One of the blog members asked for a page solely for people to post their interview experiences. So this is it – with some rules!!!
First – NO questions on this page. Let’s keep it for interview experiences only – good and bad. I will probably delete questions to try and keep the page focused on interview experiences
Please at least mention your embassy (city and country, like Accra, Ghana) and brief details about what questions you were asked and any interesting points about documents you were asked for and any tips you can give others. This will be useful to others who have not yet had their interviews. People could use the search function to look for their embassy.
October 7, 2015 at 02:02
Ankara, Turkey
Finally! Today we had our interview in Ankara, Turkey.
So interesting…, I was preparing for this interview so carefully, gathered all of the documents, diplomas, translations. And none of this was needed. No questions were asked about my prearranged employment, no questions about my diplomas, nothing of what I could think of.
After the oath the officer asked me: “Who are you married to now?” I looked at the officer for a moment, then I looked at my husband and pointed on him saying: “Here he is”. The officer asked again: “Who are you married to?” I told him my husbands name, he smiled and asked another question: “Are you going to divorce after you come to the United States?” I said: “No, we are very happy together.” And that was it. He gave us a paper with the statement: “Congratulations! Your visa application is approved!”
I couldn’t believe it.
We walked out of the room, and just when we were about to exit the security room, the policeman told us to go back to the window number 9. For a moment I thought that the Earth is moving under my feet, and my heart is beating somewhere in my stomach… We went back. There the officer asked for my old passport with old B1 visa. He stamped it smiled and said: “you can go now”.
I don’t remember how we walked out of the building.
When we crossed the street my husband said that he needs to rest for a sec. He sat down on the sidewalk, and I saw that he was all white. Then we cried with happy tears, hugged and walked to our hotel.
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/dv-2015-winners-from-europe.322896/page-43#post-2416476
October 7, 2015 at 02:04
Skopje, Macedonia
Finally, I’ve calmed down enough to sit down and write my experience at the US embassy in Skopje.
Our experience was similar to others in that embassy. We were scheduled for 8 am on the 10-th of august. Since we live in a neighboring country, we woke up at 5am and left at 5:40 (there was a family from a city that was further away and they woke up at 3am. We got there round 30 minutes early to find parking as the embassy has none available for visitors like ourselves. As @GorMac described on his earlier post, there are free spots along the road that leads up to it. There wasn’t a big crowd waiting to get in that morning (around 20 – including us). When the time came they started calling out names, we were third to be called up. It was interesting that there were far more candidates from my country (Kosovo) then from the country where the embassy is.
Once they call you you enter the security check point where you pass through a metal detector. You are also required to leave most of your things there including cell phones (I forgot my i-pad on my bag, so I had to leave that too. After that we went to another building where the whole process takes place. We were again greeted by security personnel and once it was our turn, our documents were properly checked and ordered by a person who’s sole job was that. Just in case, I brought a lot of extra documents (better to be over prepared than under prepared), but he only kept the documents that were on his checklist. Photos were up to date and we had a copy of everyone’s passport. They only took one photo. After our documents were sorted, they handed us the documents and we were asked to wait until our name is called up. There are two rows of seats facing each other.
Next we were called up to bring all our docs to booth no.9, where local personnel (albanian speaking guy) made sure we fulfilled all the requirements going through a checklist. We had an affidavit and proof of funds, but he only kept the AoS. It’s recommended to have one though not compulsory, in that case however I guess it’s up to the CO to decide if you’re a risk or not. Next they ask you to pay the fee, 330 USD per person which we paid in cash, with dollars. Be aware that the payment is done with dollars and denars only (no euros). One couple had only euros, so they told him he needs dollars or denars in order to proceed. He left the embassy, took a cab to go downtown to a bank, exchanged the euros to dollars and came back (between 45 min and 1 hour), so he was left last to check the docs and have the interview. After that they took our prints and then we waited to be called up by the CO.
The interview itself was casual. Since my wife was the principal applicant, the CO asked my wife if she speaks english. She said so-so, so he called up an interpreter. I told him that I speak english very good, but he didn’t want for me to translate. After being sworn in, they asked her a couple of questions. Why did you go to England and sh responded. was this the first marriage for both of you and what’s her relationship to the person in Florida where we intend to go. He looked through the documents and said it looks like everything is Ok and you’re approved. I had to ask again to make sure. Since we are from a different country and when we leave the embassy we have to go through customs to go home, he said to us to bring all the passports on Tuesday at 11 am and pick up your passports with visas 4:30 pm. We barely contained ourselves and after thanking him we walked out with a slip that has the US flag on it and that gives instructions when to come get your passports. And that’s about it. We were done and out by 10:10.
A big thanks to everyone on this forum who helped with their suggestions and their experiences, especially to BritSimon, SusieQQQ and Sm1sMom, who guided us through this stressful year (for me it was 16 stressful months since the day we found out we were selected).
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/dv-2015-winners-from-europe.322896/page-43#post-2416178
October 7, 2015 at 03:05
Nairobi, Kenya
INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE.
The last I left this, I had told you guys that my entire family could not get the visa. However, last Monday, the Nairobi Consulate emailed me informing me I could attend the interview without my husband. I needed to think about this, because somewhere in the back of my mind, I had already given up. When they called me on Friday, to ask if I was attending, I knew I wanted to go. I didn’t announce it here, because I wanted to do one complete update not bits and pieces. So I had gone to Equity Bank to pay the confirmation fees for KNEC but unfortunately as KNEC were moving from Town to South C, I wasn’t able to submit the receipt so my results weren’t sent. I had asked my father and host (friend of my father’s) to send me letters of suppport. I had bank statements printed. I took every single piece of paper relating to my schooling including KCPE certificates and report forms from Form 1, none of which were needed in my case. Here is how the actual interview went:
We reached the Embassy at 6:30 am as the interview was for 6:45 am. By the time we got in, it was around 6:52 or 7:52. So much for keeping time. My daughter (3) was coughing like crazy and ended up vomiting twice (I cleaned up and sterilized both times. Thank God for Dettol wipes! She’s asthmatic so anytime she coughs I just give her her inhaler. Turns out it was just a sore throat and I overdid it with the inhaler which is why she threw up, but I digress). They let me sit inside as they did with elderly and children. The commoners just sat outside. They called me to the first counter and asked for documents, original and copies in this order:
1. Passports
2. Passport Photos
3. Birth Certificates
4. Marriage Certificate
5. KCSE Certificate
6. Police Certificate (Kenya & Canada)
She joked with me about how I am very famous in the Embassy, asked me how my husband was. She was very polite and friendly, not just with me.
Next, after a long wait, went for fingerprinting and finally around 10:45 for the interview. First we did the oath. She asked me simple questions. Something like:
1. When did you complete your KCSE?
2. What was your Grade?
3. What did you study after that?
4. How long did you stay during your last visit to the USA?
5. Do you have any other children other than ….?
6. What State do you intend to live in?
7. What is your relationship with your host?
I figured what she was looking for was to see if I was at ease answering these questions, or I made something up. You need to relax and answer truthfully. The CO isn’t looking for the correct answer, just an honest answer.
That was it. No trick questions, no attitude. She told me my visa was approved and explained how I was to pay for the USCIS Fee.
This was my second experience with the US Embassy and I have nothing but good things to say about them. They were polite, considerate and efficient during both experiences. It was extremely crowded. I sneaked at the Gate sheet and there were 45 IV interviews scheduled for today alone (My husband’s name was also there). Be prepared to wait.
I sincerely thank this forum for the valuable support. It truly felt like family. I am now planning to travel, but I will only do so after I deliver and with my husband. I would love to have your inputs.
