Gambia / Senegal Interview Experiences

[Maria1989 403]

Any updates for anyone ??? Just curious 

[Isamummy 3]

21 hours ago, Maria1989 said:

Any updates for anyone ??? Just curious 

Yes, my husband got his visa and is coming on Friday! 

[Maria1989 403]

3 hours ago, Isamummy said:

Yes, my husband got his visa and is coming on Friday! 

Thats awesome. So happy for you... I hope he flying South African from Dakar. They provided great service for me !!!

 

One thing I did notice is that it was cheaper to buy tickets from Dakar to IAD, then buy a separate ticket to your final destination. Saved me about $300 and considering all the fees and such we already pay its worth it to save.

 

Congrats again !!!

[Isamummy 3]

My husband is finally here, Alhumdulillah!!!!! It has been a long journey.

[Maria1989 403]

5 hours ago, Isamummy said:

My husband is finally here, Alhumdulillah!!!!! It has been a long journey.

Congratulations !

[mamoye 0]

8 hours ago, Isamummy said:

My husband is finally here, Alhumdulillah!!!!! It has been a long journey.

Alhamdoulillah.Hope you took a little vacation.

[cirenebrown 1]

Sharing our interview experience from last week. He completed the interview but was given the 221g for his original birth certificate and for his medical (it was not ready  at the time of interview but he has it now) but the CO circle they would call him to bring back information. So he is not able to just take the documents to the embassy for them to finish the file. I sent a lot of evidence. During the interview the CO asked him why all our pictures were in the same place. He told her they are not in the same place, and they are not the same visit would you like me to tell you the day and time of each photo. she didn't respond. In my evidence I included documentation to show my name change after we got married, and i included in the package my old invalid passport, with the original Visa stamps from visit, but the Dept of State put a hole in the passport to show this one is not valid (they have sent my replacement with my name change, and i put a copy of this. Well this sent that idiot CO up in arms. She said it is not normal for you to have this why do you have this. He tried to explain it and and her brain just couldn't process information it seems. She then went off on a tangent about how this marriage perhaps is not real. Well for me and my job and my security clearance, I will not let some idiot in another country question my integrity, to heck with my husband. I have already prepared the letter to the Office of Inspector General and emailed the consulate that this is not acceptable. Questions about the documentation/evidence, but implying that people are lying and making judgment is not acceptable. I returned to Senegal for a quick trip in April for 4/5 days, she questioned the validity of this visit and wanted to know why. My husband told her "we miss each other, what do you mean why". The interview just did not go well. We have documentation to submit, have no appointment to submit this. Our case shows Admin Processing and truly I am at a loss of where to go from here.

this entire interview cluster has reminded me that i don't want to be involved with this process at all. I just emailed my Congressman asking for his assistance. This Embassy needs work. My husband says it's my American attitude and we want everything when we want it, yes and no. When you complete everything as requested or required to expect the service or result is not too much to ask. Especially when I am paying for this process. This is not a free service!! I given blood sweat, tears, sleep and my hard earned money to the State Dept!  I'm sorry if the employees in Senegal have a disconnect in their mind, but this Embassy needs to be gutted and restaffed. And and a public servant I take it as my right to say so. When you have these agencies that deal with human capital and the lives of human capital and they are no longer serving the community for which they are established they should be 1) abolished and/or 2) restaffed and trained. Clearly we have a case of the later in this instance. 90% of the Visa interviews end in AP. Why? Somewhere you need to question the means and not the method.

Sorry I am beyond the limit of frustration. Something told me to go to that interview with him. My husband even said when you are there US citizens are treated like gold, and the Africans (by their own fellow nationals) are treated worse than dirt. I'm not with this nonsense.

[od0016 2]

Just be patient. Theychad my my wife on AP for 90days. I had to contact my senator and congressman multiple and it help. 

