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| Frankfurt, Germany |  Review on December 28, 2010: |
hunymstard
Rating:  | Review Topic: Direct Consular Filing
We showed up a half hour late for our 8am appointment. The line for non-immigrant visas was decent, but we were the only ones to stand in the "all others" line, and were taken ahead of the other line. It was icy cold and snowing out; approaching the check in window with our four month old baby granted us a pass to the front of the security line.
Security was easy, though they held on to my husband's keys for the mini flashlight we forgot to leave behind. On entering the atrium I was grateful for a woman who approached us and told us which sign to watch and where to head once called (window 43 is not an option downstairs). I watched others enter undirected and they seemed mighty confused. Our number was called twice while I was changing the baby's diaper. We sprinted up the stairs and heard the number after us being called as we approached our designated spot.
The gentleman behind the window didn't crack a smile at our apology for our tardiness ("I was wondering where you were; I already called the next number") but neither did he mention how late we were for our appointment. His initial comment about the petition is that we were ineligible to apply because the date on my residence permit was less than six months ago (I'd been in the country almost five, but was here more than 90 days before we got in and got my permit). After some discussion and some sighing, he silently continued examining the paperwork and then sent us down the hall to pay the fee. Sweet! Accepted!
We paid the fee and returned the receipt to him. He asked if we had a completed DS-230 (yes--thank you VJ!) and told us to wait near window 23 to hear our same number called. Waiting near the window there were two other couples furtively trying to fill out DS-230s, remembering every place they'd lived since they were 16 and so on. When it was our turn, a super friendly gentleman checked that our form was complete and affixed a large sticky note to it. "When do you hope to leave?" "March" "ah, that shouldn't be a problem at all" Oooooh what music that was to my ears. He then proceeded to explain the interview checklist, etc. and send us on our merry way.
The visit was quick and mostly painless. We knew there was a chance that they wouldn't accept the petition at all, and so were thrilled when it AND the DS-230 were both accepted. The facilities were clean, complete with baby changing tables in both male and female restrooms. Apart from the guy who accepted our I-130 everyone seemed in high spirits and were super friendly... all in all good, and I look forward to returning for an interview!!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #7009