Hi family,
Called KCC yesterday about sending me the 2nd NL on soft copy. They insisted that they will only send it at least one month after dispatch. Since it was sent on 22nd November, I'm supposed to call if it isn't here by 22nd December. At least they confirmed my interview date. In light of the new embassy rules of interviewing the day after document submission, I'm considering taking my documents on the day before my interview at 12 so that I get interviewed as per my KCC letter.
Anyway, after I was done with KCC, I called IOM on the chance that they would agree to schedule my medicals without the 2nd NL and they had no problem, they gave me a 7.30 appointment. Now, for all those doing their medicals in Nairobi, take note that the IOM at which the medicals are done is the one on 4th Ngong Avenue, a blue gate just after AAR. This is because when I called to make an appointment, they didn't tell me which IOM this was and so I went to Nairobi Hospital.... To be continued.....
Sorry about that, the reason I had to continue later is that I was posting this at IOM but had to take a break to go do the medical itself. As I had said, I showed up at IOM 4th Ngong Avenue, just after AAR at 7.50am (I think most appointments are around this time and the earlier you go the sooner you leave the place). At the gate, the security guys make sure you are on the list for the day. You then take a seat in the reception area and hand in your passport. The ladies there make a copy of it, then send you for a counseling session where some guy lets you know what tests they'll carry out,how long they will take etc. They check mainly for Syphilis, TB and Hepatitis B though they also do other baseline tests e.g blood sugar. After the counseling session you go pick up your passport and copy, and go the lab where they take an instant photo of you, sign the medical exam forms, hand in
1 passport photo and then proceed for bleeding. You then go and pay for the medical exam.
The exam itself costs
138 USD so depending on the exchange rate for the month which they set, you pay the equivalent in Ksh. The exchange rate for December is 80.3 so I paid Ksh. 11,081. You can pay in dollars if you want but it attracts a 5 USD surcharge since all their accounts are in Ksh.
You then enter an IOM van and are ferried to Nairobi Hospital IOM where you hand in your forms, are X-Rayed (ladies, wear pants not dresses or you will have to completely disrobe and wear the open-back hospital gowns) and then ferried back to 4th Ngong. Once you are back, you then proceed for the physical where a nurse checks your height, weight, vision, blood pressure and pulse. You hand in the
2nd passport photo here. You are then sent to the doctor's where he/she asks about your past medical, surgical and hospitalization history. You are then sent to strip down to your underwear. She checks your ears,teeth and asks you to breath in and out deeply as she listens to your breath and heart sounds. From here I guess its gender specific: because she will feel your breasts, both male and female, and general look and touch at the rest of your body as you lie down, straight to the toes (she doesn't look at sehemu nyeti
, just asks if everything is OK there). Females, she will check the back of your legs for varicose veins as you face the wall, and for everyone she will check to see if your spine is straight.
After the exam she fills in the required immunizations which will vary depending on whether you are pregnant (females), having had chickenpox in the past and your age. Kids get quite a number of shots so for those with young ones (below 12), remember to carry their immunization cards to avoid traumatizing the kids with unnecessary shots coz without the cards, they will have to be repeated. I got three shots: Dultavax (32 USD), MMR (26 USD)and Varicella (54 USD and quite painful!). The pregnant ones don't get the first one and the ones who have had chicken pox don't get the last one. You can therefore calculate approximately how much you need by multiplying by the ones you're likely to need by 80.3. You then go and pay for the vaccinations and receive them. I was done with this by 1.30pm.
After that you are sent home to go and wait for the results. IF there is a problem, they call you the next day so you can come and see the doctor and discuss treatment options etc. and the way forward. IF you don't get any call in the morning, you are fine. I couldn't be able to go the next day to pick up my results so I begged and pleaded for an expedite so I left with my results at 5.10pm (quite a long wait, had to wait for the doctor to finish seeing everyone so she could sign my report). I was given a big envelope with my X-Ray (don't carry this to the interview, but carry it in your hand luggage when emigrating), Vaccination card copy (make a copy of this, carry to the embassy in case they need it, carry in hand luggage and keep safe coz in the States, it'll determine health insurance premiums) and a SEALED medical report (don't attempt to unseal unless you want to pay another 138 USD). They then bid you goodbye and all the best in your interview!
That was my day. Met a few people who were doing their medicals for DV, most seemed to be family sponsored migrants. One guy was doing his medicals for an interview next week on Tuesday, and I thought that was too close. I suggest you do your medicals as soon as possible, since they last for 6 months anyway, coz in-case there is a problem e.g TB which takes 6 months treatment and 2 more months observation, you may not be able to apply for your visa within the DV window. Anyway, the incidence of TB among people without HIV is not high so you shouldn't panic, but those who are positive should do it quickly so that if they have TB they can be treated and still apply. I was freaking out about the TB test coz I work in a HIV and TB clinic, but turns out mungu amenichunga. Amen!
In summary:
1. Get to your interview
on time to avoid wasting the whole day there.
2. Carry
immunization records where available, especially for children.
3. Carry about
Ksh. 21,000 for the whole process (I spent Ksh. 20,075). A little more is better in-case of any eventualities.
4. There is a cafeteria on the premises so you can carry some little money for lunch and/or snacks, esp. those with kids.
5. Make sure your
passport photos (2) conform to the standards. Those with bad photos were sent to re-take them and wasted more time and money. They should be on a white background with a really big face in them
(about half the photo)
6. Don't forget your
passport.
7. Say a big prayer and wish for all the best.
Hope you have all learnt something from this.
@ Kamauz, go right ahead and schedule your medicals, with or without the 2nd NL. Just carry your 1st NL so they can confirm your case number.
Applied for police clearance on Wednesday 8th and the process is quite straight forward: go to CID headquarters on Kiambu Road, follow the signs to the office (it's on the right). Pay Ksh. 1,000 at a window at the entrance and produce your national ID. Get a copy of the receipt and your ID inside the office @10 bob. Get the original receipt and ID copy stapled to some form, fill in your name and ID number and wait to be called for printing. After printing, get your form and copy of receipt signed and stamped. The certificate is ready in 2 weeks. Don't detach the printing records from the certificate when handing it in to the embassy or it is invalid.
And that concludes my last 2 days.
Off to do a bit of work. Later!
