Lerrie
Member
It all started May 1st 2013 when I logged on the DV website and found my future husband had been selected. I was overjoyed at the result as it was the best wedding present ever. We got married May 11 2013. We had both played the dv lottery in October 2012 as singles even though we were engaged.
Our CN was quite on the high side, AF00071xxx, and we expected our interview in August. Unfortunately, we all know the way the DV2014 went, leaving a lot of disappointments in its wake.
We had our interview scheduled in Naples, Italy for September 2, 2014. In Italy the medicals are done the day before the interview. It is advised to prepare for a three day stay in Naples.
OUR MEDICALS:
We arrived at the "Istituito Varelli" at 6:55am even though the appointment was scheduled for 8:30am. There were already four people before us when we arrived.
We submitted our passports to the receptionist and where asked to sit and wait to be called.
At 7:30am the nurses started calling people for the blood test. After which we were taken to a study for a general interview where they ask for vaccination and medical records. Because our vaccination records were up to date we only paid €170 per person for medical fee. After a general medical check up and a chest X-ray, we were told we could go. All in all we spent two hours for the whole medical process.
THE INTERVIEW:
We arrived at the US consulate at 8:00am. The security informed us we would only be allowed in 15mins prior to our appointment which was scheduled for 9:00am. My hubby and I decided to go for a walk since we had 45mins more. At exactly 8:45am we returned to the consulate, the security allowed us in, we had no phones nor electronic gadgets on us which made the security clearance fast. We were further directed to go through the right door and on to the second floor. When we got there, we met other applicants we had seen the day before during the medicals, after exchanging pleasantries we sat and waited for our number to be called. At 10:00am we were called to the counter where we were asked to present our documents. Strangely, there was no request for the affidavit of support. Afterwards we were asked to pay the visa fee of $330/person at the cashier counter and bring the receipt. After which, we were asked to sit while we waited for the consular to call us.
At 11:15am our names were finally called. The interview took place in the same hall but we where directed to a different counter than the one where our documents were collected.
THE CHAT:
Co: Good morning Mr and Mrs Lerrie
Us: Good morning to you Sir.
Co: You both have to raise your right hands up and answer YES or NO to the following questions.
Us: Did as we were told and took our oaths.
Co: (Addressing my husband who is the PA) Mr Lerrie how long have you lived in Italy?
My Hubby: 8 months.
Co: I see before now you were in the UK. What did you do there?
My hubby: Explained.
Co: So tell me where and how did you meet your wife?
My Hubby: In 2010 bla bla bla.
Co: Have you ever met your wife's family? Tell me something about them?
My Hubby: talked away...
Co: (Addressing me - all the while I stood quietly at my husbands side while he answered the questions). And you Mrs Lerrie have you ever met your husband's family? What do you know about them?
Me: Answered.
Co: do you like your mother in law?
Me: Of course , I do! ( we both laughed)
Co: I see you have both been married for a little over a year. Have you got any kids?
Us: hopefully one is on its way as we speak.
( more laughter as the Co joked about our response)
Co: Well, Mr and Mrs Lerrie it seems everything is ok here. I have to say your visas have been approved. At that point I was already in seventh heaven and I wasn't listening anymore...
All in all the interview took less than 15mins, we were out of the consulate by 11:30am.
I just couldn't believe how smoothly it all went. The Co was nice, friendly and with a good sense of humour which made us feel at ease during our chat with him. It was a beautiful experience.
NB: I realised one of the reasons why people get put on AP, denied or have a difficult experience is because they are not well informed. Some people don't even bother reading the instructions carefully and properly, while others sometimes take the instructions for granted and arrive for their
interview not well prepared.
I met a gentleman there, a DV winner, who didn't have any police report on him nor affidavit of support. He didn't even know anything about the vaccines during the medicals and was shocked by how much he had to pay for the medicals in the end. Luckily for him, the affidavit wasn't asked for and his interview went well. He was asked to get his police reports for both Italy and his country of origin and email them to the consulate as soon as possible.
There were several other people for other immigrant visas who had quite a shock at the medical centre as they didn't know about the vaccines nor did they know it wouldn't have cost a thing to get them taken at the local health centres before the interview.
