Nairobi Embassy Thread!

[Nick&Ann 1]

Could anyone who's scheduled a medical exam + interview recently comment on how far ahead the available dates usually are? Once we get the date, I'm going to book my flight to go over there, so I'm wondering how much advance notice I'll likely have.

When I scheduled my interview, there were available dates till the 30th of August. I am sure there are dates as early as the last week of august and the first week of september.

Also there's a thread on visajourney, how to track your petition to see when it gets to Nairobi. That way you are not waiting a long time for the embassy to contact you and you can contact them first. I am going to get the thread and hopefully it will be of some help in speeding this process up...

Goodluck.

[afoyoswa 178]

Thanks! I found a package that I'm pretty sure is our petition, and it's currently in the air between London and (presumably) Kenya. Meanwhile, Aaron just called to tell me he has his police certificate: hurray!

I'm looking at http://nairobi.usembassy.gov/immigrant_visas/visa-packets.html and getting ready to send him the list of things he'll need to prepare for the interview, and I am wondering: on the Nairobi embassy site, the DS-230 file link says, "Complete DS-230 Page 1 and 2" but the VJ example form shows all of the pages completed. Which is correct? Should he complete only the first 2 pages, or all of them?

[shefellfromheaven 18]

Goodluck Afoyaswa

[Cotton Candy 0]

Hi,

While reading through this read, I found some people filled in the DS 157 for the interview. The K1 visa packet doesn't ask for this though. I already filled in and printed out 2 copies. Do i discard them?

Thanks

[Cotton Candy 0]

Thanks! I found a package that I'm pretty sure is our petition, and it's currently in the air between London and (presumably) Kenya. Meanwhile, Aaron just called to tell me he has his police certificate: hurray!

I'm looking at http://nairobi.usembassy.gov/immigrant_visas/visa-packets.html and getting ready to send him the list of things he'll need to prepare for the interview, and I am wondering: on the Nairobi embassy site, the DS-230 file link says, "Complete DS-230 Page 1 and 2" but the VJ example form shows all of the pages completed. Which is correct? Should he complete only the first 2 pages, or all of them?

I filled in Part 1 and 2 and did not sign it.

[Ben and Jill 37]

Hi,

While reading through this read, I found some people filled in the DS 157 for the interview. The K1 visa packet doesn't ask for this though. I already filled in and printed out 2 copies. Do i discard them?

Thanks

You can shred them...they are not part of the K-1 Visa Packet for Nairobi.

[Ben and Jill 37]

Thanks! I found a package that I'm pretty sure is our petition, and it's currently in the air between London and (presumably) Kenya. Meanwhile, Aaron just called to tell me he has his police certificate: hurray!

I'm looking at http://nairobi.usembassy.gov/immigrant_visas/visa-packets.html and getting ready to send him the list of things he'll need to prepare for the interview, and I am wondering: on the Nairobi embassy site, the DS-230 file link says, "Complete DS-230 Page 1 and 2" but the VJ example form shows all of the pages completed. Which is correct? Should he complete only the first 2 pages, or all of them?

I think what they mean is "Complete DS-230 "PARTS" 1 and 2". Pages 1 and 2 are "PART 1" and pages 3 and 4 are "PART 2". We completed all four pages and nothing was returned. I would complete all four pages.

Edited August 24, 2012 by Ben and Jill

[afoyoswa 178]

I think what they mean is "Complete DS-230 "PARTS" 1 and 2". Pages 1 and 2 are "PART 1" and pages 3 and 4 are "PART 2". We completed all four pages and nothing was returned. I would complete all four pages.

Ah, that makes sense! I am so glad I have awesome VJers to ask things like this to! I would really be driving myself nuts. Okay, now that we have that clear, time to send the forms to Aaron!

Our (probable) petition was delivered to the embassy this morning. As soon as they acknowledge that they have it, we are ready to spring into action! <--but with a bit less energy than this guy. Gosh, I am *tired*!

[Ben and Jill 37]

Ah, that makes sense! I am so glad I have awesome VJers to ask things like this to! I would really be driving myself nuts. Okay, now that we have that clear, time to send the forms to Aaron!

Our (probable) petition was delivered to the embassy this morning. As soon as they acknowledge that they have it, we are ready to spring into action! <--but with a bit less energy than this guy. Gosh, I am *tired*!

