Nairobi Embassy Thread!

[katie & sifa 25]

Thanks shefellfromheaven!

So, I browsed through other posts last night and someone had recommended to call DoS to check status of visa if case is in AP. And, I just did that today. I found out our case is in AP. : ( And, the lady was nice she told me I could call back everyday but no information could be given out and nothing can be done to "push" the AP through. She said a year ago, they could see what was going on but not any longer. And, she said AP could take days to weeks to months. I'm so sad!!!!

Oh no! I was hoping after I saw that you posted that it was with good news. Keep the faith - hopefully if they told you 2 weeks at the interview that won't turn into months. I know this must be really difficult Hopefully you will hear good news soon!!

I think AP is just what they put everyone in who is not either denied or approved right at the time of the interview, so I wouldn't worry toooo much about the label. Just keep wishing and hoping that they will make a decision soon!!

[lostinlove03 2]

Oh no! I was hoping after I saw that you posted that it was with good news. Keep the faith - hopefully if they told you 2 weeks at the interview that won't turn into months. I know this must be really difficult Hopefully you will hear good news soon!!

I think AP is just what they put everyone in who is not either denied or approved right at the time of the interview, so I wouldn't worry toooo much about the label. Just keep wishing and hoping that they will make a decision soon!!

I think AP is a profiling system towards those who are muslim or from a muslim country (obviously for good reasons) bc of stupid people wanting to blow up innocent people. The problem is my fiance is considered a pakistani by nationality and a perm resident of Kenya. As soon, as he told the officer he has lived in Pakistan for 5 years the officers reply was, "oh so you lived there for 5 years." You could tell his facial expression changed. The funny part is the officer who did the interview was pakistani himself.

I guess I'm just frustrated b/c my fiance has been through the background checks through the dept of state 3x now. And, last year when he came to the states the AP took 3 days.

SOrry guys...i'm just going on and on....i'm very anxious and worried and ready for him to get here...so we can start our lives together.

[HI-UG 4]

I wish I had seen this thread sooner.

I also wish I had contacted the Nairobi embassy sooner.

USCIS approval 4 May 2010, NVC forwarded 11 May 2010... and then everything went silent. My fiancee called Nairobi on 28 June 2010, and they said the packet had been sent (but couldn't tell her where!) and she had an appointment 8 July 2010. That's 10 days, folks. Looks like when I call Nairobi to chew on them tomorrow, I'll also be looking into rescheduling some stuff.

[katie & sifa 25]

I wish I had seen this thread sooner.

I also wish I had contacted the Nairobi embassy sooner.

USCIS approval 4 May 2010, NVC forwarded 11 May 2010... and then everything went silent. My fiancee called Nairobi on 28 June 2010, and they said the packet had been sent (but couldn't tell her where!) and she had an appointment 8 July 2010. That's 10 days, folks. Looks like when I call Nairobi to chew on them tomorrow, I'll also be looking into rescheduling some stuff.

Nairobi is pretty good about rescheduling interviews in my experience and they typically aren't overly backed up so I doubt you'll have to wait toooo awfully long for a new interview appointment.

I usually had luck contacting someone at the Embassy very early in the morning Central time. You may have to call back a few times but you will generally eventually get someone on the line in the visa department. Good luck!!!

[Madwoman 2]

Nairobi is pretty good about rescheduling interviews in my experience and they typically aren't overly backed up so I doubt you'll have to wait toooo awfully long for a new interview appointment.

I usually had luck contacting someone at the Embassy very early in the morning Central time. You may have to call back a few times but you will generally eventually get someone on the line in the visa department. Good luck!!!

