CR1 Medical exam / Interview / POE Write-up
Dec 12th 2018, 10:16 pm
#1
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Joined: Mar 2018
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 18
CR1 Medical exam / Interview / POE Write-up
Hi everyone,
I have enjoyed reading other people's experiences before and during the visa process, so here's my own write-up.
Medical exam
My appointment was at 10:50am. I got to the Knightsbridge Medical practice slightly early (about 10 minutes early) so the secretary told me to wait in the waiting room until the time of my appointment and then come back to see her and give her all the documents. I sat in the waiting room where there were about 5 people waiting. Several people got in and out of the waiting room as they were called by the various doctors and nurses, and everything looked very well organised.
After 10 minutes, I walked back to the secretary's desk. She proceeded to take all my documents and then gave me a questionnaire to fill out and a cup for the urine sample. I went back to the waiting room to fill out the questionnaire (which is basically a more in-depth version of the questionnaire you have to fill out before the appointment) and then gave it back to the secretary, who then told me to wait in the waiting room for someone to call my name.
After about 5 minutes, I got called by a nurse, who told me she would be looking at my medical summary and my vaccination record. I thought this part would be more complicated than it eventually was, as I was born and grew up in France, and thus had all my vaccines there, and my vaccination record was in French. I had translated it, but it turned out that the nurse knew the french vaccination chart and its British/American equivalent, and could tell exactly what was what. That was a relief! She used this information to complete a vaccination worksheet that is then sent to the embassy. I told her that I hadn't had the flu shot beforehand as I knew I could have it there, so she proceeded to have it ready and inject me with it. She also took a blood sample. The whole process with the nurse took about 10 minutes.
I went back to the waiting room and waited about 10 minutes (all the while drinking water from the pitchers available in the waiting room to complete the urine sample part of the exam). A doctor then called my name and said he would be looking at my questionnaire. He basically asked me the exact same questions that were on the questionnaire to double-check my answers and somehow see if my answers were truthful. Indeed, the box at the top of the questionnaire is to be left blank by the patient and checked (or not!) by the doctor, and read (I paraphrase) "The patient seems to be giving truthful answers". The doctor then asked me get up and stand behind a line on the floor to read some letters on the opposite wall to check my vision, then he asked me to take my sweater off and get on the examination table, where he then did a basic physical exam (checked my blood pressure, heart, lungs, mouth and throat, ears...). After that exam, he completed another form and we talked a bit about where I was moving. He then told me that we were finished and that I could go back to the waiting room. This part took about 10 minutes too.
Back to the waiting room. I only waited 5 minutes until my name got called again. This time, it was for the x-ray of the lungs. The radiologist asked to take my sweater off and stand against the x-ray machine, with the back of the hands pressed against the hips all the while holding an apron covering the legs. The x-ray was done in just a few seconds. The radiologist told me I could get dressed and said I had to stay in the room until he could check the result of the x-ray on his computer (which tool about 30 seconds). I guess this is just to make sure the x-ray image is clear. This part took less than 5 minutes.
After all this, I got the urine sample ready and just as I was getting out of the restroom, the secretary called my name to pay and give me a couple of documents, which included a document on what to expect and do from now on (such as "When will my results be back" and "When will my results be sent to the embassy" and information on what to do if you have been asked to provide more information) and a copy of the vaccination worksheet that can be used to enrol in school or to apply for a job. The whole medical exam took exactly one hour, as I was out of the building by 11:50am. I felt relieved that everything went well. I knew there would be no problem with my medical history as I've never had major issues but I worried a bit over the fact that my documents were from French doctors and that it would somehow make them "less valid". But they are apparently used to being presented with documents from other countries so I worried over nothing - especially since I asked the secretary when I booked my appointment about bringing documents from foreign sources.