LOL, I know...it's a draining process, emotionally and mentally (and financially, but who cares because when they're home with us, it's priceless). You're reaching the home stretch...hang tight!

[G & Oxy 1]

:dance: VISA APPROVED on August 22, 2012 :dance:

Everything went well Below is an overview of my medical exam (August 9 and 10, 2012) and interview.

Medicals:

Day 1 – After a brief counseling and once you have signed a consent form, your medical/vaccination history will be taken to enable them determine the requisite vaccinations. On vaccinations, the doctor/nurse at IOM will determine the ones you'll need based on your age, gender, country and any prior vaccinations. If you have any vaccination record/letter, bring it with you.

Medical examination costs $138 or Kshs 11,476 exclusive of vaccination fee. The lady recommended 4 vaccines for me as I couldn't trace my childhood vaccination/immunization record. MMR (Measles Mumps Rubella) - $26 or Kshs 2,162, Influenza ($28 or Kshs 2,328), Varicella ($54 or Kshs 4,491) and Dultravax ($32 or Kshs 2,661). The total costs for medical examination plus vaccinations = Kshs 23,119 (approximately $280). Once payment is made at their cash office, you will be called to the laboratory for a blood test. You will then be taken (in batches in IOM van) to the nearby ‘The Nairobi Hospital’ for an x-ray. After the x-ray, you are free to leave. You may ask the IOM driver to drive you back to IOM or you can find your way home/to the hotel from The Nairobi Hospital. Day 2 appointment is at 7.30am.

Day 2 - A nurse will take your detailed medical history/information and perform the usual body weight and height measurements, heart beat rate/blood pressure and eye test. The doctor will then do a body exam and he’ll let you know the outcome of your medicals. You will then be given your x-ray – they confirmed that you do not have to carry this for your visa interview. It must be carried as hand luggage as it may be required at POE. You will thereafter have the prescribed vaccinations and a Vaccination Documentation Worksheet issued to you.

Your medical results will be sent by IOM to the Embassy. I inquired from the doctor how long it takes for the results to get to the Embassy and he said that it may take at least between 24 hours to 3 days or more in some cases.

Interview

We were scheduled for Wednesday, August 22 at 7.15am. Although my fiancé was in the country, we decided that he would not accompany me to the Embassy but he would be on stand-by in case something came up. I did not want to get worried about him being outside the gate in the event that he was not allowed to accompany me inside. It really helped that he was just a stone throw away. My fiancé’s presence and support really boosted my confidence

I went through all security checks and eventually picked a number inside the consul area. You must have your Appointment confirmation email and passport to pass through all the security checks. There were not so many people inside so I was lucky to find a seat inside the consulate area as it was freezing outside. The people who came in after me had to wait outside for their numbers to be called out through the intercom. My number was called to Window 5 where a pleasant lady asked for the following documents, one by one: Two DS 156, two DS 156K, two DS 230 Part 1 only, 3 passport pics, Affidavit of Support (without any supporting evidence), original and a copy of my birth certificate, police certificate. She confirmed to me that she did not require our I-134 supporting documents, letter of continued support/updated letter of intent or any additional documents. We were well prepared just in case and we even had an extra copy of everything including our petition to USCIS. Ensure that your police certificate has a fingerprints report from the police attached to it. Another interviewee who did not have her fingerprint report was told to send the fingerprints form by DHL.

I was then called to Window 1 for fingerprinting. At 10.15am, my number was called and i went to Window 10 (a male consul officer – very nice and friendly). I agree with Jill’s earlier comment that by the time of the interview, the consulate has already made its decision and the interview is just a formality which can either confirm or revoke their decision. When I went to Window 10, the CO had stepped out for a minute and our file was open on his desk (I could see the document on top had been stamped approved! I do not think this is the NOA2 approval as the documents that I submitted at Window 5 were filed below it). The CO returned and on top of my folders and binder, was Robert Allen's Crazy Laws Lawsuits which I was reading prior to being called to the window. The CO was so pleasant, he saw the book and asked which book it was and then he told me he was also reading something on law - Mediocre/medieval law. We had something in common – we were both reading crazy legal stuff! He asked what kind of work i did and i told him i'm a lawyer, then he laughed and jokingly said 'ummmh, yours will be tricky because I cannot tell when to believe a lawyer...' I took an oath and confirmed to him that '...we lawyers understand the consequence of any statements made on oath and the dire consequence for any misrepresentation....so he better believe me.' I guess I was asked very simple questions because my fiancé had neatly arranged and frontloaded everything with our petition. The CO didn't ask to see any of the I134 supporting documents I had with me or any other documents.

