US Emb. KL - Interview today

[faryan 4]

Hi VJers,

Great news... My interview was today, and everything went well. Will pick up my passport with visa tomorrow afternoon from VFS. When the CO said congratulations you're approved, I was like, really? Smiling ear to ear... All the heartaches, confusion, fear, despair went out the window. Feeling so relieved. My husband understood how I felt about the interview, as well as the whole visa process. In fact, I calmed down a lot since finding VJ. I'm sure you guys can imagine, as you too going through this.. It's a crazy feeling when you realised after the wedding that it will take a longggggg time before you can start living together as a married couple, that it is out of your hand, and that you have to provide evidence to the government that you are in a bona fide r'ship.. (like, it wasnt enough that I had to convince my entire extended family that my hubby is a great guy and loves me vice versa and the interrogation that comes before we got married, LOL) I swear both me and hubby went a bit nuts from time to time because of this wait, and anticipation of whether the government deem us good enough or not. But here we are today. We're approved! And I'm flying in in time for Valentine's, our very first while in the same country!

So, thank you VJ, and to everyone here . And good luck on your own visa journey .

Sketchy timeline as we file via our lawyer:-

Married: 12 Apr 2008

File I130 at VSC, going on CR1 visa : June 2008

Got transferred to CSC

I130 approved : August 2008

Went to NVC

Sent all the necessary things

yet RFE-ed!!! (no thanks to lawyer!) : Nov 2008

Waiting for this document to arrive to me

Sent the doc: Dec 2008

NVC case complete: 2 Jan 2009

Medical Checkup: 21st & 31st Jan 2009 - passed

Interview at USEM KL: 3 Feb 2009 - approved

Passport Pick up: 4 Feb 2009

Departure: 12 Feb 2009

POE: Chicago O'hare

[Cacerez 19]

Hi VJers,

Great news... My interview was today, and everything went well. Will pick up my passport with visa tomorrow afternoon from VFS. When the CO said congratulations you're approved, I was like, really? Smiling ear to ear... All the heartaches, confusion, fear, despair went out the window. Feeling so relieved. My husband understood how I felt about the interview, as well as the whole visa process. In fact, I calmed down a lot since finding VJ. I'm sure you guys can imagine, as you too going through this.. It's a crazy feeling when you realised after the wedding that it will take a longggggg time before you can start living together as a married couple, that it is out of your hand, and that you have to provide evidence to the government that you are in a bona fide r'ship.. (like, it wasnt enough that I had to convince my entire extended family that my hubby is a great guy and loves me vice versa and the interrogation that comes before we got married, LOL) I swear both me and hubby went a bit nuts from time to time because of this wait, and anticipation of whether the government deem us good enough or not. But here we are today. We're approved! And I'm flying in in time for Valentine's, our very first while in the same country!

So, thank you VJ, and to everyone here . And good luck on your own visa journey .

Sketchy timeline as we file via our lawyer:-

Married: 12 Apr 2008

File I130 at VSC, going on CR1 visa : June 2008

Got transferred to CSC

I130 approved : August 2008

Went to NVC

Sent all the necessary things

yet RFE-ed!!! (no thanks to lawyer!) : Nov 2008

Waiting for this document to arrive to me

Sent the doc: Dec 2008

NVC case complete: 2 Jan 2009

Medical Checkup: 21st & 31st Jan 2009 - passed

Interview at USEM KL: 3 Feb 2009 - approved

Passport Pick up: 4 Feb 2009

Departure: 12 Feb 2009

POE: Chicago O'hare

CONGRATULATIONS! So happy for you!

[faryan 4]

CONGRATULATIONS! So happy for you!

Thank you so much!!! I feel like i want to cry and shout still, and it's been 5 hours since my interview.. Maybe delayed reaction

Have fun in Guatemala!

[Princess In Love 0]

congratulations sweety, i 'm soooooooooooooooooo happy for you; it is really a good timing to fly to your hubby, wish a happy valentine together

[faryan 4]

Thanks Saida... :dance: did you get my PM? anyways, here's a more detailed info for your use...

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So, let me share with you re my preparation for interview as well as what happened today at the embassy. Granted, I was the only one going through this kind of visa interview in Kuala Lumpur today, the rest are there for what i think B1/B2 visa (and on the phone, they told my hubby that there's just about 3 or 4 family based interview on schedule), but perhaps there are others who might find it helpful, just like I did when reading fellow VJers experiences. Like what most said here, preparation is key to feeling confident, and feeling confident inside goes a long way While I still shake like a leaf today, at least preparing them made me aware of the objective of the interview, plus I know at my fingertips what docs i have to prove what. If you get my drift

I brought a lightweight bag, the recyclable kind of bag that you can get at groceries nowadays. I divided my docs into:

1) Identification

- Copy of interview letter, where i highlight my case number & interview date and time

- Original Birth certificate, certified translation & photocopy (i also have hubby's certified BC)

- Original Marriage cert, certified translation & photocopy

- My copy of Malaysian police clearance & NBI clearance

- My degree diploma & transcript

2) Evidence of Meeting

Folder 1: Paper trail evidence

Each trip to meet, stapled into one section

- Photocopy of passport ID page with page of entrance/exit stamp (highlight that trip's stamps)

- Travel itinerary, ticket stubs, bagtags, whichever available

- Receipts (hotel, meals/purchases/services) using credit card

Folder 2: Photo evidence

Each trip to meet, stapled into one section, and each photo captioned. Select 4-5 pics of each trip.

If possible, bring your wedding/engagement photo album for in case. Mine is luckily made travel friendly.

