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| London, United Kingdom |  Review on January 13, 2023: |
DFR
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Much the same experience as other reviews on VisaJourney. MY CR-1 interview was on 12 January 2023.
Arrival and Entry
My appointment was at 9am - I got to the embassy at 8:00am and there was already a line. I went to get a coffee at District just across the road (they also have storage facilities for anything not allowed into the embassy itself). I then got in the line and had to show my DS-260 and passport. It was 8:20am, so they checked me in but told me to wait until 8:30 before going through security. Security was straightforward. You have to unlock your phone and open an app. Then everything metal goes into trays and you walk through a mag arch. You then walk up to the embassy building itself and there's a consular reception where you have to show your DS-260 and passport again. They stick a ticket number on your DS-260 and then I was told to take the lift to the first floor and then left and left again to the Immigrant Visa section. When you come out of the lifts there are a lot of people in the Non-Immigrant section, but the Immigrant Visa section is clearly signposted off to the left and is a lot quieter than the rest of the floor. There are seats where you can sit and wait, and lots of screens showing which tickets have been called to which window. There is also a small breakfast bar that serves coffee, pastries and snacks.
Interview
My number came up pretty quickly for the first interview. The officer asked for various documents, including birth certificate, marriage certificate, police certificates, courier details and passport, and he then asked me to confirm some further information like date of birth, countries of residence, the amount of time I've been married, the name of my sponsor, etc. He finally took my fingerprints and I was then asked to take a seat again and wait for my number to be called. It took about 30mins before I was called again to a different window. I was asked to raise my right hand and swear an oath that all information I had provided and any questions I answered were true to the best of my knowledge. He then took my fingerprints again (I think to verify that I was the same person). Next he asked how I met my wife, whether we would be travelling together to the United States and when we first met. He then returned my documents, informed me that my visa application had been successful and that my passport would be returned in 5-10 working days by courier. All in all I was in the embassy for just over an hour.
Overall Experience
Both consular officers were pleasant and straightforward - it certainly didn't feel like an interrogation. I definitely recommend having all your documents well-organised before you get there - there was another person there who was really struggling to find what she was being asked for and she was getting very stressed. The embassy building itself is also beautiful, so take some time to look at the art and the small details that are everywhere. Now just waiting for the visa to come back and then we'll fly to the USA!
(updated on January 13, 2023)
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #31713