Consulate Review: London, United Kingdom
Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
July 25, 2011 |
| Embassy Review : |
Okay so here is how my big day went
I stayed at the heathrow Ibis, got there at 6pm, tried to sleep but woke up at 9pm and was too excited to get back to sleep lol. Took the hoppa bus to heathrow at 4:20am, then got the first tube into london at 5:15am. Arrived bond street at about 6:00am, and got to embassy at 6:10am LOL !! So sat on a bench and read my metro. Saw two people queuing at 7:00am so decided to join them, one was there for a non immigrant VISA, the girl was there for an immigrant one. so we chatted a bit
At 7:30am they started letting us in, you go through security 4 at a time, and by the time we went in, the queue was about 60 people long, so i really would recommend queuing at 7am. I was seated with my number (I-902) By 7:45am.
The screens were still booting up at this point but they were announcing numbers over the intercom. By this time there were about 20 people in the room, mostly N numbers. At 8:00am I was called to window 14.
Met with a dark skinned, young british guy who had curly hair and glasses. Its pretty cool, at the interview window you can see into the back main room, I guess where they process all the paperwork, twas so cool seeing a glimpse of the 'behind the scenes' ! We exchanged hello's and he asked me to confirm my name. Then asked me to pass my passport through the bank style window to him, then said he would be right back as he was going to get my file. He returned 30 seconds later with the file containing all my documents. He handed me my X-Ray CD in an envelope and told me to carry it in hand luggage. Then he asked me to do my fingerprints on the little green scanner, then he handed me the pink delivery slip to fill out.
He had a little check sheet and was ticking things as he went through the file. As he was going through he asked me my husbands name, and our wedding date, then carried on ticking stuff. He pulled aside my original documents and told me the next gentleman would give them back to me. The one thing I noted, i thought we had to take 2 extra US sized passport pics, but they never asked for these. He just used the ones id sent in to NVC. Then 10 minutes later he told me take a seat and wait for my number to be called again.
So sat down by 8:15am, number called at 9:10am (by which time the embassy was REALLY busy.... and richard hammond and one of the harry potter twins were there) :P Called to window 16.
I met very jolly looking santa clause lookalike at this window. He was an american, older guy and seemed in a good mood. He asked me to do my fingerprints again to confirm i was same person, then started looking through the file again. One thing I did not have to do, which I read others did is raise my hand and swear all information is the truth. Guess the fingerprints were good enough ? Like others have said this bit seems like a conversation rather than an interview. He looked through my passport and saw my old F1 student VISA, and asked me what i studied, what my major was, and what i wanted to do in America eventually. Then he asked where and when my husband and I met, to which I replied myspace in 2005. He said "oh quite a while ago then, is myspace still around"? To which I told him yes, but it has changed alot hehe. He also asked me what my husband does for work, and if we will continue to live in wilson (the town listed on our forms) to which I replied yes. He then gave me my originals back, and told me to go pay. I said to him "thats it?.... were done? did i get it?" ...... he laughed at me and said "yes you got it, have a good day miss" To which I walked away which a huge cheek to cheek smile !!
This took 10 minutes, and I was in the courier queue by 9:20am, long ish line, but paid, and got receipt and was walking out the embassy doors by 9:30am
So all in all very good day. My original appointment time was 9am, but I was queued up by 7am, and was the second Immigrant visa in the building which I think helped my time. One thing I noted.... the individuals waiting for immigrant VISA's took about 10 mins at each window, whereas the couples who were getting immigrant VISA's (i.e USC accompanying UKC) took longer, perhaps 20mins, so dont know if this is because they ask more questions with USC present or what, but twas just an observation
So thats that. It was a very easy day, very straight forward, and everyone was nice! To think I was so worried, and nervous hehe. It really is like everyone says, a very smooth, efficient process and the interview is so minimal it goes by without you even realizing you are done lol.
Paid £14.80 for standard delivery, and she told me it should be here within 5-10 days, and I can track it online |
| Rating : |
Very Good |
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ver 5.0