Nairobi Embassy Thread!

[katie & sifa 25]

Hi there,

Hope all you guys are doing great,We i'd like some information from you guys about how you send mail to your loved ones in Africa.

My fiance wants to mail me all the necessary documents to take with me at the interview but i have no proper address,he wants to send it through DHL or FEDEX.

However my greatest concern is that i live in an area where we have no landmarks or plot numbers.So heres my question,How did you address your mail when sending it to Africa?

I really can't afford to loose those documents.

Thanks for your input

Hmm. I always sent mail to Sifa through the regular mail to his PO Box, but I never really was sending anything very important & I know how unreliable the mail can be sometimes. Do you live even remotely close to a DHL location? Possibly you could have it sent there for pick up? I'm not sure if it's possible to send DHL to a PO Box in Uganda if you have one, I've tried to google but kind of getting mixed results.

Another thought - do you have any relatives or friends who live in Kampala or one of the bigger cities? Maybe they could receive the package for you and get it to you - maybe via Securicor (assuming they operate in Uganda?)

[Dorah 6]

Hmm. I always sent mail to Sifa through the regular mail to his PO Box, but I never really was sending anything very important & I know how unreliable the mail can be sometimes. Do you live even remotely close to a DHL location? Possibly you could have it sent there for pick up? I'm not sure if it's possible to send DHL to a PO Box in Uganda if you have one, I've tried to google but kind of getting mixed results.

Another thought - do you have any relatives or friends who live in Kampala or one of the bigger cities? Maybe they could receive the package for you and get it to you - maybe via Securicor (assuming they operate in Uganda?)

Thanks Katie $ Sifa,

Well i do live in Kampala but the problem is the area where i live has no physical plot numbers,Doing a DHL station pick up sounds ok but whom should it be addressed ot,i mean what kinda format should does the address have to be written?

e.g can he just write :

To Dorah28

C/O DHL Kampala

Entebbe RD BRANCH

UGANDA

Do you think i;ll be able to recieve it that way? Am sorry but all this is so new to me.

Have a great day

Edited January 6, 2012 by Dorah28

[katie & sifa 25]

Thanks Katie $ Sifa,

Well i do live in Kampala but the problem is the area where i live has no physical plot numbers,Doing a DHL station pick up sounds ok but whom should it be addressed ot,i mean what kinda format should does the address have to be written?

e.g can he just write :

To Dorah28

C/O DHL Kampala

Entebbe RD BRANCH

UGANDA

Do you think i;ll be able to recieve it that way? Am sorry but all this is so new to me.

Have a great day

If it's convenient for you to go to the DHL branch close to you & check with them I think it would be worth it to do that. That way you can know for sure if they can receive packages for you and exactly what should be written on it

[Dorah 6]

If it's convenient for you to go to the DHL branch close to you & check with them I think it would be worth it to do that. That way you can know for sure if they can receive packages for you and exactly what should be written on it

Ok thank you,i'll definately give it a shot

[Ben and Jill 37]

Hi there,

Hope all you guys are doing great,We i'd like some information from you guys about how you send mail to your loved ones in Africa.

My fiance wants to mail me all the necessary documents to take with me at the interview but i have no proper address,he wants to send it through DHL or FEDEX.

However my greatest concern is that i live in an area where we have no landmarks or plot numbers.So heres my question,How did you address your mail when sending it to Africa?

I really can't afford to loose those documents.

Thanks for your input

When I sent Ben regular mail, I sent it to his PO box and he picked it up at the Post Office. But, I never knew when he would get it...sometimes it would take 10 days, other times it could take WEEKS ~ literally, we just never knew. BUT, it always got there, LOL. Since he is sending you such important documents, you can't take that chance of sending it through the POSTA because it could take too long to get to you. He should use DHL, and perhaps you can have him direct it to a DHL location with your name on it and you can pick it up there?? I know you have no physical mailing address there...I don't know of any other way. Call DHL and ask them if you can do that. I have no other ideas.

[katie & sifa 25]

When I sent Ben regular mail, I sent it to his PO box and he picked it up at the Post Office. But, I never knew when he would get it...sometimes it would take 10 days, other times it could take WEEKS ~ literally, we just never knew. BUT, it always got there, LOL.

Yes, I once got a birthday card 7 months after it was mailed when I was living there! And packages were so much worse - I got Christmas gifts in June, often. But then sometimes I'd be shocked and I'd get a letter someone sent within a few days of them sending it! I have no idea how that worked, ha.

[yketwaroo 10]

Hi. I need more help.

My fiancee and I applied for a K1. I'm from Mauritius, not Kenya and will have to travel all the way to Nairobi for the interview.

We haven't gotten our NOA2 yet but we might soon.

Currently we've decided that I would go to Nairobi alone (or with a family member). It's too risky for my fiancee who is a USC.

However, is it true that I run a higher chance of being refused the visa if she doesn't come to Nairobi too?

[katie & sifa 25]

Hi. I need more help.

My fiancee and I applied for a K1. I'm from Mauritius, not Kenya and will have to travel all the way to Nairobi for the interview.

We haven't gotten our NOA2 yet but we might soon.

Currently we've decided that I would go to Nairobi alone (or with a family member). It's too risky for my fiancee who is a USC.

However, is it true that I run a higher chance of being refused the visa if she doesn't come to Nairobi too?