Interview
I had booked the interview 10 days after the medical exam as I wanted to be sure the results would be received by the embassy. My interview was at 10:30am but I got off Vauxhall station just before 10am. Walking to the embassy took about 10 minutes. Once outside the South Pavilion, there was a desk with two embassy employees checking people's confirmation page and instructing them on what to do. When the woman checked mine, she told me I was slightly too early and that I should come back at 10:15am. I waited about 5 minutes then walked back to the desk, and was then told to make my way to security, through what I believe is the specific section for immigrant visas, and to ignore the queue inside the building and walk straight to the desk.
Security is basically the same as airport security: all your stuff goes through the machine and you walk through a metal detector. I was very happy that I got to skip the queue as there were probably 80 to 100 people waiting. Once at the desk, the woman took my passport to check my name and then printed labels with my number. She then told me to take the lift and follow the signs to the immigrant visa part of the building. This area is much smaller and more intimate than the non-immigrant visa part of the building.
I took a seat and waited less than 10 minutes before my number showed up on the screen. I walked up to the window and was greeted by a male employee. He took my passport and went to take my file. When he came back, he collected all the documents that were on the checklist (birth certificate, police certificates, mariage licence, affidavit of support and tax return, photograph...) and took my fingerprints. He told me that they hadn't received my results from Knightsbridge Medical but because they were closed for Thanksgiving - my appointment was on the Monday following Thanksgiving - they certainly were in the building but not yet dispatched to the various departments. He then gave me a piece a paper that indicated how much I had to pay and directed towards the cashier window, adding that my number would be called again at another window. I went to the cashier window to pay the fee and sat back down in the waiting area.
10 minutes later, my number appeared on the screen above a different window. A woman welcomed me and made me take an oath. She then took my fingerprints again and started asking questions about my mariage and my relationship. She asked me how long we'd been married, where we'd met, how w'd met, if the address that was listed on the DS-260 was where I intended to live and if my husband was already back in the US. She then told me that, depending on the medical results, my visa was approved and my passport should be available for pick-up 7 to 10 days after the medical results were received and the case officially completed and approved. Based on the texts I sent when I left, I got out of the embassy around 11am, so I spent about 30 minutes in the embassy. I wasn't particularly stressed by the interview, as I felt prepared from reading everything I could find on this forum and also because I knew that my relationship and my marriage are real and my application was based on true facts, so in my mind, there was absolutely no reason my application could be denied. I still felt relieved that it was done and that I was one step closer to moving to the US and finally join my husband.
Visa processing
I forced myself to only check the status of my application online twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. On Monday, after the interview, the status was obviously "Administrative processing". It remained like this until Thursday morning, when it changed to "Issued" with the indication that the case had been updated on Wednesday. I received an email from the embassy saying that my passport and the big enveloppe had been given to the courrier, along with a tracking number, on Friday. The email stated that the documents would be available to be picked up on the following Monday. I made arrangements in the meantime and booked a flight out of Heathrow on Wednesday, 9 days after the interview.
POE / Denver
After an uneventful flight, I landed in Denver, CO. I made my way to immigration, where there were only 3 people before me. When I got to the immigration officer, he saw the big enveloppe and asked me right away "Moving to the US?". I said yes and I handed him the enveloppe and my passport. He opened the enveloppe right in front of me and made me confirm my name and my husband's name. He quickly glanced at a couple of pages in the enveloppe while he took my fingerprints. He asked me three questions ("how long have you been married?", "where did you meet?" and "is the address on the immigration form your home address?". I replied to the questions and then stamped the enveloppe and my passport, right there, right then! He then said my Social Security Card would be sent to the address I listed on the DS-260, and that the green card would take 7 to 9 months to arrive in the mail. That surprised me as other sources (our immigrations lawyers, other people, but also the USCIS website, which indicates "up to 120 days from the day of entry") but I politely nodded! I confirmed with him that the stamp in the passport along with the visa was proof enough to leave the country and travel back, and he then said "Congratulations" and handed me my passport back. I thanked him and walked out to get my bag. I don't think I've spent more than 4 minutes with the immigration officer.
