I have been looking forward to starting a thread with the consular processing on my visa interview experience; hence it’s coming up now 16 months after receiving the first congratulation letter.
For the benefits of others that will be going for interview at the US embassy in Lagos, Nigeria, I have decided to post a detailed description of what transpired during the short period of time I spent on the morning of my visa interview scheduled for 7 am appointment on Wednesday 17th September 2008. Happy Reading!!!!
I arrived at the Army car park gate by 4:45 am with my wife and two kids; the journey from my home to the embassy was uneventful except for the 4 police check points on the way that signaled me to a stop each time I approached them.
The 3rd Mainland Bridge was practically devoid of other vehicles at those early hours; I guess we left home just too early while trying to the beat the traffic holdup that builds up on the bridge due to the repair works currently going on the 3rd Mainland Bridge.
There was only a vehicle parked ahead of me at the car park gate entrance on arrival, the occupants were also a DV applicant, a family with 2 kids. Also met a young couple for interview sitting nearby, they had obviously slept there because I saw them brushing their mouth near the mobile police security post opposite the embassy.
Between 5:00 and 5:15 am, some other vehicles had pulled up and parked behind me.
At 5:20 am, the car park gate was opened; I paid the fee, drove into the park and parked inside, then waited in the car for about 1 hr heading to the spot in front of the embassy where a sizeable number of people that came for 7 am appointment had now gathered together.
At 6:25 am, an embassy guard approached the gathering to address the waiting crowd.
He mentioned the items that were not allowed inside the embassy, they include mobile phones, and PDA, Laptop PC, flash memory drives, and any item that uses a battery, others items not allowed inside include water and all kind of liquid such as juice.
Also, food is inclusive too.
For the ladies, perfumes, make up powder are not allowed inside.
At 6:30 am, a line was formed for immigrant visa applicants by the fence and started moving towards the embassy security entrance.
At the gate, we were asked to open all envelopes which include the X-Ray and Medical report envelope on the queue before the first security screening.
When it got our turn for security check, I submitted the invitation letter and was given a payment paper for 4 persons, a slip of paper which demanded name and contact address, telephone numbers and email address of principal applicant, Also, a card with number DV 09 was given to me. It meant there were 8 applicants ahead of me in the queue despite the fact that we had arrived the second earliest that morning, anyway, the first person on the queue was the DV couple that we met earlier that morning at the car park, and they probably deserved to be the first since they have arrived there around 4:30am.
At the first security screening, they found 2 digestive biscuits meant for the kids in the bag of my wife, was found that no food of any kind can be allowed inside. The biscuit was then given to a nearby mobile policeman for safe keeping till after the interview.
I went inside and found another queue before the building entrance; it’s a second security screening in case the first one missed anything.
At the second security screening, the bags are dropped by the side for checking by a security guard before going through a metal detector. After the detector, you will undergo another body check by another security guard using a hand held metallic detector.
Next, I went to pay for the visa fees at the pay cashier, paid the non refundable visa fee of $775 for four of us which amounted to $3100 in US dollars.
Note that a mixed payment of dollars and naira is not acceptable by the cashier; one can pay in Naira or US dollars denominations, but the naira to dollar exchange rate used at the embassy is high, the embassy rate being 125 Naira = 1 US Dollar.
Applicants can save some money in naira per dollar if they will make out time to procure the dollars in advance before the interview day.
I went to sit down after paying the fees, and then I was called to window G to submit my documents to a Nigerian lady.
First, she asked to see all the members of my family in order to identify them with the each copy of the passport photographs enclosed to the DS-230 forms sent to KCC.
The documents I saw in front of the lady was the DS-230 forms that I sent to KCC in May 2007, attached also was a hard copy of the email that I sent to KCC in March 2008 to update the missing information in the earlier completed DS-230 forms sent last year.
I was advised by the forum members to do this in March 2008 when I discovered the forum and realized that I had missed out filling in vital information in completing the DS-230 forms for my family and myself.
I say a big thank you to Modest, Onyii and Navigator for the sound advice on the issue.
The following documents were requested for by the lady at window G.
From the principal applicant, i.e. me, they include as follows:-
1) Birth certificate
2) Marriage certificate (Submitted CTC obtained from Fed Marriage Registry, Ikoyi)
3) WAEC certificate
4) University degree
5) NYSC certificate
6) Police certificate -original
7) Medical Report and Vaccination records -original
Originals and photocopies were requested for documents 1 to 5 above.
