The TeamMcGregor Interview Account

[TeamMcGregor 21]

My apologies for the super long review. Since I didn't ramble on the interview I'll just have to ramble now.

I suppose to begin with, let's start with picking up the medical results at Consultorios de Visa. I headed there around 10am yesterday or something like that - 1 easy carro publico for me - asked the guard outside where to pick up results, he directed me to the side street. There is a separate office that just handles results - that was a pleasant surprise for me, for some reason I thought I'd had to deal with the craziness of the general section. There was 1 lady in front of me picking up her results, but another person became available. I handed her my passport, she found my results, I left. Took about 2 minutes from the moment I arrived at the building.

We had read some interview accounts and gone over some "tricky" questions - I made sure he remember my sisters' real names (apparently my parents had a thing for naming their daughters with names starting with A and they all kinda sound the same). We put together copies of the I-864 for him and his dad, the co-sponsor. We had some additional pictures arranged in chronological order, the originals of all the boarding passes I had sent to USCIS with the original petition, and then just put in the front of the folder the stuff they first ask people for: passport, Banco Popular receipt, police certificate, medical results. Last, I found my old passport that had my tourist visa on it and decided to take it with me (I actually took my current passport and the last two before that one - the DR should seriously issue passports for 10 years instead of 6).
We watched some TV and I "went to bed" at around 11 or so. Didn't really sleep. I figured we really had nothing to be worried about but interviews are like tests in my eyes and they freak me out. So it was a night of light sleep.
We woke up at 5, went over the things we needed to take, including cash to pay Domex and so forth. Had some breakfast and were off to the Consulate by 6 (our interview was at 7:45). Took the Metro and were there by 6:10 or so. Long. ###. Line. We got lucky number 038. The longest lines were for the non-immigrant visas and people whom I think were going to window 27 outside. My husband was in by 6:15. Sadly, I was in front of a bunch of women with baby bags so going through security was a PAIN. Ladies, I strongly recommend NOT bringing a purse. I had to bring one because I didnt have pockets in my pants. I decided to bring one of those small crossbody ones since I didn't need to put much in it and once in went through security kinda fast. But by the time I got in it was almost 6:30. My husband got a really good seat right by a fan. Score.
They started calling numbers around 7 or so. Well, the wait was pre-tty long. We ended up being called to window 18 around 9:20 or so. The lady on Window 18 asked my name, if my mother was still alive (yes), did we have kids in common (nope), and took my passport, Banco Popular receipt, police certificate (you all were right, no translation required for this one -YAY!) and the medical manila envelope. She gave me back the CD with the X-ray image and sent me to Window 15 with my interview letter to get fingerprints done. Today they were making a big effort to make sure people had their stuff ready by the time they got to the window so it went by pretty fast. Lots of people with kids on interviews today. And lots of green slips of paper.
At around 10 or so we were called to Window 26 (my husband had been secretly hoping for that window since it's not in front of absolutely everyone. Lucky duck.)
We get over there and there is an American lady ready to interview us, with our file wide open in front of her to my original I-130 petition and the famous green slip already attached. My husband later told me he wished he would've known that was THE green slip we'd been hoping to see.
She asked what language were we doing the interview in. We both said English was fine. I think she was very relieved because she'd been doing all her interviews in Spanish up to that point. Then she swore us in.
First thing right off the bat, she asked if a picture we had included in the package was Alki Beach (a beach in West Seattle - it was). She said; "I cannot look at any more pictures of you guys, you're making me miss Seattle so much!" Turns out she had lived in Seattle for 18 years! My husband went to college and grad school in Seattle, we met there, so Seattle is home to us. We talked a bit about how she was liking the heat vs. the perennial gray skies in Seattle and got into a brief conversation about how she misses Starbucks even though she doesn't drink coffee - it's the coffee shop environment.
Then she asked us how long had we been together (my husband answered - Oct 2009; I added we met in Aug/Sept), she asked me if I had lived in other countries aside from the US, did I have a visa during that time (I replied I had a still valid tourist visa and had done my masters while on a F1). She then asked me if I had my passport with my tourist visa. I handed it to her and she stamped it with what I later saw was a "Cancelled Without Prejudice" stamp. At this point, I'm thinking, you better issue my new visa now.
Then she asked if my husband lived here, what did he do for work (yes; 4th grade teacher), what was the plan once we got to the US (continue looking for jobs) and where were we going to live (in Dryden with his mom for the time being - I explained). After each question she would just type in her computer - totally dead air.
Then she just tore the green ticket thingy and said "You are approved, go pay the delivery service - Domex"; we said thank you, went to the Domex counter, chose picking it up at their office, gave phone numbers and email, got our change, left. Done by 10:10am.
This afternoon at around 4:30 or so I went to the CEAC website, application status showed Visa Issued. My husband got an email from Domex saying they'd begun processing our passport or whatever it was at around 6.
We realize we've been extremely lucky in how quickly this whole thing has happened. We've pretty much done it in about 6 months (we sent the petition on Nov. 21). It really comes down to providing as much evidence as you can from the head start, following directions, and sending everything required on each step exactly when it's required. We had no RFEs, no payment issues, got through NVC in about a month, really no complaints. We did everything except the translations on our own. We would've never done it without the incredibly valuable resources available on this site. That includes the "human resources". Saylin was essentially my NVC living Wiki and everything she said would happen was spot-on. Thank you very much and good luck on your ROC!
I was very glad to have freaked out about nothing today. Expected POE June 24.

[Juan & Gwen 1]

Congratulations

[Juan & Gwen 1]

why did you have to pick the medical results up? i have heard that most people get their resuslts sent to the embassy so you dont need to pick them up

[TeamMcGregor 21]

I had to pick my results up because I waited for the bare minimum to get my medical done (like an idiot). If you get your medical done more than 6 business days (or something like that) before your interview your results are sent in. Otherwise you have to pick them up the day before.

[Juan & Gwen 1]

I had to pick my results up because I waited for the bare minimum to get my medical done (like an idiot). If you get your medical done more than 6 business days (or something like that) before your interview your results are sent in. Otherwise you have to pick them up the day before.

oh ok, sorry about that part, i plan on going on the 29th