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| Nigeria |  Review on October 20, 2011: |
Habakkuk2vs3
Rating:  | Review Topic: General Review
Our interview was schedule for 7am. We arrived there around 5:45, there were just a handful of people in line because apparently there was a 6:30 appointment as well. At around 6:30 the gate finally opened and a woman came out and said that we should form a line on the other side of the gate so it was the last people in the initial line that ended up going in first (go figure).
A man came out and started to instruct everyone to open all the sealed envelopes including the one given at the medical exam. We finally got past the first security checkpoint and formed another line based on the type of visa you are applying for (immigrant vs. nonimmigrant). We arrived at the desk where these two women keep shouting at everyone if you take more than 1 second to give them what they are asking for. . Because we were watching the people in front of us we were very prepared. She asked for the appointment letter and we immediately presented it. She asked for her ID if she has all the forms and passports. Then she turned to me and said are you the petitioner? I told her yes and she smiled and said “well thanks for the moral support but your share of work ends here” I smile back and said she can handle it. I gave her the one bag filled with documents and wished her good luck. The lady said are you sure that’s all she needs, I said yep everything is in there. So I exit the area to go out and she was told to go and pay the cashier in the other section.
This was her experience inside:
She sat down and waited to be called and while doing this she was eavesdropping on everybodys question and she was asking herself and answering them. Her turn finally came and here are the questions
Who is filing for you?
Where does he live?
What does he do for a living?
How did you meet?
When was the last time you saw each other?
She said I was in Nigeria in January and I am right outside now? (He said wow right now? And was very impressed )
Do you have any correspondences?
She gave him about 300 pages of rebtel call log with the letterhead from rebtel.
He briefly flipped through it and said all this tells me absolutely nothing? Do you have any from his phone company like t-mobile, gmobile (whatever that is) etc
She said no because he calls directly from his account because it easier than using phone cards.
He said it doesn’t matter I need to see those, if you don’t have it you need to present me with another type of correspondences.
She reached back and brought out about 250 pages of mail, facebook messages and wall post, the handwritten letter she sent to me when she was mailing the letter of intents to me.
He read about 20 of the mails because they were not too lengthy and he stopped.
Have you done any introduction ceremony?
What about the dowry or the bride price?
Where will you be getting married?
Have you discussed what type of marriage? As in church, traditional, court?
When and where will this take place? She gave the State where I lived , he said where specifically. She said she was a bit worried because she wasn’t sure but she just gave the name of my city.
He wrote a couple of things down and said well I have no question about your relationship but my concern is why don’t you want to get married here in Nigeria?
She said because the most important thing for now is for us to be together, the celebration is not as important.
He said “you haven’t answered my question?”
She was beginning to feel nervous because she has been talking to him for about 20 minutes and his voice is gradually getting aggressive and other were usually done within 15minutes either with good or bad news)
She said because his family is there we will all be coming home for celebration of our first anniversary and everybody will be there?
He said, I don’t care about anniversary , I am concerned about why you two are refusing to get married in Nigeria, it’s so much more easier, I mean your families are here so why go there where there will be no representatives for your family at the wedding?
(This is where God intervened because he himself gave us the answer.)
She told him She has a sister in New York and He has visited here several times and she will be present at the wedding.
He then said oh really? You have a sister there? That’s ok then.
He then wrote a couple of things down and asked if we have more pictures. She presented about 40 pictures. He continued to flip through them and them immediately stopped and took out a specific picture of the two of us in the kitchen where I was pounding yam and sweating profusely and she was stirring the vegetable soup.
What the hell is he doing? He said loudly with a frown.
We are preparing pounded yam, it’s a traditional meal.
He interrupted and said I know what pounded yam is, but does he have to do this hard labor, aren’t there machines that can do this now? Look at him, I mean look at him, look at him , by the time he said look at him 3 times they both busted out laughing and everybody in the room was looking at them like what the heck is going on over there?
This was the moment that sealed the deal because after this he said he will be back and he went and brought the approval letter and handed it to her and said CONGRATULATIONS, You can go to the address there and pick up your visa next week.
All in all she was there for about 40 minutes but in the end God took all the glory.
She came out frowning and looking sad but I met her with a big bear hug and a kiss and a smile and said congratulations. She finally looked back at me and said wow am I that bad of an actress? I said no. It is because I know that our God has never left us alone so I knew we would win the battle.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #8542