Beaulahluo

Wow. I'm just looking back at this post, and I'm having a hard time believing that within the last 13 days, all of the appointments from now until November have been taken? Really??? [since the image isn't showing up in the quoted post: on Aug. 28, there were appointments available as soon as Aug. 30 and practically every day in September.]

I just cannot express how very, very tired I am of this whole process at this precise moment in time.

I'm really shocked and surprised; it's so different than everything so far this year!! I am hoping something opens up MUCH SOONER!!

Good luck, Cotton Candy!

We finally got confirmation from the embassy that our petition is there, so yesterday we were able to access the online payment/scheduling system and get the Mpesa PDF. Aaron is going to try to get the payment made today, and then it's scheduling time! And after that, time for me to get documents ready, buy my ticket, and send wedding save-the-date emails (all the wedding deposits are transferable, of course)

We are SO excited for you and Aaron! Keep us posted on EVERYTHING!! Wishing you the best of luck and sending prayers your way too!

Hello Beaulahluo,

There is something I want to ask that is related to the visa process since I see your fiance was from Uganda. How did you go about the police certificate? Someone just sent me a link and on the page, it says, we have to write to the CID, have fingerprints taken which will take about 2 weeks for that.. Did you also get your certificate from the CID headquarters here in Uganda?? Just want to start preparing before the interview.

Any information on this will be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Ann.

My husband said he would if at ALL possible go in person to get the Police cert (not through the mail). He said when he went they took his photo and his fingerprints, and that he had to go back twice. This is what he did:

He went to Kibuli Police Station, and there they gave a bank slip. Then he went and paid around 50,000 UGX, then he went back with his receipt to Kibuli. Then they take finger prints, then they gave another receipt. Then they told him to go to Kololo Interpol after a week or four days (it depends).

So a week later, he went to Kololo, and he was given another bank slip which he went and paid again (around 50,000 UGX) and went back with his receipt, then they took his photo and told him to wait outside for an hour. Then they called him back, and issued his certificate.

Soooo...that's how he got it! Our lawyer said you could get it through the mail, but my husband says they had to take his photo to put on the certificate so he doesn't see how that process could happen through the mail. You could try the mail but it's much more certain if you go in person; that's what he did and he didn't have any problems.

Hope that helps~~ Just curious, what part of UG is your fiance from?

Hi,

I scheduled my interview appointment (August 22, 2012) and received a confirmation email from the Embassy. The Embassy has interview openings from as early as July 10, but we wanted a date in late August when my fiance will be in Kenya. It already feels good just knowing that even though he will not be allowed in the Embassy/consulate area, he will be just a stone throw away and not oceans away.

Well, I have 2 questions and shall be grateful to hear from you:

1. Does the interview process still entail submitting documents on the appointment date and attending the substantive interview the next day? The posts on this thread from around March/April 2012 seem to suggest otherwise.

2. As regards the DS-230, the current form has an expiry date of June 30, 2012 which has now lapsed and the form specifically states that 'previous editions obsolete'. Is the 'expiry date' the edition date for this particular Form and if so, in the event that the Form is not updated by August 2012, should i go ahead and use the 'expired form'.

My husband went for his interview in March, and he wasn't required to submit anything beforehand. The day of his interview he brought all the paperwork, and had his interview on the same day. I would plan on going the day of the interview with all your paperwork and having your interview that day. Keep in mind that everything you say once you enter the embassy can be used as part of the interview. The people you talk to before your formal interview will ask questions, and the final interview may follow up on anything you've said earlier.

Approved!!!!!

We got the visa on Friday!

Yay!!!!!

Thanks everyone so much for your help!

Beaulahluo I lived in Mukono for a while! Love it there! Glad to hear you guys got yours!!!!

Hooray! I'm SO happy for you That's cool you lived in Mukono - what a small world And I agree it is encouraging to read about approvals in Nairobi! Best of luck to all those yet to interview there and those still navigating the consulate.

Anyone with insight on this? The red slip my husband was given had two points checked...failed to establish bona-fide relationship. The other was something to do "...for immigration purposes" has anyone had this experience? What kind of evidence can I provide to fight this? I am currently trying to get a lawyer to see if my case can be adjudicated a second time at the nairobi embassy so I can attend and we provide more evidence. Any help will be appreciated.

