franko
Well-Known Member
Hi All. Just wanted to share my DV2014 lottery experience. It has been quite a ride! Applying, waiting for the results and then spending another 15 months wondering if my number will ever get current, despite history laughing in my face and saying: “ NO WAY DUDE! FORGET IT!”
First of all, huge thanks to the forum CREW!
Simon your input, patience, DV expertise and commitment are uncanny! To simply put it:
Vladdy my Man, Mom, SQQQ, Kayend, Rafik, Malcolm, Sloner, Chicago, Levi, Mijoro, EURO and many others. Your advice, humour, arguments, panic attacks and all the crazy stuff had made last year bearable! I will never forget the insanity happening around and post each visa bulletin
I guess DV2015 folk will go through it same as we have
So my CN was just under 40k and more less few hundred CNs in the cut-off for August made all the difference. Considering my CN, the interview was scheduled quite early in the month which of course I was happy about.
Pre Interview
My interview was scheduled at 8.00. To avoid any problems I decided to spend the night within the walking distance from the embassy. Booked a hotel not far away from Grosvenor Square, probably 15 minute walk and that meant extortionate prices for anything decent with a good size room.
On the day of the interview I woke up at 4am and could not sleep. Was mentally preparing for the interview and from time to time watched my wife sleep (like a total creep). We’ve heard about gigantic queues at the embassy so we wanted to get there early. Based on advice from the forum members, we decided to go for the smart look but ended up looking a bit off in my opinion. I believe my better half looked like a young, modest but sexy wife of a republican senator running for re-election and I was rocking a look of somebody going to a posh wedding mixed with a stock broker with a sprinkle of hipster to top it up
Left the hotel at 7, before that we checked out and left the bags in the lobby to collect later. It was a sunny, beautiful morning and so unusually quiet for London. We arrived at the embassy around 7.15am where we saw around 30-40 people already queuing. Shortly after we got there, few young ladies wheeled out couple of billboards saying US Citizens (entrance on the left) and Non/Immigrant Visas (the right entrance). Then they started creating two queues for people having interviews at 8 and 8.30 and later. Then, they gave us plastic bags to put our mobiles, keys, watches and belts in. Next they checked our 2NL and an invitation letter from the embassy. Then we ended up in another smaller queue where a guard checked our letters and passports. Then we went through security check and into the embassy. I had a look at my watch and it was 7.55 when a nice, young guy in the reception glued a ticket starting with letter "I", followed by a number on to our 2NL. We were told to wait in the waiting area till our number gets called.
We had a look around, sat in close proximity of the fans and prepared to spend hours waiting. Then, 30 seconds later our number got called to window 13.
Nice, mid age lady greeted us and the whole process started. She checked our passports, asked for all expired passports with US visas in them so she could cancel them, if our application gets approved. Then she grabbed our file from the cabinet and we started passing our docs to her. First the originals, then copies. She had a quick glance at my high school diploma and joined my wife in making jokes about my haircut In my defence I was a teen then and spikey haircut was considered cool (at least I thought so). Once she had all of our docs I passed her a set of freshly printed DS-230 with updated details. Then we were asked about the I-134. We did not have one, instead we supplied her with our savings statement (both printed at home and taken form the bank with an official stamp) with around $30500, property equity statement and a letter from my employer here in the UK stating my position. I also had a letter from our US headquarters used for my L-1 application, describing the relation between both branches and the likelihood of possible transfer of workforce.
Then we got our fingerprints scanned. Paid the visa fee at the window on the left and were asked to wait till our number pops up on the screen again. Also we received an envelope with our x-rays. It had expiry date clearly marked on the front (6 months form the date of the medicals).
Again we prepared ourselves for a few hours wait but within 10 minutes our number was on the screen again. Another nice, smiling lady greeted us. First we had to rise our hands and take the oath. Got our finger prints checked and were asked to sign the bottom of the DS230. Then I was asked what my degree was, my wife was asked if she had finished high school and had a degree too, she replied yes both times. Then I was asked where we were planning to settle.
Following that, we were told that our application has been approved and we will receive our passports within 10 days. And that was that!
