shadowflex's US Immigration Timeline

Petitioner's Name: Eni Beneficiary's Name: Fun VJ Member: shadowflex Country: Nigeria Last Updated: 2015-06-12 Add Comment to Timeline Register or log in to follow this timeline

Immigration Checklist for Eni & Fun:

USCIS I-130 Petition:       Dept of State F-2A Visa:     USCIS I-751 Petition:   USCIS N-400 Petition:

F-2A Visa Event Date Service Center : California Service Center Transferred? No Consulate : Armenia Marriage (if applicable): 2013-08-03 I-130 Sent : 2013-09-06 I-130 NOA1 : 2013-09-09 I-130 RFE : I-130 RFE Sent : I-130 Approved : 2013-10-21 NVC Received : 2013-11-04 Received DS-261 / AOS Bill : 2013-12-03 Pay AOS Bill : Receive I-864 Package : Send AOS Package : Submit DS-261 : Receive IV Bill : Pay IV Bill : Send IV Package : Receive Instruction and Interview appointment letter : Case Completed at NVC : 2014-02-18 NVC Left : Consulate Received : Packet 3 Received : Packet 3 Sent : Packet 4 Received : 2015-05-01 Interview Date : 2015-06-11 Submit Review Interview Result : Approved Second Interview (If Required): Second Interview Result: Visa Received : US Entry : Comments : I hope it can help you prepare for your interview. This is a recount of my experience at the American Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria The Lagos Embassy is a very busy one.You will be amazed at the number of people you would find waiting as early as 5:30am. The embassy divided the process into 2 stages. The first stage is to pass security checks and get into the waiting area. The Second stage is the entry into the Main building which happens to be across the street to the waiting area.If you plan to drive yourself, there is a private car park very close to the embassy where you would get to park for 500 naira. In my case i drove and i was glad i did. I had set my alarm to go off at 15mins interval from 4:30am incase i overslept but luckily for me, i was up by 4am (more like i never slept). I got out of my house by 5am and i was at the embassy less than 30mins later. I figured that was too early so i sat in my car and called my wife to while away time...Around 6:45am i decided to leave the car park and move close to the cluster of people waiting around the waiting area. There were some people lined up on a queue in front of the waiting area, i found out they were 7am appointments. By 7:30am ,they started calling 8am and i gladly joined the queue. We were told to bring out our interview letters and open the sealed medical report envelopes. They claimed no sealed envelope would be allowed into the embassy. They also made announcement for prohibited items like sharp objects and the likes. We eased our ways into the waiting area where we were manually searched before being told to proceed to the section where our Interview letters were checked and ticked against a guest list they had.(some people's names were not on the list and were told they had been rescheduled for other dates). Again, lucky me, my name was there. I was given a green paper tally and a contact slip to fill (PLEASE KEEP THESE ITEMS WELL, YOU WILL NEED THEM LATER) then directed to join a sit-down queue. This queue marked the beginning of the big wait. I sat down on this queue waiting for my turn for close to 1 hour 30 minutes before my batch was finally called and led across the street to the other Stage, The Embassy proper! At the entrance of the main building, there is a security check point like those at the airports where you get to remove your belt, watches, rings etc...From there, we proceeded through a pathway that led into the interview room. Just by the entrance into the room, i was told to push a button that generated a service number which ended up being my interview tally which i would later be called with. When i got in, i saw another set of chairs which were completely occupied and just behind those chairs was another queue which had people standing and waiting. I joined the queue as i was instructed and i was told to listen for my name. I found out the interview process itself requires 2 stages, document confirmation/submission stage, then Interview stage. I stood on this new queue for about an hour before i heard my name. The following conversation ensued between the Nigerian document officer (DO) and i; DO: Let me have what you were given outside Me: (I gave her the Green tally and the filled contact form) DO: What number did you pick at the entrance? Me: (I showed her my interview tally number) DO: Your wife is very beautiful (she had opened my file and saw the pictures submitted to nvc) Me: Thank you very much ( I can't deny it, this statement reinstated my courage which was starting to dissipate by fear of the unknown...lol) DO: Can I have copies of your wedding cert and birth cert please? Me: (I gave them to her, I had carefully arranged my documents from the previous night, it really helped) DO: Your police certificate please Me: (Gave it to her. I already had it in front of me before she mentioned it. While i was waiting on the queue, i already mastered the documents they were collecting) DO: Is that a copy of your international passport? ( She said pointing because i already had it in front of me again) Me: Yes (gave her) DO: Please provide one passport sized photograph Me: (I gave her) Do: That's all for now, Please take a seat and you would be called