I honestly was surprised that I didn't have to go to secondary, but I guess Denver doesn't have as many international flights as other airports, so the immigration lines were very short and immigration officers weren't as busy as JFK or ATL, or even LAX or SFO. It's now been a week since I arrived, so I'm obviously still waiting for my SSN to arrive and to then open a bank account and get a driver's licence, among other things.
I have enjoyed reading other people's experiences before and during the visa process, so here's my own write-up.
Medical exam
My appointment was at 10:50am. I got to the Knightsbridge Medical practice slightly early (about 10 minutes early) so the secretary told me to wait in the waiting room until the time of my appointment and then come back to see her and give her all the documents. I sat in the waiting room where there were about 5 people waiting. Several people got in and out of the waiting room as they were called by the various doctors and nurses, and everything looked very well organised.
After 10 minutes, I walked back to the secretary's desk. She proceeded to take all my documents and then gave me a questionnaire to fill out and a cup for the urine sample. I went back to the waiting room to fill out the questionnaire (which is basically a more in-depth version of the questionnaire you have to fill out before the appointment) and then gave it back to the secretary, who then told me to wait in the waiting room for someone to call my name.
After about 5 minutes, I got called by a nurse, who told me she would be looking at my medical summary and my vaccination record. I thought this part would be more complicated than it eventually was, as I was born and grew up in France, and thus had all my vaccines there, and my vaccination record was in French. I had translated it, but it turned out that the nurse knew the french vaccination chart and its British/American equivalent, and could tell exactly what was what. That was a relief! She used this information to complete a vaccination worksheet that is then sent to the embassy. I told her that I hadn't had the flu shot beforehand as I knew I could have it there, so she proceeded to have it ready and inject me with it. She also took a blood sample. The whole process with the nurse took about 10 minutes.
I went back to the waiting room and waited about 10 minutes (all the while drinking water from the pitchers available in the waiting room to complete the urine sample part of the exam). A doctor then called my name and said he would be looking at my questionnaire. He basically asked me the exact same questions that were on the questionnaire to double-check my answers and somehow see if my answers were truthful. Indeed, the box at the top of the questionnaire is to be left blank by the patient and checked (or not!) by the doctor, and read (I paraphrase) "The patient seems to be giving truthful answers". The doctor then asked me get up and stand behind a line on the floor to read some letters on the opposite wall to check my vision, then he asked me to take my sweater off and get on the examination table, where he then did a basic physical exam (checked my blood pressure, heart, lungs, mouth and throat, ears...). After that exam, he completed another form and we talked a bit about where I was moving. He then told me that we were finished and that I could go back to the waiting room. This part took about 10 minutes too.
Back to the waiting room. I only waited 5 minutes until my name got called again. This time, it was for the x-ray of the lungs. The radiologist asked to take my sweater off and stand against the x-ray machine, with the back of the hands pressed against the hips all the while holding an apron covering the legs. The x-ray was done in just a few seconds. The radiologist told me I could get dressed and said I had to stay in the room until he could check the result of the x-ray on his computer (which tool about 30 seconds). I guess this is just to make sure the x-ray image is clear. This part took less than 5 minutes.
After all this, I got the urine sample ready and just as I was getting out of the restroom, the secretary called my name to pay and give me a couple of documents, which included a document on what to expect and do from now on (such as "When will my results be back" and "When will my results be sent to the embassy" and information on what to do if you have been asked to provide more information) and a copy of the vaccination worksheet that can be used to enrol in school or to apply for a job. The whole medical exam took exactly one hour, as I was out of the building by 11:50am. I felt relieved that everything went well. I knew there would be no problem with my medical history as I've never had major issues but I worried a bit over the fact that my documents were from French doctors and that it would somehow make them "less valid". But they are apparently used to being presented with documents from other countries so I worried over nothing - especially since I asked the secretary when I booked my appointment about bringing documents from foreign sources.
