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shilahjosh

My Interview Experience At The US Embassy In Lagos, Nigeria

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Angola
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This post actually moved me to tears. Patience is an understatement going through this process. For me, we're so close but I won't be able to actually exhale until I see him walk through that airport. Many blessings to your family.

Our K1 journey

  • August 30, 2014-met in Spain, fell in love (L)
  • March 2015-he visited me in the U.S.
  • May 22, 2015-we went on vacation together and signed our I-129F docs
  • May 27, 2015-submitted I-129F
  • May 28, 2015-I-129F received in Texas lockbox
  • June 1, 2015-NOA1 received at CSC (email & text) :dancing:
  • June 2, 2015-check cashed
  • June 5, 2015-NOA1 letter received
  • July 10, 2015-NOA2 (updated on USCIS case tracker app) :dancing:
  • July 20, 2015-NOA2 letter received
  • July 28, 2015- Got case #!! :idea:
  • July 31,2015 Case left NVC
  • August 10, 2015 Case at embassy
  • August 14, 2015 Case "ready"
  • October: Fiance decided he was too afraid to move so he broke up with me :crying:
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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Nigeria
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Great information! My fiance and I practice interview questions together, it's fun to see how much he knows about me :).

How in the world did you remember all those questions to transcribe for us?!

Thank you so much for all the information!

You are most welcome my friend, its really great to know you both are really working on the interview questions.....I practised everyday on skype with my wife as the consular for about a 2-3wks and it really helped me cos i didn't have to think to respond to the questions in quick sucession...

This is not to discourage you but to tell the truth and also prepare your heart ahead of time. the US consulars handles interviews seriously in Nigeria because they know what Nigerian's are capable of doing for a visa so you have to be on top of your game.

A guy who was interview first before me was bounced and asked to re-apply. The consulars sounded very nice, yet systematic and tactical in dealing with Nigerians...Just do your homework, brace up and talk like someone who knows what you are talking about.....Please manage information and don't try to explain except the consular request for one......restrict your response to a Yes/No answer if possible.

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Nigeria
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Thanks for your review, which will surely be a big help to anyone going for an interview in Lagos. Now, time for you to benefit from DWheels' excellent advice. If you want permission to work soon, go to your local Social Security office and file your application for a SS card today. Everyone checks the box to have their SS card automatically issued, but it's a select few who actually get their card that way. If you go to the SS office and apply, the worst that can happen is that they tell you your application is already in process. More likely, they will tell you that they have no record of any application and you will be able to file the application on the spot. Good luck!

Thank you so much Jlc, i acted on your advise today, I went to the district office of the department of the SSN, submitted my application and was told to wait for 2wks...Thank you

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Filed: AOS (pnd) Country: Nigeria
Timeline

You are most welcome my friend, its really great to know you both are really working on the interview questions.....I practised everyday on skype with my wife as the consular for about a 2-3wks and it really helped me cos i didn't have to think to respond to the questions in quick sucession...

This is not to discourage you but to tell the truth and also prepare your heart ahead of time. the US consulars handles interviews seriously in Nigeria because they know what Nigerian's are capable of doing for a visa so you have to be on top of your game.

A guy who was interview first before me was bounced and asked to re-apply. The consulars sounded very nice, yet systematic and tactical in dealing with Nigerians...Just do your homework, brace up and talk like someone who knows what you are talking about.....Please manage information and don't try to explain except the consular request for one......restrict your response to a Yes/No answer if possible.

Thank you so much!

