Nairobi Embassy Thread!

[katie & sifa 25]

We had a K-1 Visa Interview back on May 26th...I did post a little bit of our experience here in this thread. Please let me know if you'd like me to share more. Our Consular Officer was not nice AT ALL and made some really nasty and snide comments. Ben met with the woman behind Window #10. I'm sure everything will be fine for your friend as long as she is confident...the Consular Officers try to intimidate. It really was not the best experience for us, but she granted the visa and that's what matters.

Hmm, I wonder if window 10 is just where they meet with all K1s? We went to window 10 (I remember even though it's been so long because Sifa always immitates the woman's voice who called him - long story) and it was an American male CO, who was very polite, not intimidating at all & interviewed him for all of 5 minutes before granting the visa. But maybe she is just his replacement...either way, I don't think all of the Nairobi COs are evil - if you look back through this thread plenty of us had decent experiences! Confidence is definitely key though.

[Ben and Jill 37]

Hmm, I wonder if window 10 is just where they meet with all K1s? We went to window 10 (I remember even though it's been so long because Sifa always immitates the woman's voice who called him - long story) and it was an American male CO, who was very polite, not intimidating at all & interviewed him for all of 5 minutes before granting the visa. But maybe she is just his replacement...either way, I don't think all of the Nairobi COs are evil - if you look back through this thread plenty of us had decent experiences! Confidence is definitely key though.

Hi Katie! I agree with you 100%...not all the CO's are evil, and looking back on this thread, lots of people have had nice experiences. Also, Ben had to return to the Embassy to have his fingerprints redone, and the CO he met with then was really very nice. Ben was only interviewed about 5 minutes as well, just unfortunately for us (and everyone else who had Window #10 that day) we just didn't have the nicest CO. Ben said she was nasty to everyone sadly enough. I think back about it and it really bothers me she felt the need to be like that...but it is what it is and like I said, she granted our visa and that's what really matters! It takes confidence for the beneficiary and a lot of prayer for the petitioner who is sitting outside waiting on the bench I hope you and Sifa are doing well!

[Nyosh 5]

We had a K-1 Visa Interview back on May 26th...I did post a little bit of our experience here in this thread. Please let me know if you'd like me to share more. Our Consular Officer was not nice AT ALL and made some really nasty and snide comments. Ben met with the woman behind Window #10. I'm sure everything will be fine for your friend as long as she is confident...the Consular Officers try to intimidate. It really was not the best experience for us, but she granted the visa and that's what matters.

Hey Ben and Jill, hope all is well with you. Confidence is what they look for mostly. My friend had her interview and she was approved. The CO was not so nice, and asked her like ten questions without any breaks. She passed all of them and the only evidence that the CO looked at was the financial support, the phone logs and chat lots and pictures of the wedding. Im happy she is done with that embassy. She is collecting her visa tomorrow at 2.00pm.

[Ben and Jill 37]

Hey Ben and Jill, hope all is well with you. Confidence is what they look for mostly. My friend had her interview and she was approved. The CO was not so nice, and asked her like ten questions without any breaks. She passed all of them and the only evidence that the CO looked at was the financial support, the phone logs and chat lots and pictures of the wedding. Im happy she is done with that embassy. She is collecting her visa tomorrow at 2.00pm.

Nyosh ~ yes Ben and I are doing great...so, so happy to have him home. I am very happy to hear that your friend made it through. That's great news and even better she gets to collect her visa so fast!

[skk526 0]

My husband and I have been through so much with the immigration process. We finally got approved after almost 1 year and 3 months but we are finished now. Just looking for a plane ticket and ready to move onto our life together. As soon as he comes, we will post our experience for others. Thank u to everyone that gave us advice and responded to our posts during the difficult times. :-)

[Ben and Jill 37]

My husband and I have been through so much with the immigration process. We finally got approved after almost 1 year and 3 months but we are finished now. Just looking for a plane ticket and ready to move onto our life together. As soon as he comes, we will post our experience for others. Thank u to everyone that gave us advice and responded to our posts during the difficult times. :-)

Ahhh!!!!! Oh my God! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! :dance: I am soooooooo happy for you both! That's great, great news. Yes, you have waited a long time with many things testing your patience. May God bless the rest of your journey and a safe trip home for your husband. Really, congratulations from my heart to yours.

