Consulate Review: Egypt
Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
October 27, 2016 |
| Embassy Review : |
Hi everyone,
I would thank everyone who wrote reviews here, and I encourage others who finished the interview to write their review also, it can help people a lot. Every case is kinda unique (like mine) which can help others.
My interview was on October 24 2016, I arrived in the morning at around 6:45, I advice not to arrive any earlier, no point for that, you will just be waiting till they allow people to get in front of the embassy at around 7:15. They ask people to form 2 queues, one for immigration and other for non immigration. The one with immigration is the one on the left (so get ready to go there fast and get position in the front  ).
I was the third in the queue. After about 15 min a guy came telling us that only immigration applicant on this queue and what is allowed and not allowed inside the embassy. I recommend that you bring only your keys and your mobile. No any additional devices or tools. (Chargers, Power Banks, even flash memory are not allowed, you will need to keep it with a guy in front of the embassy for some money till you get out).
After that, that guy asked everyone to get out 2 pictures and the Aramex paper for each member . At the head of the queue was a family, the guy checked their pictures and saw that some pictures are modified by Photoshop, so he asked them to take new ones at store close by. (So it is important when you take picture at the studio, ask the guy not to use any Photoshop on your pictures)
When the guy got to me, he asked for my birth date, looked at paper with him and said my name, then took my Aramex paper signed it and wrote my phone number on it. Then he gave it back to me and let me inside.
Went to the left door and through security check, they took my mobile and with my keys there was a flash memory, they asked me to leave it outside. I left it with a guy in front of the embassy and came back to the same position. Finished security check and went down to the room where interviews happening. The guy at reception there asked me for the Aramex paper again and the appointment letter then gave me a number -it was 602, and asked me to have a seat at the waiting area. It was still empty, but by the time goes it gets full.
They start calling different numbers. After about 15 min a girl called my number, I went to her window and she asked me for some documents like my Birth certificate, Marriage certificate (took the Arabic one and gave me the translation back), Military certificate, Police certificate and my two photographs. Then she asked me to open the sealed medical examination and get the report inside it and give it to her. She also gave me bunch of unnecessary papers from the packages we sent before to NVC.
She asked me couple of questions, like if my wife is here or in US? when did we get married? Did I marry before? Did my wife marry before? Then she took my finger prints through that scanner in front of me and asked me to go to the waiting area and wait for my number to be called again.
And that when I waited for long, like 90 minutes waiting or more. It was kinda hard waiting as it makes you more nervous but it was interesting seeing all these different people around me. You will find all kind of people there, Muslims and Christians (there was priest beside me), conservative and liberate, guys wearing suits, casual or funky. Women all covered or wearing shorts. All ages, from babies to people on 80ths. I'm not judging anyone here but it was interesting seeing such diversity actually.
Anyway, after a while number 600 got called, it was that guy with K1 visa, after 20 min I saw him came out and later I knew he got approved. 10 minutes later my number 602 got called, the girl with 601 was still there. So I went to the window which was #15, at the end of the hall.
The consular was a white American man, when I got there he asked to swear that everything I sent is correct. I did swear -of course. He never asked me for any paper to give/show him, although I did have A LOT, tax returns, pictures of us, flight tickets, etc. He started asking me how did I meet my wife? How many times she visited? How long she would stay? What does she work? What does she do with her free time? Was she married before? Does she has kids? And what is the age? Did I went outside Egypt before? Did I marry before?
All these questions were normal and expected, then he asked me what do I work. I told him my work, and that when he asked me about specific position I have before and he asked me what exactly I was doing there? It was weird question for me, because I would say technical stuff and this is not work visa! I told him some details about that position with technical terms. After that he asked me to wait, and he went for like 2 minutes away. Then he came back asking if I do have my C.V.! I was surprised, I never heard anyone needed a C.V. for immigration visa interview! I didn't have the C.V. with me. He said it is fine.
At the end he told me that everything he has about me is good, but he will ask for additional documents, which is my C.V.! He gave me my passport back and asked me to send it with my C.V. through Aramex and wished me a nice day.
I got out being confused, didn't know why he asked for my C.V., I was expecting approve and I think the interview went well with him. We did have a red flag actually, she is about 11 years older than me, but everything is genuine and clear with us.
I got out of the embassy with a busy mind that I forgot my flash memory at that guy in front of the embassy. Got to my apartment, printed my C.V. and went to Aramex office and sent my C.V. with my passport and some additional documents like pictures and ticket flights which I didn't got chance to show him.
Next day I got a call from embassy. Egyptian girl asking me if the consular asked for these additional papers or not, I said no, he didn't ask for them. And apparently these papers won't reach the consular.
The case on the CEAC website is Administrative Processing from the day of the interview till now, but last update date field is changing daily, which I read it is a good sign that they are working on my case.
After further research I found explanations why he asked me for my C.V. and why I went through AP. That position I have before is under what is called Technology Alert List (TAL), which is a list of some technologies if you been working on one of them, you will need to go through AP for security check. You can google that and read more about it.
SO make sure you read that TAL list to know if your position under any of them (mostly it is about engineering and chemical stuff). If your position in that list then make sure to bring your C.V. with you at the interview, and expect AP!
Sorry if that was long, I wanted to be through about it.
I will update this if my case changed. Good luck for all of you.
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| Rating : |
Good |
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ver 5.0