This is to give hope to all of you that have upcoming interviews even if you are from one of the MENA Countries (Usually Middle-East/Arabic Countries. This is the experience of my husband.
His interview was scheduled for April 29th, 2013 at 8:00 at the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi. He arrived at about 7:30 to a people waiting outside the consulate.At about 7:50 they let the people enter after looking at their interview appointment sheet. He has to leave his phone at security desk, was given a token for later retrieval and proceeded into the embassy. He was directed by a worker to take a ticket and sit and wait to be called. He took the ticket and went to sit about 10 minutes. His number was called and he went up to speak with an officer from India he believes and she briefly looked at his documents/file took it and made some copies of the information that had been sent by the NVC. We had the entire file that was sent just in case they has misplaced some information. She give my husband the file back and gave him a blue piece of paper and told him to sit until his number was called. He sat another 10 minutes until his number was called he was asked for his fingerprints and Oath and had to pay the biometric fee. He was then told to have another seat. After sitting for about 15 minutes he was called up to a window where the lady was sipping tea he said. She greeted him and then proceeded to ask questions. Lady was was white American. She asked:
Where we met?
How long we have been married?
Where we got married?
Where I was now? U.S.
What I was doing there?
She asked what he did?
How long he has been in the UAE?
Had he applied for a visa before? My husband had applied when he had been in the UAE and was on vacation in Egypt but was denied, since he must file in the UAE, not Egypt. He then showed her his visa where he had been granted a visitor visa for Canada instead to go for the reminder of his vacation at that time.
The CO, then looked at our wedding pictures and asked where the weeding was held and my husband told her the exact ceremony location in Abu Dhabi. Then she asked if I was Muslim since I was covered in the Photos. My husband said, no. She asked why I was covered? He said that my wife was working here so she knows the customs here and she likes to cover. The Consular officer said, ok. Then she asked him had he registered with Empost and he said, no.
She then gave him a white sheet in English and Arabic that had his case number and told him to register for the Empost service. She also gave him another sheet, that said that the $165 fee would need to be paid before leaving for the U.S. She then asked for his passport. He gave it to her. So said it would be returned via Empost.
So my husband said he stood there as he was under the assumption that he was to get a pink or blue paper. So he asked the CO, am I approved? She said, its good. But that wasn't an exact answer. So he stood there again and said he didn't understand what she meant. javascript:emoticon(':wacko:') And she said Mo, it is fine, I said it was fine. Then she proceeded to drink tea out her cup.
After that he left he said and was still unsure if he has been approved because the CO didn't come right out and say, YES you are approved. I knew however after he scanned me the white paper he was. Or so that's what I thought given the interview. Our attorney said that they must tell you if you will go through AP or denied. Plus she kept his passport and told him to register with Empost. So according to the letter that the CO had given my husband at the end of the interview you should expect to receive your passport with the visa inside 3 days after your interview and you would be notified to pick up your passport by Empost. It was days of agony (3 day seemed like an eternity). Day 3, we had not heard anything but I saw on Visa Jounry where you can go to the USCIS and see you status after your interview at the consulate. I was so afraid, on May 1, 2013 I clicked the link and put in his case number and waited!!! The results said- VISA ISSUED!!!!!!!!javascript:emoticon(':kicking:')
Although the Empost site hadn't shown anything, the USCIS site had an update. So we waited another 3 working days and on May 6, 2013 my husband got a text that he was to pick up his passport. Inside that passport that Visa we had prayed and worked so hard to get. It was a miracle, he's from Egypt an Arabic country with a very usual name and no AP not even a day. And this happened on the wake of the Boston Bombings, in the U.S.
So we will be together soon, Inshallah!!!javascript:emoticon(':kicking:')
