detailed London CR1 interview : DECLINED

[larnar1309 101]

Just now, caliliving said:

 i know you are a CR1 spouse. but during that time you can travel on the VWP! you did not need to apply for a B2! that was not necessary.. who told you that you needed that? as a low fraud country, traveling on your VWP while your CR1 was pending would have been no issues!

??? I think you are confusing my post with someone else's... I've never done any of this b2 business lol

 

i travelled using visa waiver the whole year and right now I can't travel because my passport is awaiting green card approval. 

[Holt 73]

She didn't apply for B2. Where did you read about it??? She was interviewed for CR1 Visa, not B2.

To OP, B2 is tourist visa, it is not Business visa, which is B1.

[larnar1309 101]

I'm not sure what people are talking about here.

 

This post is simply in regards to my original post regarding my interview for CR1 spouse visa. It has nothing to do with B1 or B2 haha.

 

For anyone wanting info on either of those please go to other posts that are connected to that.

 

Again - this post is about my experience with the CR1 spouse interview and aimed to help those going through this experience so that they are prepared and don't make some of the mistakes I did!

 

best wishes to you all

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

and you are right about it not making it past NVC stage without asking for cosponsor

they kept sending me a request for new I 864 as they didn't want to count my untaxable income / my late husband's estate planner set me up with a monthly income well over the guidelines. but i pay taxes only on the interest as the orignal investment was taxed when earned

they kept saying line 37 taxable income is all they count and most of my income is not taxable

I did pay a lawyer to fill it out (same as i had been doing) and explain there was ample monies in my investment accounts well over 5 times the needed amount (although he never gave amounts or showed proof)

and again to say you are right , NVC should have told you to send paperwork to them with a I 864(a) from cosponsor before it went to embassy 

that is part of the NVC processing so someone wasn't doing their job

[NYCruiser 423]

19 hours ago, larnar1309 said:

Interview date: 3rd November 2017 scheduled: 10:30am Embassy: London

 

I arrived at the embassy entrance at around 9:30am. There were looooong lines of people (probably around 100ish). I went straight up to the front desk and told the woman I have a spouse visa interview at 10:30. She told me to come back to her at about 10:15 and just come straight to her - not to line up. I went for a quick cup of tea and was too excited really to sit around so I went back to the woman at 10am and she took a look at my interview letter and passport and told me to join another line which was in front of a window written "interview appointments only" there was about 15 people in this line.

 

I spoke to the woman behind me who said her appointment time was for 9:30 but she thinks there's just so many people it's impossible to get in on time. I'm not sure if she maybe lined up in the long line to get in this same line as me. The officer was letting four people in at one time to the glass entrance room. We were given small plastic bags to put keys / wallet / phone etc. in. I was asked several times whether I had a laptop which I did not. My bag went through the machine like in the airport and I went to the reception of the embassy. The receptionist checked my passport, put a sticker with a number on it on my interview letter and told me to go upstairs and go to the window when my number appears on the big screen.

 

I'd say when I sat down upstairs it was around 10am but I wasn't checking my phone much because numbers were pinging up on the big screen every few seconds and I didn't want to miss mine. About 10 minutes passed and my number flashed up and I went to the window. A nice woman pulled out my HUGE file which contained the documents submitted to USCIS and NVC. It was actually amazing to see this. haha. She went through my documents that were requested on my interview letter (birth certs, police certs, etc. ) and checked them all off on a list she had. This took about 10 minutes. She then took my fingerprints via a glass scanner (like in American airports) and asked me if I have flights booked to the US. I was surprised by this because they always tell you not to book flights in advance. I do have flights booked for thanksgiving and Xmas so I told her I have tickets to Denver for Nov 21st. She noted this down and gave me back my interview letter with the same number on it and said when it flashed up on the screen that would be for my interview.

 

I sat waiting for my number. I saw on the screen that it was written Immigrant visas are taking up to 17 working days to process which seems like a long time!

 

I waited for my number to flash up for about 25 minutes. Then went straight to my window round the corner. I was surprised because I imagined the interview to be sitting down with someone in a room or something but it was exactly like the first window. Just a guy sitting behind the glass with all my docs. He asked me where me and my husband met, when we met, when we got married, how we keep in contact, and what he does for work. He then responded saying that my husbands income does not meet the minimum requirement so I would be required to submit a joint sponsor before my application can be approved. I was shocked by this because me and my husband had initially planned a joint sponsor and were surprised that this wasn't requested at the NVC stage to submit one? I asked why it wasn't requested before today and the CO just responded with "we thought you would have kind of worked that out yourself". I was so annoyed because it says all over the building to not submit any additional documents that are not requested AND on the interview form just to bring what is asked to bring!! The CO gave me a blue piece of paper which states that my visa application is declined until the required documents have been submitted. He said he would hang onto my passport and everything until I submit them as PDF files to an email address he gave me. I asked him if I should take my passport so I can go for thanksgiving and then submit the joint sponsor docs etc. when Im back and do my POE for my xmas trip. He said that he didn't recommend that because I would probably be declined entry to the US and red flagged that I was trying to enter before completing this step of the process!!

 

He said if I submit the documents via email by Monday morning I can probably get my visa approved and passport back in time to go for thanksgiving. Luckily my husband and I already prepared for this so we have everything ready to submit for Monday. but still.. huge sigh!! I thought this would be over and was so ready for it just to all be done. Should have expected there was more to come!! haha.

