United Kingdom Interview Thread 2007

[Captain Oates 911]

London Interviews

[Silas 0]

Yay! I’m approved. At least, I think I am

Had my interview at the embassy yesterday morning. I’d forgotten what a horrible looking building it is – like a DSS office envisaged by Albert Speer. After queuing outside for about twenty minutes I finally got in received my number and waited. For anyone waiting for their interview there’s a couple of monitors showing all the counters open and which visa number they're currently serving. Going shopping at Argos is the nearest equivalent I can think of to it.

After around 15 or so minutes I was called up to counter 1 where there was a middle-aged woman who seemed to be of Chinese origin, I’ll refer to her as counter 1 from hereon in. Even though I had everything ready for her I was with counter 1 for quite a length of time as she kept going off on rambling monologues. To start with she asked what I’d been doing and I said that I worked in financial regulation but I’d just left my job due to impending move to the US. Counter 1 asked if that meant I was a financial adviser. I told her that I wasn’t and it was more of a civil servant role but having built a head of steam she proceeded to berate me about financial advisers while I had my fingerprints electronically scanned. When she was finished (finally) having a go about this pet-hate of hers she told me that my particular job sounded dull. In all of this I don’t think she was intending to be rude rather she was just one of those painfully blunt people. Also, I had to agree with her that my job was indeed dull. I mean it mostly involved approving or denying applications, which I told her, was very dull work indeed – don’t know if she got the irony. When I thought we’d finally finished she spotted that I had put under the answer for education that I had been to “Peterhouse, Cambridge University”.

“Is that one of the Cambridge colleges?” counter 1 asked.

“Yes,” I answered.

“Mustn’t be any good; I’ve never heard of it. Trinity is the best, isn’t it?”

“Well it sort of depends what your doing.”

“No, Trinity is the best.”

This when on for a few more minutes as counter 1 told my that her daughter was applying to Cambridge to do medicine so I got further interrogation about the different colleges. I also got in-depth info about her daughter’s friends. One of them apparently wants to do Maths at Cambridge but thankfully this woman was able to give the girl some sage advice.

“I told her she didn’t want to do that. She’d be no good at it.”

Feeling somewhat chastised and scolded I was pleased when she handed me back a sealed envelope with my X-ray and told me to go round to counter 12 to pay for the visa and then bring her back the receipt. Once I done that she told me to sit back down and that the consular officer would soon call me for interview.

After a few minutes I saw that my number was up on the screen telling me to go to counter 16. I was a little bit confused as the electronic voice that calls out the numbers hadn’t done so for me this time so I wondered if it was a mistake. In my head I assumed that for immigrant visas the interview would take place in a small holding room. I headed over to counter 16 who turned out to be a pretty American girl who I’d say was roughly my age (26/27). She passed me over the original copies of my birth, marriage and police certificate. Following her instructions I raised my right arm and swore that everything I said was the truth. She asked me where my wife was; ‘the US,’ I said. Counter 16 then told me to put my left-hand on the fingerprint scanner. Unfortunately when I get nervous my palms sweat. Unlike other people I don’t sweat much in the armpits but it’s the sweat glands in the palm that I have trouble with. Counter 16 was clearly not very happy with me puttiny my sticky hands all over her nice scanner. After we’d tried multiple variations of laying your palms down flat (and until then I didn't realise there was multiple ways of laying your palms down flat) we finally had a set of prints that counter 16 was satisfied with. Okay, I thought now we get onto the serious business of the interview. All these months of planning had been leading up to this moment; I had two thick files full of paperwork to prove anything asked of me. I felt like a young Perry Mason about to brief his first jury.

‘What was your wife doing in the UK?’ counter 16 asked.

‘Workingn in the City,’ I said. Before I could continue anymore she stopped me, told me I’d get my passport back in the next few days and I needed to go and pay the courier. So off I went slightly confused. The interview had ended before I had even really realised it had begun. Even after I had paid the courier and left the embassy I kept thinking I'd missed something obvious, that counter 16 wasn't my interviewer and had only been swearing me in for another consular officer who was going to interrogate me at length. Here's hoping I get the level of scrutiny at POE as I did from counter 16. Anyway sorry to ramble on for so long; I've clearly picked up bad habits from counter 1 in that regard.

[Captain Oates 911]

That's a great account..

I have come to the conclusion that the interview is part of the medical and they are testing to see if we are secretly violent psychos by goading us with this traffic warden little hitler stuff - well done for maintaining your aplomb

Anyway look out for that visa in the morning cos mine came next working day and not the 3 to 5 they talk about. Even the couriers stuck with that story.

It's a pity they don't have bank style speakers on the windows cos I could not hear her with the pa in the background. When she was saying raise your right hand I thought she was on about the fingerprint thing again...

I was leaning right up against the glass with a weird intense expression with bulging eyes made worse by my mega magnification reading glasses. I think she thought I was going to bite her.

it's all a hoot in retrospect but not funny at the time... bit like getting born

ok back to the packing !

Edited October 25, 2007 by saywhat

[*julez* 124]

Congrats on your approval Silas!!!!!!

[Lansbury 19]

Congratulations Silas -

Counter 1 is all part of the test for assimulating you into American life. Every stranger you met will find a way of telling you all about their family and producing photographs. It really does happen. The quickest I've seen is 2 minutes on the Alamo shuttle bus from Portland Airport to the car rental lot. You passed by obviously appearing interested and not challenging their opinions.