Our Journey:
04/19/2014- Met online
10/2014- Visited Nigeria and he proposed!!!! 
02/28/2015- Sent I-129F petition
03/05/2015- NOA1
09/2015- Visited Nigeria again!!!
10/28/2015- NOA2 (237 day wait at TSC)
11/13/2015- Sent to NVC
11/27/2015- Arrived at Embassy
06/2016- Third visit to Nigeria!
06/15/2016- Interview, given option to file I-601 waiver.
08/16/2016- Waiver submitted (no lawyer).
11/21/2016- Waiver approved with expedite.
01/2017- Embassy requested interview. 
04/2017- Fourth visit to Nigeria.  K1 officially denied. 
04/25/2017- NOA1 for 2nd K1.
07/27/2017- Case transferred to TSC.
11/17/2017- Case transferred back to CSC.
01/16/2018- NOA2!! (266 day wait)
03/08/2018- Interview (AP)
05/03/2018- VISA APPROVAL!!!
05/14/2018- Visa issued
05/18/2018- Visa picked up
05/25/2018- HE'S HOME!!! 💙💙💙


God has given me a great knowledgebase through research and other members here on VJ.  Please do not hesitate to reach out if I can be of any assistance to you! 

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Kenya
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Nairaland is no joke i see!! All those questions!!!! Congratulations!!

Mother & Daughter
Mom's CC: May 19 2015
Kid's CC: July 10th 2015(after checklist)
Interview Scheduled: August 27th 2015
Medical Date: Sept 11th 2015(Passed!!!)
Registered our appointment online: Sept 16th 2015
Interview Date: Sept 29th 2015 Approved!!
Visa in Hand: October 1st 2015
POE: 11th October 2015 - Philadelphia





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Filed: AOS (pnd) Country: Nigeria
Timeline

Nairaland is no joke i see!! All those questions!!!! Congratulations!!

I love Nairaland! I'm SO sad that the Visa Officer is leaving!

Our Journey:
04/19/2014- Met online
10/2014- Visited Nigeria and he proposed!!!! 
02/28/2015- Sent I-129F petition
03/05/2015- NOA1
09/2015- Visited Nigeria again!!!
10/28/2015- NOA2 (237 day wait at TSC)
11/13/2015- Sent to NVC
11/27/2015- Arrived at Embassy
06/2016- Third visit to Nigeria!
06/15/2016- Interview, given option to file I-601 waiver.
08/16/2016- Waiver submitted (no lawyer).
11/21/2016- Waiver approved with expedite.
01/2017- Embassy requested interview. 
04/2017- Fourth visit to Nigeria.  K1 officially denied. 
04/25/2017- NOA1 for 2nd K1.
07/27/2017- Case transferred to TSC.
11/17/2017- Case transferred back to CSC.
01/16/2018- NOA2!! (266 day wait)
03/08/2018- Interview (AP)
05/03/2018- VISA APPROVAL!!!
05/14/2018- Visa issued
05/18/2018- Visa picked up
05/25/2018- HE'S HOME!!! 💙💙💙


God has given me a great knowledgebase through research and other members here on VJ.  Please do not hesitate to reach out if I can be of any assistance to you! 

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  • 1 year later...
Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Nigeria
Timeline

MY VISA JOURNEY

I want to use this opportunity to appreciate every VJmember and also the initiators of this website.....i found this tool extremely useful and every single detail i got here worked for me....Would also like to appreciate those who dropped messages, started trends and persons who are still in the process. Thank you All.

I would say its been a journey through the heavens and i have learnt a lot about (My Spouse, Myself, documentation & our individual perspective towards life generally) in recent time. I want to encourage couples who are in this, stay strong together and please find reasons to look at the positive side of things even when nothing seem to be working. its not an easy journey, but it could be easier for you if both person's go through the process with high level understanding of the fact that the challenge is not there to make couples fight or disagree, its simply a time for you both to be a team, combine efforts together to face the pending distance that's ready to tire you both apart inspite of your marriage vows.

I had to wait for over 18 months to reunite with my wife and its given me a lot of training on how to be patient, study trends using the statistical data gathered here, read a single article over and over again, picture the mindset of the consular and why people often gets turned down during interview especially in a country where thousands of person's are fraudulent.....This is for those who's relationship are really genuine and are truly in Love with their spouses not those in search for a greener pasture or a Green Card.

The interview at the embassy wasn't that stressful, just the usual security checks from the main gate to the waiting room, am going to skip all that basically because i don't think there is a reason to discuss it here. if you have been to a bank before especially since the terrorist attacks in the North-East of Nigeria, then the routine wouldn't be alien to you. just the regular security search before you get to the main office.

