the good, the bad and the interview

[weedebz 0]

Knock at my cabin door on sleeper train "miss cowey here is your breakfast we'll be in london in 25mins". My thoughts were, "BREAKFAST!!!! HOW CAN I EAT BREAKFAST!!!! a G&T WOULD BE BETTER". About 10 mins later all the carriages shuddered to a halt and there was a load of noise and hurrying. Some dude at Harrow and Wealdstone had had enough of life and decided the way to solve his problems was to jump infront of my train. My day started going rapidly downhill. It was 7.35ish, I didn't know where I was, (well the sign said Harrow and Wealdstone but that doesn't help much when you don't know the area). I'll spare the details but the next 2 hrs involved a very crowded bus, 2 even more crowded tube trains and a taxi. It wouldn't have been quite so bad but it was heading into rush hour and the jubilee line was down...guess which was the line I needed!!!!!???!!

Arrived at the embassy at around 9.20 just as they were setting up the 10am line, I was at the front. Got through security faster than I thought and was actually inside embassy sitting in one really uncomfortable chair (icky chair with hardly any backrest!!! so much for making your imminent long wait comfortable) by 9.40am. At around 10.05 I was called to window 12 were I found a london bloke with a bit of a miserable look. He said to pay the guy in the next window for visa then asked for various documents which I handed over then came the bit I dreaded most...finances......... I handed over my own stuff first and he asked if I had an I-134 from Nick, I said I did but he's currently not working but I also have a co-sponsor. He looked at my bank statements and just said, "this should be fine" never even asked to see co-sponsor stuff. I got sent away and started to settle down as best I could in those nasty chairs and started reading, my number finally got called to window 16 at around 1055. This time it was a really nice american woman with a big smile on her face. Here is my interview after doing the whole swear to tell the truth thing...

Interviewer: How's you morning so far?

Me: Ok I guess, better than the guy that jumped infront of my train! (interviewer laughed)

I: how did you meet?

Me: Yahoo, he saw my 360 page and got in touch

I: Have you seen much of each other in person?

Me: *laughing* He only went home from a long stay here in December.

I: AH, is that why he isn't working?

Me: yes but he's looking

I: why on earth do you want to live in Nebraska?

Me: beacuse he is there and to be honest I actually like it. I don't like cities being a country girl and it's nice and spread out so doesn't feel too...city-ish.

I: Well, this is fine so you are good to go. Pay the courier on the way out. Remember the visa is good for entry for 6 months. On entering the US you must get married within 90 days. After your marriage you will need to file for AOS, remeber you cannot leave the US and enter again until you have either AP or greencard otherwise I'll see you here again in 12months.

At this point the overwhelming relief that came over me lead to a few tears, the interviewer passed me some tissues

I: I'm used to that reaction but stop that, people will think I'm mean *smiling*

Me:thank-you so much

and I walked away, grinning ear to ear.

Paid courier, collected phone, phoned Nick, then mammy then texted Aly. All done. Went for a wee walk to hunt down some pancakes and walked along oxford street and found out selfridges were giving them out free...YEY!!! Spent the rest of the day walking miles then waiting for my train home. Now I'm home, exhausted, relieved and going to have a catnap for a few hours then book my flights, hopefully some cheap ones too!!!.

[Bforbarree 4]

Knock at my cabin door on sleeper train "miss cowey here is your breakfast we'll be in london in 25mins". My thoughts were, "BREAKFAST!!!! HOW CAN I EAT BREAKFAST!!!! a G&T WOULD BE BETTER". About 10 mins later all the carriages shuddered to a halt and there was a load of noise and hurrying. Some dude at Harrow and Wealdstone had had enough of life and decided the way to solve his problems was to jump infront of my train. My day started going rapidly downhill. It was 7.35ish, I didn't know where I was, (well the sign said Harrow and Wealdstone but that doesn't help much when you don't know the area). I'll spare the details but the next 2 hrs involved a very crowded bus, 2 even more crowded tube trains and a taxi. It wouldn't have been quite so bad but it was heading into rush hour and the jubilee line was down...guess which was the line I needed!!!!!???!!