I guess we were all quite fortunate yesterday, as immigrant visas, not only for DV, were granted to almost everyone.
Our CN was quite on the high side, AF00071xxx, and we expected our interview in August. Unfortunately, we all know the way the DV2014 went, leaving a lot of disappointments in its wake.
We had our interview scheduled in Naples, Italy for September 2, 2014. In Italy the medicals are done the day before the interview. It is advised to prepare for a three day stay in Naples.
OUR MEDICALS:
We arrived at the "Istituito Varelli" at 6:55am even though the appointment was scheduled for 8:30am. There were already four people before us when we arrived.
We submitted our passports to the receptionist and where asked to sit and wait to be called.
At 7:30am the nurses started calling people for the blood test. After which we were taken to a study for a general interview where they ask for vaccination and medical records. Because our vaccination records were up to date we only paid €170 per person for medical fee. After a general medical check up and a chest X-ray, we were told we could go. All in all we spent two hours for the whole medical process.
THE INTERVIEW:
We arrived at the US consulate at 8:00am. The security informed us we would only be allowed in 15mins prior to our appointment which was scheduled for 9:00am. My hubby and I decided to go for a walk since we had 45mins more. At exactly 8:45am we returned to the consulate, the security allowed us in, we had no phones nor electronic gadgets on us which made the security clearance fast. We were further directed to go through the right door and on to the second floor. When we got there, we met other applicants we had seen the day before during the medicals, after exchanging pleasantries we sat and waited for our number to be called. At 10:00am we were called to the counter where we were asked to present our documents. Strangely, there was no request for the affidavit of support. Afterwards we were asked to pay the visa fee of $330/person at the cashier counter and bring the receipt. After which, we were asked to sit while we waited for the consular to call us.
At 11:15am our names were finally called. The interview took place in the same hall but we where directed to a different counter than the one where our documents were collected.
THE CHAT:
Co: Good morning Mr and Mrs Lerrie
Us: Good morning to you Sir.
Co: You both have to raise your right hands up and answer YES or NO to the following questions.
Us: Did as we were told and took our oaths.
Co: (Addressing my husband who is the PA) Mr Lerrie how long have you lived in Italy?
My Hubby: 8 months.
Co: I see before now you were in the UK. What did you do there?
My hubby: Explained.
Co: So tell me where and how did you meet your wife?
My Hubby: In 2010 bla bla bla.
Co: Have you ever met your wife's family? Tell me something about them?
My Hubby: talked away...
Co: (Addressing me - all the while I stood quietly at my husbands side while he answered the questions). And you Mrs Lerrie have you ever met your husband's family? What do you know about them?
Me: Answered.
Co: do you like your mother in law?
Me: Of course , I do! ( we both laughed)
Co: I see you have both been married for a little over a year. Have you got any kids?
Us: hopefully one is on its way as we speak.
( more laughter as the Co joked about our response)
Co: Well, Mr and Mrs Lerrie it seems everything is ok here. I have to say your visas have been approved. At that point I was already in seventh heaven and I wasn't listening anymore...
All in all the interview took less than 15mins, we were out of the consulate by 11:30am.
I just couldn't believe how smoothly it all went. The Co was nice, friendly and with a good sense of humour which made us feel at ease during our chat with him. It was a beautiful experience.
NB: I realised one of the reasons why people get put on AP, denied or have a difficult experience is because they are not well informed. Some people don't even bother reading the instructions carefully and properly, while others sometimes take the instructions for granted and arrive for their
interview not well prepared.
I met a gentleman there, a DV winner, who didn't have any police report on him nor affidavit of support. He didn't even know anything about the vaccines during the medicals and was shocked by how much he had to pay for the medicals in the end. Luckily for him, the affidavit wasn't asked for and his interview went well. He was asked to get his police reports for both Italy and his country of origin and email them to the consulate as soon as possible.
There were several other people for other immigrant visas who had quite a shock at the medical centre as they didn't know about the vaccines nor did they know it wouldn't have cost a thing to get them taken at the local health centres before the interview.
I guess we were all quite fortunate yesterday, as immigrant visas, not only for DV, were granted to almost everyone.
