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| London, United Kingdom |  Review on June 24, 2008: |
latteberry
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Our interview was today, 8:00am. Yesterday they implemented a TOTAL ban on all electronic devices. And by ALL, I mean, not even an electronic CAR KEY.
We never got any notice, phone call, nothing. We left our mobiles behind, as instructed. But we had no idea that we would have our car key held for ransom. And not by the embassy. They won't hold ANYTHING anymore.
Some a$$hat brought his mobile phone, then tried to hide it in the bushes for later retrieval, and we had the pleasure of watching the Metropolitan Police thumb-cuff him while they searched through the bushes for whatever he had planted there. (It was actually pretty cool, seeing a grown man brought to his knees just by having his arm twisted behind his back and his thumb yanked up toward his shoulders.)
Yes, the chemist a couple blocks away is quite enterprising. They charge £10 to hold your mobile phone and car keys for you (will not hold any other valuables). They had a steady stream of people, probably making hundreds per hour, all day long. This is going to be a whole new business for them. They may never need to fill another prescription.
Once inside, we waited about 45 mins for our number to be called. There are 25 windows, and it appears the first 11 windows appear to be the preliminary check, fingerprinting, etc. The last windows appear to be the interview windows.
We were 5008 (the 5000's are immigrant visas). Our file had 'not been updated' so we stood there and watched the counter attendant stamp things and check paperwork. My husband gave his fingerprints, and received his chest x-ray back, being told to bring it with him to the POE. Then we were told to wait for our number to be called again for the official 'interview.' That wait was about another 30 mins. We proceeded to the second window, where the rep asked my DH to swear in, asked how long we had been married, made a joke about still being in the honeymoon phase, and then reminded me that on our 2nd wedding anniversary I would need to apply to have the conditional status lifted from his visa. That was IT. She said that, provided his fingerprints went through OK, she would be happy to issue him a visa. We paid our £14 courier fee, where they estimated it would be 3-7 working days, and left.
Later this afternoon we got a text from the courier that it had already been picked up, and will be delivered tomorrow!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #3045