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| Belgium |  Review on January 21, 2015: |
SimonBelgium
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
When my interview date for my CR-1 visa came through from the NVC, the date was so far into the future that I decided to see if they could reschedule to an earlier date.
I was instructed to call the "Callcenter" for this. After a lot of back and forth, they rescheduled to about 2 weeks earlier. Yay !
They send you a new email for this (looks different from the P-4 interview letter). I printed it, and presented myself at the embassy, a little before the alotted 2PM timeslot.
Turns out I was NOT on the list. The guards were very friendly there. One of them called some people, and said I had to get a new appointment through the embassy website.
This is wrong however, there is no scheduling possible anymore via the embassy website.
As the schedule was full for the day, I was sent home.
I called the callcenter again, and the lady confirmed I should have been on the list. I then called the embassy operator, who told me that I should write an email instead, so I did.
The next working day, at around 8:35, I had a nice lady from the consular section on the phone. She apologized for all the confusion, and explained that the interview scheduling for IMMIGRANT visas was done by them, and the rest through the call center...
Due to a cancellation however, there was an open slot that afternoon... Yay !!
Cleared my work calendar for the day, back home to collect my big folder of paperwork, and the medical results, and my passport, and back to the Brussels.
I arrive at the guard station... Not on the list again...
Luckily, the lady from the consular section had sent me an email confirming the interview for that afternoon, so he let me pass.
Once in the consular section, those guards were indeed expecting me (phew !).
Once inside, it's your usual airport-style security check. DO NOT BRING A BACKPACK! You can leave your keys and phone with them (they give you a ticket to get it back). You then get a numbered ticket, which will be displayed on the monitors when it's your turn.
I only had to wait about 15-20min for the processing with a clerk. He was Flemish and very friendly. He was impressed with the quality of our file, and I had to hand over my medical results and passport. He will confirm some details with you, and then he beeped me up again to return some excess paperwork to me.
And then the waiting game began... In total there were about 8-9 people there, all for different things. Some will just pick up or drop off some documents, others have to see the consul for their interview. In my case, there were 2 consul interviews before me, one of which took over an hour.
At some point, everyone else had left and I was the only one still sitting there. And then, finally, my number came on the screen again
The consul will ask you to swear you are telling the truth, and at some point you will need to fingerprint again to "sign".
Lots and lots of questions of course, but mostly on how we met, what the plans are when I move there, and some details about my wife. The consul will have gone through your entire file, including the evidence of bona fide marriage, and will ask you some things about it.
The interview was then concluded, and I was given a ticket to pick up everything next week. The details I had to provide on usvisa-info.com for postal delivery, again, are only for non-immigrant visa.
The consul confirmed I was approved. YAY !!
I gathered all my stuff, and went back out to the security room, to collect my phone and keys. When I walked outside, one of the guards yelled "STOP" !
It seems the consular section called them to send me back inside...
Scary moment there, I can tell you.
Back in the waiting area, nobody to be seen... After a few minutes, one of the ladies from the consular section shows up behind a counter to tell me they will print my visa right away, as I was the last one for the day and there was some time left :-) Wow what a surprise !!
Took about 20min or so, huge manilla envelope taped shut and with embassy stamps over the tape, again the warning not to open it. Also my passport with the visa inside, I doublechecked the info on it, but everything was OK :-)
Very nice surprise there at the end, most people will have to come back the next week.
Some things in summary:
1. It is COLD inside! Bring a jacket or pullover
2. There is a water fountain near counter 4
3. Do not bring a backpack with laptop or something.
4. Immigrant Visa interviews are ONLY on TUE and THU at 2PM
5. Everyone is very friendly and helpful, and they will even crack a joke from time to time.
6. There is a TV with a news channel. In my case, it was BBC, others have reported it was CNN on some days.
7. The evidence you gathered since your packets to USCIS and NVC, bring it. They might not ask for it, but better safe than sorry.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #16004