Approved!!!!

[no name 1]

Congrats! All that worrying for nothing!

[chelseafan 0]

A big Congrats to you. Looking forward to reading the details.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Hi all -thanks SO much for the outpouring of congratulations. It has been a lovely, wonderful day. I was up at 4.50am, scurrying around and being a general nervous wreck. We got to the Embassy at around 7.20am, and there were about 15 people in front of us. Most curious was the group of about 6 "businessmen" in extremely dodgy suits that were last in style around 1979 (and I'm being generous that they were EVER in style) and truly horrific shoes. They provided us with the opportunity for a lot of speculation as to how six men of various ages could all have similarly bad taste, and this made the time pass quickly!

The marshal arrived at 7.30 and started shepherding us into queues for the security hut. We were pretty much at the hut by 7.50, but were held up by one of the Bad Taste Brigade who it took 8 minutes to inspect -- according to a security guard I overheard, he had a laptop, Ipod, mobile, Blackberry, a belt he hadn't taken off and steel toed boots! Anyway, we were in at 8am, with ticket number 003. We watched the non-immigrant numbers go by for at least 15 minutes until they called the first immigrant applicants. We were called to -- you guessed it! -- window 13 at 8.30 exactly. The CO was very business-like and efficient, but caused a brief moment of panic when she asked for Bruce's police certificate for Russia! I said, "I thought you didn't need one if you'd lived there less than a year..." She noted Bruce's time in Russia was far less than 12 months and admitted an oversight. Phew! She asked about if I'd re-established domicile and looked at my various proofs (US bank accounts, stuff about a job I'm being headhunted for in NYC, etc) and that was fine. It was a tad more searching than I expected, so I'm glad I threw everything in! My mom's last-minute-amended I-864 was fine too (Hooray!). He gave fingerprints for both fingers and thumbs on both hands. We paid the fee, got the HUGEASS x-ray envelope and went to sit down again with a magazine in the waiting room.

About 10 minutes later, we were called back for the interview -- we were so absorbed in the mag we very nearly missed it! We were both allowed to go to the window for the interview. Bruce gave his fingerprints (fingers of right hand only) again, and then he was asked to swear the oath that his statements were true. The CO (young American guy this time, very nice) asked him, "So you want to move to the US?" just to break the ice. Then the real questions -- where did you meet your wife, when did you first meet, what did he want to do in America, and where would we be living. Bruce answered, and apparently it was good enough becuase the CO started telling him about paying the courier fee and that the passport would be returned in about a week. He also explained very carefully the Mysterious Brown Enevelope which must not be opened -- or else we'd have to have it resealed. If we lost it, we'd have to start over again. Off we went to pay the courier (extra £20 for before 8am -- we paid it, we need it!) and they told us 3-5 working days. Out we went down the stairs, with me shrieking, "WE DID IT!" and skipping to the exit with the x-ray clutched in my sweaty palm. I'm such a tool. We were out by 9.05am.

With the day fully ahead of us, and the sun already beating down, we ended up spending the rest of the morning in Battersea Park, followed by a visit to the Battersea Dogs Home -- fantastic! We had a Thai meal for lunch, and treated ourselves to four schlocky horror movies from the used video store. All in all abso-effin-lutely wonderful.

[TracyTN 237]

Did ya happen to get a piccy of yourselves in front of Battersea Power Station? (Sorry, a very Floydian question

Thanks for the deets - now get yourself over to the interview thread and put that big red APPROVED by your name! (I wanted to let you do the honors!)

[Dawny&Tommy 0]

I'm glad everything went so smoothly for you and Bruce Thanks for the Interview details!

Dawn.

[Lansbury 19]

Well done you can feel the weight lift off your shoulders when they say you have the visa

[Angela 1]

Congratulations!!!

[psho 0]

The Battersea Dogs Home! When I'm in the UK and taking the train to or from Kent, I always try to see if I can spot some dogs! If memory serves, that's where Red the Dog lived (and learned how to free himself and his pals from captivity)!

That's a great report -- I wonder who on earth would wear steel-toed boots to the embassy!

Congratulations again!

Edited June 20, 2007 by psho

[Savanphil 3]

Congratulations!!!

[Mags 112]

I'd have wanted to take ALL of the doggies (and the cats!) home with me.

[no name 1]

I'd have wanted to take ALL of the doggies (and the cats!) home with me.

I lived right by there for over a year & never went there for exactly that reason.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

It was really hard not to want to take them home...some were long-term residents (6 months+) which made me want to start bawling! But then SO many of them had signs next to their kennels saying "I have a new home!" which made my heart a little lighter. Can't wait until all our travelling is over and we can get a little pup of our own -- I have an advanced case of beagle-itis after dogsitting for a beagle named Hamish a few weeks ago!

[Mags 112]

It was really hard not to want to take them home...some were long-term residents (6 months+) which made me want to start bawling! But then SO many of them had signs next to their kennels saying "I have a new home!" which made my heart a little lighter. Can't wait until all our travelling is over and we can get a little pup of our own -- I have an advanced case of beagle-itis after dogsitting for a beagle named Hamish a few weeks ago!

A friend of mine has a Beagle and he is THE most naughtiest dog EVER. I've a list of things he has done and they make your heart weep. Or laugh. Or cry.

He is adorable but REALLY naughty. Really, REALLY naughty. Can't get it over enough how naughty he is.

[Zee Bee 61]

Congratulations!!!