 

If I can't go for thanksgiving it's not the end of the world but really hoping that I can. Just missing my husband so much.

 

Anyway - mainly wrote this for 2 reasons:

 

1) because I hope the same situation doesn't happen to anyone else regarding not submitting un-requested docs  or bringing extra with them. I now wish I had brought my joint sponsor stuff. 

2) a lot of people say to not book flights because you can't guarantee you will make them. However, I felt like in this situation they are working towards me getting my passport back IN TIME FOR MY FLIGHT. They were curious as to my flight timeline etc. so I think it helped me having them. 

 

Best wishes to everyone interviewing at London. Hope you have a smoother journey than me! 

 

Wow..they have really changed things there...A while back a relative went there for an interview and they had them sit down with a spot of tea and biscuits!! Goodness..seem very unfriendly.

 

However, were you really declined? I think its justs needing more documents they need to make up the difference in income. They don't want folks to be a public charge here which is understandable.

 

Good luck and everything will be ok. 

 

Regards

 

[Maryland 13]

19 hours ago, Shacues16 said:

Hey, I thought I would reply because I had a similar experience. I also had my inteview in London, almost 3 weeks ago.

The interview went well, but I was asked to submit more documents from our joint sponsor. Once I emailed the required documents, my status changed to issued the following day. My passport was ready for collection a few days later. Hopefully it's the same for you and you get your passport back soon.  

 

 

Hi. What kind of information did they request from joint sponsor thanks.

[Boiler 43,363]

13 hours ago, Gorkhali said:

well, things could be worse right... so thank almighty and Monday when u submit ur required paper u will be granted a visa. Welcome to Colorado..

 

Have a look at this and laugh out loud. U may not understand this coz u have not lived in Boulder.. We live here in boulder and we understand the sarcasam in this video.. 

 

URL : 

 

 

Sadly not far from the truth, more Trustafarians now.

[Shacues16 18]

2 hours ago, Maryland said:

Hi. What kind of information did they request from joint sponsor thanks.

The CO asked for more documentation regarding our sponsors assets, or if we couldn't provide that we would need a new joint sponsor. Luckily we ended up finding a new joint sponsor who was way above the income threshold.

[Gorkhali 213]

9 hours ago, Boiler said:

Sadly not far from the truth, more Trustafarians now.

i so agree with u Boiler on trustafarians 

[Kemnymeky87 0]

May I ask were those the only questions they asked at the interview??? I want to have my husband to be prepared for what is coming 

[Shacues16 18]

1 hour ago, Kemnymeky87 said:

May I ask were those the only questions they asked at the interview??? I want to have my husband to be prepared for what is coming 

That's pretty much what I was asked too. He also asked me when I'm going to the US. For the rest of the interview, he just went through the AOS etc.

[Italian_in_NYC 259]

My mom (whom I'm sponsoring - sent the I-130 last February) has been traveling to the US four times during the process under VWP and never a question asked, last time at the end of September with her case already at NVC. She is also coming next week (I hope I'm not jinxing her).

Why would someone try to skip the last formality after a year of paperwork and fees?

[larnar1309 101]

On 2017/11/5 at 4:08 PM, Maryland said:

Hi. What kind of information did they request from joint sponsor thanks.

They asked me for i864

tax returns

w2 

American birth cert / passport copy or green card copies

14 hours ago, Gorkhali said:

i so agree with u Boiler on trustafarians 

What do you guys mean by trustafarians 😂

11 hours ago, Kemnymeky87 said:

May I ask were those the only questions they asked at the interview??? I want to have my husband to be prepared for what is coming 

Those were the only questions asked yes

1 hour ago, Italian_in_NYC said:

My mom (whom I'm sponsoring - sent the I-130 last February) has been traveling to the US four times during the process under VWP and never a question asked, last time at the end of September with her case already at NVC. She is also coming next week (I hope I'm not jinxing her).

Why would someone try to skip the last formality after a year of paperwork and fees?

Are you referring to me as trying to skip the last formality? 

[Italian_in_NYC 259]

1 minute ago, larnar1309 said:

Are you referring to me as trying to skip the last formality? 

I'm referring to them even thinking about you doing that, after a year or so of waiting...

[larnar1309 101]

Update: 

 

so i was given the email address which specifically states to sent my documents via PDF. 

 

We sent the PDF documents in the email as instructed on Sunday night and this morning (Monday morning) I got an email saying the documents need to be couriered to the embassy?! 

 

Since we are rushing to get this done in the hope I can go for thanksgiving (plane tickets nov 21) I called the embassy and asked if I can just print the documents and bring them myself to the embassy today. I was told I can't because the embassy has my passport and I need my passport to enter Hahahaha oh my you just have to laugh. 

 

The woman on the phone looked at my case and confirmed I can submit via email ?! That's what it says on my case ... so anyway I have submitted again by email AND couriered the documents to the embassy. Knowing my luck they will want my joint sponsors official written documents and I'll have to have those couriered to the embassy instead of my print copies. 

 

ceac says my documents will take 2 business days but the courier told me it seems to take most people a week to receive their documents back after sending... so here I am stuck in limbo! 

 

I wish NVC had just f**in told me to submit a joint sponsor like they should have. Although I guess that could have reset my time to 11 weeks again?? Is there any way to win in this process ?! ?! Haha just counting my blessings at the moment.

 

i have an amazing husband and we will be reuinited soon enough.. 🙏 Cultivating patience of the Buddha over here 🙈😂