir. He smiled and said that my petitioner was (he mentioned my fiance's name) and I said yes (I said my fiance's name too)
He told me to tell him how I met my fiance, when and how it started. I told him our love story. And keeps laughing as I talked and make some comments. And then suddenly he asked me if my fiance was teaching me German I said yes and told him that I was teaching him also our language. He spoke in German and was reading our e-mails and just keep on laughing, giggling and kept telling me how sweet my fiance is, as I continue my story. He also asked if I bring some pictures of us together I said yes. In fact, I brought with me a very big photo album and put the album in front. He just smiled and did not even looked at it. He asked about my fiance's job and I told him what it is and he seems interested and was asking me about it.
He seemed satisfied and really enjoyed our conversation. Finally he said, ok you are approved. I have no more questions. And he keeps on laughing....not just smile...he was really laughing and me too. He did not even looked at the photo album.
I stood up and then sit back down again and said wait Sir. He said with a smile, yes Ma'am. I asked him something and then he said sure no problem. He get back my file and stamped there, APPROVED! many times from the cover and to some of the papers inside. He hand me a dark pink card with my name on it and told me to come on Aug 9 to pick up my visa at 1pm. He said Deal! I said Deal!
Interview with the consul was only 5 minutes, more or less.
Step 5: Releasing of DocsI only sat for one minute after I got out from my interview with the consul and my name was called. I went to
window 38. I handed him the dark pink card that the consul gave me. He wrote something on my file. He let me wrote down my contact number on the card. And told me to come on the date and time the consul told me. Remind me to bring my the card and my IDs when I picked my visa.
Step 6: DelbrosI did not pay Delbros, hence, I am picking up my Visa at USEM.
Left the Embassy at 11:30a.m. or 11:45a.m. with Rea for lunch......so so so happy.
August 8thEmbassy called me on August 8th telling me to pick my Visa tomorrow at 10:a.m at window 34.
August 9thMy Darling woke me up at 4a.m. and we talked for a while. I arrived at the Embassy at 9:a.m. Show the guard my card, pass through the X-ray conveyor and went inside. Once inside, I went straight to Window 34. I stand there until a lady approached me and I hand her the dark pink card and my IDs. She told me to sit down and wait. In less than 2 minutes, she called my name. She gave me a brown envelope with instructions not to open it and give it to the immigration officer at my POE. Then before she gave me my passport and visa, she asked me some questions like my name, age, petitioner's name and my birthday for verification. Then I have my visa on hand!
I am out from the Embassy at 9:15a.m. with a very big smile!
I felt warm even if it was raining......
Called and woke up My Darling with the good news...from being sleepy-sounded, he laughed with joy.....makes me so so happy.
My Embassy experience, the entire process in itself went so smoothly and even much better than I anticipated. All of these was made possible because of this forum. VJ and VJ'ers thank you so much! More power!
To all who got approved and got their visas, CONGRATULATIONS!
For those whose interviews are coming, be self-confident (but not too much), and believe in your relationship. The Embassy people can feel your sincerity especially the consul. Have all your documents ready and bring them all. It is better to have them and not need them, than needing them and not having them at all.
I was excess baggaged at the airport....purely documents in one big luggage...hehehe....and I brought the luggage with me at the Embassy, but only three docs was asked, whew! But it was worth it.
Above all pray to God and Mama Mary for guidance and blessing. I have my small Mama Mary with me in my pocket when I was at the Embassy. I touched it when I got too nervous and I pray in each process. And She never left my side.
..hahahahhahaha. 
I used to have the long list before..... 
ALright....GOOD LUCK ALL....Regardssssssssss
So she has been a little bored here cause I work and she is home. We are going to check into volunteering at the local hospital though next week.
For those who actually went for their interview already, between waiting in lines very early morning, interview process and paying your fees to Delbros... how long did it take you over-all? 
Last Friday, I had my first driving lessons from my husband and it was aweeeeeesommeeeeee! We're now on our AOS stage and waiting patiently for some movements... With all the applications submitted before July 30th, it looks like it's going to take awhile before we can hear from USCIS. 
on your visa!!!
on your Interview Approvals!