I'm so sorry! This is terrible. Has your husband emailed you a copy of the red slip he was given? If not, he should do that so you can provide it to your lawyer. My lawyer provided me with a document to give to the consular officer if the visa was denied, which requested that the petition not be returned but be kept in Kenya for a second hearing. Talk with your lawyer about the possibility of having something like that sent there. I wish I had more advice to give! Best wishes sent your way!

thats great news that he is picking it up tmrw, dhl told me it should arrive at the embassy friday tommorow. hope he feels better , i know malaria can be sickening, but be strong. i will email them tue to confirm receipt.

VISA IN HAND!!! FINALLLLLLLLLY!!!!

Plane ticket purchased, and after nine long months he'll be here eight days. Soooo happy.

Hi Beaulahluo,

Since I am filing for my 16 year old son (my natural born son), is the process the same? The NVC asked for the police certificate and ORIGINAL birth certificate which they have received. Also, I paid the IV fees $404 directly to NVC through their online payment portal. Are there STILL other payments to be made at the US Embassy Nairobi? I was thinking that the Medical is the only thing remaining.

Thanks,

I have never filed for a son; I imagine some parts of the process are similar, however I would pay the fee ASAP and schedule your interview well in advance because fiance visa interviews tend to be more available than other types and other types can entail long waits. The fees may be different for that type of visa as well; for the fiance visa we had to pay via phone or bank in Kenya, and it was a separate fee than the initial filing fee.

This website: http://usvisa-info.com/en-KE/selfservice/p should be able to let you know if you have to pay another fee (were you given a fee receipt number? You'll need that to schedule your interview on that site.) I would register on that site and then you should be able to see if any additional fees apply. I hope you don't have any more!

hi , did you pick up your visa yet, how many days after they received his passport did they confirm that they are processing the visa?

My fiance picks it up tomorrow! The process I am sorry to say has been extremely slow. He also just got sick (it seems to be malaria) so I'm hoping his bus ride back to Mukono, Uganda isn't completely unbearable.

I confirmed via the DHL tracking number that the passport was delivered, waited a day, and then emailed them (ImmigrationVisaNairobi@state.gov) saying, "I wanted to confirm receipt of my fiance's passport and police certificate and we look forward to hearing what our next steps are." They responded 1 or 2 days later, "We are happy to inform you we are processing your fiance's visa and it will most probably be ready next Wednesday." Which turned into Friday.

I would email them, and see what they say!

Best of luck!!!

Hello friends.

Once the case is complete at NVC, does NVC schedule the interview or does the beneficiary go to the US Embassy website to book the interview date?

The NVC should mail your documents to the Nairobi Consulate (this takes a few days). Once you have word they've mailed it, wait a few days and then call the consulate to confirm they've received it. At that point, you can schedule your interview as soon as all your documents (police clearance, birth certificate, etc.) are in your possession and you've prepared the forms in the "Packet 3" available on the Visa website. After you have paid the fee, you schedule the interview through the other website http://usvisa-info.com/en-KE/selfservice/ss_country_welcome). You can schedule your medical via email or phone for around the same time as the interview, but you'll want to do it enough days beforehand that the medical offices have time to deliver your medical records to the consulate BEFORE your interview.

Hope that helps!

hi i got an email from the embassy that they got our results, they told me to mail their passports via dhl so they can complete processing.

my question beaulaluo is what address did you send the police cert to? and when you went to dhl did they already have the embassy info please assist .

YAY!! Congratulations! You are SOOO close Log onto the consulate website: http://usvisa-info.com/en-KE/selfservice/ss_country_welcome; once you are logged in, you will want to click on the link that says "Submit documents to consular section." After that, click "immigrant visas"; after that click administrative processing (At the VERY bottom! It's easy to miss!) And then click "immigrant courier in documents". You will want to print that page that comes next, and take it to ANY of the DHL locations listed on the consulate website, along with the passports/documents you've been asked to submit. DHL will know the address to send it to when you give them that paper, and you won't have to pay anything. So yes, the DHL had all the embassy info necessary; you only need to print off that paper from the consulate website.

If you have other questions about it let me know! The process was a little confusing. Best of luck!!