STEPS AND PROCEDURES.

1. You will have to submit a few of your documents at the consular's office before your interview. please go with the ORIGINAL and 2 photocopies of the following documents

a. Data page of your International Passport

b. Birth Certificate

c. Spouse's International Passport data page (Photocopy)

d. Spouse's birth certificate

e. Passport Photo (4 copies) please ensure its a recent photo not more than 6 months

f. Marriage Certificate

g. Police Certificate

h. Medical Report (you don't need to make copies of this because its sealed and shouldn't be open till you are told to do so)

I was asked if there are other documents i will like to submit to the consular to push my case, that was when i submitted (C & D). i also had with me the following even though they didn't request for them, i wasn't ready to tell stories. of course you wouldn't know where the question will come from

I. NYSC discharge Cert.

II. 1st & 2nd Degree Certs.

III. WAEC result Cert.

IV. Employment Letter

Note: Please find out the details of the required documents for kids if you are going for the interview with your child(ren), i didn't attend my interview with one, am just writing from my own experience.

2. I went back to my seat and waited for my number to be called. (this number was assigned to me while entering into the main consular's section where my document was received by a Nigerian working at the embassy and interview conducted by the US consular).

3. My number was called, I stepped forward with my big bag loaded with documents in various envelops (both originals & photocopies), i had my wedding & regular pictures with my spouse (over 200 copies), emails, PayPal transaction report, whatsApp chat with my spouse (i had 1682 pages...lolz)....people laughed at me cos i had a lot of documents (over 2600 pages of documents), it was as though i was handing over the affairs of Lagos State to the consular.....lolz

My slogan:

"It's better those documents ain't required for the interview than telling stories that touches the heart when a consular request to see a document"

QUESTIONS ASKED (the questions asked were not in this order, i just wrote down the questions i was asked)

1. Who is (wifes fullnames)?

2. How long have you known her?

3. Where and how did you meet

4. When exactly did you start talking to her?what month & year?

5. When did she first come to Nigeria and how many days did she stay?

6. Do you remember the date she arrived?

7. When did she leave the first time?

8. Give me the exact date

9. What about the second time she came?

10. What date did she arrive? (41). how many days did she stay on her second visit?

11. Does she have siblings?

12. How many are they?

13. Does her mother know that she's married?

14. Have you met her mom?

15 has she met your mom?

16. Show me a picture of her and your mom.

17. Why didn't your mom attend your court wedding?

18. Do you have any other picture of your wife & mom?

19. Did you have a traditional wedding ceremony

20. Show me pictures and tell me who are the persons there.

21. Who made your wedding cake?

22. What does you wife do?

23. Where does she work?

24. Is she a medical staff or just works at the hospital

25. Did you have a church wedding ceremony?

26. How many family member was there?

27. Show me pictures of your wife with your family

28. How many women did you meet online

Ans : about 3, 4 ladies and we were friends

29. How many of them did you date from the dating site?

Ans: I have friends I talk to online but I dated only my wife

30. What about here in Nigeria?how many girls did you date?

Ans: I was in a relationship for 3yrs, we broke up a year and some months before I met my wife

31. What's the ladies name?

Ans: C*********

32. When did you break up?

Ans: About a year and some months before I met my wife

33. Any other lady apart from the one you declared?

Ans: None

34. How old is she (Wife) ............of course am older...lolz

35. Has she been married before?

Ans: No

36. Does she have any sibling?

Ans: Yes

37. Does she have any child?

Ans: No

38. Does she live in a house or an apartment

39. Do you have kids?

Ans: No

40. Have you been married before?

Ans: No

Interview lasted for about 12 mins and 41 questions were asked in quick succession for about 6 mins without a break. the remaining 4-6 mins was spent on looking through the pictures and documents before the consular.

(Note that this questions are not arranged according to how they were asked)

4. I was approved and given a white paper to pick up my passport in a DHL location on the island.

5. I picked up my visa on the 9th of July, 2015 and travelled on the 15th of July, 2015.

IMPORTANT DETAILS

1. Please Note that you wouldn't have a lot of time (usually split seconds) to think while you are been interviewed so i suggest that you practise with your spouse and ensure you have facts and figures in your brain where you don't have to think deep before you speak.

