alabamamama
Registered Users (C)
They opened at 7:30, although my instructions said 8:00 AM. Anyhow, I was the first immigrant visa applicant (four others in front of me there non-immigrants).
7:35 AM:
I first paid $435 and was told to go to window 21. A German clerk handed me over a form, told me "to read it and sign it, take a seat and wait until your name is being called." The form was stating generally that there was some kind of mismatch and listed three possibilities: 'signature,' 'difference between spelling of native name' and 'wrong photo.' I knew that it was because of the Umlaut in my surname. But I was confident because I had documentation about the legal name change with me (I was signing and using my name with no Umlaut in English-speaking-environments and with Umlaut in Germany until I changed officially back in January).
8:30 AM
I handed over the above mentioned name change document during the next call (they tell to which window or counter to go) together with all the other documents:
- High school diploma (Gymnasium Abgangszeugniss 13.1 Class). She discussed briefly with me whether this was "Fachoberschulreife" or "Fachhochschulreife." I explained that it is a "Fachhochschulreife" together with the vocational training.
- Vocational training certificate (Gross-und Aussenhandelskauffrau IHK Prufung and Berufsschul Abschlusszeugniss). I also provided an evaluation report for the above, which states, that it is an Associate in Business degree in US equivalence She didn't want my vocational training certificates for Paramedic (Rettungsassistentin).
- birth certificate (international birth certificate)
- divorce decree
- Financial evidence (I had several bankstatements and title deeds with me, even an affidavit I-134 -- but she took only the one from the US financial institution, with a total of over $115.000 in diverse funds).
She checked and compared the original with the copies and kept the copies. Although not required I also had translations of all the documents she kept so I did hand them over too. She didn't want any other documents.
She had two photos of me which I had actually send to KCC with my initial application in July 2003. So I didn't need to give two additional photos which I had with me.
She asked for the medical exam results, and I told that I had the medical exam a week ago and that it should be on the way. She checked briefly the mail in the background. She took a note from the original bill, but didn't want a copy. (When I returned home I called the physician's clinic and was informed that the medical exam results have been sent yesterday and probably arrived a few hours after I left the consulate.)
She asked me to put the stamps on an envelope and put my German mailing address on it.
I mentioned that I would like the delivery address for the permanent residence card to change, which was allowed.
She also asked when I want to immigrate and I told her: March 3rd.
Because of my name change I had applied for a new passport. But because I wasn't sure if it will be ready by the interview date, I had also a preliminary passport, just valid for one year. She explained that a package (the immigration package) will be send, which might not be opened under no circumstances. The cover letter which is "the entrance ticket" to the US, contents the passport number. She suggested to wait for the 10 year red passport and that I should make a photocopy of it and just send the copy, so they can see the number. _
Back waiting.
At 9:15 AM the American consular officer called me. Friendly man. First I had to swear in. He asked following quite specific questions (my responses in brackets):
"You have visited the States previously." (Yes, several times)
"How many months did you stayed at most in the States?" (five months, perhaps five and a half, always with a B-1/B-2 visa).
"Where do you want to move to the US?" (Hawaii)
"On which island is Honolulu located?" (Oahu.)
"Have you visited other parts of Hawaii?" (Yes, the Big Island)
"Why?" (For pleasure, to see the active Vulcan and the National Park.)
"You are divorced?" (Yes)
"When did you got divorced?" (In 2000)
"You have a F-1 visa." (I wanted to study but then got discouraged and quit and returned within two months -- changed into B-1.)
"Are you still registered with the university?" (No.)
"Your parents are immigrants from Turkey?" (Yes),
"But you were born in Germany?" (Yes)
"Have you ever lived somewhere else than Germany? (No)
"Which other countries besides the US did you ever visit?" (Italy, England, France, Belgium ... [he signaled that it's enough]).
"Any Middle Eastern or Asian countries?" (No)
He said, congratulations and that he will still make his final decision after receiving the medical exam results. Because if I should have a medical condition that might need expensive treatment that he might ask for more documents. He handed me over a "Pending Worksheet" with a note that I should send a fax with a copy of my new passport. And that if I do not receive the package within two weeks from today that I should call a number on the worksheet. He also made the B-1/B-2 and F-1 visa's in my old passport void and explained: "Now that you will receive an immigrant visa, you may not use other nonimmigrant visa's."
I just returned from Frankfurt in one hour (with the ICE train driving 280 Km/h at times) and_ queried about my passport again at the local authority and hope that it will be ready latest in 7 days. Then I can eventually receive the package within the next 2 weeks.