From my dependants:-my Spouse
1) Birth certificate- original and photocopy
2) Marriage certificate- photocopy
3) Police certificate -original
4) Medical Report and Vaccination records -original
From my dependants:-my 2 Children
1) Birth certificate- original and photocopy
2) Medical Report and Vaccination records –original
I had the affidavit of support and supporting documents from my sponsor in the US, but it was not requested for by the lady at the window.
After receiving the required documents, I was given back all the initial DS-230 forms for my family and I where I was told to fill in the omitted information which were Nos. 10 and 11 that asked for the name, address and telephone number of the sponsor in the US and address where the Green card will be posted in the US if it is different from the sponsor address in No. 10.
Two passport photographs (size 50mm X 50mm) from the total number of four passport photographs was requested for as well as the completed slip of paper that asked for name, address, telephone number and email address of principal applicant was requested by the lady.
The original passport photographs for my family and me that were attached to the DS-230 forms sent to KCC last year were returned back.
I was told to go inside the interviewing hall, sit down and listen for the numbers to be called to the windows for interview.
In the interim, the visa interviews has started right on time for other applicants for non-immigrant and immigrant visas during the time I was going through the formalities of paying the visa fees and submitting the documents.
The DV applicants mainly sat in the interview hall at the extreme end of the hall opposite windows #9 to #13 close the toilets and waited for our numbers to be called.
At 8:15am, an African American lady consular officer approached window #9, she seems to take her time going through the data of the first DV applicant to be interviewed on the flat screen then the first number DV#1 was called to window #9, the interview has started for real. It was the DV couple with 2 children (a boy and a girl) that we meet first in the morning at the car park, the wife was the principal winner, and hence all the questions were directed to her.
It looked like her highest qualification was the high school certificate O/level and she was asked why she didn’t further her education, she said something like there was no money and she was the first born child hence she had to work to take care of herself and her younger siblings.
She was asked the grades in her best subject in her certificate, she mentioned the grade in Government then the questions started flying out on Government. From the way she was responding to the questions asked her, I guess that her interview was not going too well because her answers were not quite coherent and clearly stated to the consular officer.
Meanwhile, the second interview has started for another DV couple with 2 children with number DV#8 at window #13 by a white lady consular officer. The principal winner was also the wife in their case too. The window was further away from my seat nearer to the lady’s toilet hence I didn’t hear questions asked them but I observed that interview was progressing very well for the couple as it has gotten to a stage where the consular officer asked to see their family pictures albums.
To cut the story short, the first couple DV#1 was denied visa and their passports returned back to them, she was given a colour kind of form which might indicate Administrative processing. I guess there is something the consular officer needs to verify further on the woman’s certificate or something else.
The second couple at window # 13 was successful as you can see them full of smiles on their faces.
At this stage, I told my wife to get ready as our number will be the next to be called. I observed that couples with children were being given priority by interviewing them first
Since no food was allowed into the embassy, it made sense to attend to the families with
Children first and allow them to leave before the kids become a nuisance in the hall.
We were the next family with kids after the second couple with kids had been interviewed.
At 8:58 am, anyway, I was proved right when I heard our number DV#9 called to window #13. It was now our turn to be interviewed.
At window # 13, was a white consular lady officer, she looked young in age, and the truth is that all the consular officers looked quite young.
The questions were directed at me being the principal winner, my wife stood by side and no question was asked of her.
Lady - Morning
Me - Good Morning
Lady – You are here because you have been selected for further process of the DV lottery but there’s no guarantee that you’ll be given the visa
Me – Yes I know
Lady – Raise your right hand to my wife and I, say after me, swear that all I will say will be the truth during the interview
Me and my wife – Raised our right hands, we swore to say the truth.
Lady – Please sign these DS-230 forms for yourself and either of you can sign for the kids
Me and my wife – I signed mine, my wife signed hers and the kid’s forms and returned all the forms to her.
Lady – Asked me and my wife to do the fingerprinting, first, the first 4 fingers on left hand followed by the first 4 fingers on right hand then the 2 thumbs were done last.
Me and my wife – we did so
Lady – What are your names?
Me – I answer
Lady – When were you born?
Me – I answer
Lady – Where were you born?
Me – I answer
Lady – Which University did you attend?
Me – University of ******, Nigeria
Lady – What course did you study?
Me – Electrical Engineering
Lady – When did you graduate?
Me – July 19**
Lady – When did you get married?