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/dv-2015-kenya-selectees-forum.320783/page-201#post-2415712
October 7, 2015 at 05:04
Nairobi, Kenya
interview experience
my wife is the principal applicant entered lottery as single, was three months pregnant. submitted ds 260 mid October as married and had a baby born late may.
arrived at 5.45am found a few individuals, gate opened at 6.00am went first security check appointment letter and passports were checked. second security check leave metallic objects n proceed to the main hall.
called to window 5 n gave out originals and copies of birth cert, marriage cert, kcse cert wife only n hea I saw the confindencial statement from knec, pp, 2 pp photo, pcc I gave her two coz I had spent 5 yaers in Ug. asked if I have ever been in another country. then was told to pay 990 dollars to the cashier. waited then called to window 9 n our finger prints taken starting with my wife. long wait again bt finally called to window 10
co: how r u
we: fine thank you
co: adults raise your right hand n swear to tell the truth
we: we do swear
co: addressing my wife how and when did u meet
wife: brrrr
co: addressing me can u tell more what happened after that
me: brrrr
co: to wife I can see u got married on this n this date
wife: that is the date we legalised our marriage but had been staying together since xxxx
co: so u first did customary marriage
wife: that’s it
co: who attended your wedding
wife: brrr
co: no parents?
wife: no they wanted church wedding but it’s expensive
co: to me, tell me what your wife does
me: she is a student
co: what does she study
me: brrrr
co: to my wife what does your husband does
wife: brrrr
co: to me how many days does your wife attended school
me: five days
co: to me who does take care of the child
me: there is a nanny….
co: to me what is her name
me: brrr
co: how much do you pay her
me: brrrr
co: what do u intend to do in us
me: further my studies in brrr
co: to wife which state do u intend to go
wife: California
co: which city
wife: brrr
co: who does stay there
wife: brrr
he types for a few minutes then tells us congratulations all of your visas have been approved. asks us if we are happy then returns our original documents except pcc and pp. gives us green sheet containing instruction on how to register with dhl and pick our pp
special thanks to bris Simon for the guidance and endless effort to give us information sussieqqq n mum thumbs up all.
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/dv-2015-kenya-selectees-forum.320783/page-200#post-2415251
October 7, 2015 at 05:10
Nairobi, Kenya
Dear Friends, here is the interview experience;
Medicals
Reached IOM in time, waited under day 1 waiting area.
Picked by one of IOM counselors who took us through the process, showed us Lab section and X-ray section and explained to us how the process would go, gave us consent forms to sign.
My wife and I had CXR, then went to the Lab with our kids for blood samples and TST (for kids)
We proceeded to village market and paid. That was day 1.
We returned two days later and were taken to a nurse who checked our sight, BP and asked a few questions on our medical history. We were given our CDs. All was well except for one kid whose TST results didn’t seem fine, the swelling was 11cm yet acceptable limit is 8cm.We proceeded to a doctor who physically examined each one of us, naked but not ashamed at all.
The kid had to do CXR but the machine was faulty that day, we did the vaccinations and were given certificates. we took him back next day and results were fine.
Two weeks later we went for the Interview.
At the Embassy;
We got there a little late than we had planned so we were quite behind in the queue. we arrived at 6.15, Not as cold as we had expected. Probably because we were psychologically prepared.
Security guard checked us and we went in, given a number at counter and advised to be attentive. Also advised to have each person’s documents inside their respective passports.
In a few minutes we were called to window 5. Asked to hand in our documents beginning with mine, my wife’s and the kids. They asked for; Passport, Photos, Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, PCC, High School Certificate.
At this point she asked for a civil marriage certificate but we had church certificate so she received it. We went back to our seats and waited.
We were called at window 9, they only took our figure prints (not for kids) and told us to go back and wait. The security officer asked us to go and wait outside, my wife requested that she stays inside with our kids who were busy playing – toys are provided to keep them engaged. So I went outside, it was quite cold but not that much.
In a few minutes we were called to window 10, all the 6 of us.
She verified that we were the people whose passports she was holding.
She told us to let the kids go back and play since she didn’t have any more business with them.
She took our figure prints, mine taken five times to cater for the four kids and myself.
The Interview
CO: Both of you put up your right hand and swear that whatever you’re going to say is the truth.
We: Did so
CO: What’s your name?
Me: Answered
CO: When did you complete high school?
Me: Hesitated for about 5 seconds then answered. I was a bit nervous
CO: What did you do after high school?
Me: Told her all the courses I have done.
CO: What do you do now?
Me: I am currently working with XYZ Ltd as EFG.
CO: What is XYZ Ltd?
Me: It’s in ABC business..
CO: Good.
She turns to my wife
CO: Mom, what’s your name?
Wife: Answered
CO: When did you finish high school?
Wife: Answered (no hesitation)
CO: What do you do?
Wife: Answered..
CO: Is this your first marriage for both of you?
We: Yes
CO: How many children do you have?
We: Four
CO: You seem to hesitate why?
Wife: We have four kids, three biological and one adopted.
CO: Is it a family adoption or?
Wife: The kid is my nephew….
CO: When did you start the adoption process?
Wife: Answers
CO: Holds the adoption docs and consults with someone behind (person seemed to be their supervisor as he had been consulted earlier at window 7 while we observed from waiting area). The person shows her something on the doc and they seem to agree that it’s alright.
CO: No more questions, VISA APPROVED. Please have your originals back, this paper has instructions about paying for green card, this one has DHL Instructions.
Me: Grab my wife for a hug but she is still looking at the CO. News hadn’t sunk in yet.
CO: Your husband is hugging you! Celebrate, your visa has been approved!
Wife: Turns to me and we hug tight.
CO: Smiles and wishes us a good time. Prepares for the next client.
We: Thank you and off we go all smiles.
We left embassy at 9.30am.
Thank you all for every piece of advice, we were well prepared.
Glory and Honor to GOD!
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/dv-2015-kenya-selectees-forum.320783/page-199#post-2414628
October 7, 2015 at 05:12
Adjustment of Status (USA Field Office)
Hi, everyone!!
I know you have been waiting for my interview experience today. It was such a pleasant experience. I signed in at about 1:30 pm, 30 minutes before my interview time. My IO was one Great gentleman! He was so calm and relaxed. I took the oath, sat down. He took my new and old passports together with my I-94s. We basically talked through my forms and then the yes/no questions. That was it!!!
He said everything looked great and regretted not being able to make a decision given my file is still with KCC. He promised pulling some strings in a week’s time if nothing is sent by then. As I stated earlier, it was such a PLEASANT experience.
Now I just have to cross my fingers/pray and wait. Thank You mom, Simon, and everything for all the HELP. Like Simon says and I quote “it’s never over until the GC is in you hand”.
Best of luck to everyone on this journey!!
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/dv-2015-aos-only.7/page-191#post-2413944
October 7, 2015 at 05:14
Adjustment of States (USA Field Office)
My interview experience at Norfolk office, Virginia. I and my husband were called at 9 and 10 am and we reached there at 8:45am and did our security check. When we reached the reception the lady said that there is no interview allotted for our case for that day. Then she verified over phone and I heard her say that she forgot to submit some pink file and requested to send the file to an officer. She then told us to wait at the waiting area and that we would be called for the interview by our names. After waiting for around half and hour we were invited by an officer who would conduct the interview. She was the same lady whom we met at the Infopass when we went for our IL and she pretty much knew about our case. After taking the oath we asked for our passports and checked all the questions in the I-485 form which was mostly correct. Then she asked all the yes/no questions in them. She asked if I was the PA so then she asked:
Where was I born?
Did you pay the money? Do you have receipt of some payment? The copy of the payment isn’t clear so I need to take a copy of that.
Are you married? Do you have a copy of your marriage certificate?
Where did you study? What is your highest degree?