Thank you everyone!!! We are so so thrilled, and so happy to have Visa Journey friends to share the journey with. It has made a world of difference knowing there were others rooting for us regardless of who was rooting against us anywhere else It's a challenging journey but worth EVERY STEP!! For those who have yet to go through the consulate, best of luck! Our best wishes are with you. Thanks to everyone for your well-wishes!

Dear Visa Journey Friends,

We got this email this morning from the consulate:

Thank you for your email. We acknowledge that we are in receipt of your fiance’s passport and Police Certificate and are pleased to inform you that we are currently processing your fiance’s visa and shall mail it to the DHL location he selected most probably by Wednesday next week.

In other words...We're finally APPROVED!!!!!!!

I can't tell you how happy I am!! Or how much support everyone here has give me. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU and best of luck to everyone still on their journey through the Nairobi Embassy! I will post more later but had to let my VJ friends know the good news!!!

DNA completed and results received by embassy today via fed ex. 99.99% match mother father and son have similar genetic markers.

now i just have to wait, for the embassy to tell her to come back for the interview.

Good luck everybody

That is great news!! I hope her interview is SOON!!! Best of luck to you, too, Rasta.

My fiance's passport and police certificate arrived via DHL at the consulate Tuesday. (He was told at the DHL office the consulate would call him when they were ready for whatever comes next.) I emailed yesterday to confirm receipt...no word back yet. Waiting, waiting.

Does anyone know the best number to call to reach the actually embassy and not some call center in India?

My fiancé sent in his passport and birth certificate a week ago. I emailed and they said when it was ready he could pick it up at the embassy instead of a DHL location. But I am surprised its taking this long! Now I am worried we won't hear anything until Tuesday at the earliest because of Easter. My fiancé can't even leave Kenya and go back to spend Easter with his family because the Embassy has his passport.

THanks!

Kelsey, any word from the consulate? Does your fiance have his passport yet? I hope everything is going smoothly for you guys!

I'm sure once they receive his police certificate, they will issue his visa. I will keep you both in my prayers. I have a good feeling you'll be superfine. Just don't book his flight home UNTIL his visa is in his HAND.

Thank you!! Every bit of confidence boosts mine I have a good feeling too...mixed with lots of suspense!!! ha ha. I'm not booking anything until he calls me with visa in hand and then I'm dropping EVERYTHING and booking the flight Then probably crying for sheer joy for a few days, but not until posting the good news here first

I have been silently following your story and I am on a serious note going to pray for you guys that this turns around. I wish they had some way to determine real relationships from fake ones without jeopardizing the happiness of those who genuinely love each other. Thank you for keeping up posted, I am trusting that tomorrow around this time, you will be doing a happy dance and booking a plane ticket for your loved one.

Thank you SO much!!! That means a lot to me and my fiance!! I do too, I wish there were a better way to go through this process. I am trusting it will turn out well... thanks again and I'll post as soon as we have any information!

My fiance's in Nairobi; he picked up the police certificate on Thursday, but due to the Easter holiday the DHL office was closed both Friday AND Monday We'll send it first thing Tuesday, and then I plan to email the consulate on Thursday to make sure they have it and see what our next steps are! More waiting, and hoping, and hoping and waiting!

I am not sure if she was the same blonde haired interviewer who interviewed me back in 2010 but if she is thin, then she is the one. After witnessing people getting humiliated (one student with a paid for scholarship got denied on grounds that her English was bad for an american school, yet she could communicate well and other applicants told to get into schools in Kenya and south Africa) all I remember doing was being super confident and looked her straight in the eyes without any smile at all lest I gave her a chance to demean me.

She was really so judgmental without even hearing the story or looking at the evidence. People choose who to love and marry unconditionally.

Though it doesn't sound like you were denied, it seems like a request for further evidence.

To all those with upcoming interviews, all the best and just be confident and well prepare your evidence.

Yes, it sounds like the same one It is awful how people are treated there. I think you're right, it was a request specifically for the police certificate. My fiance is returning to Nairobi today and will pick up the certificate, and submit it via DHL with his passport on Thursday. We'll see what happens from there!! I'm PRAYING for approval!!!

thanks alot. thanks for the empathy

Yes, we're rooting for you guys too! And hoping the DNA processing will go quickly for you. All this waiting can really wear on you, but it's worth it in the end.

