Lara45

We left the Doctors and walked with the other woman and her daughter to the embassy. The embassy interview is the one that I really was dreading and by now Im sweating profusely, my blood pressure has certainly shot up, my mouth is almost so dry I can hardly speak!! After about 15 minutes or so we arrive at the embassy. There is a small queue of people waiting outside and a man was holding a board. We walked up to him, I showed him the Interview letter, he checked his list of names and told us to go through. We pass through security - very much like the ones you have at airports. Walk up the steps and into the building. I hand in the interview letter to the man on the desk, he asks me do I have a mobile - I hand him the mobile and he then directs me to where I need to go - up the steps to my right.

We then got into the room itself which is quite big, everything is open plan, with sectioned off desks, the counters are really high as well. Must have been about ... 25 people in there all sat down and waiting. I showed someone at the counter the interview letter and was told to take a seat. We then waited for what seemed like an eternity - but must have been about three quarters of an hour when my name was called out. I walked up to the counter, and the lady who talked to me was very,very, friendly. I couldnt get her to shut up!!! She told me how old she was, how many children she had - even described her children's characters to me!! I was now feeling much, much, easier.

Anyway, she asked for our passports - I asked would she like photocopies as well - she didn't. She asked for marraige cert/divorce papers, police check and the I-134. I was really worried about the police check - although it was clear - there had been an incident when Iwas 16 - and I had told them in my paperwork what had happened - no mention of this at all though).

She then checked all the papers/documents were in order and told us to sit down and wait to be called for the interview. OK - now the blood pressure is rising again!!

After about 15/20 minutes we were called again. Walked up to another desk. There were two men behind. One seemed to be having some sort of training as he was being guided by the other. The questions I was asked were:

1. How did you meet?
2. Have you been to the US?
3. Where is your fiancee now?
4. Has he been married before?
5. How many children do you have? (I told him 3 but only one was coming with me)
6. What do they think of him?
7. Where will you get married?

And that was it!! He told me as long as the medical was OK then the visa would be given to me. We left at 11.30 and we came back at 12.30. We passed through security exactly as we did before.

We got back into the room - I said to the man at the counter that I had to come at 12.30. He said to me "Everything is fine, we'll only keep you about 5 minutes - we're just packing up your visa now".

AND Five minutes later !!! There it is!! I have it!! The only thing the man said was "You have 90 days in which to get married, here's a copy of both vaccination records for your own use".

We left the embassy feeling VERY VERY VERY happy and we almost skipped our way back down those steps!

I spent months worrying about the interview - and really there was nothing at all to worry about.

Alecca

Thanks for sharing your interview with us

dutchman2001nl

Thanks for sharing, Lara....

Karen D

Thanks for bringing back happy memories of my day in London Lara, pretty much a text book copy of what happened to me (and many others)!

I wish you and your daughter a safe trip to the States, any travel plans set yet?

PS: Love the bit in the medical where your daughter said she wore glasses - sun glasses!!!

Lara45

Karen - Im trying to find the cheapest flight at the moment - looking at coming over week ending 5th January - Im now in the middle of sorting through old clothing, papers etc - Ive already filled three huge black bags!!

I still can't quite believe I have the visa - I keep checking the passports all the time!! God I hope I still fit into my wedding dress - I just knew I should stuck to my diet! lol

Lara45

Now that's a thought that's just struck me - how many suitcases are we allowed? Two each?? its going to cost me a fortune sending things over via post - and Im now counting the pennies (and there aren't too many left of those either!).

Karen D

It depends who you fly with Lara. Generally I think generally it is 2 bags, 1 piece of hand luggage and a personal item - i.e. hand bag.

Watch the weight though, I tend to fly with American Airlines and their weight allowance is quite generous, especially for the hand luggage item, but the same piece of hand luggage when my husband flew with Virgin was too heavy and had to go in the hold.

Also, if you do need to check-in another bag, I think you get charged on the bag, regardless of size or weight, so buy the biggest goddam bag possible and stuff it full!

Good luck