After all this she said that everything looks good and if there are available visas for the region which she suppose are remaining she would approve the case and then I would be able to live as an Immigrant and then I would be the PA and my husband would be dependent. I would receive the letter in mail in 2-3 days and she would try and adjudicate the case as soon as possible considering the fact that it is end of the fiscal year. I then pointed out the error in the G-325A that the year of marriage is wrong and also my name is IL so she corrected it and thanked me that I pointed it out. She asked if there were any other correction to be made. Finally she escorted us out of the hall. I was really amazed as she didnot see any of my original documents and she literally dint ask anything to my husband. She just verified the winning criteria in the DV. So I guess I should receive the letter in 2-3 days. 🙂
I am deeply obliged for all the assistance and concern this forum has showed towards me. In particular Mom, @Britsimon, @Ifitis2be. Really want to thank @Ifitis2be as she was the one who guided to me this group and encouraged me to this all on my own. Without all this help I would have never been able to reach this far. I love you all shall and pray for your well being. Thank you a lot.
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/dv-2015-aos-only.7/page-183#post-2412424
October 7, 2015 at 05:19
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Here is our interview day experience. First of all I Thank God The Almighty and St. Virgin Marry. Secondly I would like to thank the specially people @Britsimon, @SusieQQQ, @Sm1smom and Ethiopian forum members @rolex123, @ZGREAT, @MB1xxx, @God-Is-Love and the rest of the members. You all are really special, I am so thankful what you did and doing in the forum. I have learnt a lot of things regarding DV and life. God Bless you all and your life!!! We have really prepared very well (probably over prepared and that really helps a lot).
I am not going to repeat the security, document check the wait and things like that. These things are common and have been discussed before. I will tell you the main things.
After the payment (We were the 5th or 6th person to be called for the interview) and the CO asked me only (not my wife)
CO: You are working this and that
ANS:
CO: tell me about your education from high school to…..
ANS: I have answered (in the shortest way)
CO: tell me about your research topic
ANS: I explained it
CO: When did you get married?
ANS:
CO: You payed yourself or you have sponsor?
ANS: from our savings
CO:congratulation you have qualified for DV and he gave to us the yellow paper
a lady (a translator ) came and explained that our sponsor need to pay the $165 and when she was saying your sponsor the CO interrupt her and tell her we are sponsoring ourselves. However, the lady didn’t accept him and tell us to pay it before we move to the State.
Things that we observed:
The first things is that about the authentication thing. It seems that the only thing that needs authentication is the educational certificate. At least that is what I read on the folder that they gave to us to sort our documents. It says that except Educational certificate, there is no need to authenticate the documents. Anyways, I am sure other people will read it and share to us.
As I told you we were the 5th or 6th, so we don’t have an entire view how the outcome of most of the applicants. There were a lot of applicants most of them are DV (I can say more than 15 DV applicants). We saw two families who were not successful. I don’t have any idea why they were denied. They have 3 and 2 children.
Finally what I learned from you guys is that it is better to be over prepared. Since our interview was very short (the shortest of the ones already had their interview).
Thank you very much for you all and good luck for those who are waiting their interview and to be current!!!
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/all-ethiopian-2015-dv-winners-meet-here.321013/page-174#post-2404936
October 7, 2015 at 05:26
Tirana, Albania
Hello everyone, i hope everyone is doing well. Today after 3 months of stressful AP, i got my visa.
On 13 march 2014 had my interview in Tirana(Albania), to be honest i never thought the interview was going to be so simple.
I was first called to the first window to show my affidavit of supporter + medical documents.
Than i was told to pay the fee (330$) to the next window.
I waited about 30-40 mins and got called again for the fingerprints. And after 20 mins i was called to do the interview. Interview lasted about 3-4 mins max, simple questions.
-How old are you ?
-When did you finished the high school?
-Have you ever traveled outside Albania?
-Have you ever traveled in USA?
I though- God i got this, is so easy i got this.- She turned back and got some papers and asked me to sing , some seconds later she said,- You’ll have to find another sponsor because this one dont have enough income to support you. – everything turned black on me because i thought that it was a visa denial.
In one week i managed to find someone else in usa to support me and i send the whole required documents to the embassy and exactly after a month of stressful waiting i received one e-mail from embassy to pick up some documents at DHL.
I thought – God that’s it, i lost this, they’re sending back the whole documents they’re denying me.
When i opened the envelope i saw another refusal letter- saying that the new sponsor need to fix one question on i-134 form. Once again i managed to send the documents in a short period of time and in a sunny beautiful day i received a phone call from embassy asking me to send the passport. I cant describe the feelings at that moment. Today i received my passport+ my visa package( they told me not to open it) and…. thats pretty much all, im going to usa YOLO xD.
Thanks all for sharing your opinions and your knowledge, you’re helping a lot of people in this forum.
Thanks britsimon you were the one who was the first responding my questions everytime , sm1smom, vladek, SusieQQQ, im sure there were some other people too but i cant really remember the names.
Thanks once again, and ill post some question next week, till then cya all and have a wonderful weekend.
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/successful-interview-3-months-ap-happy-ending-d.320815/
October 7, 2015 at 05:31
Paris, France
Hi guys
I realised that I didn’t talk to you about my interview on Paris. And I don’t know if it’s in this thread that I have to write it. Please simon feel free to move it if you want.
At first: the woman who pick up and check all documents said that there is a problem because the kcc told her than we didn’t provide the form for our 3d child!!!!!!! We explain that of course we have done it. Fortunately we had copies of what we send. She accept to take it.
But when she arrived to my 2d child form’s she said “oh you were right! The kcc stapled 2 children together! :confused:
They didn’t ask for affidavit or any proof of money saved. We prepared them but she said she didn’t need
For the interview with the CO at first she called my little girl and she ask her witch sister is the oldest
Before to talk to adults she ask this sort of question to each of my other children.
After she ask my husband (the winner) to explain what was his higher diploma
Explain what is his job
And what is the most difficult in his job
He was thinking to answer so she said “for example for me it’s to talk in French !”
And for joking he answered “and me it’s the English ”
.
Why he wants to go to live in USA
She was really nice. We have laugh a lot. Especially when she realised that we have twins
I can’t write you that because it’s in french and you won’t understand the problem
But when she said the word “twin” in French she made a little mistake but and I heard “mare” so I said ” no it’s for horses!” And my family look at me with big eyes 😮 Because I didn’t well understand. But the co and me we had a big laughter!!!!:D
All Persons have been very nice with us from security Guards to CO and make a lot of compliments of my big family 🙂
That’s it! I am not sure it will help!
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/all-dv-winners-with-eu-cn-3x-xxx-to-39-999-its-our-time-will-we-make-it.320320/page-22#post-2354670
October 7, 2015 at 05:40
Sydney, Australia (PLUS TONS of infor about overcoming cross charging issue).
Yesterday I was approved for my Green Card after a gruelling interview at the Sydney Consulate. I thought I would share my experience with you so that others might benefit from what I have learnt through this process. Apologies for the length of this post, but I want to be thorough.
1. About me
I was born in October 1979 in the UK, a non-chargeable country for the purposes of the diversity visa lottery. To qualify for the diversity visa lottery, my only option was therefore to fall into one of the exceptions to the rules on chargeability (detailed below) and to cross-charge to my parents’ country of origin (Australia).
My parents moved to the UK in September 1976 so that my father could pursue a master’s degree. He finished studying in October 1978 and then my parents spent the next twelve to fourteen months travelling around the UK and Europe. They returned to Australia a couple of months after my birth. They were in the UK for just over three years. They subsequently returned to the UK in 1986 and lived there until 1998. I stayed until 2004. I hold dual Australian and British citizenship.
