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| Nigeria |  Review on February 9, 2018: |
0123456
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Hello all,
A few weeks ago, Visajourney was the webpage I frequented the most, day & night. And because of all the experiences and advice I read on this page, it really helped me prepare for my interview day. In return, I would also like to share my experience in the hopes of also helping someone else in my shoes. Below is my experience and transcript of my Immigrant Interview in Lagos.
The interview was held on 7th February, 2018 at the US consulate, Lagos. I started gathering all the required documents as listed by the NVC from the day we got the notification of my scheduled interview date.
My wife had already sent in her paperwork including some of our photos. I, on my end, gathered our communications from email conversations, (120 pages), WhatsApp, telegram messages & calls ( I think about 80 pages, I randomly selected them). I also printed more photos of my wife's visit to Nigeria, our wedding, (even though we had a marriage album) and our visit to some other countries we had travelled to for vacation. I even printed my Facebook page where I announced our marriage to my friends online, my status, and anniversary. Chai, I was ready for them o. My wife kept laughing that all this was too much, that it's not necessary to send all these additional photos and communications, that she has frontloaded through NVC filing. I said Noooo oo, make I frontload too. My wife is the gentle and calm one, she just said okkkkkk. No wahala. lol
A day before my interview, I lodged in a hotel close to the Consulate. My anxiety increased all night but my wife kept reassuring me that all will be fine. My wife and I had been practicing everyday doing mock interviews – she asked me questions like a Visa Officer and rate me after each session of questions.
I highly recommend you know a lot about your spouse and her relatives because the VO has a lot of information and data about the petitioner. Luckily for me I do know alot about my spouse and her family. And another piece of advice, please know your relationship very, very well, like major dates and events that happened during your relationship and life.
THE INTERVIEW DAY
My interview was 06:45 in the morning. I woke up at 3am because I just couldn't sleep. I did my morning prayer and afterwards did another practice mock interview with myself facing the mirror.
Even though my hotel was 2km away from the Consulate, I didn't want to walk that early in the morning. I decided instead to book an Uber ride – I left the hotel at 04:55 am and arrived at the Consulate at 05:05am. I was amazed that people were already at the car park gate waiting.
At 6am they started the first security check: the police officer passed us through a hand metal detector. We proceeded to the next security check where Nigerian consulate's staff instructed us to bring out our International passport, Interview letter, and 2 passport photographs. They next instructed us to unseal the sealed medical envelope from the clinic (please do not open or unseal the medical envelope you receive from the clinic until you are told to do so at the consulate!). After this we had to go through yet another security check.
Next, names were cross-checked on their list of applicants having interviews for the day. You'll be given 2 pieces of forms to complete so try to bring a pen along.
A number will be written on your interview letter that what you will use during the interview process. Finally, you will go to the last security check before going to the main interview hall. You will have to remove your belt, jewelry, and then pass through a scanner like the ones used in the airport.
In the Interview Hall, your original civil documents will be checked against the copies sent to NVC. Your medical report, police report, international passport, and the photographs will be collected and attached to the file NVC sent to the Consulate containing all documents from the initial petition. After about 30 minutes, you will be called to take fingerprints. Then you wait for the MAIN interview with Visa Officer.
If you have a genuine marriage and don’t have red flags or inconsistent information, everything should be fine.
There were 4 VOs on the day of my interview. There were about 30 immigrants on the queue. I was number 15.
I guess the numbers were called randomly. You'll see them when they pick a file to adjudicate. I immediately spotted my file that was being picked by one of the VOs. They take some time to study your file before you are called. I saw her checking the documents in my file. And checking something on her computer, maybe she was doing a Google search about me or something, but be ready not to lie ooo. It's easy for them to know you are lying. After a few minutes my number was finally called to her window. My heart started beating fast when I was called. The time had come!
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
VO: Good morning, how are you today? (With smiles)
Me: Fine, Thank you, ma. And you?
VO: I am good. Can you please raise your left hand to make a oath.
After the Oath taking, I had my fingerprint again just for confirmation.
VO: Who is calling you?
Me: My wife, and gave her name
VO: How did you and your wife meet? Where?
Me: I told her
VO: What does your wife do? And where does she work? What year did you start talking?
Me: I told her where my wife works and her position
I started to feel more and more confident
VO: Oh, you've lived in so and so country before, what did you do there?
Me: I told her
VO: What do I do for work? She asked me about the details of my job
Me: I explained to her my work and duties at work
VO: Do you have your wedding photos?
I brought out our wedding album, and wanted to bring out other photos of our time together but the VO said the album was OK.
Me: That was how I started to open page by page, telling her everyone in the photo, I just kept going and going. Na so the VO was looking ooo, that Chai this guy just dey flow o.
VO: She said OK, everything seems fine. Returned all of our documents and then said, “Your Visa is approved.â€
In my mind I was just thanking God that finally my wife and I would be living permanently together
VO: Gave me three white papers, explained how to get my Visa package, and my international passport from the DHL collection center, and how to make the Green Card fees online. Also told me to read my rights as an immigrant in the United States
VO: Have a safe travel to the US
Me: Thanked her
That was how my interview went. With a lot preparation, accurately and truthfully filled, complete documents (I mean necessary and requested documents), and most importantly, with God's mercy everything should be fine.
Thank you for reading my epistle. I promised myself that after reading VisaJourney so often over the past few weeks, I would share my experience here too, in detail.
I picked up my visa 2 working days after the interview at the DHL Collection Point.
(updated on February 9, 2018)
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #23247