Me – I answer
Lady – Can I see your wedding pictures? Asked to explain what’s happening in the pictures?
Me – I showed her pictures from the first album, I flipped through the pages and explained the church and receptions scenes in the pictures.
Lady – She asked to see some pictures of us with the children?
Me – We gave her 2 smaller prepared albums for each of our kids from their birth, naming, baptism, dedication, thanksgiving, 1 year birthday party etc
Lady – She flips through the first album for my son and asked my son who was in the picture on his 1 year birthday?
My Son – it is me during my birthday
Lady – she asked my son, do you like football? (The birthday cake was shaped like a football field)
My Son –Yes
Lady – Give me a minute as she types on her keyboard and goes to get a blue slip
Me –I knew at this stage that the Lord has done it for us yet I was expecting that more questions to be asked but no more questions came up.
Lady – She returns and gives me a blue pick-up slip and said CONGRATULATIONS, YOU ARE WELCOME TO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, she said either me and/or my wife can come back in 1 week’s time to pick up the visas with the blue pick-up slip and receipt.
Me –Thank you.
Lady – She said CONGRATULATIONS once more
Me – I collected the original documents that I almost forgot in the euphoria of the good news.
Note that there was no question asked me of my sponsor in US or affidavit of support. I guess the issue of affidavit of support from a sponsor depends on the consular officer doing the interview.
At 9:05 am, we walked out of the embassy building and my wife went to the mobile police security post, collected back the 2 digestive biscuits given to the policeman earlier in the morning at the first screening at the security gate.
I collected the passports with the immigrant visas with the brown packages a week later on Wednesday 24th September 2008 by 2:35 pm from a lady at window F. She said not to open the packages but submit them at the POE, the X-Ray may be carried in the checked in hand luggage. Also, I was given 2 paper sheets that give information on Social Security Number for US Permanent Residents.
I want to use this opportunity to thank everyone who had contributed in one way or the other by way of giving suggestions, advices and answering questions.
Almighty GOD will bless you all. Good luck to others as the DV2008 ends in a few days.
Furthermore, my very special thanks go out to the following members for their assistance by correspondence through the private mails to me in my hours of need.
They include as follows: - Mummydd, Aywire,Seekarim,jesu nifinisher, NELLY P,Favour1 and Onyii
For the benefits of others that will be going for interview at the US embassy in Lagos, Nigeria, I have decided to post a detailed description of what transpired during the short period of time I spent on the morning of my visa interview scheduled for 7 am appointment on Wednesday 17th September 2008. Happy Reading!!!!
I arrived at the Army car park gate by 4:45 am with my wife and two kids; the journey from my home to the embassy was uneventful except for the 4 police check points on the way that signaled me to a stop each time I approached them.
The 3rd Mainland Bridge was practically devoid of other vehicles at those early hours; I guess we left home just too early while trying to the beat the traffic holdup that builds up on the bridge due to the repair works currently going on the 3rd Mainland Bridge.
There was only a vehicle parked ahead of me at the car park gate entrance on arrival, the occupants were also a DV applicant, a family with 2 kids. Also met a young couple for interview sitting nearby, they had obviously slept there because I saw them brushing their mouth near the mobile police security post opposite the embassy.
Between 5:00 and 5:15 am, some other vehicles had pulled up and parked behind me.
At 5:20 am, the car park gate was opened; I paid the fee, drove into the park and parked inside, then waited in the car for about 1 hr heading to the spot in front of the embassy where a sizeable number of people that came for 7 am appointment had now gathered together.
At 6:25 am, an embassy guard approached the gathering to address the waiting crowd.
He mentioned the items that were not allowed inside the embassy, they include mobile phones, and PDA, Laptop PC, flash memory drives, and any item that uses a battery, others items not allowed inside include water and all kind of liquid such as juice.
Also, food is inclusive too.
For the ladies, perfumes, make up powder are not allowed inside.
At 6:30 am, a line was formed for immigrant visa applicants by the fence and started moving towards the embassy security entrance.
At the gate, we were asked to open all envelopes which include the X-Ray and Medical report envelope on the queue before the first security screening.
When it got our turn for security check, I submitted the invitation letter and was given a payment paper for 4 persons, a slip of paper which demanded name and contact address, telephone numbers and email address of principal applicant, Also, a card with number DV 09 was given to me. It meant there were 8 applicants ahead of me in the queue despite the fact that we had arrived the second earliest that morning, anyway, the first person on the queue was the DV couple that we met earlier that morning at the car park, and they probably deserved to be the first since they have arrived there around 4:30am.
