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| Jamaica |  Review on June 9, 2017: |
phoenyxx
Rating:  | Review Topic: FB-2
Our appointment was at 7:15am, we got there at 10 minutes to 7. The policeman asked what time was our interview and pointed us to the right line - that was long! But shorter than the other line, that had 8am, 9am, etc. They announced we couldn't bring in any phones, electronic devices, flash drives, make-up, etc. (I checked my purse before I left and somehow FORGOT I had a flash drive one me, the one I had everything saved on, UGH! I had to pay someone almost $4 USD to hold it for me until I came out. Sigh.)
They checked my interview letter, passport, and pictures and told me to write my name once I get inside. We got to security, we had to remove our watches, and belts and go thru a metal detector before we actually entered the embassy courtyard. There were two lines of chairs on either side, we sat on the right, until someone asked if anyone was there for filing, and we should proceed to the line in the middle. The employee there took the first page of my interview letter, then asked if I had registered online then directed me to a heavy door to the right, told me to go left then right.
Inside, to the left, was where non-immigrants visas were being interviewed. The seating to the right was for immigrant interviews, so my brother had a seat in the 3rd row of chairs, about 15 people ahead of us.
We sat for maybe 10 minutes until someone called my name at a window, I went up, said good morning. He asked if I was married and if I planned to get married, and when I responded 'no', he gave me two pieces of paper to sign, indicating that I would not get married before and if I did so, I would violate the terms of the visa. He asked for my birth certificate, which I gave him. He asked if I've lived anywhere besides Jamaica longer than 6 months, I answered, I lived and worked in Mexico and he asked if I spoke Spanish, I told him I could order beer and tacos, and he laughed. I gave him my Jamaican police certificate and the Mexican one with the English translation. Then he fingerprinted both hands and told me to call my brother to the window. He was asked the same questions, signed the forms about not getting married and was fingerprinted. Then he told us to have a seat until our names were called.
Another 10 minutes or so of waiting, and a young woman called us back to the same window. (I was legit HAPPY that we were interviewed together!) and she asked us to raise our right hands before we began (I raised my left, sigh.) We swore that everything presented and what we would discuss today was true to the best of our knowledge.
She started with me first and asked who filed for us, I replied that my father did. She said that my father's name wasn't added to my birth certificate until 2008, I explained that he wasn't available when my mother registered me, and she gave me back my birth certificate. Then she frowned and looked at my brother - he and my father have the same name, except my brother doesn't have a Jnr or II after his name. I explained that my father had registered my brother's birth but forgot to add the denotation. She laughed and said that wasn't a problem and gave him back his certificate.
Then she asked who did he live with, I told her he lived with his sister because he had a stroke a few years ago and was still paralyzed on his right. She noted that we had had DNA testing done (we did it in 2014) and said this was good because WHEN we wanted to naturalize, it would be easier to do then.
She asked if I'd lived anywhere besides Jamaica and I replied that I lived and worked in Mexico for a year. She found the carta de no penales antecedentes from the city in Mexico where I lived and nodded, reading it thru. She asked if I was fluent, again I joked that I could order beer and tacos (its an expat joke, lol) and she laughed and said her Spanish is mediocre, but she spoke better Italian.
She asked my brother if he'd lived anywhere else and he replied that he'd only been to England for a summer when he turned 18.
She asked who [the name of our choice of agent] was and I told her he was my mother's brother.
Then she asked for my tourist visa. She said the system did not show the entirety of my travel history, and I had only included the 5 most recent trips in my application. She explained that the tourist visa would be cancelled and the immigrant visa be affixed to my current passport and that and the immigration packet would be mailed to me by the end of next week. (Also, they had my birthday WRONG on their system, but she corrected it - I was terrified for a second there!!)
My brother (bless his heart), asked, 'is that it?' The IO laughed and said, 'that's it. Barring any further questions or more information required, congratulations. 'y'all have a nice day now.'
And we left. We spent maybe an hour inside and they only asked for 2 items from us and maybe 4 questions.
(updated on December 1, 2020)
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #21935