JanFree

Congratulations on your Approval Clare !!

Jane

clare009

Ok, finally conscious enough to post my experience. I've tried to break it down and give more of a step by step view of the day with a few personal comments thrown in. All I can say is that the hardest part of the day was actually having to sit around and wait for things to happen but really, it was pretty painless. If you have all your documents, cover all the requirements and you're well organised then there won't be any problems.

Good luck to those who still have to go through this, I hope it helps!

Friday 2nd January 2004

5:00am - left home to catch the early train to London Liverpool street then make my way via tube to Marble Arch. Was cold, wet and dark as I walked to Dr Phelans office. There were already a few people waiting as I got there.


7:50am - the receptionist let everyone inside and gave us each a green plastic folder with instructions about the medical to read through. We had to place the following into the folder:
- passport
- 1 passport photo (I used an adit photo)
- medical questionaire that came with packet 4, signed and dated.
- vaccination records (I used the little travel booklet my Doctor gave me)
- any other important medical history documents (I had none)

We then gave the folder to the receptionist and had to sit back in the waiting room and wait to be called. I got mine in first, but wasn't called until about the 5th person. The procedure then went like this:
- went to reception to sign the photo, another form and pay the fee (I used my Visa debit card)
- wend downstairs and placed folder in a plastic holder on the wall and waited in the small waiting room
- was called by the nurse into a small room where she took blood and checked my previous vaccinations.
- was told to wait outside again to be called. It seemed to take forever and I was already tied up in knots with nerves about the interview, but eventually the radiologist called me showed me to a cubicle where I could leave my stuff. I was told to remove everything on top and put on this paper like apron that didn't cover much and wait in the cubicle.
- a female doctor then called me and I went to her office for a medical check up. She went through my medical history, my vaccination record. She told me I had all the vaccinations I needed (I'd had the MMR, Polio and Tetanus/Diptheria shots a few weeks before at my own doctor). She tested my blood pressure, checked my heartbeat and felt for signs of breast cancer. Once she was satisfied I was ok, she sent me back to the cubicle to wait for the x-ray.
- The radiologist called me and I was fortunately allowed to keep my apron on while he took the x-ray. It took all of 2 minutes and he sent me back to the cubicle to dress.
- not long after, he came back, handed me my x-ray and told me to keep it in my carry on luggage when I first entered the USA and wished me luck. As I didn't need any vaccinations I was sent on my way.


9:20am - I left the doctor's office and walked down to the consulate. This time it was light outside and fortunately had stopped raining. The process at the doctor's office was pretty painless and they were efficient, so I was starting to feel a bit more relaxed.

9:40am - I arrived at the consulate and showed my letter of appointment to the security guard. He let me through to the next security check where I had to put my bag through the x-ray machine and make sure all metallic objects (except rings and jewellery) were removed before I walked through the metal detector. I collected my stuff and walked up the stairs to the entrance for the immigrant visa section where an armed soldier was standed and went through the door to the front desk. He asked for any mobile phones and recording equipment. I gave him my cell phone and he put it in a box and gave me the tag number to hold on to. I then went up the stairs on the right and waited to be let in the door. Turned left and saw signs about immigrant visa appointments and went to the first desk. My letter of appointment was taken and I was told to sit down and wait.
- There were already a few people from the medical there, some of the families who'd been able to drive to the consulate rather than walk. The waiting was the worst part I think. I was already stressed and nervous and just sitting there I couldn't even concentrate enough to read my book. I chatted a bit th some of the other applicants there and you could see the strain was also showing on them.
- I was called to one of the desks where I was asked to give in all the documents I had brought with me. This is what I gave:
* valid passport
* 2 adit photographs
* receipt of payment
* birth certificate and copy
* 2 police clearance certificates and copies (one for UK one for SA)
* Notorised Affidavit of Support from my Fiance
* Letter from Employer as well as a recent timesheet my Fiance had provided. (I had payslips as well but he gave those back)
* Letter from bank as well as recent bank statements (from Fiance)

He did not take any of my own bank statements or the proof of my employment, nor did he ask for any relationship evidence or evidence that we were engaged. I was told to sit and wait to be called for the interview.

- After what seemed like forever, but wasn't more than half an hour, I was called up to another booth. I was interviewed by one of the younger officers who was friendly and immediately put me at ease. The whole interview was conducted in a conversasional way and the officer had all my documents as well as our original K1 application before him. He first asked me if I promised to tell the truth (yes) and then he flicked through my documents and asked me several questions about myself and my fiance:
* When did you leave Zimbabwe? (The country I was born in)
* How long have you been in the UK?
* Where did you meet your fiance? (I said on the internet)
* What type of site did you meet on? (I explained it was a message board for a band - and then jabbered on a bit about how we'd met there. He said he'd never heard of the band. *g*)
* Has your fiance visited you in the UK? (I said yes and told him when - he was looking through our photographs and commented that Bournemouth was lovely to visit as some of the photos we submitted with our original application were from Bournemouth)
* Have you been to visit your fiance in the US? (I said no)

He then jokingly asked me if I was going to teach my fiance about Zimbabwean history. He then told me that everythign was fine and that I would need to come back at 12:30 to pick up my visa pending the medical results. He said I should go out and get something to eat and drink. I thanked him and, feeling the weight of a ton of bricks lifted of my shoulders, left to call my honey and wake him up to tell him the news, and try to find a Starbucks

12:30 - I was back at the consulate and had to go through the whole security thing again. I went back to where the interviews were held and just sat down and waited. This was the longest part of the waiting but I was feeling much more relaxed. After about an hour, they brought out all the passports and started calling people up to collect them. I saw my green passport (not pink like most of the others) and got up before they even called my name. I was given my passport, the big sealed brown envelope which I was told not to open and to hand in to immigration at the POE and a slip of paper telling me about the terms of the k1 visa. I thanked the officer for everything and left, exhausted but with visa in hand by 1:30pm.

Now I have to pack

Clare

sibsie

That's great Clare. And it sounds like one of the most pain free interview experiences I've read.

Good luck getting ready to go.

Leslie

Wunerful wunerful wunerful!!!

Congratulations.

JanFree

Clare,
Thank you for the great details...I am passing them on to my husband who is interviewing in London too. All the best with your new life here in America. Hey my parents lived in Zimbawe (Rhodesia) for years..small world eh?
Jane

jgatties

Yeah, when clare was born it was still called Rhodesia.

JohnCindy

Congrates...... I remember those sleepless nights waiting for that day to come. Now you can count the days til you are in each other's arms on the same side of the pond!
Cindy