Interview
I had booked the interview 10 days after the medical exam as I wanted to be sure the results would be received by the embassy. My interview was at 10:30am but I got off Vauxhall station just before 10am. Walking to the embassy took about 10 minutes. Once outside the South Pavilion, there was a desk with two embassy employees checking people's confirmation page and instructing them on what to do. When the woman checked mine, she told me I was slightly too early and that I should come back at 10:15am. I waited about 5 minutes then walked back to the desk, and was then told to make my way to security, through what I believe is the specific section for immigrant visas, and to ignore the queue inside the building and walk straight to the desk.
Security is basically the same as airport security: all your stuff goes through the machine and you walk through a metal detector. I was very happy that I got to skip the queue as there were probably 80 to 100 people waiting. Once at the desk, the woman took my passport to check my name and then printed labels with my number. She then told me to take the lift and follow the signs to the immigrant visa part of the building. This area is much smaller and more intimate than the non-immigrant visa part of the building.
I took a seat and waited less than 10 minutes before my number showed up on the screen. I walked up to the window and was greeted by a male employee. He took my passport and went to take my file. When he came back, he collected all the documents that were on the checklist (birth certificate, police certificates, mariage licence, affidavit of support and tax return, photograph...) and took my fingerprints. He told me that they hadn't received my results from Knightsbridge Medical but because they were closed for Thanksgiving - my appointment was on the Monday following Thanksgiving - they certainly were in the building but not yet dispatched to the various departments. He then gave me a piece a paper that indicated how much I had to pay and directed towards the cashier window, adding that my number would be called again at another window. I went to the cashier window to pay the fee and sat back down in the waiting area.
10 minutes later, my number appeared on the screen above a different window. A woman welcomed me and made me take an oath. She then took my fingerprints again and started asking questions about my mariage and my relationship. She asked me how long we'd been married, where we'd met, how w'd met, if the address that was listed on the DS-260 was where I intended to live and if my husband was already back in the US. She then told me that, depending on the medical results, my visa was approved and my passport should be available for pick-up 7 to 10 days after the medical results were received and the case officially completed and approved. Based on the texts I sent when I left, I got out of the embassy around 11am, so I spent about 30 minutes in the embassy. I wasn't particularly stressed by the interview, as I felt prepared from reading everything I could find on this forum and also because I knew that my relationship and my marriage are real and my application was based on true facts, so in my mind, there was absolutely no reason my application could be denied. I still felt relieved that it was done and that I was one step closer to moving to the US and finally join my husband.
Visa processing
I forced myself to only check the status of my application online twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. On Monday, after the interview, the status was obviously "Administrative processing". It remained like this until Thursday morning, when it changed to "Issued" with the indication that the case had been updated on Wednesday. I received an email from the embassy saying that my passport and the big enveloppe had been given to the courrier, along with a tracking number, on Friday. The email stated that the documents would be available to be picked up on the following Monday. I made arrangements in the meantime and booked a flight out of Heathrow on Wednesday, 9 days after the interview.
POE / Denver
After an uneventful flight, I landed in Denver, CO. I made my way to immigration, where there were only 3 people before me. When I got to the immigration officer, he saw the big enveloppe and asked me right away "Moving to the US?". I said yes and I handed him the enveloppe and my passport. He opened the enveloppe right in front of me and made me confirm my name and my husband's name. He quickly glanced at a couple of pages in the enveloppe while he took my fingerprints. He asked me three questions ("how long have you been married?", "where did you meet?" and "is the address on the immigration form your home address?". I replied to the questions and then stamped the enveloppe and my passport, right there, right then! He then said my Social Security Card would be sent to the address I listed on the DS-260, and that the green card would take 7 to 9 months to arrive in the mail. That surprised me as other sources (our immigrations lawyers, other people, but also the USCIS website, which indicates "up to 120 days from the day of entry") but I politely nodded! I confirmed with him that the stamp in the passport along with the visa was proof enough to leave the country and travel back, and he then said "Congratulations" and handed me my passport back. I thanked him and walked out to get my bag. I don't think I've spent more than 4 minutes with the immigration officer.
