Normal for Consulate to call Spouses Neighbor

[powerplyer 4]

Our interview is set for November 6th, 2018 in Mumbai consulate. On Nov 1st, 2018, my spouses neighbor, across the street, got a call asking about my spouses and step sons information. The caller ID was from the consulate number and the person asking the questions had a lot of information (DS260) verification related question. The consulate asked about my spouses parents name, how she became a widow and about my step son. The call lasted about 2min. We have no idea how they got the neighbors number. It is not listed in any of our paperwork. 

 

Is this normal process? Nobody on this forum has mentioned getting a verification calls. Should we be worried? Is this a bad/good sign? I front loaded the NVC package for Bonofide marriage. My income is over 5x the poverty line.

 

This has gotton us a little rattled and looking for similar experiences. 

[geowrian 22,335]

It's not normal, but sometimes they do ask around to verify information. As long as nothing inconsistent was stated there so it shouldn't be an issue.

[Belma15 12]

Good luck to her hope she will get visa.My fiance have on Monday interview.

[Marriedforlove 4]

58 minutes ago, powerplyer said:

Our interview is set for November 6th, 2018 in Mumbai consulate. On Nov 1st, 2018, my spouses neighbor, across the street, got a call asking about my spouses and step sons information. The caller ID was from the consulate number and the person asking the questions had a lot of information (DS260) verification related question. The consulate asked about my spouses parents name, how she became a widow and about my step son. The call lasted about 2min. We have no idea how they got the neighbors number. It is not listed in any of our paperwork. 

 

Is this normal process? Nobody on this forum has mentioned getting a verification calls. Should we be worried? Is this a bad/good sign? I front loaded the NVC package for Bonofide marriage. My income is over 5x the poverty line.

 

This has gotton us a little rattled and looking for similar experiences. 

Could the caller be a scam? Why would immigration call the neighbor? What if the neighbor doesn't even know her?

[debbiedoo 2,339]

i dont even know my neighbors names. lol

[geowrian 22,335]

17 minutes ago, Marriedforlove said:

Could the caller be a scam? Why would immigration call the neighbor? What if the neighbor doesn't even know her?

Can it? Absolutely. But did they ask for any information that was of value to a scammer? If not, then it likely wasn't a scammer.

To verify certain types of information to best of their ability.

Then they say they don't know the neighbor and move on...it's neither a positive nor negative if the individual doesn't have the information they're looking for.

[powerplyer 4]

Thanks for all the quick replies. Our initial thought that it was a scammer, however the caller ID was that from the embassy. It was the main number from the embassy. It is India and all most neighbors know about each other especially life events. The questions were more verification questions from the DS260. Nothing major. 

 

I told my spouse just to be honest and forward during the interview. She is shaken by the event, and this just added to already nervous spouse.😊

 

It does appear that the phone call was out of the norm, which has me a bit worried, but our file is pretty stright forward. 

[<3T&M<3 217]

11 hours ago, powerplyer said:

Thanks for all the quick replies. Our initial thought that it was a scammer, however the caller ID was that from the embassy. It was the main number from the embassy. It is India and all most neighbors know about each other especially life events. The questions were more verification questions from the DS260. Nothing major. 

 

I told my spouse just to be honest and forward during the interview. She is shaken by the event, and this just added to already nervous spouse.😊

 

It does appear that the phone call was out of the norm, which has me a bit worried, but our file is pretty stright forward. 

Maybe that is why they chose to call you  Your case is too normal  

I wouldn't worry 

Best of luck 

[pushbrk 12,105]

Consular Immigrant Visa Units have "investigators" and they DO investigate when they think it appropriate to do so.  So, it is not "routine" for each case but definitely "normal" as in part of their every day (not every case) procedures.

[Mr & Mrs 53]

21 hours ago, powerplyer said:

Our interview is set for November 6th, 2018 in Mumbai consulate. On Nov 1st, 2018, my spouses neighbor, across the street, got a call asking about my spouses and step sons information. The caller ID was from the consulate number and the person asking the questions had a lot of information (DS260) verification related question. The consulate asked about my spouses parents name, how she became a widow and about my step son. The call lasted about 2min. We have no idea how they got the neighbors number. It is not listed in any of our paperwork. 

