Consulate Review: London, United Kingdom
Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
November 19, 2011 |
| Embassy Review : |
I Left home at 5 am on the 3rd November 2011..I really hadn't slept much for the last few weeks..so it was easy getting up. I chose to drive in and had pre-booked my London waiting fee on line. I arrived and parked the car by 7.15 am, my appointment wasn't until 8 am, but i had read, people getting in sooner. I took my sister with me, and she waited in a nearby cafe with all my electronic stuff.
I know i took so much stuff with me, a complete backpack, photos, all the immigration paperwork in two files.
I got to the embassy at 7.30 am, about 20 people was in front, and typical uk weather it started to rain.
The front security asked for my letter and sent me to the booth..4 at a time go in. No problems here, and headed around the side of the building up the big steps and into the embassy. The receptionist asked for my letter and gave me a number I904!
I sat down and waited. I think it was only maybe 20 minutes till i was called to the first window (cubicle 1) (as a side note: you stand the whole process when talking to the embassy, but sit while waiting). Handed over all the documents the lady asked for. She made a note on my file in red pen about the fact I had lived in the USA before..I began to panic to be honest. Anyway, she handed me a courier slip and also another form and asked me to go to the cashier and afterwards come back to her. When i got to the cashier, one person was in front, but no cashier, we must of waited a good 20 minutes for a cashier to arrive. Paid my fee, was given a receipt and went back to cubicle 1. The lady was now serving someone else, so I waited. Finally I was able to give the receipt and sit back down to wait to be called. I was pretty nervous, had taken a puzzle book, but couldn't concentrate at all.
After maybe 15 minutes I was called to window 16. A very nice lad was there, asked me to do my finger prints and confirm a few details, asked how my husband and i met, she seemed pretty surprised when I said we worked together in England, I guess they don't get many of them.
Then for the more difficult bit:
When I went to the USA in 1998, was I intending to stay? I said no..I was visiting, and looking around.
Did I sell my house before I went? Yes, because we intended to travel, but I had my mothers house which she did not live in to come back to.
Did I give up my job? Yes as I was pregnant with our son.
She repeated asked me about this, and I assured her, that my original intent was not to stay there, although I ended up doing so.
She asked what visa I traveled on : Visitor visa, which was extended.
We then got married in Florida.
She asked after I got married how soon did I file an adjustment of status? I said within a month.
She asked..how long I stayed, I explained a little under 5 years, but our case was still pending and is still open to date, but I was advised to start the whole process again by USCIS., as some of my original paperwork had got lost.
She then explained she was seeing if I had over stayed while I was in the USA, which could result in a 10 or 3 year ban. I moved back to the UK in 2002.
She then went on further to say, that as the whole time I was there, it appears I had a case pending with the INS (as it was known at the time), that it looks like the worse case would be ..was a 3 year ban, which I had already served, but it was more likely that I didn't have an over stay at all.
She said, I feel confident in approving you, by this time I was already in tears, but now they just didn't stop...I repeatedly thanked her and went to the courier desk. I paid the courier for normal delivery.
The next day 4th November (Friday) I had a text message saying that my package was being delivered on Monday (7th). I so wanted to book my tickets..but was still a bit weary that everything was ok, after the interview. Sure enough about midday on Monday, my package arrived, my passport and envelope, which was not brown but white..of course that also made me nervous, but checked on the forums and others had received white envelopes also. My passport had the immigrant visa inside which would last six months. Within maybe 10 minutes of receiving the package I had booked my flight!
All in all, they were efficient, it wasn't the easiest of interviews, but there again I wasn't the easiest of cases either!
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| Rating : |
Good |
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