2 Visas, London
Report on GC interview (London)
I am the main applicant, wife as dependant.
Timeline:
1. 7:30 – arrived at Bond Street station
2. 7:45 - left mobiles and headphones for 3 pounds in nearby pharmacy
3. 7:50 – join queue in front of US Embassy
4. 8:10 - passed security booth with no problem
5. 8:15 - received I-90X number
6. 9:00 – 9:40 – submitted documents, payment
7. 10:25-10:35 –oath, interview, confirmation of approval
8. 10:40 – left US Embassy (after paying for delivery)
1. Security.
a. no electronic devices allowed, guys in pharmacy are very competent and helpful – follow their advices.
b. It’s ok to bring water, but I was asked to make a confirmation small drink. We also had sandwiches but no questions to them.
c. Bring an umbrella – weather could be bad and there’s no shelter before security booth.
2. Waiting for call
a. Toilets are ok.
b. I saw drinking water tap (near toilet).
c. There were coffee/snacks for purchase in the back of the waiting hall, but I had my food.
d. Numbers are announced and visible at monitors.
e. You may bring something to read: book, magazine
f. Immigration visas – windows 13 or 14
3. First call – documents.
45 min wait. Called by tannoy to window 14, confirmation on screen.
We were asked for documents. I have master degree and I was asked to submit it along with high school certificate. Marriage certificate was asked for me and for my wife… what?! Hopefully we had extra copy (certificate is in native language, so we had translations). We submitted birth certificates, police certificates (UK+homeland). We were asked provide proof of funds – I provided print of online-bank accounts and summary – excel spreadsheet - sum of all liquid assets. I add USA address to my original form sent to Kentucky. I was asked for CV. We provided copy of all original docs. Translations were certified as required. I was asked when we are going to move to USA and we were told that we need to do it before 6 July 2013. We were told that we need to pay online 165 usd before travel to USA.
My wife and me had separate files within our case (thus 2 marriage certificates were asked) and special folder for originals. Sometimes we said that copy and original were mixed and asked to put original to folder and copy to our file. All papers in personal file were punched – make sure no originals there
Questions:
1. Highest education, proof
2. Address to send GC in USA, who lives there
3. How much many we have and proof
4. When we are going to travel to USA
5. Do I have job in USA (No), then do I have Resume/CV
After all docs handed I was asked to pay visa fees in adjacent window. I had $, however course in Embassy was better than 2 days before at my trusted exchanged agent (660$=419 gbp vs 423 gbp). I returned with receipt and gave it to lady behind glass. Then I was given CD with X-ray results from medical. My fingers were scanned, wife’s as well. We were provided pink delivery paper (we need to feel delivery address and so on) and sent back – wait for call for interview.
40 minutes to provide docs, pay and scan fingers.
4. Interview.
We were waiting for 45 mins, then were called by surname to window 15 (no confirmation on screen)
Consular Officer (CO): Hello… (looks very friendly, smile, very clear speech)
Fingerprints
Oath – I do, I do
Signed application
Questions by CO: How long married?
We:4+ yrs
CO: how met each other?
We:xxx
CO: which town you met?
We:xxx
CO:who winner?
We:Me
CO:how many times applied?
We:3
CO:which site used for applying?
We: not sure something dv-lottery.gov, official site
CO:When knew that win?
We:1 May
CO:How checked lottery result?
We:Same .gov site
CO:How it was technically?
We:I put my name, birth year and some number, I saved after application.
CO:When plan to travel to USA?
We:xxx
CO:Any job in USA?
We:No
CO:What is your profession? (same question for wife)
We:xxx
CO:Where do you work? Where is office?
We:xxx
CO:Where do you studied for your MSc?
We:xxx
CO:to wife: what is your education?
We:xxx
CO: How much money plan to take with you?
We:xxx
CO:Which state aiming? Which city?
We:xxx
CO:Ok, everything is ok. Your visas have been approved. Pay for delivery and expect packages in 1 week. You need to pay online 165 usd for GC before travel, instructions will be with passports package.
We:Thanks a lot! Good bye!
All original documents were returned.
Interview took only 10 mins.
5. Delivery payment – I gave filled pink delivery paper to girl near exit and paid for delivery of passports with docs.
Hurrah!
Overall 3 hrs for interview process (excluding travel to Embassy)
We had an affidavit (I-134), but we were not asked for it – not showed it. We had much more docs to proof that we are high value professionals, proof of our funds (12 months statements for all accounts) - not asked – not showed.
In 7 days I received package with passports (with visas), 2 yellow envelopes for immigration officer at PointOfEntry, instructions what to do and instructions how to pay 165$ GC fee.
Please note that your 6 month visa validity starts at date of your medical check.
Good luck!