[katie & sifa 25]

My husband and I have been through so much with the immigration process. We finally got approved after almost 1 year and 3 months but we are finished now. Just looking for a plane ticket and ready to move onto our life together. As soon as he comes, we will post our experience for others. Thank u to everyone that gave us advice and responded to our posts during the difficult times. :-)

CONGRATS!!! Such a long wait. Enjoy being together

[Nyosh 5]

My husband and I have been through so much with the immigration process. We finally got approved after almost 1 year and 3 months but we are finished now. Just looking for a plane ticket and ready to move onto our life together. As soon as he comes, we will post our experience for others. Thank u to everyone that gave us advice and responded to our posts during the difficult times. :-)

Great news! Congrats! After all you guys have been through, its finally over. Thanks be to God. Wish you guys well and may your husband have a safe trip here.

[skk526 0]

My husband is finally here and we want to update everyone how the interview went. Our interview was scheduled on Aug. 29 at 0630. I attended(us citizen) but had to wait outside, well actually all the way outside. They wouldnt let me stand inside the gates so I left and had hot chocolate at the cafe next door. Well he was inside and went through security checks. They made him remove the CD that was inside. After he sat down they picked up his appointment letter and passport then they called him for fingerprints. He had to wait a long time on the intercom for window 10. It was freezing outside. The CO was a Caucasian male in his early 30s. He didnt look friendly at all and my husband said good morning and he didnt say anything back. He then took oath and signed the DS-230. He had an attitude. He then asked the following questions:

*who petitioned for you?

*You were married before how did that work for you?

*So the only reason you married so that you can go back to the US?

*You overstayed your F1-Visa? So from 2003-2007 you were illegal? My husband response...if you say so(He didnt agree)

*When did you stop going to school?

*He said again, the only reason you married was to come back to the US? Then typing things

*How many times has your wife been to kenya? 3 times

*Do you have your wifes passport copy to show entry/exit stamps?

Then a lady CO came over and they asked him what he had in big folders (P.s. Do not bring big binders/folders/backpacks to Nairobi. They seem to hate looking at alot of information?

They asked what he had in the binder. The first one was a scrapbook and he got frustrated immediately. He told him to pull everything out and put it individually under the window. So he pulled pics from family, wedding, and my visits there..

-He said your wedding was very small why?- He said b/c of money

-He asked who were the people in the wedding pictures?

-Why didnt your wife's family not attend?

-Sir, do you not have any other family?- They thought his family was too small..but he explained he only has 2 siblings and a father

-When did you two meet?

-(the lady asked)-Where are the pictures from back in St. Louis, the arch, museums, etc.

*He had pictures that didnt have dates on them that were cut off from the scrapbook and he explained that he can bring them with dates.

Then the gentleman reached back and grabbed 2 forms of 221g. The first one was of how he wants the new evidence to be arranged, and the second one was for the fingerprints from the police report( Make sure when you get the police report to bring the fingerprint paper along with it!)

SEPT. 1, 2011: Bringing back the evidence of the pictures and the fingerprints of the police report. He was told to go to window 9, where a kenyan lady took his passport and told him to wait outside. He waited approx 4-5 hours. A lady CO came to the window the previous time was then interviewing him.

He said she was nice. They spoke about regular ordinary things. He asked her why didnt he have pics from the US that said different cities or showed monuments. She said the closets in the house looked like in the US and the dates on the passports match to show it was in the US. She said his english was pretty good and it sounded American. He proposed to bring the phone call records showing calls between the two of us from back in the US. SHe then reached for another 221g and told him to come back when he had it. She didnt seem to care for all the other things the other CO wanted him to bring. She took anything that showed a bonafide relationship.

