Consulate Review: Nigeria
Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
November 13, 2012 |
| Embassy Review : |
I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to finally be at this point of the process and to be able to write a review!!! I pray it helps future couples prepare for their own interview process.
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I joined my husband in Nigeria two days before our interview process taking along a shirt and tie for him. (Yep, he's pretty in pick and paisley!) He wore slacks, dress shoes, shirt, tie and belt. No jacket.
On the morning of our interview we got up early, ate breakfast, bathed and dressed. Two of my brother-in-laws were present along with me and my husband. We said a prayer over our travels and interview process and headed out the door by 8am with a pull behind carry on suit case and an over the shoulder bag full of photo albums and additional evidence should it be asked for.
Our appointment was 10am so we planned to leave a little before 8am. (First mistake!) If you have a 10am appointment, you should leave by 6:30-7am!
The traffic was horrific. We were stopped at every turn and inched our way toward Victoria Island slowly! On a non-traffic day, my husband says we could have made it there in 30 minutes time. This was NOT a non-traffic day.
We continued to inch our way forward while watching the clock. By 9:15am I was a nervous wreak and I told my husband, "you cannot be late for this interview. There is absolutely no way they will let you reschedule it and American's do not play the "Sorry, I'm late game! The next motorcycle you see, flag it down and get your behind on it and to the Embassy. Me and your brother will be there as soon as we can. Don't worry about me, I will get there."
With that, he and his younger brother were out of the vehicle as soon as we got across the bridge into VI. My husband flagged down two bikes and he and his younger brother got on with the two bags and took off. Me and the other brother continued to drag our behinds toward the Embassy. We arrived around 10:20am.
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The following is what my husband said happened once took off on the bike.
"Once he and his younger brother got on the bike's, they were taken quickly toward the Embassy. He said then looking at the traffic along the way, he was thinking, if he were still in the car, he would never have made it in time. He said he was praying the entire way to make it on time!
As soon as they we were close to the Embassy, the bikes pulled over and stated this was as far as they could go. My husband was not aware the bikes could not carry you the entire way. So they had to get off with the suitcases and carry them the rest of the way. The driver instructed they should walk, and pointed the direction, for approximately 10 minutes and would run into the Embassy so they took off on foot.
After we arrived, my brother-in-law who went with my husband was telling me... "Sister, would you believe as soon as we started walking...the sole of your husbands shoe split away from the upper leather?" Your husband stopped, looked at the shoe and said... "THE DEVIL IS A LIAR! I AM GOING HOME WITH MY WIFE!" ... He then ripped the sole off the shoe and had the younger brother rip the other one off! My husband kept right on walking! My brother-in-law said he was laughing hysterically and my husband was so serious!
My husband arrived at the gate by 9:45am, sole-less, but on time! He said he Praised God because NO ONE was in line! My husband walked right in and was searched. They found my makeup mirror in the carry on bag (oops! left it by mistake)...so he had to go back outside, leave the mirror, then come back in through security and be checked again.
They had him take a number then instructed him to sit in a particular area. He said he sat there for quite sometime before a black man called him and asked him to produce his marriage certificate.
My husband said he looked all over the bag and could not produce the marriage certificate, and the guy asked him to take out all the files and look through them. Divine finally told the guy, my wife must have already sent it in because it is not here, only a copy is here.
The man told him to gather his files and have a seat again. My husband said he stayed seated and waited again for "over an hour". Finally, he was instructed to go to the other building across the road with a group of people. They were all escorted by a guard from one building to the other where they entered another building.
While waiting to be seated, a guard told my husband to be still while waiting and he should not, under any circumstances, fidget during the waiting process. The reasoning was that my husband was being "watched" by cameras in a back room even before his actual interview was to take place.
My husband told him thanks for the advice and said another prayer before being seated.
He said he watched many people going up to windows to be interviewed. He stated there was one guy that was really loud inside that kept saying over and over, "I want to go to America at least one time before I die". And....he was flat out DENIED then escorted out all while still talking very loudly! The guy made everyone inside, including my husband, very nervous.
As he viewed the process and watched the CO's doing their jobs, he said one particular CO, a dark haired American lady, kept looking at him in between interviewing other people. He was seated directly in front of her window. My husband said she seemed nice and was approving everyone that day. She seemed to be in a really GOOD MOOD and he kept praying, Lord let me get this CO!