again Me: Thank you very much I packed my documents and moved back to find a seat but it wasnt christmas so there was no chair for me. They were giving preference to senior citizens, pregnant women and ladies before men. So i stood with other men and wondered how much more my legs can support me. By this time it was around 10.30am. I stood there looking at the display numbers coming from each Visa Officers window. About 15 mins after, my number flashed and i gracefully walked towards a young caucasian woman who would later do me the honor of approving the visa. The following conversation ensued; Me: Good morning (with a smile) VO: Good morning ( She picked up her headset and microphone) VO: Can you please raise ur right hand? Me: (I raised it) VO: Do you swear to tell the truth? ME: Yes i do VO: I am going to take your finger prints now ....( I placed my right fingers first, then left then both thumbs together) VO: who is calling for you? (looked away for a moment) Me: My wife VO: How did you meet? Me: Through her sister VO: Please tell me more about it Me: (started the story when she interrupted midway) VO: Where and when was this? Me: Told her VO: Did you start courting from then? Me: Nope we were only friends till 2011 VO: When did you get married Me: Told her VO: How did it happen? Me: I told her VO: When and how did she get into the US? Me: Told her Vo: How often does she visit? Me: Every year VO: When was the last time you saw her? Me: 2014 VO: What does she do? Me: Told her VO: Where does she live? Me: Right now? VO: Yes Me: Told her VO: Who lives with her? Me: She lives alone ( Told her the details of the house) VO: How do you communicate? Me: Phone calls majorly ( Truly, we are always on the phone) VO: Ok, do you have any other evidence you want to use to support your case? Me: Yes i do ( I handed her 50 pictures i had printed solely for this purpose) Vo: (Goes through pictures and asks questions basically about people, places in the pictures) Me: (Explained to her the various occasions the pictures were taken which spans from the year we started dating through when i proposed, the introduction, the registry, the engagement party and the church wedding) VO: How many people were at your engagement? Me: Between 400 to 500 people, i am not sure VO: This must have been a fun wedding ( She mentioned pointing to one of the pictures) Me: Yes it was ( I smiled and pointed out to her the dancing time picture) Vo: Great,do you have anything else? Me: Yes, this is a call record from 6th March till 6th June 2015 ( I gave her a 24 pages call records i had printed from my wife's telephone coy) VO: She calls you all the time? Me: No, i call too but i didnt bring my call records VO: what's the time difference between Nigeria and Illinois? Me: 6 hrs VO: Ok good Me: Do you want more evidence? VO: Sure, i'd take it if you have it Me: Here is her flight itinerary for the previous 3 years (she takes it and checks very well, not sure what she was trying to find) VO: Ok thanks Me: And here is an excerpt from our FB conversation VO: (collects it and looks through, then punched something on the computer) Ok great Me: Are you ok with that or do you want more? VO: No thank you, I am ok with these. (Places my passport on some sort of sensor, i heard a beep) VO:Here are your original documents that you submitted in the process. Here are the pictures you submitted too. And you can have all these other documents back too ( she returned all my documents and pictures) At this point she continued to type away on her keyboard while i took the time rearrange my documents back into the transparent folder i took. VO: Ok great, everythings checks out fine. I am going to approve your visa at this time! (Paused and smiled at me) Me: Thank you ( I dont know if i smiled or didnt lol) VO: ( She was saying a lot of things and bringing out different papers while i stood there with the approval echoing in my head...lol..later the documents turned out to be where to pick up the visa, how to pay for the greencard fee and also my right as a lawful permanent residence VO: Unfortunately, we are having computer problems at the moment so i cannot tell you a specific date to pick up the visa but we would send you an email as soon as it is ready and you can pick it up at the DHL office in the address given to you. Me: Thats ok.Thank you very much, its greatly appreciated VO: You are welcome ( With a very big smile) I picked up my folder, went to the loo first then later eased myself out of the interview room THE END. Hmmmn, now my take on the whole process. I strongly believe my case was already approved before i was interviewed. Please don't ask me to explain how because i cant. But the whole process was more like a confirmation. I also do not think those guys need to be psychics to figure out who is lying and not. Those questions were simple but how they came was well targeted. Above all, i want to give thanks to God almighty and of course my fellow VJers who have contributed in one way or the other into this process. God bless you all NB: Please indulge and forgive the typos and mistakes in this review, i sort of rushed to type it Processing Estimates/Stats : Your I-130 was approved in 42 days from your NOA1 date. Your interview took 640 days from your I-130 NOA1 date.

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