They won't allow USC's in for the interviews anymore, anyway, so it wouldn't make a difference in terms of the visa. But why do you think it's too risky for your fiancee? Nairobi is not as scary as people make it sound - I used to go there all the time. Anyway, since they won't let her in to the interview it may not matter as much, just curious.

[yketwaroo 10]

we just want to be together. I mean it's good for moral support if she's there. And I miss her. If it is true they wouldn't let her in well I dunno. Being holed up in a hotel room for a week with her is much much much better than being holed up in a hotel room for a week all alone.

It's just about all the stuff you read/hear on the news. There are lots of recent warnings about kenya on travel.state.gov. Plus it's a 20 hour flight costing about $1300, whereas a 5 hour flight costing $700 for me.

Also, wouldn't they let her in the embassy? I mean she is a US Citizen.

But yes. So you're positive it won't affect obtaining the visa if she's not there?

Edited January 9, 2012 by yketwaroo

[katie & sifa 25]

we just want to be together. I mean it's good for moral support if she's there. And I miss her. If it is true they wouldn't let her in well I dunno. Being holed up in a hotel room for a week with her is much much much better than being holed up in a hotel room for a week all alone.

It's just about all the stuff you read/hear on the news. There are lots of recent warnings about kenya on travel.state.gov. Plus it's a 20 hour flight costing about $1300, whereas a 5 hour flight costing $700 for me.

We did enjoy being together around the interview (this was when they were still allowing the fiance(e)s in...but I have read that recently they haven't been allowing it) and you're right, it was good moral support. We were both incredibly nervous for the few days I was there leading up to it and it was nice to be able to be together.

For what it's worth, I (white, female, USC) lived in Kenya for two years (including during the 2008 election result disaster when all the craziest violence went down) and I've gone back several times since then - really, Nairobi is not the terrifying city that the media makes it out to be, in my opinion. You just have to be smart about what you're doing and where you go. But I know that flying over costs a ton, takes forever & especially since she probably won't be able to go in for the interview...tough decisions.

To answer your original question though - as long as you have your evidence of relationship, you should be ok in the interview on your own. Be confident, have your evidence ready...you can do it.

[yketwaroo 10]

That's another problem. we don't have boxes of evidence. Whenever we met we spent most of our time trying to be together rather than document it for the benefit of someone trained to view me as an illegal immigrant first and foremost. We took some silly pictures when we were together and probably thousands of hours worth of chatlogs that could fill several big boxes but most of that is private. I really don't feel like I should have to print out those private conversations for someone else to even glance at. It's stupid that we have to defend for whatever "crime" it is we're being accused of.

yeah I needed to vent. sorry.

[katie & sifa 25]

That's another problem. we don't have boxes of evidence. Whenever we met we spent most of our time trying to be together rather than document it for the benefit of someone trained to view me as an illegal immigrant first and foremost. We took some silly pictures when we were together and probably thousands of hours worth of chatlogs that could fill several big boxes but most of that is private. I really don't feel like I should have to print out those private conversations for someone else to even glance at. It's stupid that we have to defend for whatever "crime" it is we're being accused of.

yeah I needed to vent. sorry.

Oh, agreed! We lived together for a while and saved nothing, and really didn't take that many pictures because we never really thought at first that we would be going through this process at all, and then when we were pretty sure we would that anyone would care about all that kind of stuff! It really does seem like a trial sometimes. We're getting ready for removal of conditions in a few months and it's sad how often we're like...ok, we should take a picture so we have it for ROC! Or don't throw out any of those Christmas cards, we might need them for ROC! Sigh.

[Madwoman 2]

Thanks Katie $ Sifa,

Well i do live in Kampala but the problem is the area where i live has no physical plot numbers,Doing a DHL station pick up sounds ok but whom should it be addressed ot,i mean what kinda format should does the address have to be written?

e.g can he just write :

To Dorah28

C/O DHL Kampala

Entebbe RD BRANCH

UGANDA

Do you think i;ll be able to recieve it that way? Am sorry but all this is so new to me.

Have a great day

Hi Dorah,

I just wanted to chime in here. My husband didn't have an mailing address either, but he worked at an international school with a PO box address and I sent him mail there. It always arrived, although sometimes it would take FOREVER. I agree that you should use DHL when sending important documents. Do you have a friend who works at an international school, or does your place of employment have a PO box? If you know someone that has access to a PO box, that might be helpful. Hope it works out for you!

[Madwoman 2]

Hey all!

I thought I was posting in this thread, but I think I posted our happy news in the Sub-Saharan Africa board instead

We wanted to share the news that, as of Jan 4th, Hiller is officially a permanent resident! :dance: We are very excited--it took 8 months! Next stop: dual citizenship

Oh and in related news....our daughter Jenna turned 1 year old on Jan 5th. Time has flown by! After the fiance visa, get ready for life to really start moving!

Hope everyone had a happy holiday and new year!

Madelene

[Dorah 6]

Hey all!

I thought I was posting in this thread, but I think I posted our happy news in the Sub-Saharan Africa board instead

We wanted to share the news that, as of Jan 4th, Hiller is officially a permanent resident! :dance: We are very excited--it took 8 months! Next stop: dual citizenship

Oh and in related news....our daughter Jenna turned 1 year old on Jan 5th. Time has flown by! After the fiance visa, get ready for life to really start moving!

Hope everyone had a happy holiday and new year!

Madelene

Hi Madwoman,congs to Hillers' permanent residency and Happy birthday to the little angel,i kinda envy all of you guys who have gotten that far.Hopefully soon i'll be able to share the joy like the rest of you