[Maria1989 403]

5 hours ago, cirenebrown said:

Sharing our interview experience from last week. He completed the interview but was given the 221g for his original birth certificate and for his medical (it was not ready  at the time of interview but he has it now) but the CO circle they would call him to bring back information. So he is not able to just take the documents to the embassy for them to finish the file. I sent a lot of evidence. During the interview the CO asked him why all our pictures were in the same place. He told her they are not in the same place, and they are not the same visit would you like me to tell you the day and time of each photo. she didn't respond. In my evidence I included documentation to show my name change after we got married, and i included in the package my old invalid passport, with the original Visa stamps from visit, but the Dept of State put a hole in the passport to show this one is not valid (they have sent my replacement with my name change, and i put a copy of this. Well this sent that idiot CO up in arms. She said it is not normal for you to have this why do you have this. He tried to explain it and and her brain just couldn't process information it seems. She then went off on a tangent about how this marriage perhaps is not real. Well for me and my job and my security clearance, I will not let some idiot in another country question my integrity, to heck with my husband. I have already prepared the letter to the Office of Inspector General and emailed the consulate that this is not acceptable. Questions about the documentation/evidence, but implying that people are lying and making judgment is not acceptable. I returned to Senegal for a quick trip in April for 4/5 days, she questioned the validity of this visit and wanted to know why. My husband told her "we miss each other, what do you mean why". The interview just did not go well. We have documentation to submit, have no appointment to submit this. Our case shows Admin Processing and truly I am at a loss of where to go from here.

this entire interview cluster has reminded me that i don't want to be involved with this process at all. I just emailed my Congressman asking for his assistance. This Embassy needs work. My husband says it's my American attitude and we want everything when we want it, yes and no. When you complete everything as requested or required to expect the service or result is not too much to ask. Especially when I am paying for this process. This is not a free service!! I given blood sweat, tears, sleep and my hard earned money to the State Dept!  I'm sorry if the employees in Senegal have a disconnect in their mind, but this Embassy needs to be gutted and restaffed. And and a public servant I take it as my right to say so. When you have these agencies that deal with human capital and the lives of human capital and they are no longer serving the community for which they are established they should be 1) abolished and/or 2) restaffed and trained. Clearly we have a case of the later in this instance. 90% of the Visa interviews end in AP. Why? Somewhere you need to question the means and not the method.

Sorry I am beyond the limit of frustration. Something told me to go to that interview with him. My husband even said when you are there US citizens are treated like gold, and the Africans (by their own fellow nationals) are treated worse than dirt. I'm not with this nonsense.

This right here scares me. Im at a lost for words, this process is very frustrating. I hope you get this resolved quickly. Im going to make sure Im there with my fiance, but I hear tou arent allowed in anyway. 

[cirenebrown 1]

Updated - My Congressman's office contacted me, they emailed Dakar Embassy on our behalf and received a generic the case was in Admin Processing email and to follow up in 6 six weeks. Same day I got that notification Dakar Embassy emailed me in response to the email I sent to them directly saying my husband could come any Thursday at 9:00 am to drop off the medical report and birth certification.

Funny I asked my husband which documents she kept from the package I took to him per the checklist, and he said the woman kept nothing. Scrutinized photos and harassed him only with on constructive progress. So everything NVC told us to bring to the interview we will have, minus his birth certificate and medical report.

This is a complete waste of time and unnecessary frustration to families. Letter to OIG was sent this past week with the details and conduct of the lady who interviewed him. Even my Congressman's office was frustrated. We live in NY, and more than four countries are funneled through Dakar's Embassy. There seems to be nothing but a lack of common sense and empathy in that place.  SMH

[ZaakirahM 28]

Sounds like to me they are also still understaffed. SMH. 

[Maria1989 403]

4 hours ago, cirenebrown said:

Updated - My Congressman's office contacted me, they emailed Dakar Embassy on our behalf and received a generic the case was in Admin Processing email and to follow up in 6 six weeks. Same day I got that notification Dakar Embassy emailed me in response to the email I sent to them directly saying my husband could come any Thursday at 9:00 am to drop off the medical report and birth certification.

Funny I asked my husband which documents she kept from the package I took to him per the checklist, and he said the woman kept nothing. Scrutinized photos and harassed him only with on constructive progress. So everything NVC told us to bring to the interview we will have, minus his birth certificate and medical report.

