|
|
| Rangoon, Myanmar |  Review on February 26, 2015: |
MdmKambou
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
My husband and I have a unique situation. He is from Cote d'Ivoire, but we met while we were both living and working in Myanmar (Burma). So, his interview was at the embassy here in Yangon, Myanmar (Rangoon, Burma).
Before the interview I was sure to print every picture of us together, which was about 400. That's including our wedding photos, engagement photos, and all photos of our dating years AND post marriage. I organized them all in a nice album with labels and everything.
I also organized all plane tickets, bus tickets and hotel receipts from any/all trips taken from quick weekend trips to the beach to our honeymoon weekend and our tickets from Phuket, Thailand back to Myanmar.
I organized and labeled all of these in Ziploc bags according to the trips and dates.
I included all letters and copies of all correspondence with my lawyer in the US and USCIS as well as NVC officials during the process in a labeled envelope.
I also included hundreds of pages of emails, Skype conversations and Facebook conversations between my husband and me, and me and my friends and family. My husband's are all in French with his friends and family, so I thought it would be a waste of time to translate them all.
My hubby received a phone call on a Friday afternoon at about 3 pm, from the embassy, stating that his interview would be the following Monday at 8 am. Yes, 3 days from the day they called. AAAhhh!! I was extremely stressed and quite worried, but we figured this was the best thing for us, as we didn't have to lose sleep for many days or stress about it for weeks or months.
We arrived at about 7:30 am on Monday morning. We sat outside the embassy for about 15 minutes until they called the first group of interviewees. Phew! This was it…
The following my husband told me because I was not allowed to accompany him:
He went inside. First, they called him to the counter to submit all proof of our relationship. Then, he sat down and waited for them to call him again.
The second time they called his name, he gave his fingerprints. Then he sat down and waited again. (I was dying outside! Thankfully, I had my family on a group chat on Viber and they were keeping me positive and distracted!  )
The third time they called him to the counter, it was for the actual "interview". The consular asked him my name. Then he asked where my husband and I met. The next question was what we were both doing in the town where we met. Finally, he said, "You have so much proof, I don't even know what else to ask you!" (That was the goal I had in mind when organizing all the proof… Heck yes!!!)
Then he asked my husband to raise his right hand and pledge that all proof submitted was true and correct.
The next thing he said was, "Your visa has been approved."
To which my husband replied, "Thank you".
The consular advised him to return the following day to pick up his passport with the visa inside.
When he came out and said it was a "YES!" I was shaking uncontrollably and almost collapsed. We had been waiting nearly two years for this visa. We were both living far from our families, as we chose to wait for the visa together, rather than me waiting in the US for him. If he had received a "No", I have no idea what would have happened. Maybe Canada? Mexico? Ha!
My husband had to work, so I went to pick up the passport the following day.
I checked all the information on the info. packet and the visa and all was correct.
We plan to travel to the US very soon.
We couldn't feel more relieved that he has finally gotten his visa and will finally get to meet the rest of my family and friends.
This is, by far, one of the hardest things we have both had to do.
Good luck to all who are doing this and have a true relationship. I wish you all the best and the quickest of processing times.
I hope this review will help you to prepare well for your interview as well.
God bless you all!
| |
|
Consulate / USCIS Member Review #16316