At the first security screening, they found 2 digestive biscuits meant for the kids in the bag of my wife, was found that no food of any kind can be allowed inside. The biscuit was then given to a nearby mobile policeman for safe keeping till after the interview.
I went inside and found another queue before the building entrance; it’s a second security screening in case the first one missed anything.
At the second security screening, the bags are dropped by the side for checking by a security guard before going through a metal detector. After the detector, you will undergo another body check by another security guard using a hand held metallic detector.
Next, I went to pay for the visa fees at the pay cashier, paid the non refundable visa fee of $775 for four of us which amounted to $3100 in US dollars.
Note that a mixed payment of dollars and naira is not acceptable by the cashier; one can pay in Naira or US dollars denominations, but the naira to dollar exchange rate used at the embassy is high, the embassy rate being 125 Naira = 1 US Dollar.
Applicants can save some money in naira per dollar if they will make out time to procure the dollars in advance before the interview day.
I went to sit down after paying the fees, and then I was called to window G to submit my documents to a Nigerian lady.
First, she asked to see all the members of my family in order to identify them with the each copy of the passport photographs enclosed to the DS-230 forms sent to KCC.
The documents I saw in front of the lady was the DS-230 forms that I sent to KCC in May 2007, attached also was a hard copy of the email that I sent to KCC in March 2008 to update the missing information in the earlier completed DS-230 forms sent last year.
I was advised by the forum members to do this in March 2008 when I discovered the forum and realized that I had missed out filling in vital information in completing the DS-230 forms for my family and myself.
I say a big thank you to Modest, Onyii and Navigator for the sound advice on the issue.
The following documents were requested for by the lady at window G.
From the principal applicant, i.e. me, they include as follows:-
1) Birth certificate
2) Marriage certificate (Submitted CTC obtained from Fed Marriage Registry, Ikoyi)
3) WAEC certificate
4) University degree
5) NYSC certificate
6) Police certificate -original
7) Medical Report and Vaccination records -original
Originals and photocopies were requested for documents 1 to 5 above.
From my dependants:-my Spouse
1) Birth certificate- original and photocopy
2) Marriage certificate- photocopy
3) Police certificate -original
4) Medical Report and Vaccination records -original
From my dependants:-my 2 Children
1) Birth certificate- original and photocopy
2) Medical Report and Vaccination records –original
I had the affidavit of support and supporting documents from my sponsor in the US, but it was not requested for by the lady at the window.
After receiving the required documents, I was given back all the initial DS-230 forms for my family and I where I was told to fill in the omitted information which were Nos. 10 and 11 that asked for the name, address and telephone number of the sponsor in the US and address where the Green card will be posted in the US if it is different from the sponsor address in No. 10.
Two passport photographs (size 50mm X 50mm) from the total number of four passport photographs was requested for as well as the completed slip of paper that asked for name, address, telephone number and email address of principal applicant was requested by the lady.
The original passport photographs for my family and me that were attached to the DS-230 forms sent to KCC last year were returned back.
I was told to go inside the interviewing hall, sit down and listen for the numbers to be called to the windows for interview.
In the interim, the visa interviews has started right on time for other applicants for non-immigrant and immigrant visas during the time I was going through the formalities of paying the visa fees and submitting the documents.
The DV applicants mainly sat in the interview hall at the extreme end of the hall opposite windows #9 to #13 close the toilets and waited for our numbers to be called.
At 8:15am, an African American lady consular officer approached window #9, she seems to take her time going through the data of the first DV applicant to be interviewed on the flat screen then the first number DV#1 was called to window #9, the interview has started for real. It was the DV couple with 2 children (a boy and a girl) that we meet first in the morning at the car park, the wife was the principal winner, and hence all the questions were directed to her.
It looked like her highest qualification was the high school certificate O/level and she was asked why she didn’t further her education, she said something like there was no money and she was the first born child hence she had to work to take care of herself and her younger siblings.
She was asked the grades in her best subject in her certificate, she mentioned the grade in Government then the questions started flying out on Government. From the way she was responding to the questions asked her, I guess that her interview was not going too well because her answers were not quite coherent and clearly stated to the consular officer.
