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| France |  Review on September 12, 2009: |
Frenchwife
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Difficult to enjoy when it is over a year you have been waiting since husband left thinking it would be quick to join him.
US embassy was as expected, fine, not friendly but professional.
Going to such places is always a little scary and you want to leave asap
in particular around that time of the year
From the number of people at the Embassy, and with the booth system you realize you are really one among a crowd.
The good thing is that We did it finally 
Had interview at 1PM.
Went by train to Paris the evening before
Stayed outside of Paris in a family flat
went to Paris early morning
had to go to doctor first to show xray and pick up my medical enveloppe.
In anticipation of interview I had got more recent papers, pictures, originals, was still organizing it in the train and had a big suitcase of papers and computer with me.
went to embassy in the morning to check what about suitcase (confirmed no way) and what time to show up. was told 12:45 for 1PM interview
had lunch with my brother (gave him my suitcase, else I could have left it at gare de L'est there is a consigne but it is far, else I would have had to ask a store or a hotel (would have been tough)
then went back to Embassy
to go to Embassy
wore my jeans (no time to change and I tell you it does not matter!)
had only a pair of big folders in a flat work bag and a plastic bag
It was a beautiful hot day, a hot September day.
went in with my pasport and interview letter
go a number
and had to watch numbers on a display telling booths to go
I stayed, calm, polite and smiling all the time
answered only about the questions asked
Got friendly while waiting with some US people who had lost their passports
and were here to get emergency ones
was called 3 times
1) to give my passport
A lady at the booth
2) to give most recent papers / data and answer some basic questions
A lady was at the booth
I think I talked with her on the phone last year in September when trying to go Direct consular filing
or she was the one who called me for the K3 interview in June
she said: good you go for IR instead of K3 and she tore the K3 paper she apparently had there
she asked do you have new papers: answer yes (new birth certificate as the one I had sent to nvc was just over 3 month old, new wedding certificate)
do you have new pcc: no, previous is still valid I said
She asked confirmation for where I had leaved, wedding, children
She asked also do you have new resource info, I gave W2 for 2008 that they only had go through email, gave original of letters where we had sent pdfs
showed original 1040s for 2005, 2006, 2007 (she had seen I had them and asked for them saying hum I am interested in them
I was asked which address you want green card
I was asked what picture I wanted for the visa or GC (not sure) and if the one they had was less than 6 months, I said yes, had new ones but previous nicer. the lady said ok but picture a little blur so bring another to the border
was told to bring wray to border
I gave my chronopost enveloppe 1kg with address already on
I was given back a lot of copies they did not want to keep they only wanted one set
From how she was going through the papers I was thinking that all the letters (expedite requests, affidavit)in my petition were never read, only the forms and evidence requested were read
I was asked when do you intend to go, I said asap, probably November. I plan also to go before for holidays I said
At the end she said wait, next call you are going to talk to consul
I was glad I had prepared all the stuff....
3) to talk to consul (at booth)
Consul is a man
started with put hand up, swear that you say the truth
all in French but he is American you can tell
Then not sure if we continued in French or in English
he said, hum you travelled a lot to US. I said yes, for work
not sure he asked me anything else
was looking at all my papers he had in front of me
I was asked to sign DS230 part II
then he said you are done
I said thanks 
bye
Interview was Tuesday
I received the chronopost on Friday
I went to pick the enveloppe with my son at the post office
Opened
enveloppe contains passport with visa to be endorsed within 6 month, a brown enveloppe, a paper about social security number and then about being new as immigrant
visa is dated Wednesday (the day after interview)
Good luck to the next ones.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #4960