2. The Exception to Chargeability Rules
In order to cross-charge to my parent’s country of birth, I had to demonstrate that I fell within the exception to the rules on chargeability contained in s 202(b)(4) of the Immigration and Naturalization Act 1965:
an alien born within any foreign state in which neither of his parents were born and in which neither of his parents had a residence at the time of such alien’s birth may be charged to the state of either parent. [emphasis added]
To fall within this exception, I therefore had to prove two elements:
1. That neither of my parents were born in the UK; and
2. That neither of my parents had a residence in the UK at the time of my birth.
Point 1 was straightforward to prove. My parents’ passports show their birthplaces as being Australia. Point 2 was more complex and my whole case hinged upon my being to prove this residence requirement.
3. What does it mean to ‘have a residence’?
3.1. Diversity Visa Rules
Page 7 of the Instructions For The 2014 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2014) states as follows:
In general, people are not considered residents of a country in which they were not born or legally naturalized, if they are only visiting the country, studying in the country temporarily, or stationed temporarily in the country for business or professional reasons on behalf of a company or government from a country other than the country in which the applicant was born.
3.2. Foreign Affairs Field Manual
The Department of State Field Manual provides guidance to decision-makers on the law and its interpretation. It is available here: http://www.state.gov/m/a/dir/regs/fam/. Part 9 FAM 42.12 explains the rules of chargeability. Part (e) of 22 CFR 42.12 Rules of Chargeability explains that:
An alien who was born in a foreign state, as defined in section 40.1, in which neither parent was born, and in which neither parent had a residence at the time of the applicant’s birth, may be charged to the foreign state of either parent as provided in INA 202(b)(4). The parents of such an alien are not considered as having acquired a residence within the meaning of INA 202(b)(4), if, at the time of the alien’s birth within the foreign state, the parents were visiting temporarily or were stationed there in connection with the business or profession and under orders or instructions of an employer, principal, or superior authority foreign to such foreign state. [emphasis added]
I apologise if the reference to the Foreign Affairs Manual is incorrect. I am not quite sure how to cite it correctly.
4. Proof and Supporting Documents
On the basis of the Diversity Visa Rules and Foreign Affairs Manual, I therefore had to prove one of the following:
• that my parents were only visiting the UK temporarily at the time of my birth (Diversity Visa Rules and Foreign Affairs Manual); or
• that my parents were studying in the UK temporarily (Diversity Visa Rules).
It is apt at this point to say something about the standard of proof which I had to meet. According to part 11.1(c) of the USCIS Adjudicator’s Field Manual (available at http://www.uscis.gov/iframe/ilink/docView/AFM/HTML/AFM/0-0-0-1/0-0-0-15.html), the standard of proof which applicants must meet is the ‘preponderance of the evidence’. This is the equivalent under UK/Australian law to the ‘balance of probabilities’. That is, the applicant must prove on the preponderance of the evidence/balance of probabilities that what s/he is trying to prove is true. It does not mean that the applicant must prove his/her claims to be absolutely true.
This standard of proof was helpfully explained in In the Matter of EM: In Adjustment of Status Proceedings (Interim Decision #3113) (available at http://www.justice.gov/eoir/vll/intdec/vol20/3113.pdf):
First, preponderance of the evidence is not evidence that must establish beyond a doubt that the applicant is eligible… In other words, the director can still have doubts but, nevertheless, the applicant can establish eligibility. Second, preponderance of the evidence is not the clear, unequivocal, and convincing evidence applicable in deportation proceedings… An alien does not have to prove by clear, unequivocal, and convincing evidence that he has established eligibility… Preponderance of the evidence requires a lesser showing than these two standards.
Note that I was unable to find a more authoritative case than the above on this standard of proof, although I’m sure there is one.
The important thing to take away here is that if you are trying to prove something, you don’t have to prove 100% that it’s true, only that it’s more likely than not true. This lowers the standard of proof. Indeed, the USCIS Adjudicator’s Field Manual states (in part 11.1(c)) that:
even if the director has some doubt as to the truth, if the petitioner submits relevant, probative, and credible evidence that leads the director to believe that the claim is “probably true” or “more likely than not,” the applicant or petitioner has satisfied the standard of proof.
5. My Supporting Documents
To support my contention that my parents were not resident in the UK, I submitted the following evidence:
• Notarised statutory declaration (Australian equivalent of an affidavit) by my father confirming that he had been in the UK temporarily, for the purposes of study and travel, at the time of my birth, with the following attached exhibits:
o Notarised copy of his passport (showing place of birth);
o Notarised copy of his driving licence (showing current address);
o Letter from the university confirming my father’s enrolment on the degree program from 1976-1978;
o Letter from the Road Traffic Authority of New South Wales, showing that my father had a registered NSW address at the time of my birth and throughout his time in the UK.
• Notarised statutory declaration by my mother confirming the same as above and attaching equivalent exhibits, but without the letter from the university.
Note that I had no proof of when they left the UK and no primary evidence of what they were doing in the period between my father’s graduation in 1978 and my birth in 1979. To me, this evidence seemed a bit flimsy, but in light of what I had discovered about the standard of proof, I decided that it might just be enough to prove my case ‘on the preponderance of the evidence.’
6. The Interview
Let me preface this by saying that this was one of the most stressful experiences I have ever had. Had I been less prepared, it would have been worse. If you’re going to go through this process, be prepared!
The consular official (let’s call her CO1) went through my documents one by one and on seeing my UK birth certificate, said that she needed to check whether I was eligible for the lottery. She sent me to sit down. She called me again and told me I was ineligible since I was born in the UK. I explained to CO1 my situation, as detailed above, and that I thought I fitted into one of the exceptions to the rules regarding chargeability. CO1 was not convinced. I gave her the statutory declarations (detailed above) and she was still not convinced. She gave me the option to withdraw my application at this point in time, or to pay the USD330 processing fee to proceed with my interview. I asked her honest opinion of the evidence I had provided and she told me that it did not look promising. She mentioned that the exceptions to the rules on chargeability normally only apply to people posted by foreign companies or governments to non-chargeable countries. At this point, I referred her to page 7 of the Diversity Visa Instructions 2014 (detailed above) which say that a person will not usually be considered a resident if they are in the country studying temporarily. She said that she was unaware of this but in any case, a period of three years would usually be deemed to amount to residency. At this point, I told her that I was willing to pay the fee and proceed, if for no other reason than to have the conversation. To me, USD330 seemed a modest amount to pay for something which could potentially change my life. I paid the fee and was sent to sit down again.
After half an hour of waiting, I was called to see a second consular official (CO2). CO1 had been very friendly and very helpful, while doubting that I was eligible for the visa. CO2 showed no emotion and was very stern. She looked through my documents and seemed satisfied until she reached the statutory declarations. She asked what they were and I explained the situation. She then proceeded to ask a series of very detailed questions regarding my parents’ and my backgrounds, including:
• precisely when my parents left the UK;
• had my parents ever been UK citizens (if not, why not);
• why I was educated in the UK (I returned to the UK in 1986 and was educated there to tertiary level);
• what my father did in the UK in the 80s;
• why my parents stayed in the UK from 1986-1998 (when they returned to Australia);
• what my father was doing for work from 1986-1998;
• what sort of visa my parents held in the 70s; and
• what sort of visa my parents held in the 80s.
Some of these I was unable to answer, particularly the questions regarding my parents’ visa status. All I was able to confirm was that they had never had UK citizenship and to my knowledge, my father was sponsored by a company to go there in the 80s. I wasn’t sure why this was relevant as it had nothing to do with their status at the time of my birth, but of course, I wasn’t going to argue.
Interestingly, CO2 accepted my explanation that my parents had left the UK shortly after my birth with no primary evidence to support this. It was supported by their statutory declarations, but I let CO2 know that I had tried to get a record from the UK Border Agency but that they only keep incoming, not outgoing records. She said she wasn’t surprised and that in any case, they would be unlikely to have records stretching back to the 70s. I sensed a chink in her armour at this stage and felt that she was beginning to accept my story.