7:35 AM:
I first paid $435 and was told to go to window 21. A German clerk handed me over a form, told me "to read it and sign it, take a seat and wait until your name is being called." The form was stating generally that there was some kind of mismatch and listed three possibilities: 'signature,' 'difference between spelling of native name' and 'wrong photo.' I knew that it was because of the Umlaut in my surname. But I was confident because I had documentation about the legal name change with me (I was signing and using my name with no Umlaut in English-speaking-environments and with Umlaut in Germany until I changed officially back in January).
8:30 AM
I handed over the above mentioned name change document during the next call (they tell to which window or counter to go) together with all the other documents:
- High school diploma (Gymnasium Abgangszeugniss 13.1 Class). She discussed briefly with me whether this was "Fachoberschulreife" or "Fachhochschulreife." I explained that it is a "Fachhochschulreife" together with the vocational training.
- Vocational training certificate (Gross-und Aussenhandelskauffrau IHK Prufung and Berufsschul Abschlusszeugniss). I also provided an evaluation report for the above, which states, that it is an Associate in Business degree in US equivalence She didn't want my vocational training certificates for Paramedic (Rettungsassistentin).
- birth certificate (international birth certificate)
- divorce decree
- Financial evidence (I had several bankstatements and title deeds with me, even an affidavit I-134 -- but she took only the one from the US financial institution, with a total of over $115.000 in diverse funds).
She checked and compared the original with the copies and kept the copies. Although not required I also had translations of all the documents she kept so I did hand them over too. She didn't want any other documents.
She had two photos of me which I had actually send to KCC with my initial application in July 2003. So I didn't need to give two additional photos which I had with me.
She asked for the medical exam results, and I told that I had the medical exam a week ago and that it should be on the way. She checked briefly the mail in the background. She took a note from the original bill, but didn't want a copy. (When I returned home I called the physician's clinic and was informed that the medical exam results have been sent yesterday and probably arrived a few hours after I left the consulate.)
She asked me to put the stamps on an envelope and put my German mailing address on it.
I mentioned that I would like the delivery address for the permanent residence card to change, which was allowed.
She also asked when I want to immigrate and I told her: March 3rd.
Because of my name change I had applied for a new passport. But because I wasn't sure if it will be ready by the interview date, I had also a preliminary passport, just valid for one year. She explained that a package (the immigration package) will be send, which might not be opened under no circumstances. The cover letter which is "the entrance ticket" to the US, contents the passport number. She suggested to wait for the 10 year red passport and that I should make a photocopy of it and just send the copy, so they can see the number. _
Back waiting.
At 9:15 AM the American consular officer called me. Friendly man. First I had to swear in. He asked following quite specific questions (my responses in brackets):
"You have visited the States previously." (Yes, several times)
"How many months did you stayed at most in the States?" (five months, perhaps five and a half, always with a B-1/B-2 visa).
"Where do you want to move to the US?" (Hawaii)
"On which island is Honolulu located?" (Oahu.)
"Have you visited other parts of Hawaii?" (Yes, the Big Island)
"Why?" (For pleasure, to see the active Vulcan and the National Park.)
"You are divorced?" (Yes)
"When did you got divorced?" (In 2000)
"You have a F-1 visa." (I wanted to study but then got discouraged and quit and returned within two months -- changed into B-1.)
"Are you still registered with the university?" (No.)
"Your parents are immigrants from Turkey?" (Yes),
"But you were born in Germany?" (Yes)
"Have you ever lived somewhere else than Germany? (No)
"Which other countries besides the US did you ever visit?" (Italy, England, France, Belgium ... [he signaled that it's enough]).
"Any Middle Eastern or Asian countries?" (No)
He said, congratulations and that he will still make his final decision after receiving the medical exam results. Because if I should have a medical condition that might need expensive treatment that he might ask for more documents. He handed me over a "Pending Worksheet" with a note that I should send a fax with a copy of my new passport. And that if I do not receive the package within two weeks from today that I should call a number on the worksheet. He also made the B-1/B-2 and F-1 visa's in my old passport void and explained: "Now that you will receive an immigrant visa, you may not use other nonimmigrant visa's."
I just returned from Frankfurt in one hour (with the ICE train driving 280 Km/h at times) and_ queried about my passport again at the local authority and hope that it will be ready latest in 7 days. Then I can eventually receive the package within the next 2 weeks.