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THE INTERVIEW!!!
When my husband was finally called to the window...he did get the CO he had prayed for. He said he had waiting approximately two hours inside before his name was called.
He stated: "AS I picked up my bags and moved toward the window, the CO smiled and stated..."Wow, you have all this to show me?" and my husbands reply to her was, "Yes, I HAVE TO PROVE MYSELF TO YOU AND THAT I REALLY LOVE MY WIFE"...or I have to go outside to answer to my wife. So yes, I have all this to show to you!"
He said she immediately started laughing and told him to step forward. She had him give his fingerprints, had him swear in, and state he was going to tell the truth and nothing but the truth...but there was not Bible present. My husband thought this was really odd!
She then asked him for a NEW POLICE CERTIFICATE because the one submitted to the NVC was expired. He handed her the new one, she made a copy of it and gave it back to him.
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She then started the questioning...
Who petitioned for you? His answer, "My wife, of course!"
How did you meet? He pulled an empty Herbalife Vitamin bottle out of his pocket and said, "She was marketing this product online and invited me to be her friend on Facebook and almost three years later, she is my wife. God is good!
Did you buy any of the products? He said no, (laughing) but I did get a wife and I now take (and buy) the products! C0 laughed again.
How many children does she have? WE have three sons.
There names?
Do you talk to them? "YES"
What do you talk about with the oldest son? Marriage, being a good husband, taking care of his wife and work. (This son is married)
...the middle son? Sports, basketball...girlfriend.
...the youngest son? "Wow, what don't I talk to this guy about! I mostly talk to him about being good for his moma and about his girlfriend!" (He is only 6...LOL)
Has you wife been married before? Yes
How many times?
What happened in her marriages..they had him answer each one by one?
When did you and your wife get married?
Do you have any photo's you can show me of the two of you? My husband stated yes and pulled out all four photo albums. The CO commented for him to show some of his favorites, so he gave her a hand held small album that only holds 100 pictures.
She commented on our outings, like swimming at the local pool at UNILAG. Asked if Divine could swim, he stated..."I can now, my wife taught me!"
She laughed at the photo we use as our profile picture here on VJ and asked to look at some wedding photo's. Toward the back of the wedding album, I placed photo's of the boys. She saw them and when she flipped to our youngest son now 6 years old) my husband started laughing out loud...and the CO started laughing with him. He then made the comment, "this boy is a trouble maker. He gives his mama fits."
The CO said, "YOU ARE APPROVED", handed him a piece of paper with directions on where and when to pic up his visa in LEKKI the following week. (One week from the interview date.)
She further commented to my husband as she was handing him his documents, that we were very good with documentation and the evidence we provided. This was why she did not need to see the evidence again.
She then told my husband, "GO home and take care of your wife and sons." And asked...ARE YOU HAPPY???(cause he wasn't jumping up and down like everyone else had), he said "YES, I'm very happy!" He further told her "Thank you very much!"
She smiled at him, finished giving him back our original documents including our MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE!
My husband said when he got back the Marriage Certificate, he wanted to go back to the first man and ask him, "guy, why were you asking me for dis when you knew it was part of my package?" LOL
I told my husband, every part of the process is a test, that man did that to you because he wanted to know if YOU knew the Marriage Certificate was already part of your package! LOL He was secretly laughing at you the entire time you were looking for that document because it gave you something to do while you waited!
They did not ask my husband for any phone records and we did not submit chats, emails, etc., because my husband does not type.
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On a side note, my husband came out of that interview shaking his head no and having a very sour look on his face. He let me believe for a full five minutes, through much ranting and raving...that we had been denied!
This is a very bad idea to play such a trick on your wife after preparing a case for three years!
My husband finally told me the truth and produced the paper to prove it. No worries, he is recovering fine from the knots on his head from my shoe. He should be home around December 1st! Hahahahahha!
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Aside from this being a FOUR HOUR INTERVIEW from start to stop, it was a very good experience! Be confident in all you do. Remain light-hearted, let your love for your spouse shine through and above all else! PRAY!!! God bless you all!
~Dana and Divine
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| Rating : |
Very Good |
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ver 5.0