Meanwhile, the second interview has started for another DV couple with 2 children with number DV#8 at window #13 by a white lady consular officer. The principal winner was also the wife in their case too. The window was further away from my seat nearer to the lady’s toilet hence I didn’t hear questions asked them but I observed that interview was progressing very well for the couple as it has gotten to a stage where the consular officer asked to see their family pictures albums.
To cut the story short, the first couple DV#1 was denied visa and their passports returned back to them, she was given a colour kind of form which might indicate Administrative processing. I guess there is something the consular officer needs to verify further on the woman’s certificate or something else.
The second couple at window # 13 was successful as you can see them full of smiles on their faces.
At this stage, I told my wife to get ready as our number will be the next to be called. I observed that couples with children were being given priority by interviewing them first
Since no food was allowed into the embassy, it made sense to attend to the families with
Children first and allow them to leave before the kids become a nuisance in the hall.
We were the next family with kids after the second couple with kids had been interviewed.
At 8:58 am, anyway, I was proved right when I heard our number DV#9 called to window #13. It was now our turn to be interviewed.
At window # 13, was a white consular lady officer, she looked young in age, and the truth is that all the consular officers looked quite young.
The questions were directed at me being the principal winner, my wife stood by side and no question was asked of her.
Lady - Morning
Me - Good Morning
Lady – You are here because you have been selected for further process of the DV lottery but there’s no guarantee that you’ll be given the visa
Me – Yes I know
Lady – Raise your right hand to my wife and I, say after me, swear that all I will say will be the truth during the interview
Me and my wife – Raised our right hands, we swore to say the truth.
Lady – Please sign these DS-230 forms for yourself and either of you can sign for the kids
Me and my wife – I signed mine, my wife signed hers and the kid’s forms and returned all the forms to her.
Lady – Asked me and my wife to do the fingerprinting, first, the first 4 fingers on left hand followed by the first 4 fingers on right hand then the 2 thumbs were done last.
Me and my wife – we did so
Lady – What are your names?
Me – I answer
Lady – When were you born?
Me – I answer
Lady – Where were you born?
Me – I answer
Lady – Which University did you attend?
Me – University of ******, Nigeria
Lady – What course did you study?
Me – Electrical Engineering
Lady – When did you graduate?
Me – July 19**
Lady – When did you get married?
Me – I answer
Lady – Can I see your wedding pictures? Asked to explain what’s happening in the pictures?
Me – I showed her pictures from the first album, I flipped through the pages and explained the church and receptions scenes in the pictures.
Lady – She asked to see some pictures of us with the children?
Me – We gave her 2 smaller prepared albums for each of our kids from their birth, naming, baptism, dedication, thanksgiving, 1 year birthday party etc
Lady – She flips through the first album for my son and asked my son who was in the picture on his 1 year birthday?
My Son – it is me during my birthday
Lady – she asked my son, do you like football? (The birthday cake was shaped like a football field)
My Son –Yes
Lady – Give me a minute as she types on her keyboard and goes to get a blue slip
Me –I knew at this stage that the Lord has done it for us yet I was expecting that more questions to be asked but no more questions came up.
Lady – She returns and gives me a blue pick-up slip and said CONGRATULATIONS, YOU ARE WELCOME TO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, she said either me and/or my wife can come back in 1 week’s time to pick up the visas with the blue pick-up slip and receipt.
Me –Thank you.
Lady – She said CONGRATULATIONS once more
Me – I collected the original documents that I almost forgot in the euphoria of the good news.
Note that there was no question asked me of my sponsor in US or affidavit of support. I guess the issue of affidavit of support from a sponsor depends on the consular officer doing the interview.
At 9:05 am, we walked out of the embassy building and my wife went to the mobile police security post, collected back the 2 digestive biscuits given to the policeman earlier in the morning at the first screening at the security gate.
I collected the passports with the immigrant visas with the brown packages a week later on Wednesday 24th September 2008 by 2:35 pm from a lady at window F. She said not to open the packages but submit them at the POE, the X-Ray may be carried in the checked in hand luggage. Also, I was given 2 paper sheets that give information on Social Security Number for US Permanent Residents.
I want to use this opportunity to thank everyone who had contributed in one way or the other by way of giving suggestions, advices and answering questions.
Almighty GOD will bless you all. Good luck to others as the DV2008 ends in a few days.
Furthermore, my very special thanks go out to the following members for their assistance by correspondence through the private mails to me in my hours of need.
They include as follows: - Mummydd, Aywire,Seekarim,jesu nifinisher, NELLY P,Favour1 and Onyii