After this intense period of questioning, CO2 started to ask me the standard questions about my intentions in the US and what I would do for work. This was when I relaxed slightly because it seemed to me that she wouldn’t ask these if she had determined me to be ineligible. Indeed, after only a couple of brief questions along this line, she told me that she was satisfied that I fell within the exception the chargeability rules and that I was eligible to cross-charge to my parents’ country of origin. With that, she closed my file and told me to expect my passport back in a week. It was an enormous relief and I almost collapsed when I left the Consulate.
7. And finally…
I apologise again for the length of this post, but I thought it was important to be thorough. I guess the important thing to note if you’re in a similar situation is that you should be very well prepared, know your own background extremely well and get ready for some intense questioning. I’m sure it helps also to know the law and policy in this area, which is why I included it in some detail above.
I hope this was helpful to someone! USA here I come!
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/successful-but-stressful-visa-interview-%E2%80%93-born-in-non-chargeable-country.320358/
October 7, 2015 at 05:43
London, Great Britain
So my CN was just under 40k and more less few hundred CNs in the cut-off for August made all the difference. Considering my CN, the interview was scheduled quite early in the month which of course I was happy about.
Pre Interview
My interview was scheduled at 8.00. To avoid any problems I decided to spend the night within the walking distance from the embassy. Booked a hotel not far away from Grosvenor Square, probably 15 minute walk and that meant extortionate prices for anything decent with a good size room.
On the day of the interview I woke up at 4am and could not sleep. Was mentally preparing for the interview and from time to time watched my wife sleep (like a total creep :p). We’ve heard about gigantic queues at the embassy so we wanted to get there early. Based on advice from the forum members, we decided to go for the smart look but ended up looking a bit off in my opinion. I believe my better half looked like a young, modest but sexy wife of a republican senator running for re-election and I was rocking a look of somebody going to a posh wedding mixed with a stock broker with a sprinkle of hipster to top it up 😀
Left the hotel at 7, before that we checked out and left the bags in the lobby to collect later. It was a sunny, beautiful morning and so unusually quiet for London. We arrived at the embassy around 7.15am where we saw around 30-40 people already queuing. Shortly after we got there, few young ladies wheeled out couple of billboards saying US Citizens (entrance on the left) and Non/Immigrant Visas (the right entrance). Then they started creating two queues for people having interviews at 8 and 8.30 and later. Then, they gave us plastic bags to put our mobiles, keys, watches and belts in. Next they checked our 2NL and an invitation letter from the embassy. Then we ended up in another smaller queue where a guard checked our letters and passports. Then we went through security check and into the embassy. I had a look at my watch and it was 7.55 when a nice, young guy in the reception glued a ticket starting with letter “I”, followed by a number on to our 2NL. We were told to wait in the waiting area till our number gets called.
We had a look around, sat in close proximity of the fans and prepared to spend hours waiting. Then, 30 seconds later our number got called to window 13.
Nice, mid age lady greeted us and the whole process started. She checked our passports, asked for all expired passports with US visas in them so she could cancel them, if our application gets approved. Then she grabbed our file from the cabinet and we started passing our docs to her. First the originals, then copies. She had a quick glance at my high school diploma and joined my wife in making jokes about my haircut 😀 In my defence I was a teen then and spikey haircut was considered cool (at least I thought so). Once she had all of our docs I passed her a set of freshly printed DS-230 with updated details. Then we were asked about the I-134. We did not have one, instead we supplied her with our savings statement (both printed at home and taken form the bank with an official stamp) with around $30500, property equity statement and a letter from my employer here in the UK stating my position. I also had a letter from our US headquarters used for my L-1 application, describing the relation between both branches and the likelihood of possible transfer of workforce.
Then we got our fingerprints scanned. Paid the visa fee at the window on the left and were asked to wait till our number pops up on the screen again. Also we received an envelope with our x-rays. It had expiry date clearly marked on the front (6 months form the date of the medicals).
Again we prepared ourselves for a few hours wait but within 10 minutes our number was on the screen again. Another nice, smiling lady greeted us. First we had to rise our hands and take the oath. Got our finger prints checked and were asked to sign the bottom of the DS230. Then I was asked what my degree was, my wife was asked if she had finished high school and had a degree too, she replied yes both times. Then I was asked where we were planning to settle.
Following that, we were told that our application has been approved and we will receive our passports within 10 days. And that was that!
We left at 9.05 and if they have not seen a guy Moonwalking in front of the embassy before…well they have now.
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/lnd-embassy-interview-experience.321742/
October 7, 2015 at 05:45
London, Great Britain
Hi All,
Firstly to Sm1smom, Britsimon and SusieQQQ amongst others… a Very BIG thank you of all your invaluable advice, information and support you guys have provided on this great site.
My wife and I made our first DV lottery entry back in 2008 for DV2010, and after out 5th attempt my wife was selected for the DV2015 draw.
Wife’s case number was 2015AF00004***, and we had the interview at 8am on October 22 at the London US Embassy, we did not take our kids as both were under 14 and they did not require to be there.
We live in North London, so we traveled to the embassy on the tube arriving at the embassy at around 7:30am, at around 7:40am we got to the front of the queue where our name was checked on the list, and were told to stand in a second line for the security check. The security guard called us over and checked our passport and the confirmation letter, which was in my wife’s name, and asked where was mine. We told him that the whole family is represented with that letter, he went away to check and came back 5 minutes later and pointed us to the security hut to the right hand side, where we did the checks and were told to follow the signs for Visa’s to the right hand side of the embassy.
Once in we were given a ticket with our call number on it ( it started with an I***) and told to sit in the waiting room, it was now around 7:55am. At round 8:05am we were called to Window 13, where a pleasant English gentleman collected our documents and gave a pink slip to take to the cashier, I left my wife at the window whilst I went and paid $1320 for the visa’s. By the time I was done and got back to the window, the gentleman told us to go and sit down again and wait to be called for the interview. At around 8:30am we called to window 16, where we met a very nice American counsellor who looked through and asked for confirmation of high school level education, My pointed her to the A-level results sheet and then the counsellor left to get someone to verify the sheet, she cam back and started typing on the computer, for what felt like a lifetime, then she just looked up and said your done, your all set and your visa’s will be ready to pick up within 5 days, it was now 9:15am.
Both my wife and I had to do a double take at the counsellor, who was now smiling at our reaction :), and a “Is that it” from me and she nodded.
We left the embassy and grabbed a coffee and some breakfast at a cafe near by and discussed our next steps, and then home.
Thanks
PaulP
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/successful-dv2015-interview-london.323325/
October 7, 2015 at 05:46
London, Great Britain
Interview completed before McDs could stop serving breakfast!
We were in line at 7.30am, in by 8.20am, cashier to pay and hand in documents by 9.10am and interview around 9.40am to 10.00am.
It was all very straight forward and wife only got asked 2 questions:
– When did you apply? CO checked marriage certificate and confirmed we got married months before applying
– When are you thinking of going? Told him we have our cruise ship booked for May!
Looked over documents once again, returned originals and said that is it!
Passports will be returned to us via courier.
Details:
CN: 2015EU000047xx
Current: October
Submitted DS-260: 6th July
2NL: 24th of Nov
Medical: 19th of Dec
Interview: 7th of Jan 2015 (London)
Time to start packing I say!
Thank you all for your help.
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/dv-2015-winners-meet-here.11/page-127#post-2381075
October 7, 2015 at 05:49
Sydney, Australia
Emily, you can officially update your spreadsheet under my name to US bound!!
I’m writing this at the airport over a celebratory burrito whilst I wait for my flight as I don’t want to forget anything.