We left at 9.05 and if they have not seen a guy Moonwalking in front of the embassy before…well they have now.
First of all, huge thanks to the forum CREW!
Simon your input, patience, DV expertise and commitment are uncanny! To simply put it:
Vladdy my Man, Mom, SQQQ, Kayend, Rafik, Malcolm, Sloner, Chicago, Levi, Mijoro, EURO and many others. Your advice, humour, arguments, panic attacks and all the crazy stuff had made last year bearable! I will never forget the insanity happening around and post each visa bulletin
I guess DV2015 folk will go through it same as we have So my CN was just under 40k and more less few hundred CNs in the cut-off for August made all the difference. Considering my CN, the interview was scheduled quite early in the month which of course I was happy about.
Pre Interview
My interview was scheduled at 8.00. To avoid any problems I decided to spend the night within the walking distance from the embassy. Booked a hotel not far away from Grosvenor Square, probably 15 minute walk and that meant extortionate prices for anything decent with a good size room.
On the day of the interview I woke up at 4am and could not sleep. Was mentally preparing for the interview and from time to time watched my wife sleep (like a total creep
). We’ve heard about gigantic queues at the embassy so we wanted to get there early. Based on advice from the forum members, we decided to go for the smart look but ended up looking a bit off in my opinion. I believe my better half looked like a young, modest but sexy wife of a republican senator running for re-election and I was rocking a look of somebody going to a posh wedding mixed with a stock broker with a sprinkle of hipster to top it up Left the hotel at 7, before that we checked out and left the bags in the lobby to collect later. It was a sunny, beautiful morning and so unusually quiet for London. We arrived at the embassy around 7.15am where we saw around 30-40 people already queuing. Shortly after we got there, few young ladies wheeled out couple of billboards saying US Citizens (entrance on the left) and Non/Immigrant Visas (the right entrance). Then they started creating two queues for people having interviews at 8 and 8.30 and later. Then, they gave us plastic bags to put our mobiles, keys, watches and belts in. Next they checked our 2NL and an invitation letter from the embassy. Then we ended up in another smaller queue where a guard checked our letters and passports. Then we went through security check and into the embassy. I had a look at my watch and it was 7.55 when a nice, young guy in the reception glued a ticket starting with letter "I", followed by a number on to our 2NL. We were told to wait in the waiting area till our number gets called.
We had a look around, sat in close proximity of the fans and prepared to spend hours waiting. Then, 30 seconds later our number got called to window 13.
Nice, mid age lady greeted us and the whole process started. She checked our passports, asked for all expired passports with US visas in them so she could cancel them, if our application gets approved. Then she grabbed our file from the cabinet and we started passing our docs to her. First the originals, then copies. She had a quick glance at my high school diploma and joined my wife in making jokes about my haircut
In my defence I was a teen then and spikey haircut was considered cool (at least I thought so). Once she had all of our docs I passed her a set of freshly printed DS-230 with updated details. Then we were asked about the I-134. We did not have one, instead we supplied her with our savings statement (both printed at home and taken form the bank with an official stamp) with around $30500, property equity statement and a letter from my employer here in the UK stating my position. I also had a letter from our US headquarters used for my L-1 application, describing the relation between both branches and the likelihood of possible transfer of workforce.Then we got our fingerprints scanned. Paid the visa fee at the window on the left and were asked to wait till our number pops up on the screen again. Also we received an envelope with our x-rays. It had expiry date clearly marked on the front (6 months form the date of the medicals).
Again we prepared ourselves for a few hours wait but within 10 minutes our number was on the screen again. Another nice, smiling lady greeted us. First we had to rise our hands and take the oath. Got our finger prints checked and were asked to sign the bottom of the DS230. Then I was asked what my degree was, my wife was asked if she had finished high school and had a degree too, she replied yes both times. Then I was asked where we were planning to settle.
Following that, we were told that our application has been approved and we will receive our passports within 10 days. And that was that!
We left at 9.05 and if they have not seen a guy Moonwalking in front of the embassy before…well they have now.
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