My experience;
We arrived at the embassy at 6:26am and we waited outside till we were called to queue at 7am. It was the usual IV and NIV queue. There were lots of NIV applicants by the way and they were bounced in the same manner. Well, so those of us with kids were asked to jump the queue. Our 2nls were inspected and we were asked to enter the first security post where our phones and electrical gadgets were taken from us. Carry on bags were scanned separately; no liquids are allowed too. We did body scan and the frisking too. From this point we went to the main hall and we were shown where to sit.
So the main procedures began shortly after entry when we were called and given sheets of paper with payment information. The rate as at yesterday was 1usd=3.3gh. We paid when the window was opened after 8:45am even though a notice said that window would open at 8:00. It's a Ghanaian at that window.
Next was the finger printing for adults only ant then the collection of documents. These processes were all carried out by Ghanaians. Our documents were taken; principal first, spouse and then child. The woman who took the documents asked for photographs to prove the relationship between the three of us; me, wife and daughter. I had with me tons of family pictures, I even took with me scans of our daughter before she was born, it's crazy right? Well determine not to leave any stone unturned I added also my daughters weighing card and my wife's ante-natal book. That book contains my name as the spouse and other info that gives strength to stuff found on other civil documents.
After what appeared to be the longest wait we were called for our interview. Before then, wifee was sighing on per second basis and I could really feel the tension build up in her. Another DV couple was called and got approved. One family was tossed out before it got to our turn. We were called to window 5 where the famous bearded fella was, cool guy though. He asked as to raise our hands and swear on the usual bla bla bla and asked us to finger print again and that would be a signature to the info we filled into the DS-260 and also to confirm the fingerprints that were taken earlier. So I that point I stopped him and said there were a couple of mistakes that we wanted to correct before adding our signature but he said those things are not a big deal. They are the date I entered the university, where I wrote 1997 instead of 1998 and my wife answering yes to the CGFNS certification when she should have written no.
So the interview proper went as such;
CO: The only problem I have with your case is your name but don't worry we would get through that.
Me: Sure
CO: when did you finish secondary school
Me: 1996
CO: how many times did you sit
Me: once
CO: do you have any other children
Me: no
CO: I have realized how your name has changed on your documents
Me: jokingly, has it
CO: yes it has
CO: there is a U in your name on ur high school cert but in your subsequent docs it was replaced with double O
Me: it's a spelling mistake
CO: there is also English name used as first name and then your local name used as first name at different times
Me: it's because of a general assumptions that English names are first names and local ones as middle names and that was not done by me
CO: also there is Kofi in ur passport and birth cert but not on any other document, do you have any other documents that have Kofi?
Me: yes. Pulls out an envelope containing old passport, national ID registration print out, some international conference IDs, some old boarding passes and hands them over. Was about to add more and he said it's enough. Laughs in my head.
CO: calm down. Pls call your family over. (He asked them to sit down while we faced off).
CO: are you ready for the news?
We: yes
CO: I have approved your ... (My mind goes blank I did not hear the rest). Don't make any travel arrangements bla bla bla and hands over the blue slip.
We went to KFC for lunch after leaving the embassy.
Pls ignore all typos and omissions.
