oceans.apart

I Thought I would just share our experience of our i-130 interview in London, with my 3 children all under 14. Our Appointment was for 8 am, we payed the extra and stayed at the Holiday inn Mayfair, which is a lovely 12 min walk away.Also They allow you late check out so we could leave all our electronic stuff in the room until we were done. We arrived at 7.30 and there weren't many people in the Q outside. It is all ver organised and there are different lines for different things. We were then taken through security. I had to sip the drink I had for my children. We then were directed to a inside desk and given a number. I900. Then we sat in a HUGE hall filled with about 300 chairs and listened and watched screens for our number. We were called to a window and the clerk asked a few questions, I got my marriage day wrong! But he just laughed. He took my photo's and he seemed to have the job of putting our paperwork in order. He also got me to sign and took my fingerprints. Then we went and sat in the hall again and eventually got called to the interview. He was really nice asked a few questions, like how we met, when my husband worked, etc etc. and said your visa's have been approved, take this form to the courier desk and arrange delivery. The courier line took longer to get through than both interviews! All in all painless. We received our passports with our visa's 5 days later. Also wort Knowing! They have a photo booth in the 'hall' where you can get your special size photo's taken, they have a drinks and they have snacks shop. Bring lots of paper and pens to play with the kids. We were walking back to the hotel at 10.20.

ian-mstm

Congratulations!

Ian

Anian

Sounds largely similar to my experience to get my greencard (well, really that thing they stick in your passport). The interview seemed like a formality more than anything else, it was less than two minutes long. I changed my daughter's nappy in the women's toilets, then someone pointed out there had a change table next to the mens too (although it was nowhere near as nice), and lost nearly all the drinking water we had on us (some of it we had forgotten about and it went through the scanner with the buggy). A good 90% of the people there seemed to be after holiday visas when I went.

Glad it went well for you!

lansbury

Congratulations. Still the anti-climax it always has been for 99% of us.

oceans.apart

It was a bit of a anti-climax, yo kind of work yourself up expecting to be grilled, but in the end it was simple. Now we just have to get through JFK and we will be home!

Volt61

I didn't realise that there were actual interviews but I suppose it depends on each case?

My "interview" consisted of me standing in front of a glass partition (like at a bank) with a member of the embassy staff on the other side (a nice woman), who asked me a couple of easy questions, took 2 fingerprints and then told me I should expect to hear from them soon. Took all of 2 mins I think, so like others have said.
I had to ask the woman "is that it" as there was no formal end to the "interview".

Noorah101

Yep, that IS the actual interview! They all take place in front of a glass partition like that. Some are shorter or longer, or more or less difficult, especially depending on what country you're in.

Rene

jeffreyhy

Sounds like an immigrant visa interview, not an I-130 petition interview.

Congratulations, though!

Regards, JEff

meauxna

haha.. I was just going to change the thread title.


Congratulations, oceans!

Shermeen.Adam

For some reason I used to get my wedding date mixed up and I'm worried come interview time it'll happen again! lol!
Congrats on your approval and it went quite quickly, not easy keeping young ones entertained for so long! xx

jeffreyhy

Write it on the palm of your hand.

Use waterproof ink.

Regards, JEff

oceans.apart

That's funny! I got it wrong and they just laughed! I think the 'interview' is just a formality, they know beforehand if they are going to grant it or not.

jeffreyhy

I don't agree. I do think the interviewer may have a sense of what the outcome will be. If that sense is denial it may be hard to overcome, the interviewer will likely ask probing questions to confirm and document a denial. On the other hand, if the interviewer's sense is approval the interview still gives the applicant an opportunity to blow it.

Regards, JEff

IR1 alumni

You're right JEff. Some applications are just simple and clearly 'approvable.' A couple who have presented all of the paperwork correctly and whose relationship is clearly legitimate, and an applicant who has no visa ineligibilities should find the interview to be little more than a formality. Others may find that they are asked more questions and have to provide more evidence. Those Consular Officers have to interview many people every day. The easy/quick interviews allow them to get to the hundreds of other people sitting in the waiting room.

gnasher12

congratulations!!

good to know they have a photo booth, think I will do my pictures at the embassy.