Tues Sept. 13: He had to go by himself b/c I had to come back to the US. He took back the information and was called back to window 10 with the first CO.He had his big file on the desk and told him that he has been going through his file and needs more time. This time he seemed nice and greeted my husband first. So basically he gave him AP. He put him in AP! He explained after they go through the file they will call him. and for my husband not to call them first. My husband asked how long it would take. The CO said anywhere from 30 days to 90 days.

We were in AP from Sept. 13-19 when my husband received a phone call. During this week I was planning on moving to kenya, researching, worrying, depressed, and started preparing our lives together in kenya.(now its kind of funny b/c it went by fast).

On the 19th early in the morning, A lady called him from the embassy and told him that they have completed processing his case and to bring the passport in the next day.

The next day he went to the embassy at 0930. He took his passport to window 9 and was told to wait and sit outside. While outside, he sat next to a lady that was a DV winner that also had AP and while speaking to her, his name was called to window 9 and when he got there shaking, scared. The kenyan lady was filing out a green approval form and told him to come back tomorrow and pick up his visa at this time. She did say its not approved until he receives the visa. ????

He went outside by the gate and asked a lady that worked at the embassy about the green slip just to confirm and she said yes you're done and just come back to pick up the visa on sept 21.

Sept. 21 1330: He arrived and had no problems picking up his visa. He received a yellow package that he wasnt suppose to open.

Flight to US on sept. 30 for approx. 1400$. Also IOM has cheaper flights if you are traveling on a later date. We paid more because I didnt want to wait longer for him to be here. POE-Chicago(no problems)

Our story: We met in 2009 in the US. He came here on a f1 visa with DS(Duration of status). Was married before to a USC for 3 years. Got divorced without changing status(filing for AOS). Left US in feb 2010 for family emergency.

I, the US citizen never married, and visited kenya 3 times.

We didnt have to file a waiver because He has a DS stamp on his passport and never found inadmissible by a CO or an IJ. Also no crimes.

Thank you VJ members for helping us!

Any questions you can IM us.

[katie & sifa 25]

WOW! What a long process! But I'm so glad it ended up happily and he's here now!! :)

I will say to anyone reading this that YES do not bring things that are like glued into a big book. The window you have to pass information through is really small!

Totally random side note: was the cafe you went to for hot chocolate Java House by chance? If so...yum. I miss Java.

[Nyosh 5]

A happy ending. Congrats Skk. Was a long tedious process but worth it.

Wish you both lots of blessings.

[Ben and Jill 37]

Congratulations to you both. We are happy this part of your journey is in the past. You will look back and always be grateful for your time together. Be blessed and enjoy your new life.

[Africalove 0]

So there are not enough stats for the Nairobi embassy. It's been two weeks since my case completion at the NVC. After how long should I expect to be scheduled for an interview (the stats in the timeline section shown an average time between NOA2 and interview of 5 months, but this is probably unreliable since most of the stats go as far out as 2006).

[katie & sifa 25]

So there are not enough stats for the Nairobi embassy. It's been two weeks since my case completion at the NVC. After how long should I expect to be scheduled for an interview (the stats in the timeline section shown an average time between NOA2 and interview of 5 months, but this is probably unreliable since most of the stats go as far out as 2006).

Yeah, unfortunately since VJ doesn't officially recognize Nairobi as an embassy you can choose I think all the stats are thrown off. Personally for us it was only originally about a month and a half wait between NOA2 & our original interview date (we rescheduled so that I could go to the interview.) This was for a K1 & it was 2 years ago though.

[Ben and Jill 37]

So there are not enough stats for the Nairobi embassy. It's been two weeks since my case completion at the NVC. After how long should I expect to be scheduled for an interview (the stats in the timeline section shown an average time between NOA2 and interview of 5 months, but this is probably unreliable since most of the stats go as far out as 2006).

Our case left NVC on 4-15-11 and was received by the Nairobi Embassy on or around 4-19-11. I emailed the embassy to see if they received our packet and they responded in about a week or so. I didn't wait for them to contact us first. Our interview was 5-26-11 so the wait wasn't long at all. This was for a K-1. I don't know how long it takes to schedule CR-1's.

Edited October 12, 2011 by Ben and Jill