|
|
| London, United Kingdom |  Review on February 6, 2008: |
C and J
Rating:  | Review Topic: K3 Visa
Friday 1st Feb 08
I caught the train to London and arrived in Grosvenor Square at 8am... far too early for my 9:30 appointment but better early than late. Started talking to a man who was also waiting for 9:30 (he was applying for a tourist visa), we queued together at just before 9am and the lady asked us if we had any electronic items, if we did she gave out a plastic bag to put them in. I said no and she didn't say anything more, just sent me on my way. As I was making my way forwards in the queue, I noticed that a lot of people had keys in the bags and began to worry that maybe she should have given me a bag anyway. As I got to the front of the first queue, the line stopped. We had no idea why, but it was 45 minutes before it started moving again. The second queue is for the metal detector. Took off my watch and put my keys in the plastic container the guy held out to me. Then I walked into the embassy.
I was given number 5016 as I walked in and was pointed in the direction of the waiting area. The waiting area was relatively large but not as big as I imagined from reading other reviews. It reminded me of school assembly halls as a child. Along one wall were the interviewing windows, also not as I imagined them. There were 10 or so facing the waiting area and then a further set along the side out of the way.
I sat down for maybe 25 minutes before my number was called for the first time (there were 3 immigrant visa's in the queue before me and they seemed to be flying through the visitors visa numbers) and I went to window 14. I was greeted at the window by a very pleasant American man. He asked for my passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, police record and the passport photos. He told me to scan my finger prints: first the 4 fingers of my right hand, then the 4 fingers from the left and then the two thumbs together. Apparently the tips of my little finger on my left hand and my index finger on my right hand do not lay flat and I had to push them down with the other hand to get a proper scan.
I signed the 2 copies of the forms I mailed in, he asked for the affidavit of support and then he told me to go to a nearby window to pay. I paid the $131 in dollars and returned to the same window and he gave me my xray. He then proceded to tell me about the next part of the visa process (AOS) and I just nodded and listened even though I knew the next steps thanks to VJ  After that, he gave me a pink form to fill in for the courier and asked me to return to the waiting room again.
20 minutes or so later, I was called up again. This time it was to window 15, where I was greeted by an american lady. She asked me to scan my fingerprints again to make sure it was still me and once she was happy she asked me to raise my right hand and swear that the information contained in the forms was the truth.
Once I'd done that, she asked me only 4 questions:
1) What was Josh's occupation
2) What was my occupation here (to which she replied "it should be easy for me to find work")
3) Was my mother in law my main sponsor
4) Were we going to live with my in-laws when I moved to the States.
No other questions asked, no evidence looked at (not even the photos). She said that the last thing I had to do was queue for the courier payment and then I was done for the day. Unfortunately, I didn't ask whether or not I was approved, so I didn't know for sure until my visa arrived on Tuesday.
| |
|
Consulate / USCIS Member Review #2426