I agree. I usually waited up until the Embassy had just opened in Nairobi to call them. The workers were always really nice, but it's true, I have never heard of anyone receiving a packet sent from Nairobi. It is better just to go and pick it up. Unfortunately you will need to make two trips to Nairobi. This is how we did it:

We called the Embassy approved medical doctors ahead of time to schedule an appointment. We told a "white lie" and said we already had an appointment at the Embassy two weeks after that otherwise they wouldn't schedule us. Or you can schedule an appointment with the Embassy but just know that you have to begin the medical at least a week--maybe two in advance of that to get all the results. Our trips were spaced two weeks apart and it worked out fine (check our timeline)

We made one trip to Nairobi to pick up the packet from the Embassy and then go to the Medical appointment.

Then we made a second trip to finish up the medical and pick up the medical packet before going to the interview.

Also, we told the interviewer that my fiance was from Uganda and had to make the long trip back for work the next day and couldn't afford to wait an extra day for the visa. He was able to process his visa same day. I'm not sure if that happens for everyone, but it is worth asking about!

Hope this helps--good luck!

Edited June 28, 2010 by Madwoman

[HI-UG 4]

Thanks!

I called the Embassy in Nairobi today, and got my fiancee's appointment moved back to 20 July. They also said she should be able to swing by the KAMPALA Embassy and pick up a K-1 packet (aka "packet 3?") so I gave her all the phone numbers for the consular folks there, and she's going to see if she can do that. If she can, I'll then worry about getting her a medical appointment. It'll be a little tricky for me to put together some of the information, since I'll be in Uganda/Kenya from 4-22 July, but I guess I can just ask work and whatever to fax things over.

I plan to go with her for the interview, and will point out that she is from Uganda, needs to get back to work, and can't just randomly come to Nairobi all the time... in hopes of being able to get the visa the same day.

Fingers crossed...

[katie & sifa 25]

Thanks!

I called the Embassy in Nairobi today, and got my fiancee's appointment moved back to 20 July. They also said she should be able to swing by the KAMPALA Embassy and pick up a K-1 packet (aka "packet 3?") so I gave her all the phone numbers for the consular folks there, and she's going to see if she can do that. If she can, I'll then worry about getting her a medical appointment. It'll be a little tricky for me to put together some of the information, since I'll be in Uganda/Kenya from 4-22 July, but I guess I can just ask work and whatever to fax things over.

I plan to go with her for the interview, and will point out that she is from Uganda, needs to get back to work, and can't just randomly come to Nairobi all the time... in hopes of being able to get the visa the same day.

Fingers crossed...

Great news! Hope you can make it with minimal trips to Nairobi. For what it's worth, when Sifa went for his medical exam it took a total of 3 days but to be on the safe side I'd give it at least a week prior to the interview.

Have fun when you go! I'm jealous....I miss Kenya so much. And Uganda is such a beautiful country too!

[shefellfromheaven 18]

Habari ya leo.

Hope you are all well, Busy Busy with summer school. Katie i miss Nyumbani too .

Be Blessed and good day.

Edited June 29, 2010 by shefellfromheaven

[katie & sifa 25]

Habari ya leo.

Hope you are all well, Busy Busy with summer school. Katie i miss Nyumbani too .

Be Blessed and good day.

Mzuri sana! I wish I could go to Kenya now for a long vacation What part of the country are you from?

[shefellfromheaven 18]

Hi Katie,

Sorry for my late reply, bust with summer school.

My parents' home is in Voi - Kenya. I lived in Nairobi before i moved to the USA.

Be Blessed and good day.

[HI-UG 4]

Well, the medical exam threw a wrench in our plans.

They said there's a little tiny line on the chest X-ray, which they think is a scar from some accident or illness in her childhood (of course she doesn't remember anything that far back) but they have to conclusively rule out tuberculosis by having her come back to IOM for sputum sampling on 3 consecutive mornings (Mon-Wed; they don't do it Thursdays) and then letting it culture in the lab for... eight weeks!

I has a sad.

So our interview on the 20th is obviously out of the question. And any idea of getting her to the US in early August is equally out of the question. And my being at the eventual interview, which I would certainly have been on the 20th, is in question.