Beahulu what email address did you use to request expediting the process?

I emailed: ImmigrationVisaNairobi@state.gov

Good luck!! It sounds like all will be well once that is done!

Thank you ALL for your encouragement and support! I really couldn't do this alone, it's so confusing and overwhelming.

I think we got some good news though!! Still trying to figure it all out, but I emailed the consulate on Friday, as some of you suggested. I attached a picture of the form Dan was given, and all of our case data numbers/information and explained what Dan was told in his interview. I asked if it was customary to refuse visas for reasons that go explicitly against printed materials provided by the consulate (he was refused because he didn't have a police certificate for somewhere he had been less than a year.) I asked what the next step was once we provide the police certificate, and a time estimate.

This morning I got a response: They told us to DHL his police certificate AND passport and they will expedite the visa process.

I am hoping that means once they get his police certificate that they will issue the visa. Have yet to hear from my lawyer, but here's to hoping!!!

Thanks again everyone!

When I was at the interview with my husband, every one of the 6 applicant before us were denied, except for one that was given the sheet for missing evidence. I think it was for missing a copy of some document, so on the sheet it told them to come back two days later. In other words their interview was rescheduled at that moment. Your case seems similar. He clearly was not denied or they would not be requesting the certificate, which makes me think that it will be rescheduled (however they will not repeat the entire interrogation) once he gets it sent back in. They probably couldn't give you an exact date to come back because the time it takes to get the certificate can vary greatly. I think you will be just fine!! As Jill said, emails work well to get a little info, so maybe a quick message asking to confirm that his case will be reviewed again once the certificate is submitted will work to ease your mind Hope it all works out. Best of luck!!

That would be soooo awesome if they didn't repeat the entire interrogation...and I hope you're right (and it makes sense) that they can't give an exact date due to how long it might take to get the police certificate.

Thank you for your advice...every bit helps!!!

I was hoping they kept his passport because that's a good sign - meaning that they'll issue the visa once they get what they asked for. Anything is possible with this Embassy...I am hoping that once they receive the police certificate, they will issue the visa. I wouldn't think he would need another interview, but all of this is just my opinion based on what I know about this Embassy - they can be very unpredictable. They also could put the case into Administrative Review which means you'll have to wait for that to be complete and then they'll issue it. I would send them an email and ask them once you submit the police certificate what will the next step be. Did the Consular Officer explain to him what would happen after they receive the certificate? It doesn't seem to me he was denied, honestly, but again this is just my opinion. I did that after Ben's interview because we never received the DHL information and they did respond. Ben had to go back again to the Embassy to have his fingerprints retaken and then they said he could come pick up his passport two days later and we never ended up having to use DHL. The Consular Officer that he saw the second time was REALLY nice and apologized that Ben had to come back again for the fingerprints and apologized for the inconvenience. Send them an email and kindly ask them for an update. That's what I would do if it were me. Keep us posted and I will pray for you. Lots of love.

Good idea about the email! I did write them on Friday and hope to hear back after the weekend. I think you're right, that will hopefully give us a sense of what happens next. The Consular Officer really brushed him off about what happens next, she just said, "I can do nothing with you until you have that paper. Mail it in do not bring it and we will contact you."

It's nice to here there are some decent people at the Consulate there!!!

Thank you for the prayers, we are so grateful for them. I'll keep our status updated!!!

iam going to try to call the dhl number they provided, but my fiance had no luck , we are still waiting for them to schedule the dna. i have paid for the dna but they are delaying my case. i guess they thought i would take a long time to get the dna done since its expensive. so wicked these people. please let me know if you were able to get thru to dhl . i also contacted my congressman about the dna, and the state dept told him there is no way they are scheduling dna this month , so i sent my congressman the email they sent me saying they are scheduling this month, we shall see

Do you need the DHL number to track it, or to mail it? If you need it to mail it, you can log into the website and print the DHL sheet to send it to them. http://usvisa-info.com/en-KE/selfservice/us_fee_payment_options

I haven't tried to contact them about the DHL yet because I was just planning to submit it in the mail using the information we were given on the sheet about downloading the DHL form from the website.