My interview was or 10:30am and I flew up to Sydney from Melbourne the night before and stayed at Travelodge which is just a block from the Consulate. The next morning I arrived at the consulate an tried to go straight to level 59, which is what it says on y interview letter but what it doesn’t say is that you have to go through security on leek 10 first. Luckily some nice people in the lift told me what to do. When I arrived at 10 there was a bunch of security and they guide you into the security areA. I was super eager and got there at 9:45 and the guy told me to come back at 10 because I was too early. So I went and got a coffee and came back a bit after 10 and they let me through.
You have to leave your bag and phone on level 10 and don’t worry about sealing your medical because they take the cd of your X-rays out as you’re not allowed to take it up to the interview for security reasons. They said it wouldn’t be a problem and it wasn’t. So armed with my documents I headed up to level 59 and took a ticket and wait for my number to be called.
There were definitely inconsistencies and issues wit the Sydney consulate which would have definitely affected me if wasn’t for this forum and I truly owe it to everyone sharing heir experiences here ant at it went so smoothly.
The first time I get called after maybe 5 minutes, the man asks if I have the checklist they sent me for my documents. I never got sent anything but I had used the latest check list one of you guys had been sent and it was fine. I really didn’t want to be the one to tell them they haven’t been sending them out properly. He took all me documents, medical, which he made me take out of the envelope (another reason not to worry about it not being sealed) and prepaid envelope then tells me to take a seat again and wait or my interview. He only took one of my photographs and got me to write your name on the back of it, which I hadn’t done. I just remembered he asked me how old the photo was, I had it taken last week so was all good. I didn’t really want to argue with him about taking two photos either and I figured I would just take additional ones with me myself when I enter the U.S. I also only had my DS260 confirmation page, not the entire thing as that’s what it said on the website and the checklist and only saw OC_EMS’ post this morning. He also took my fingerprints at this time.
All my documents were fine and the dame man called me back to give me my interview letter and originals back to me but didn’t ask for any additional docs. I also made sure he didn’t hand back any other copies. He then told me to take a seat and wait to be called for my interview. While I had been waiting, I had been noticing everyone being sent to the register to pay their interview and as I hadn’t been told to, I asked him about it and he was like “oh yeah” and gave me this card to take to the register to pay my fee and brimg back my receipt. The fee was AUD$396 and I paid in cash, then took my receipt back to the man with my docs. I’m sure if I hadn’t asked it would taken longer as he’d obviously forgot about it!
Less than 10 minutes later I got called up for my interview at another window and had to take an affirmation that my documents and everything I said was true and correct. The lady asked me why I wanted a green card or something like that and I just told her I loved the country and I had travelled there before and had friends there and would love the opportunity to work there. She then asked me what I did which I told her (lawyer). I didn’t mention I’m planning on retiring from law when I get to the States though! She then asked what area and I told her and then she asked what area was I planning on moving to and I told her Los Angeles. I don’t think she asked anything else but we tried doing my fingerprints again about 3 or 4 times with no luck and then she said almost off the cuff “everything’s fine, your visa is approved, we just need to get your fingerprints done”. I ended up being sent to another window for this, but there was a guy there trying to prove his relationship for a marriage which took AGES so I had to wait maybe another 30 mins just to finish my fingerprints and I also had to do the affirmation again, but then it was all done! He said it would be sent in 1-2 weeks so I guess we shall wait and see.
So all in all, a pretty easy experience, I was worried about my birth certificate only having one parent’s name on it, but they didn’t even mention it and they didn’t ask form anything other than the BARE minimum, no transcripts, uni degrees or financial information even though I had it all ready just in case. The people doing spouse visas at the same time certainly got grilled a whole lot ore so I’m I didn’t have to go through that process.
Once again thanks everyone who has shared their experiences on here, it was super super helpful and made the process as stress free as it possibly could have been! Sorry if this is a bit long but hope that it helps those still to come.
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/dv-2015-oceania-winners.320666/page-112#post-2379773
October 7, 2015 at 16:12
Johannesburg, South Africa.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I’m posting from (sandton) Johannesburg city south-africa.
Woke up at 4 am, not that I slept anyway, checked the files again 😀
Idle the car scream at the wife, to be ready its already 5.45 h and the bloody make never gets done grrrrr
6 am head to johannesburg, I feared the traffic but it didn’t happen, 9 am relaxing at milky house in sandton-city,(not really relaxed at all lol).
Counting minutes by minutes seemed to be a century….
12 o’clock took the grand WALK to the embassy, some gentleman guided us to the embassy…my wife started screaming the US flag 🙂
There were 2 ladies already in the queue, after 10 mnts the people started popping out of no-where, quickly over 50 !!!!
Son rolling on the ground, kicking the security guards ! Me smoking like an old truck ….. The wind was horrible eyes full of sand 🙁
1 PM doors open, get thru security check followed the yellow steps until the VI unit. Took a seat, after 5 minutes we been called to window 5.
Asked for all the originals…..
And than :
the lady said ; the CO requested that only the principal, has to pay the visa fees ! My back froze my wife looked at me !!! And I said BAD new lilie 🙁
Wife keeps on asking why only me Vladek why….!?!!!
I couldn’t get the money I was terrified, wife grabbed the money bag went and pay, came back handed the slip to the admin lady.
Went back to our seats, devastated I couldn’t look at my wife, I was depressed…wifey holding her head and crying ….:(
Never less my oldest terrorist pooed in his pants, the whole placed stinked, like you guys can imagine 😀
Didn’t want to let my wife change his dipper, because I was scared the CO calls us ….
After 30 mnts waiting nothing ! Nada niet…no calls I started getting worried, than :
Earth quake !!!!!! The whole building shook ! I grabbed my kids and stood up to run … But than its stopped, everbody looking at each other like ! WTF…
Than I decide stuff this go and change his dipper, the CO can wait lol
Son clean everyone started breathing fresh and healthy air again 🙂
And other 10 mnts later we got called!
Number 9 …..
Stood at the window the CO a very young african american, afternoon afternoon….
Co : do swear to tell all the bla bla….
Us : yes
Co: Mr vladek you go and sit take the kids with !
Me : sure !
Sat again on the seat I couldn’t hear what she was asking my wife, my both kids started screaming to blue murder !
After 1 mnts of all the noise I got shouted from the inside ! To take my kiddies out 🙁
Executed the order, ibut iwas stalking my wife from outside 🙁
After 10 mnts, wife calls me inside to ask about the bank statments, I said I gave it in with all the originals!
Me: excuse mam, I haven’t paid the fees yet ! Why
Co: I yeah I know I needed to clarify something first!
Me : ok thanks mam .
Co: please sign for me here !
Me : sure thanks mam.
Co: go and pay for your self and the kids .
me : 🙂
Came back, gave the slip.
Co : comeback on tuesday to collect, than she gave us the green papers.
Me : hugging and kissing my wife and all amazed 🙂
have a nice day mam see you next week 😀
I had basicaly a zero interview. My wifes was asked about our marriage, and were did she meet me ………
They actually suspected a DV mariage! But I got married on the 03-03-2011 what a hell !!!!
I’m finally green guys what a relief 🙂
I here by, thank and express my gratitude to all my forum family veterans and newbies,especially my BIG brother SIMON, for all the time we shared together, and the useful infos that allowed me to go through this long and terrible process, you guys made it bearable so i dedicate my success for you mates :
Britsimon,sloner,franko,som1moms,raevsky,rayme,rafikbo,kayend,veronice,sussieqqq,chicago,dalius,mijoro,pryanik777,house409,supremedhakal,IHeartNY,2014euro40xxx,malcomx,hexa,onthego,c1984,skystar,oskarson,solaymani,simonette:D,aldoblack,sirpercy!,sergey,lionhawk,roger..com,ArnoldNganda,rocky72,regateika,renoo,partitas,gabam,ormania,ameer,tew,wingzero,guestgulan,christabel,nairobia,farma,family2133,newbetterbonio,bertilthier,Ghanaman,jonge,jorj,stalin,monashed,sunilink,kingkong,sputnik,dkk,hamniwes,utamaduni,eucn,mattwat,euro2014,estanbuler,levi2al,momo8,edouard,SMD,aset,dmonis,nerandima,benC,nadira,frogman,princejohn,monashed,fsw2015,nax,terminator07,simon,lerrie,nanasarfo,qweety….and everybody with no exception.
