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| Frankfurt, Germany |  Review on November 11, 2024: |
rathuis
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
On October 18 I had my interview appointment @7:30AM.
I arrived @Frankfurt a day earlier by car, driving from Gouda Netherlands in a 5 hour commute.
I stayed at Hotel Arena Villa am Wasserpark, a block away from the US Consulate.
For people who have an early appointment is it a good option for a hotel. Only parking is expensive €15,-/night.
I parked my car on the street which is for free.
I arrived at Consulate @06:45AM and I was sure I would be the first in line. But I was mistaken. There were 3 people in front of me. So I was the forth person together with my US wife. At 07:10AM Window 1 opened and my turn to approach the window was 5 minutes later. The lady behind the window asked for our passport. I received a little paper stated "Immigrant Visa I 101 7:17AM 10/18/2024 Case ID:89226" and we were directed to go to wait in front of desk number 15-21 once inside the main building, after Security which was next door. My wife had a Apple watch that had to be turned off and put in a locker. Security went fast, similar to airport security. 5 minutes at the most. At 7:30AM we walked following the green lines to the main building and we sat down in front of the desk numbers 15-21 which was way in the back. We waited 10 minutes and we were called for documents check at desk 19. I had uploaded all the required documents online via https://ceac.state.gov/IV and all I was asked to give was not more then the originals of the following documents:
- Passport
- Marriage Certificate
- Birth Certificate
- Police record (VOG)
- Registration of return address to send passport to.
- Passport photo (according to American standards) with my full name written on the back.
That were all the documents asked. No AOS documents, proof of income, proof of domicile, etc. None of that.
After that they took my fingerprints, right hand, left hand, both thumbs at the same time and look into the camera.
I was instructed to sit down again and wait for my number to show up on the screen for my interview.
We sat down again and waited 45 minutes for the interview.
The interview was pretty easy and took about 10 minutes. I had to raise my right arm to the square and answer "Yes I will". After that my fingerprints were taken again, only the 4 fingers of my left hand this time. Most of the time the interviewer was typing stuff. The very first question I totally blew it!!.
I was asked when I met my wife for the very first time. It was in 2005 but I answered: "in 2019". My wife who stood next to me at the interview desk surprisingly reacted: "Really?" Then I said: "Oh...ehhhh...no no....it was in 2005". We all laughed about that!
Other questions were like:
How did you meet eachother, date of marriage, if I was married before, if my wife was married before, if we have children, where we going to live in the US and why at that particular city/State.
I was asked if I had completed my medical exam yet. I had it completed 3 days before on the 15th, but the results were not in yet and so I was rejected with a 211(g) stating that my Visa will be accepted as soon the results of my medical exam shows up in the system and are positive. The interviewer handed me back my original documents and I was good to go.
To set up the medical exam is indeed a nightmare and time consuming like peachy_8 shares.
Plan well in advance all the vaccinations needed for the medical exam. All vaccinations must be done at GGD and/or local doctor which took months for me to have them all done.
I have no history of any vaccinations I have had in my childhood. "Gele boekje" only contained my Covid vaccinations. So I had to get the rest:
- Covid vaccination
- Flue shot
- Difterie, Kinkhoest, Tetanus] (Boosterix)
- Bof, Mazelen, Rode hond (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella=MMR)
- Hepatitis B (Engerix). Serie van 3 vaccinaties (0, 1, 6 months) - only 1st shot is needed for medical exam
- I was not sure if I have had Waterpokken, so I asked for a blood test at my local doctor and the result was that I had enough anti-bodies for waterpokken in my blood, so there was no vaccination needed.
When all that was done I was able to make appointment for medical exam at https://huisartsritz.nl/praktijkinformatie/visumkeuring-amerika/
Medical exam was fairly easy. The doctor measured my blood pressure and I had to pay €220,- X-Ray of my longs was €90,-
After 5 working days of processing time they send the results of the exam to the Consulate in Frankfurt.
So after 5 working days (4 days after my interview) I checked my Visa status at https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx
But Visa was still refused. After 10 days, still refused. After some emails to the panel doctor and resending the results to the Consulate i finally received the status "Issued".
Another nightmare for me is to get my passport returned to my home address in the Netherlands.
I registered my home address online (and handed the lady behind the desk the confirmation at the time of interview at the Consulate). I registered for Frankfurt IV international delivery (which was a free of charge delivery service). But they changed the system and now that registration is lost and they sent my passport to a local mailbox in Frankfurt instead, ready to be picked up. By who??? Not me!! I live a 5 hour drive from Frankfurt and not able to pick up my passport. At the moment of writing this review the Consulate tells me that I have to contact the courier to ask for advice....another nightmare!
(updated on November 11, 2024)
(updated on November 11, 2024)
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #33449