1. When did you meet your fiance?

2. Where does your fiancé work?

3. How old are you? Your fiancé?

4. How many times has he visited you? Thrice...in fact he is currently in the country!! He actually believed a lawyer without asking me for any evidence of my fiance’s presence!!

He asked to see our photos. As he flipped through our album, one pic of my fiancé and I specifically caught his eye...it has the background of the beautiful Shimba Hills Lodge and the CO inquired which part of Kenya that was as he had never seen such a beautiful place.

He then told me that I was approved and handed me a green letter/slip with instructions on how to collect my visa from DHL in a week. The interview took less than 10 minutes. We are so excited to be done with this stage. My experience was a pleasant one.

Thank you all for your support and advice. To all those going through this process, do not hesitate to ask any questions. My fiancé and I wish you a smooth process in your visa journey.

[katie & sifa 25]

Woohoo!! Congrats :dance: And thanks for posting such a thorough review of what happened - I know that will be helpful for people going through in the future!

[G & Oxy 1]

Thank you, Katie.

We found invaluable information on this thread (thanks to wonderful people like you, Jill and all the others who shared their experiences). I'm following your footsteps (if i may call you VJ veterans)in helping others who will also go through this process.

[Nyosh 5]

:dance: VISA APPROVED on August 22, 2012 :dance:

Everything went well Below is an overview of my medical exam (August 9 and 10, 2012) and interview.

Medicals:

Day 1 – After a brief counseling and once you have signed a consent form, your medical/vaccination history will be taken to enable them determine the requisite vaccinations. On vaccinations, the doctor/nurse at IOM will determine the ones you'll need based on your age, gender, country and any prior vaccinations. If you have any vaccination record/letter, bring it with you.

Medical examination costs $138 or Kshs 11,476 exclusive of vaccination fee. The lady recommended 4 vaccines for me as I couldn't trace my childhood vaccination/immunization record. MMR (Measles Mumps Rubella) - $26 or Kshs 2,162, Influenza ($28 or Kshs 2,328), Varicella ($54 or Kshs 4,491) and Dultravax ($32 or Kshs 2,661). The total costs for medical examination plus vaccinations = Kshs 23,119 (approximately $280). Once payment is made at their cash office, you will be called to the laboratory for a blood test. You will then be taken (in batches in IOM van) to the nearby ‘The Nairobi Hospital’ for an x-ray. After the x-ray, you are free to leave. You may ask the IOM driver to drive you back to IOM or you can find your way home/to the hotel from The Nairobi Hospital. Day 2 appointment is at 7.30am.

Day 2 - A nurse will take your detailed medical history/information and perform the usual body weight and height measurements, heart beat rate/blood pressure and eye test. The doctor will then do a body exam and he’ll let you know the outcome of your medicals. You will then be given your x-ray – they confirmed that you do not have to carry this for your visa interview. It must be carried as hand luggage as it may be required at POE. You will thereafter have the prescribed vaccinations and a Vaccination Documentation Worksheet issued to you.

Your medical results will be sent by IOM to the Embassy. I inquired from the doctor how long it takes for the results to get to the Embassy and he said that it may take at least between 24 hours to 3 days or more in some cases.

Interview

We were scheduled for Wednesday, August 22 at 7.15am. Although my fiancé was in the country, we decided that he would not accompany me to the Embassy but he would be on stand-by in case something came up. I did not want to get worried about him being outside the gate in the event that he was not allowed to accompany me inside. It really helped that he was just a stone throw away. My fiancé’s presence and support really boosted my confidence

I went through all security checks and eventually picked a number inside the consul area. You must have your Appointment confirmation email and passport to pass through all the security checks. There were not so many people inside so I was lucky to find a seat inside the consulate area as it was freezing outside. The people who came in after me had to wait outside for their numbers to be called out through the intercom. My number was called to Window 5 where a pleasant lady asked for the following documents, one by one: Two DS 156, two DS 156K, two DS 230 Part 1 only, 3 passport pics, Affidavit of Support (without any supporting evidence), original and a copy of my birth certificate, police certificate. She confirmed to me that she did not require our I-134 supporting documents, letter of continued support/updated letter of intent or any additional documents. We were well prepared just in case and we even had an extra copy of everything including our petition to USCIS. Ensure that your police certificate has a fingerprints report from the police attached to it. Another interviewee who did not have her fingerprint report was told to send the fingerprints form by DHL.