My heart will never get over the comrades that lost out because of this awful DV.
My best wishes for the rest of our 2014 crew, and the new winners of 2015.
Best regards
Vladek
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/interview-experience-johannesburg.321909/
October 7, 2015 at 16:39
Frankfurt, Germany
My appointment was at 08:00 am.
We arrived at the Consulate at: 07:00 am.
I left my car at the Hotel about 850 meters away. No problem for me but for my wife with her uncomfortable shoes.
It wasn’t necessary to leave the car at hotel because there was enough parking available at the Consulate and on the opposite side of the road.
There were two queues before we entered the consulate building.
The left one is for Non-Immigrant applicants and the right on for us (Immigrant Visa). We waited for 5 minutes.
We got a Number at the registration Window
All the staff are very friendly and polite. There is no reason is to be nervous.
At the security check we had to put everything based on metal in a plastic bag and take it to the next building after the scan. There I could wear up my watch and glasses etc.
Both I and my wife were in suits (Business like) and that was perfect. I saw some people there not properly dressed. I recommend you to be dressed nice. Not like a party but like serious business like.
In the main building we were directed to the left.
On 1st Window I paid the fee 660 USD with credit card. I recommend credit card. You will get better exchange rate by credit card.
10 minutes later we were called to the 2nd Window where the office collected documents one after other. Passports, police certificates, birth certificates, marriage certificate, divorce decree for the previous marriage, bank certificate, educational certificates and they took the finger prints from both hands.
After further 20 minutes we were called to the 3rd window. Where we swore the truth about the information in the forms and finger prints again and the officer congratulated us and we were told that the passports will be sent by German registered mail to us.
For my nation fellows: Please take the Postal stamps for 4.60 Euro with you.
I took these from the automatic machine. I recommend taking these with you.
At 08:50 we were completed and left the building. I hope to receive the passports next week some time.
Good luck to all.
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/dv-2014-european-winers-here.314737/page-65#post-2295734
October 8, 2015 at 07:36
Jakarta, Indonesia
I am a DV 2016 winner with CN 2016AS13xx. I was scheduled for an interview on Oct 6th 2015 at 12.30 PM, arrived at the embassy at 12 and waiting outside the embassy until 12.30 sharp.
12:30PM Heading toward the registration window, handing over the basic documents passport, birth certificate, bachelor degree certificate and 2nd NL. The person is not really friendly tho, she’s asking on whether I was scheduled for interview. I’m a lil bit confused because It’s obviously stated in the 2nd NL for my interview date and time. Later on I pointed out the part of the letter which stated the date and time to her and she went inside to confirm with her colleagues. afterward she said that Jakarta’s embassy hasn’t received my data yet from KCC and asked me to leave my 1st NL, phone number, and email address to reschedule the interview
I was shocked and a bit depressed at that time. So I was ready to went home.
Not long after, when I was heading home the lady call me again and said that they already found the data and ask me to return to the embassy.
1 PM went to the registration window, re-handed over the documents needed
1.30 PM went to cashier window and paid $330
Waiting for interview turn… There’re 4 lady waiting for the interview and at 3.30 PM Finally it’s my interview time.
CO: Do swear…
Me: (do accordingly)
CO: “You’re the first for this type of visa for this year.. whooo..”
Me: smiling
CO: So why do you want to go to us?
Me: for work and continue studies
CO: So what do you do at work?
CO: Where will you live in US? and what’s your relationship with them?
CO: what did your parents do? when was the last visit to US done by your parent?
CO: Does your father support you financially to live in US? can i see the documents?
Me: Yes, I have the gift letter and attached the assets owned by my father
*The CO looks kind of hesitating and confused with the paper*
So I told her that I have the affidavit of support documents, handed to her and finally my visa is approved
Thats it. the interview taken about 20 minutes in total. I hope this helps others who’s going to have an interview ahead. Good luck to you all and special thanks to BritSimon! God bless!
October 8, 2015 at 10:56
Nairobi Kenya,
Wife principal applicant
0630hrs arrived at the Embassy entrance with my ppl, stay on the line for security check, all well done, walked in the second gate for another security check, all well done and there we walk into the consular section, press the blue button and pull the heavy door and we are given our number then we walked out to wait to be called in. After 10 mins we are called to window 8, documents all verified both original and photocopies, walked out again to wait, after half an hour we are called to window 10 and fingerprints all taken for adults only thereafter my wife asked when she cleared high school and where she is working, asked if the two kids are our only first ones and we go in chorus yes, where we are going and that was it. Your visa has been approved. No question to me at all but only congratulatory message and the green sheet given for DHL. Generally the interview took 2 mins. Well the whole thing is be accurate/straight from the first time you are entering the DV, it simplifies the whole process. All the best to all the selectees. Now we can relax and focus in other things it has been tough from May 8th
October 9, 2015 at 14:24
Kuwait City, Kuwait
Day of Interview :
After the usual security checks , we were escorted into the building which housed the consular services.We obtained a token and waited to be called into the first window.Shortly thereafter, our number came up and we were greeted at this window by a cheerful young lady ( who appeared to be a local). She started asking for each document one-by-one.While verifying each document, she occasionally asked an explanation of a particular document if she was not able to figure it out ( an example would be the affidavit provided – she asked
why I was providing it). She complemented us for keeping the entire set of documents highly organized & doing our homework.
The main takeouts from this segment were:
– Only the highest degree was asked for. High school certificates were not required
– With regards to parent name discrepancy in the birth certificate, as pointed out by member Zuroma, they’r only trying to make sure that the applicant has not taken any adverse ( read: Illegal measures) to secure the visa.
– For derivative not having the birth certificate, we had followed the DV site and obtained a certified statement from the government authority. In addition to this we piled up enough secondary evidence – the lady complemented us on doing our home work.
Time taken at first counter : 20 minutes
After the documents were verified; we were asked to pay the USD 330 per applicant which was completed in a matter of
few minutes. 10 minutes after this we were called at another counter to provide our finger prints- after which
we were asked to wait till we were called by the visa officer for the interview.
The Interview
Less than 10 minutes after the fingerprints were taken, we were called (by name) to a more private counter.
The counter was manned by yet another cheerful Visa Officer. The interview went as follows
CO: So you studied in the US- which school did you attend ?
Me: ……
CO: Pk so please raise your right hand to take the oath….
( Oath is taken and the interview continues)
CO: That’s good – so you also seemed to have worked in the US ?
Me: ……. ( Detailed where I worked)
CO: And then you came here (with a sly smile)
Me: ……. ( explained why I decided to come back here)
(CO Goes through some of the documents , counter signs them)
CO:How many times did you apply for the DV ?
Me:….
CO: You gotta be kidding-You guys made it the first time ?
Me:….
CO: Have either of you been married before
Us:…
CO: Do you have any children ?
Us:….
CO: When do you plan to go to the US ?
Me:
CO (to wife): What was your major in college?
Wife:….
CO: Have you worked before anywhere?
wife: …
CO: Where are you guys planning to go?
Me: ….
CO: Why ?
ME:…
CO: OK, Do you have any relatives in the US ?
ME:…
CO: So I’m guessing your going to live with your friend for a while ?
ME:….