I honestly was surprised that I didn't have to go to secondary, but I guess Denver doesn't have as many international flights as other airports, so the immigration lines were very short and immigration officers weren't as busy as JFK or ATL, or even LAX or SFO. It's now been a week since I arrived, so I'm obviously still waiting for my SSN to arrive and to then open a bank account and get a driver's licence, among other things.
Dec 12th 2018, 10:31 pm
#2
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 46,387
Re: CR1 Medical exam / Interview / POE Write-up
At Denver you mention immigration officer. Since you said you didn't have to go to secondary and there only 3 people before you and you call the Customs/Border Agent an immigration office, I'm curious where you were at this point in the airport? Yes, the green card can take months to arrive, far more than the 120 days your attorney told you. Timelines are far to often variable. As for your social security card, if you have not received it within a month, I would complete the form from the social security administration website and take it to the local social security office and reapply. Many people who checked the box for a social security card to issued, never received one and had to go in person to file for one.
Lovely write up and BE's marriage-based visa forum thanks you for doing so and letting us know how you fared. Welcome to the US.
Lovely write up and BE's marriage-based visa forum thanks you for doing so and letting us know how you fared. Welcome to the US.
Dec 13th 2018, 12:14 am
#3
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2016
Location: Harrisburg, PA (formerly Somerset, UK)
Posts: 538
Re: CR1 Medical exam / Interview / POE Write-up
Thank you for such a thorough write-up! Congratulations on your success getting through the process, and welcome to the States. 
I second Rete - if your SSN is still missing after a month or so, get in touch with your local social security office. I was one of the (many, on this forum!) people whose SSN never arrived, and it seems it had gotten lost in the system. It was an easy fix after a quick appointment at the local SS office. My green card also got lost in the system and took months (almost a year, in the end) to arrive. Just keep your eyes peeled for your documents and chase them up when you need to.
I second Rete - if your SSN is still missing after a month or so, get in touch with your local social security office. I was one of the (many, on this forum!) people whose SSN never arrived, and it seems it had gotten lost in the system. It was an easy fix after a quick appointment at the local SS office. My green card also got lost in the system and took months (almost a year, in the end) to arrive. Just keep your eyes peeled for your documents and chase them up when you need to.
Dec 13th 2018, 11:30 am
#4
Often not so civil...
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: The Boonies, GA
Posts: 9,561
Re: CR1 Medical exam / Interview / POE Write-up
Welsome to the US - wrap up warm, it gets pretty cold in Boulder!
Dec 13th 2018, 4:21 pm
#5
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2018
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 18
Re: CR1 Medical exam / Interview / POE Write-up
My mistake, I was at one of the Customs/Border counters, I was indeed processed by a Customs/Border Agent.
Jan 2nd 2019, 5:15 pm
#7
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2018
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 18
Re: CR1 Medical exam / Interview / POE Write-up
A very good surprise was waiting for me in the mailbox when I got back from my Christmas holidays trip to Mexico: my permanent resident card! According to the letter, it was sent on December 26th, exactly 3 weeks after I arrived in the US.
My SS number hasn't arrived yet though, so I'll probably fill out the form (just in case) and visit my local SS office by the end of the week.
My SS number hasn't arrived yet though, so I'll probably fill out the form (just in case) and visit my local SS office by the end of the week.
Jan 3rd 2019, 8:41 pm
#8
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2015
Location: Denver, CO.
Posts: 1,523
Re: CR1 Medical exam / Interview / POE Write-up
Welcome to CO!
Jan 6th 2019, 2:46 pm
#9
Go Braves!
Joined: Jul 2016
Location: Rocky Mount VA
Posts: 180
Re: CR1 Medical exam / Interview / POE Write-up
A very good surprise was waiting for me in the mailbox when I got back from my Christmas holidays trip to Mexico: my permanent resident card! According to the letter, it was sent on December 26th, exactly 3 weeks after I arrived in the US.
My SS number hasn't arrived yet though, so I'll probably fill out the form (just in case) and visit my local SS office by the end of the week.
My SS number hasn't arrived yet though, so I'll probably fill out the form (just in case) and visit my local SS office by the end of the week.