I was then called to Window 1 for fingerprinting. At 10.15am, my number was called and i went to Window 10 (a male consul officer – very nice and friendly). I agree with Jill’s earlier comment that by the time of the interview, the consulate has already made its decision and the interview is just a formality which can either confirm or revoke their decision. When I went to Window 10, the CO had stepped out for a minute and our file was open on his desk (I could see the document on top had been stamped approved! I do not think this is the NOA2 approval as the documents that I submitted at Window 5 were filed below it). The CO returned and on top of my folders and binder, was Robert Allen's Crazy Laws Lawsuits which I was reading prior to being called to the window. The CO was so pleasant, he saw the book and asked which book it was and then he told me he was also reading something on law - Mediocre/medieval law. We had something in common – we were both reading crazy legal stuff! He asked what kind of work i did and i told him i'm a lawyer, then he laughed and jokingly said 'ummmh, yours will be tricky because I cannot tell when to believe a lawyer...' I took an oath and confirmed to him that '...we lawyers understand the consequence of any statements made on oath and the dire consequence for any misrepresentation....so he better believe me.' I guess I was asked very simple questions because my fiancé had neatly arranged and frontloaded everything with our petition. The CO didn't ask to see any of the I134 supporting documents I had with me or any other documents.

1. When did you meet your fiance?

2. Where does your fiancé work?

3. How old are you? Your fiancé?

4. How many times has he visited you? Thrice...in fact he is currently in the country!! He actually believed a lawyer without asking me for any evidence of my fiance’s presence!!

He asked to see our photos. As he flipped through our album, one pic of my fiancé and I specifically caught his eye...it has the background of the beautiful Shimba Hills Lodge and the CO inquired which part of Kenya that was as he had never seen such a beautiful place.

He then told me that I was approved and handed me a green letter/slip with instructions on how to collect my visa from DHL in a week. The interview took less than 10 minutes. We are so excited to be done with this stage. My experience was a pleasant one.

Thank you all for your support and advice. To all those going through this process, do not hesitate to ask any questions. My fiancé and I wish you a smooth process in your visa journey.

Congrats on your approval. So happy for you!!!

You had a pleasant experience just like I did !! Guess coz im a lawyer too.....got lucky

Wish you the very best as you prepare to come over here. Enjoy Kenya now coz you gonna miss it

[afoyoswa 178]

Congratulations!!! And thank you for posting this really detailed account: so helpful! I am sending it to Aaron: I think he will very much appreciate having a better idea what to expect. Would there have been any place for the U.S. citizen to wait without standing outside the complex?

My number was called to Window 5 where a pleasant lady asked for the following documents, one by one: Two DS 156, two DS 156K, two DS 230 Part 1 only, 3 passport pics, Affidavit of Support (without any supporting evidence), original and a copy of my birth certificate, police certificate. She confirmed to me that she did not require our I-134 supporting documents, letter of continued support/updated letter of intent or any additional documents. We were well prepared just in case and we even had an extra copy of everything including our petition to USCIS. Ensure that your police certificate has a fingerprints report from the police attached to it. Another interviewee who did not have her fingerprint report was told to send the fingerprints form by DHL.

For the DS-230, can you confirm that they did not want Part II/pages 3-4?

[G & Oxy 1]

Thank you, Nyosh....my learned 'lucky' friend

Joy, thank you. I guess the USC can wait at a nearby cafe/restaurant which is a walking distance, or at a place called The Village Market http://www.villagemarket-kenya.com/about.php?id=20, though these places are open from 8.00am. I confirm that although i submitted DS230 Part I and II, the lady at Window 5 returned my part II (I cannot remember whether she returned only one part II or both). I advise that you carry both parts and let them determine the relevant one. Do print your MRV deposit slip/receipt as you'll need to show this at one of the security checks. All the best