2. I found 100 questions on VJ which i used to practise with my real life situation......i did a lot of practise with my wife via skype & personal practise of those questions even while at work. There were times i kept talking to myself and my colleagues wondered what was happening to me. some even offered me some counselling sections just to know what was wrong and all i was passing through....little did they know i was practising my interview questions and since i didn't want anyone in my business...i didn't talk about what was going on.

3. Tell nothing but the truth.

Thanks so much for this.I believe it must have helped a lot and still gonna help more..Please I will you to clarify for somethings :

(1)Is it a must I go with the Original of our marriage certificate because I only have the photocopy,the original is with my wife in the US since the wife owns it

(2) can I go with our wedding albums alone or with other pictures too ?

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Nigeria
Timeline

Going to the embassy with your original marriage certificate is a must so ask your wife to send it to you ahead of time if you don't want the consular to ask you for the sending because that is going to take more of your time in your application process you must go with it

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Nigeria
Timeline

Thanks so much for the response..

We are scared to have a send the original marriage certificate because an important document have been lost in the past through the process of sending to each other..

I learnt a certified copy can be presented too..Does anyone have an idea how it can be obtained and where ?

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Nigeria
Timeline

Thanks so much for the response..

We are scared to have a send the original marriage certificate because an important document have been lost in the past through the process of sending to each other..

I learnt a certified copy can be presented too..Does anyone have an idea how it can be obtained and where ?

A certified copy you must go back to where you got married ad ask for one. Certified just means the official office that issues issued you a new one and certified it.

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Please Please put your VJ member name only. Not nicknames or real names whatever your VJ name is. It's below your profile picture!!

 

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ROC I-751
5/21/2018: Filed i751 ROC
6/12/2018: NOA1 Date
3/5/2019: Biometrics Appt
12/28/2019: 18 month Extension has expired
1/9/2020: InfoPass Appt to get stamp in Passport
2/27/2020: Combo Interview (ROC and Citizenship)
3/31/2020: submitted service request for being pass normal processing time
4/7/2020: Card being produced
4/8/2020: Approved
4/10/2020: Card mailed
4/15/2020: 10 year green card received
 
 
N-400
5/21/2019: Filed Online
5/21/2019: NOA1 Date
6/13/2019: Biometrics Appt
2/27/2020: Citizenship Interview
4/7/2020: In queue for Oath Ceremony to be scheduled
6/19/2020: Notice Oath Ceremony scheduled
7/8/2020: Oath Ceremony (Houston)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Nigeria
Timeline

Congratulations @SHILAHJOSH

I filled in Feb 18th and I received the Receipt type of I-797C Notice of Action...... I am still waiting for the next stage.

Please can anyone tell me the timelines as I felt it should be 5months and I haven't receive anything. Can them be contacted to follow up or I will have to wait??

My wife is alone with the Kids in US, I wish this process can be fast........

Please I need information of the above. Thanks.

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Nigeria
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@dwheels76

Thanks so much for the information.I will make sure I go there to get the certified copy because we don't want those courier services loosing any of our important document again especially the Originally maariage certificate...thanks for the information once again..You are blessed..

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  • 4 weeks later...

Congratulations! That was a battle you just won.

They ask you questions at Nigerian embassy so you can fail and they will deny you visa. Everyone there looks so miserable.

I won't forget my interview in 2008. I went there with my step brother and they asked me about my step mother's date of birth. She wasn't even in my application. I wasn't even close to the woman. My step brother made a silly mistake of my date of birth. He was 7 at that time. They denied us, saying they weren't convinced we are siblings. My father is a US citizen and filed for us.

Thanks to my knowledgeable father who immediately requested for DNA through his appeal letter. He returned home and we took a DNA test. That was how I got a visa.

It's crazy in Nigeria. I thank God I will never have to look back there. Just apply for SSN like others adviced.

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