3) Evidence of Relationship

Folder 1: Co-mingling of assets

(or at least what i deem as evidence of co-mingling, since we are newlyweds and not yet living in one household )

- Letter from hubby's company/insurance provider saying that I am covered under his work insurance effective since 12 apr 2008 (marriage date)

- Money remittances

Folder 2: Evidence of R'ship with hubby

- Letters, cards to each other over the years

- Select emails since filing (as you want to establish ongoing rship since you apply I130). We chose one per month since May - Dec 08. You may black out parts u dont want to show. But i highlighted my name/add, his, and the date.

- Select chatlogs, same like the above

- Receipts of parcels, gifts, etc to each other over the years that you still have

- Phone bills/records (we didnt prepare this one as we got lazy already)

Folder 3: Evidence of R'ship with in-laws

(as i have yet to meet hubby's family)

- Emails, cards, gifts to each other

(my MIL is an artist, and she sent me photos of the family as well as her own artworks, so i took pictures of those together with the package it comes in)

**You can also bring evidence of the exchanges between your family and USC spouse, but i didnt as i have loads of pics of them together

4) Financials

(These are in support of the Affidavit of Support)

- Paystubs

- IRS transcripts

- Copy of the notarised letter from hubby's company stating that he is an employee since xxx, salary is xxx

5) Copy of completed & sent visa forms

This is important for me, just so I can review what we have filled and signed and sent. This is very important as in my interview, this is what being asked most. So thankfully we always make copies.

[Princess In Love 0]

i got your PM and i'm so happy for you

thanks for sharing with us your experience at the embassy, for me this is what i'm afraid most so threads like yours are very helpful to get well prepared

congratulations again

[faryan 4]

No problem Saida..

Just want to add: DO NOT FORGET YOUR MEDICAL REPORT!!!!!! As well as your 2x2 inch ID photo with white background.. And your passport (recent and expired ones)

Anyways, those were what I prepared, with lots of help from Ryan, the hubby. Its kind of fun to do it, discussing which to include and which to pass, while revisiting how we first met how we develop since, what we think we want to portray.

However, be prepared that they wont even bother looking at them

-------------------------------

So here's my embassy experience:

I drove to the embassy, went out at 7.30 am or so and arrive at about 8+am. Parked my car, called hubby to tell him I'm there. Greeted the security lady, showed her my interview letter, she gave me some instructions, went thru the x-ray checkpoint, took my number, walked up the stairs to the waiting lobby. Quite a number of people, but definitely not like my experience of going to interview for B1/B2 visa is USEM Manila.. that was like a market there! literally hundreds waiting for one visa or another!. Anyways, maybe about 20 people at the lobby. Mostly for honeymoon, visit child who are there at uni, traveling for meeting/visit business site, and a group of malaysian national dance/theatre or something of about 8. 2 person having a totally diff thing than us, it says USC/resident matters. And then there's me.

While waiting, you can actually hear what the others who are being interviewed/screened were saying, as the interview/screening are conducted at counters, not in a room

I think at about 9.20am my number was called for screening. Screening me was this Malaysian guy, he is very serious but polite. I saw that he has a stack of my papers with him already. He asked me for my original BC, marriage cert and 2x2 inch photo (coz the one i sent with the application was of wrong size). He also asked for my medical report, and passports (old and new). After making sure that all is in order, he told me that I am to leave the compound and come back for my interview at about 1.30 in the afternoon. It just take about 5 mins for all to be settled.

I left, called hubby, went to the KLCC by taxi (as i dont want to lose my great parking spot, plus i dont want to be stucked in traffic or risk taking the wrong turn). I had about 3 hours, went window shopping, had brunch, talk with hubby on the phone. Look at my docs again. Left KLCC at about 12noon. Arrived by 12.20, had to wait outside til 1.15pm. When the gates open, went in and wait at the same waiting room. I was shaking like a leaf, grabbed a business magazine. Reading, and also praying for presence of mind and for me to stop shaking. There was about 6 of us. One old man, one foreign young man, one young lady, and one pregnant couple, and me. My number was called first.

The CO interviewing me was a cute young Asian American guy. He is smiley, relaxed, and a bit jokey. I said good afternoon, and put my things on the floor. Standing there, gave a small smile, waiting. He said he's going to take my fingerprints but the computer was slow. He made some jokes re it, i asked why is it slow, cant remember what he said. Got the fingerprinting part done. He asked me to raise my right hand and make a vow. xxxx and i said yes.

He asked when did we get married. He asked/talked a lot about my previous jobs. He asked how we met. when did it become serious. did we meet again since wedding. more about my job. his age, where/what he studied. more about my job. when do i plan to go to US. asked to see the photos of first meeting and our honeymoon in New Zealand. How hubby converted to marry me. In between the interview he asked me to sit twice while he typed additional info on computer.

That's all. Just about 5-10 mins total Of all the things I prepared, the only things I had to show him was those photos. he didnt even ask re wedding photos, re family, nothing. he said thats all he needed. He gave me back my original BC and marriage cert. And told me that his colleague will inform me on how to pick up my passport & visa tomorrow. And I guess my eyes went huge, coz he smiled and said congratulations, your visa is approved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and im like, really? he said yes, really.. hehehehe so i thanked him. gathered my things, and went to sit. my heart rate was over the roof while waiting to be called next. just a short moment later, i was called by my serious Malaysian screener, handed the card and inform me to pick it up at the address tomorrow at 3pm... yippee!

I was out of the embassy by 2.15pm and was on the phone with hubby shouting and laughing.. What a day!

[beejay 123]

Congratulations! You better start packing

[faryan 4]

Congratulations! You better start packing

Thanks Beejay... Yes I should!