Arrived at the embassy at around 9.20 just as they were setting up the 10am line, I was at the front. Got through security faster than I thought and was actually inside embassy sitting in one really uncomfortable chair (icky chair with hardly any backrest!!! so much for making your imminent long wait comfortable) by 9.40am. At around 10.05 I was called to window 12 were I found a london bloke with a bit of a miserable look. He said to pay the guy in the next window for visa then asked for various documents which I handed over then came the bit I dreaded most...finances......... I handed over my own stuff first and he asked if I had an I-134 from Nick, I said I did but he's currently not working but I also have a co-sponsor. He looked at my bank statements and just said, "this should be fine" never even asked to see co-sponsor stuff. I got sent away and started to settle down as best I could in those nasty chairs and started reading, my number finally got called to window 16 at around 1055. This time it was a really nice american woman with a big smile on her face. Here is my interview after doing the whole swear to tell the truth thing...

Interviewer: How's you morning so far?

Me: Ok I guess, better than the guy that jumped infront of my train! (interviewer laughed)

I: how did you meet?

Me: Yahoo, he saw my 360 page and got in touch

I: Have you seen much of each other in person?

Me: *laughing* He only went home from a long stay here in December.

I: AH, is that why he isn't working?

Me: yes but he's looking

I: why on earth do you want to live in Nebraska?

Me: beacuse he is there and to be honest I actually like it. I don't like cities being a country girl and it's nice and spread out so doesn't feel too...city-ish.

I: Well, this is fine so you are good to go. Pay the courier on the way out. Remember the visa is good for entry for 6 months. On entering the US you must get married within 90 days. After your marriage you will need to file for AOS, remeber you cannot leave the US and enter again until you have either AP or greencard otherwise I'll see you here again in 12months.

At this point the overwhelming relief that came over me lead to a few tears, the interviewer passed me some tissues

I: I'm used to that reaction but stop that, people will think I'm mean *smiling*

Me:thank-you so much

and I walked away, grinning ear to ear.

Paid courier, collected phone, phoned Nick, then mammy then texted Aly. All done. Went for a wee walk to hunt down some pancakes and walked along oxford street and found out selfridges were giving them out free...YEY!!! Spent the rest of the day walking miles then waiting for my train home. Now I'm home, exhausted, relieved and going to have a catnap for a few hours then book my flights, hopefully some cheap ones too!!!.

Congrats!

Funny, after all this time...waiting, worrying and getting geared up to battle this horrible giant (as I think most of us do)... it's just some lady that hands you a tissue and tells you to stop crying or other people will think she is mean!

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Awesome! And congratulations again!

Glad it was a good experience for you! I'd have probably cried, too - in fact I probably *will* cry.

[snowfrostedlashes 0]

Thanks for sharing Debz - actual interview part seemed pretty straight-forward, a big relief after the morning you'd had! Congratulations!!!

[Passing.star 0]

congratulations....

[Jeraly 4]

Gratzies again hun - will be adding your POE/flight dates to the spreadsheet as soon as you get them to me Will also add your Q&A to my little list I have on my website

Oooohhhh I want it to be my turn!! And for the record, I will cry too. There is no maybe, possibly, probably about it - I will DEFINITELY cry

[C and J 1]

Congratulations Deb The last hurdle of this stage over and done with

Will also add your Q&A to my little list I have on my website

Jeraly,

The only questions I was asked were: what did Josh do for a living, what did I do for a living, was my mother-in-law my primary sponsor and where would we be living. Not very interesting questions (plus they didn't want to see any of my evidence )

Edited February 6, 2008 by C and J

[Jeraly 4]

Haha thanks! I will add them when I can make my site let me log in!!!

[greeneyedgirlfl 0]

Congrats, Debz!!! Glad to hear it went well!!!

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

Congratulations,

Glad to hear that that guy in Harrow didn't manage to spoil your whole day. And free pancakes, that's just the icing on the cake!! (I'm always thinking of my belly )

[gwenneh 7]

TOLD you it would be fine! congrats again.

[j4k 0]

YAY! congrats!

[English Muffin 59]

Congrats Debz.

It's a huge sigh of relief when it's all over isn't it?

Gillian

[weedebz 0]

Thanks everyone. It 's so good looking in the interview thread and seeing that red approved. Thats me awake now...needed that nap. Off to find flights now. YEY!

[ginger1981 0]

Congradulations!

Though I am offended at "why would you live in Nebraska!" Pah! (despite part of me completely agreeing :-p)