 

Is this normal process? Nobody on this forum has mentioned getting a verification calls. Should we be worried? Is this a bad/good sign? I front loaded the NVC package for Bonofide marriage. My income is over 5x the poverty line.

 

This has gotton us a little rattled and looking for similar experiences. 

This is totally normal and its not scam ,they call sometime but not always and it always the case when they have some doubts about your relationship . And they get number through local agency in your area that could be police station in your area or any other local agencies that gathers all information about you based on your home address where do you live who live in neighborhood etc etc so very normal and i seen many cases like this so nothing to worry about as long as everything is legitimate all is good .It just one extra step in verification but nothing to worry about.  

[powerplyer 4]

Thank you for the words of encouragement. A bit more information; I called the neighbor and he is currently applying for  B1 and B2. I think that is how they got his number. He said the conversation with the consulate was normal and in English. They asked how long my spouse lived in the same society. What are the name of her parents. They asked about my spouses late husband and why he passed away. They asked about my spouses sons name. They asked about my name. They asked how long we were married. Basic questions. The neighbor did mess up on how long we were married, but he was not invited to the wedding. He said 5-6 months, where it has been almost 12 months. It was only blood relatives and few members from my family. 

 

As some suggested on the fourm, I font loaded @ the NVC stage. Pictures about 150 pics, showed them 4 trips to India, affidavit's from both our uncles, joint bank and joint 2017 tax returns, phone logs, chat history and WA call history. 

 

I think the only red flag is that we did not change my step son's last name to my name. My wife changed her last name to mine, fairly quickly after the wedding. 

 

Thanks to this fourm, I feel a bit less worried. And in some aspect I look at this as a positive, where they feel more confident on a bonofide marriage after talking with our neighbor. May make the interview go smoothly. I hoping to share our joy on Nov 6th.

[pushbrk 12,105]

2 hours ago, powerplyer said:

Thank you for the words of encouragement. A bit more information; I called the neighbor and he is currently applying for  B1 and B2. I think that is how they got his number.

Maybe, but it is not difficult to get a phone number for a person at a given address, particularly if you are doing so in an official government capacity.  Of course the conversation would be "normal".  They asked questions and listened to the answers.  Whether to be concerned or not, only you can know.

[Ryan H 3,790]

Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Process & Procedures to US Embassy and Consulate Discussion; topic is about this phase of the process and applicable to multiple visas.

[Mr & Mrs 53]

On 11/3/2018 at 9:44 PM, powerplyer said:

Thank you for the words of encouragement. A bit more information; I called the neighbor and he is currently applying for  B1 and B2. I think that is how they got his number. He said the conversation with the consulate was normal and in English. They asked how long my spouse lived in the same society. What are the name of her parents. They asked about my spouses late husband and why he passed away. They asked about my spouses sons name. They asked about my name. They asked how long we were married. Basic questions. The neighbor did mess up on how long we were married, but he was not invited to the wedding. He said 5-6 months, where it has been almost 12 months. It was only blood relatives and few members from my family. 

 

As some suggested on the fourm, I font loaded @ the NVC stage. Pictures about 150 pics, showed them 4 trips to India, affidavit's from both our uncles, joint bank and joint 2017 tax returns, phone logs, chat history and WA call history. 

 

I think the only red flag is that we did not change my step son's last name to my name. My wife changed her last name to mine, fairly quickly after the wedding. 

 

Thanks to this fourm, I feel a bit less worried. And in some aspect I look at this as a positive, where they feel more confident on a bonofide marriage after talking with our neighbor. May make the interview go smoothly. I hoping to share our joy on Nov 6th.

Its okay they don't have to be 100% correct ,I mean no one outside your family can answer 100% about you or your spouse or her family. They just do quick check just to confirm that you are actually married and somehow not related to each other by blood .As long as your neighbor answered that you guys are married and its bonafide , everything is good.

Edited November 5, 2018 by Mr & Mrs