We're trying to look on the bright side, though - this will give her more time to tie up loose ends in Uganda, and give me more time to clean the house in the US. Also, since we're not going back to Nairobi, we'll have free time to go out to Uganda's equator crossing, and also over to Jinja to check out the source of the Nile.

This week, though, we're going to be pretty busy in Uganda with obligatory ceremonies for her culture and religion... which will eclipse the eventual wedding in the US!

We're aiming for 26-28 July for her 3 mornings at IOM, which would mean 23 September for the end of the lab culture period, after which we'd have to schedule a new interview etc. So hopefully she can get here for Halloween!

In the same group at IOM there was a lovely young Kenyan lady who said she at least lurks here on VJ. She got a clean bill of health and her interview is on 19 July - hope she remembers that she promised to post an update on here for us!

[Nyosh 5]

Thanks for starting this topic here. Im going through the Nairobi Consulate soon. My I-129F was approved on 24th June 2010 and the papers have already been sent to Nairobi. Should i call the embassy to collect packet 3 coz up to now i havent gotten anything. I need advice on this and also the kind of questions to expect during the interview plus what documents i need. Thanks all.

[ddartt1 2]

Thanks for starting this topic here. Im going through the Nairobi Consulate soon. My I-129F was approved on 24th June 2010 and the papers have already been sent to Nairobi. Should i call the embassy to collect packet 3 coz up to now i havent gotten anything. I need advice on this and also the kind of questions to expect during the interview plus what documents i need. Thanks all.

Hi LNK2000. Welcome aboard! You can call Nairobi consulate to check if your package is there. Make sure you have ref no. or case no when calling. All the documents required will be listed in the package that you will receive/collect. As for the interview, if the relationship is genuine you will be able to answer the questions. You can peruse through some earlier posts for examples of questions asked. All the best.

[Madwoman 2]

Thanks for starting this topic here. Im going through the Nairobi Consulate soon. My I-129F was approved on 24th June 2010 and the papers have already been sent to Nairobi. Should i call the embassy to collect packet 3 coz up to now i havent gotten anything. I need advice on this and also the kind of questions to expect during the interview plus what documents i need. Thanks all.

I want to second that welcome!!!

Based on my experience and from what I have heard from others, you will not get a packet mailed to you. You WILL NEED to go and pick it up at the embassy. We went and just showed them the case number/approval letter from USCIS and they gave us a generic embassy packet with the medical stuff to be given to the doctor. From what I remember, all other forms could actually be found online. You can check out the USCIS website for more information about the forms needed at the interview.

If you have already been approved, you can also schedule an interview appointment (call the embassy) and a medical appointment (call one of the embassy approved doctors listed on the website)-- make sure you leave about 2 weeks in between the medical and the interview to make sure they have enough time to process everything.

You don't need the packet to make an appointment for either the doctor or the interview, but you will need the packet for the medical.

Hope this helps! There is plenty more information (very detailed) earlier on in this thread. I remember typing very detailed accounts/advice based on our interview/medical process over a year ago!

Feel free to ask any other questions if you are confused and welcome again!

Oh and the questions we were asked were VERY EASY: Like, "Do you swear to tell the truth?" and "How did you meet?" "These photos look very nice, who organized these?"

[Nyosh 5]

Thanks Ddartt and Madwoman for your welcome and very helpful information. I called the embassy on 14th July 2010 and they confirmed to have received the petition papers. They advised that i should check their website www.usembassynairobi.gov for the contents of packet 3, download the info and fill the forms. They also told me that i dont need to have the form for medical from the embassy to go for a medical examination, i can get the forms from the hospital. Today im going to book my medical appointment and hope i can schedule my interview soon. Wish me luck. One question though,We dont really talk on phone with my fiance, we do chat on yahoo messenger everyday. Im i going to print all the chat messages? Please advice me on any other things i might need to prove evidence of the relationship. Also, how do i put names on the pictures? Do i use labels or what? Thanks.