[RosemarieL 0]

Yay! I’m approved. At least, I think I am

Congratulations

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Yay!!! Congrats Silas! I know it seems like a massive anticlimax after all the emotions of the preceeding months, but yep, you're all done until POE!

[Silas 0]

Thanks for the bestwishes everyone.

You were right about the couriers Saywhat, they've just delivered the passport and package.

[walkies_a 0]

I posted Packet 3 recorded delivery: It arrived 16th October at London Embassy. Packet 4 has not yet arrived.

I need to have an idea of interview time as need to schedule a trip to the US for my wife to have job interviews and for me to us both to see which city we most want to move to. I also need to give 2 months leave to my work. More pressingly, my wife's UK student visa runs out end of Jan and we dont want to pay 500quid to get her a UK spouse visa with the intention of moving to the US. Also, to make things worse, my wife needs to schedule the viva for her PhD!!!

If I ring the state dept in DC, would they likely have scheduled the interview yet? If not, would they be able to speed matters up?

Thanks in advance! This forum has been very helpful so far!

Andrew

[Silas 0]

I posted Packet 3 recorded delivery: It arrived 16th October at London Embassy. Packet 4 has not yet arrived.

I need to have an idea of interview time as need to schedule a trip to the US for my wife to have job interviews and for me to us both to see which city we most want to move to. I also need to give 2 months leave to my work. More pressingly, my wife's UK student visa runs out end of Jan and we dont want to pay 500quid to get her a UK spouse visa with the intention of moving to the US. Also, to make things worse, my wife needs to schedule the viva for her PhD!!!

If I ring the state dept in DC, would they likely have scheduled the interview yet? If not, would they be able to speed matters up?

Thanks in advance! This forum has been very helpful so far!

Andrew

I doubt the State Dept would be able to speed matters up for you but it's definitely worth you calling them in order to see if your interview is already scheduled as well as for your own peace of mind.

Also when you sent back packet 3 did you put your proposed travel date down as they'll try and accomadate that for you.

[MargotDarko 0]

So! Holy cow! The hubby's interview is this Monday, 5 November! Our packet 3 arrived at the embassy on 15 October (special delivery) and we received the interview letter yesterday only one week in advance! Isn't that crazy? Thankfully we've been able to get the day off work even though normally we're supposed to request it at least one week in advance.

I'm really nervous about how it's going to go. I mean, I know the worst that would happen is that there's some confusion and we have to go home and send more info by post, but I really don't want to have to do that. And I hear so many scary stories about how mean they can be and how poorly trained some of them seem to be!

Also, is it true that I'm not technically supposed to go into the embassy? Has any USC recently had trouble going into the embassy with their spouse on the interview day?

[Captain Oates 911]

So! Holy cow! The hubby's interview is this Monday, 5 November! Our packet 3 arrived at the embassy on 15 October (special delivery) and we received the interview letter yesterday only one week in advance! Isn't that crazy? Thankfully we've been able to get the day off work even though normally we're supposed to request it at least one week in advance.

I'm really nervous about how it's going to go. I mean, I know the worst that would happen is that there's some confusion and we have to go home and send more info by post, but I really don't want to have to do that. And I hear so many scary stories about how mean they can be and how poorly trained some of them seem to be!

Also, is it true that I'm not technically supposed to go into the embassy? Has any USC recently had trouble going into the embassy with their spouse on the interview day?

BIG CONGRATS !!!!

it's the day we fly...

there is a sign outside saying applicants only ....its at the security hut.. but its worth an ask - if you tell em its re spouse visa

anyway good on ya ! I reckon their schedule is a mess because of the mail strikes and they are slotting people in where they can

again - well done - you deserve it and you have contributed a lot to vj

ok back to the cleaning and packing... safety harbor, florida a week on saturday ! battered dolphin and chips for tea...

[Silas 0]

So! Holy cow! The hubby's interview is this Monday, 5 November! Our packet 3 arrived at the embassy on 15 October (special delivery) and we received the interview letter yesterday only one week in advance! Isn't that crazy? Thankfully we've been able to get the day off work even though normally we're supposed to request it at least one week in advance.

I'm really nervous about how it's going to go. I mean, I know the worst that would happen is that there's some confusion and we have to go home and send more info by post, but I really don't want to have to do that. And I hear so many scary stories about how mean they can be and how poorly trained some of them seem to be!

Also, is it true that I'm not technically supposed to go into the embassy? Has any USC recently had trouble going into the embassy with their spouse on the interview day?

Congratulations and good luck. Considering all the great advice you've been handing out here I'm sure you'll have your hubby suitably trained up for his interview.

If it's at all helpful, at my interview last week the only questions I was asked were the following:

1) "Where's your wife?" I was able to say back in the US, I suppose therefore proving her domicile - they didn't ask to see any of the evidence proving domicile that I had brought. Considering the grief Alan received regarding domicile that does seem an area to over prepare just in case.

2) "What was your wife doing in the UK?" Again I gave a very brief response about her job and again no request for evidence. Perhaps as I've gone, like yourself, via DCF they're interested just why the USC was here in the UK and can the USC show US domicile.

Both questions were asked so informally while the CO was getting my fingerprints scanned that I wasn't even sure that the interview had actually begun.

[freecake 0]

My honey's interview is on Tuesday!! very nervous and excited...!!!

[~*Maria*~ 1]

My honey's interview is on Tuesday!! very nervous and excited...!!!

Best of Luck