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| London, United Kingdom |  Review on October 31, 2014: |
stackeria
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
My wife's appointment was at 8am. We hadn't planned it that way, but due to the embassy rescheduling the interview, I happened to be in London that week. I didn't go inside the embassy but I tagged along and waited at a coffee shop around the corner.
We arrived outside the embassy at 7:15am. There were about 20 people already waiting in an organized line (those brits do love their queues!) At 7:20am on the dot, embassy staff came out and split the line in two: 8am appointments to the right and later appointments to the left. They then checked that everyone had their passport, interview letter, and DS-260 confirmation. One person who didn't have one of these printed out was sent away. My wife went through security at 7:30am.
Inside, her passport, interview letter, and DS-260 were again checked and she was given a number (I9xx). She was inside the waiting area by 7:40am.
At 8am they started calling numbers. Hers was called within 5 minutes. At the first window her documents were checked and she was asked to hand in her passport, courier instructions, and 2 photos. That part took about 15 minutes. She was asked a bunch of simple questions, mostly related to her civil documents. Apparently, she "almost blanked" when asked what our wedding date was. I bet that happens all the time! She was also asked when she intends to travel to the US. Her fingerprints were taken and she was given her medical chest X-ray. She was told to carry it with her at POE.
She sat back down around 8:20am and waited for her number to be called again for the actual interview. She was called back around 8:45am. That part took only about 5 minutes. Her fingerprints were checked. She swore to state the truth and was asked three questions:
- How long have you been married?
- Where is your husband now?
- What do you plan to do after you arrive in the USA?
While answering those questions, there was some minimal back and forth during which she explained what I do for work and where I live. The agent then returned our original documents. At some point, he lifted his hands up and away from his keyboard and said: "You're approved!" She thanked him, gathered her documents, and headed out. She was out of the embassy and in the coffee shop where I was waiting for her by 9am.
One thing to note: I moved a month ago. I gave my wife an updated I-864, identical to the one I submitted to NVC aside from the new address. I asked her to hand this in at the interview. They did not want to take it. They updated her green card mailing address on their computers but, as the I-864 petitioner, I suppose I now need to submit a change of address notice to USCIS.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #15502