British Expats - Eric just called me after the Paris Interview....

Hi all,

and thank you all too. As I posted in the other thread, I went there this morning at 9 AM as was printed on my appointment letter, only to find out it was at 1 PM. So I went back home, and went back to the consulate again.

I had done the medical last week and I knew everything was fine. So I showed up there, they asked for everyone's appointment letter and I was called first afterwards to give all the required papers. I was then told to go make new photos because the requirements have just changed (people, check on that, it might apply to all of you). The ADIT photos were no good, neither were the extra passports photos I had with me just in case. The new requirements basically specify a full frontal head shot, but bigger than a passport photo. From top of head to bottom of picture, it has to be 4 cm. In other words, lean close to the photo-taking thingy for it to be ok. There was one in the consulate but it was out of order. So they sent me and another K1-er to the subway nearby to have them made. Cost: 4 Ã¢â€šÂ¬ (same in the consulate).

I came back, I was called to give the picture and I mentioned she hadn't asked for Linda's original divorce decree, but she said it was fine with the copy. She had a look at the original since I had it, but that was all. She didn't ask for it. It seems to be the opposite to what happened to Mvstolar's fiancÃƒÂ©.

I sat down again, chatted a bit with the other K1-er in there, a woman. This place is like a train station hall, noisy and crowded with people coming and going. Maybe it's because it's the summer. Hard to hear your name called to the windows.

Finally I was called for the interview, and it was another woman this time. It was an asian lady, she's an officer (I suppose the first one wasn't and was only there to gather papers). She was hard to understand because of her accent (asian obviously) so I had to ask her to use the mike most of the time. She asked how we met (we met on the net), how long we talked before meeting face to face, how many other people I talked to online, have I ever met others... When I said yes to the last question she automatically assumed it was another woman. I had to explain it was a guy (in other words, I don't run after women over the internet). She asked if I minded having an "instant" family (Linda has 3 kids), she even seemed surprised. She also asked what we had in common. Now that's a hard question. Difficult to put into words. It's akin to asking why I love Linda. I suggest you all prepare your answers for that in case you're asked. She spent some time on the pictures we submitted as proof of a relationship, asked what Linda did, asked who paid for the hotel when she came to Paris (what does that matter ???), talked a bit about the kids' dad: if he knew about me, if I had met him, why they divorced (when I told her why, she said "that's what she tells you!". Not exactly nice). And I finally took the oath and signed the papers. That's about it. I may have forgotten a few things, but that's the gist of it.

I sat down again, waited a loooooong time, then finally, the first woman was back with my visa and told me about stuff to do when I get to the USA (I have forgotten most of it, just like Leo). I do remember one thing though, she said Advance Parole was only given in cases of death or serious disease, and that I wouldn't be able to leave the USA for two years, until I got the Green Card. This doesn't sound like what I heard, maybe some of you can explain a bit more. I got the brown enveloppe and some (not all) of the evidence we initially submitted with the I-129F petition. I have no idea why, she said they didn't need it anymore. I wonder why I didn't get all of it back then. Weird. And I thought it went into the brown enveloppe.

Anyway, that's it. And it's a very happy day for us. Good luck to all of you still waiting.