This is a complete waste of time and unnecessary frustration to families. Letter to OIG was sent this past week with the details and conduct of the lady who interviewed him. Even my Congressman's office was frustrated. We live in NY, and more than four countries are funneled through Dakar's Embassy. There seems to be nothing but a lack of common sense and empathy in that place.  SMH

Wow. They are very slow with responses I see. My Fiance has to interview there because he is from The Gambia. 

[llama 14]

hello all,

 

Alhamdulillah my husband got his Visa today. he had his interview June 29. he said the interview was smooth, the senegalese guy with the dreads did try to give him some problems. he said the CO was nice he did his interview in French, they asked him how we met, when we seen each other, if we been previously married, if we had kids, where i work and what i do. he also answered these questions by giving them extra details so for example they asked what i did for a living he went on to tell them what school i went to and what i studied this helps your case, they also asked him what language we communicated in. i did send in call logs or chats before hand so she asked him if he had any of that with him and he should them. for call logs i took screen shots of whatsapp that show the call how long, chats we had and also screenshots of our video calls with my nieces and nephews and his other family and put it in a word doc. they liked the visual. at the end of the interview they gave him a green sheet and told him to come back the following thursday. when he went to pick up his visa the first time it wasn't ready they said they had technical issues and to come back 7-13-2017 which was the following thursday after that. note: my ceac status did change from ready to administrative processing for 3 days or so. it changed to administrative processing for 2 days and then it changed to issued. 

 

i wish you all the best of luck with upcoming interviews just be calm and patient and if it is real relationship it will work out in the end inshaAllah. 

[Maria1989 403]

1 hour ago, llama said:

hello all,

 

Alhamdulillah my husband got his Visa today. he had his interview June 29. he said the interview was smooth, the senegalese guy with the dreads did try to give him some problems. he said the CO was nice he did his interview in French, they asked him how we met, when we seen each other, if we been previously married, if we had kids, where i work and what i do. he also answered these questions by giving them extra details so for example they asked what i did for a living he went on to tell them what school i went to and what i studied this helps your case, they also asked him what language we communicated in. i did send in call logs or chats before hand so she asked him if he had any of that with him and he should them. for call logs i took screen shots of whatsapp that show the call how long, chats we had and also screenshots of our video calls with my nieces and nephews and his other family and put it in a word doc. they liked the visual. at the end of the interview they gave him a green sheet and told him to come back the following thursday. when he went to pick up his visa the first time it wasn't ready they said they had technical issues and to come back 7-13-2017 which was the following thursday after that. note: my ceac status did change from ready to administrative processing for 3 days or so. it changed to administrative processing for 2 days and then it changed to issued. 

 

i wish you all the best of luck with upcoming interviews just be calm and patient and if it is real relationship it will work out in the end inshaAllah. 

Thanks for the update.... My finace is interviewing there too. I plan on going over there before the interview and staying until its done. I figured that would be questions they would ask.... So he knows all this infromation, for sure, how could you not? I didnt think about printing call logs but I will have it when I go to Dakar. Also, why would they ask what language you communicate in, are the chats in a language other than French or English? Also, how many times have you visited? I emailed the Embassy to see if there was a way for me to attend the interview, no response yet 😒

 

Thanks for all you insight, I will defintiely post updates as it helps the next folks in line. Thanks again

Edited July 13, 2017 by Maria1989

[llama 14]

1 minute ago, Maria1989 said:

Thanks for the update.... My finace is interviewing there too. I plan on going over there before the interview and staying until its done. I figured that would be questions they would ask.... So he knows all this infromation, for sure, how could you not? I didnt think about printing call logs but I will have it when I go to Dakar. Also, why would they ask what language you communicate in, are the chats in a language other than French or English? Also, how many times have you visited? I emailed the Embassy to see if there was a way for me to attend the interview, no response yet 😒

they asked that because we speak Fulani and she was curious because he is half Lebanese so she was shocked he spoke Fulani lol. yea def print the call logs make it look nice they really don't like the chat logs because it is too much. i only visited once and we got married at the end of our trip. we also had no red flags we are both the same age never been married same religion and culture families know each other as well. i guess all that helps. he did mention many people did not get approved that well. but you will be fine just tell you fiance to relax and try not to be so nervous. if he can do his interview in french so that he won't need a translator.