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| France |  Review on March 28, 2017: |
phillamb168
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
the NVC stage could last up to 20 weeks ( 8 weeks renewed twice) so my husband requested to work remotely so we could spend time as a family after 6 months of living apart (minus a christmas visit).The hardest part of that whole process was the unknown time factor. I went from rental to rental dragging my four kids (including a newborn, growing into a crawling baby) and ended up back at my parents house because we couldn't afford to save up for plane tickets and keep renting all over the place for short term leases.
anyway I was back at my parents' house near Paris when my husband arrived to spend a month together. The following day we received the interview date!
It was March 9th, interview set for March 22nd. (we had requested an expedite so there was no choice of date).
we were supposed to leave on the 11th for a rental some 400km away!
I went to the ONLY place in France that does the medical (Levallois Perret) on the 10th, for the blood test and chest x-rays.
We booked online the only doctor appointment available before the interview at the ONE doctor's office approved by the embassy, for the 17th of March.
then we tried to figure out the logistics of going back and forth to paris for those 2 appointments (doctor and interview) considering also that they are morning appointments so I would need to spend the night close to Paris to account for the possible strikes, technical problems etc. on the train.
it was a pretty stressful time, and I'm thankful to have friends to lend me a bed/couch in or near Paris.
the doctor appointment went fairly well until she told me I was missing a vaccination 'rappel' .
I think she realizes what people go through before they get to her office because she kindly offered to write me a prescription and for me to come back in between patients when I told her I would have a hard time coming back in between the 17th and the 22nd (week end in the middle).
I ran to get that vaccine! lol
I was back within 20min and I was all done after an other hour
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the interview itself
my interview was at 10am
I arrived at 9:15am
you have to wait on the other side of the street. there is a park with benches right across.
about 30 min before your interview you can wait on the side walk in front of the embassy. Prepare your passport and appointment letter.
I went there at 9:30 am.
Because I had a baby with me (I breastfeed so I couldn't leave her home) they let me in right away.
The lady in the 'screening' tent asked me for my passport, DS 260, bulletin de casier judiciaire and CD with the chest x-ray.
I couldn't find my DS260. I 'm not sure what she was talking about because we sent it to them, so I just showed her the copy of our ds260 file in my stack of paperwork. She said I should keep the B3 (casier judiciaire) and the chest x rays in my hand lugage when I go in the USA
then I got to the metal detector room where they kept my phone and charger.
into the embassy I went to the visa area, there was a decent line, I estimate about 12 cases/families.
the security had me cut the line (again because I had a baby in a baby carrier)
I went to a first window where some very nice lady took my finger prints, then she asked for my passport, casier judiciaire, birth certificate, marriage certificate and tax returns. She also confirmed my address in France. She talked to me but I don't think she asked any questions, just for paperwork and she made some nice comments or remarks.
then she told me I would go to one of the other windows for the interview itself where they would ask me more personal questions. She said the person would tell me right then whether it's approved or not and that if it is I would later receive my passport in the mail, with the visa, and a letter NOT TO BE OPENED, for the POE.
at said window a guy asked for the same papers again: fingerprints (not on paper they take it on the spot) passport, casier judiciaire, marriage certificate and tax returns.
he circled some info on his files ( yearly income, number of people in the household) and asked me to swear that all information was true. there was no bible involved if you wonder 
and then he paused for a minute. I thought he was going to start asking the personal questions. But he finished his paperwork and computer filing and said' your visa is approved, you will receive it by mail within 10-12 days with an orange envelope that you should not open even though there is your name on it, it's for the POE agent. '
that was it. he had to tell me ' you can go now' because I couldn't believe it would go so quickly.
I left the building at 10:10 am.
everyone was super nice at the embassy.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #21604