CO: How was your experience with the panel physician process ?
ME:….
(CO starts typing on the computer)
CO: Alright based on your interview,I will be cancelling your current B1 visa because Im approving you today for the DV based green card. Congratulations!I also want to say you guys were ‘super-organized’ – good job!Please provide your telephone number for us to call you to pick up your visa+package.It will take about a week to two to get your visas printed & stamped.
Us: Thanks again & Happy Easter
The interview was over in about 15 minutes.The total time from entry to exit was 55 minutes.
As soon as we came out, I checked the CEAC state, our status was changed to AP.In 48 hours status was changed to Issued.
All in all, I would attribute the success of this interview to the all members who took time out of their daily grind to help us in getting our queries answered and sharing their experiences.Truly priceless!
October 10, 2015 at 07:24
Riyadh, KSA
My wife was the winner of DV 2015. We were interviewed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in August 2015.
The interviewer, his position was not known to me, looked very serious, never smiled or joked only at the end when the Consul approved our visa. He speaks very good Arabic. He asked all questions in Arabic. Even if I replied in English but still he continued to communicate with us in Arabic.
All interview questions were centered on the documents presented. The documents required were the following:
1. Birth Certificate
2. Marriage Certificate
3. Police Certificate
4. Educational Qualification (High School/College Certificates)
5. Bank statement
6. Appointment Letter (2NL)
7. 2 Photos
8. Medical Check up.
9. Passport
10. ID (Residence Card)
It is very important to have no-English documents to be translated by approved office. You should have copies of all documents except passports.
When all documents were checked and submitted, the interviewer asked us to wait for some time. After 10 minutes or so they call us to meet the Consul who asked ordinary questions about our contact person in USA and the relationship to us. He took our fingerprints and let us swear that all the information were correct. He really did not asked many questions. Frankly speaking, our documentation were complete and perfect. So he asked me whether I had any think to say or ask. I told him I just wanted to know the outcome of the interview. He told me to wait a while. He asked me about what I do in Saudi Arabia. Then he told me my visa is approved and I had to return to the interviewer again get my original documents and make arrangement for the collection of passports after the visa is stamped.
Things really went smooth for us. It is very important to be prepared and confident.
I would like to thank Mr. Britsim because he extended lots of support to us all. Also I met nice people in this forum with whom we exchanged experiences and ideas.
Good luck to all
October 14, 2015 at 00:45
Sydney, Australia
After an early rise to ensure we had plenty of time to get our 4 y.o son ready, and exercise our dog we made our way in to the CBD. Thankfully we did not have too far to travel but still allowed sufficient time in case the traffic was ordinary.
We did have to swing by George St Medical Centre to pick up the medical results for the interview. As promised Dr Waks had everything ready to go. I must say he was fantastic. A really warm and lovely guy who did his best to keep our son entertained whilst running through our three medical checks with Military precision the week prior.
Now that we had our Medicals sealed in an envelope, we drove to the MLC centre to try and park. Parking was a breeze (although quite expensive). My wife, son and myself made our way up to level 6 for a toilet stop. Then straight up to Level 10.
Our appointment was at 10.30am but we were early for the first time in our life, so we ended up going up around 9.50am. The staff on Level 10 were great. Everyone is smiling and doing their best to lighten the mood as it is a little tense. The two girls at the end of the counter quickly transferred our documents into three separate folders. Everything was ordered according to the checklist so it did not take them long. Then it’s on to Level 59.
Upon arriving on 59, we were ushered to a window where a nice lady checked our passports and names against the list of appointments. Then we were told to go through the heavy door and take a number. Before we had a chance to sit down our number was called and we went to a window where a CO went through the three folders of documents, and separated the originals from the copies. During his time she asked for our fingerprints and for me to go pay the $1300+ AUD Visa processing fee at another window. Once this was done less than 10 mins in total, we were told to take a seat until we were called up for the actual interview. In regards to our choice of attire, I wore a suit with no tie, my wife a gorgeous knitted dress and heels and my son a collared shirt with jeans and boots. Like others have said previously, I don’t think you need to go overboard but there is no such thing as overdressed.
We thought having cute tiny child who is known to be a little unpredictable may have made the situation even more stressful than it was. But thankfully he behaved beautifully and managed to charm the pants off every Consulate employee we encountered.
After about 15 mins we were called up to a cheerful American lady who greeted us by saying congratulations on winning the DV lottery. We had to raise our right hands and swear that everything we provided was true. Then submit our left hand for fingerprints once again. After this was done she just flicked through our documents whilst entering information into her computer. It is a little awkward just standing there, not knowing where to put your hands or if it was acceptable to lean on the counter. I do remember my wife telling me to not leave my hands on the counter as I have tattoo’s on my fingers that a narrow minded individual may be offended by. Thankfully I was fidgeting so much that my sweaty hands were never in the same place for a very long time.
There was only one question and that was “Where do you think you guys might move to?”. To which I replied LA, Nashville or NY as that is where my current employer has offices. After that it was just a bit of light hearted small talk. Once she had entered all the info in to the computer and separated our originals by putting them in our passports, she said “OK, your Visa’s have been approved. You should receive your passports back in 1-2 weeks”. We thanked her for her time and tried to contain our excitement. My wife did shed a few tears of tears of joy in the elevator down to Level 10. But had regained her composure as we were ushered back into the initial screening area to collect our belongings.
Even though our stress levels leading up to the interview were incredibly high, but the interview was actually the smoothest process of all. Upon reflection, if you have done your homework, followed their instructions and legitimately qualify for the program – you really have nothing to worry about it when you get to the interview stage. Easy for me to say now though, if someone had of told me this prior to the interview I would have been quick to dismiss.
Good luck to all who are currently going through this roller coaster ride of a process! All the hard work and stress is worth it in the end.
October 19, 2015 at 11:21
Stockholm, Sweden, early September 2015 (2015EU3XXXX)
I had already lived in the US for a number of years, which included a J1 visa, making me subject to the 2 year home residency requirement. Due to some mistakes on my behalf, combined with a bit of bad luck, I did not get that requirement waived until the very last minute. I received a favorable recommendation for the waiver on June 29 (final approval August 17) and submitted the DS-260 on June 30. I know I was cutting it close, but I was not comfortable filing the DS-260 and possibly establishing immigrant intent without knowing that my waiver was likely to be approved on time. Anyways, I received the 2NL on July 22 and scheduled my medical check up for mid-August.
The doctor that did the check up was seemingly on a power trip and started by lecturing me about how there was a “50% chance” that my visa would be rejected, that he didn’t care about when my interview date was, and that the only deadline he cared about was September 30. He quickly dismissed any of my attempts to correct his misconceptions (of which there were many!) and he was impolite and in a grumpy mood in general. They did their job correctly though and sent the results to the embassy within a week as per their official information. My advice for anyone who has to go to this place is to simply relax and not take the doctor too seriously if he is trying to play lawyer.
Anyways, the embassy interview:
I arrived a bit after 8am for my 9am appointment. The non-immigrant visa applicants form a line outside (with a roof!), whereas me, as one of very few immigrant visa applicants, had a separate sign (without a roof, bring an umbrella!) to stand by until they let me in, which didn’t take very long. After about 30 minutes of waiting inside I was called up to a window to submit my documents to an officer. I had brought originals and copies of everything as per the instructions the embassy sent me, but the officer only took the originals and made her own copies of the documents I needed back (such as my educational records). She said my I-134 wouldn’t be accepted since my friend in the US had checked “do not intend to make specific contributions” for question #11. The officer still did collect the I-134 though along with my bank statements (which were probably sufficient to begin with).
The actual interview took place about 15 minutes later with another officer. It took several minutes and was surprisingly detailed, especially considering that for my previous non-immigrant visas they have literally only asked me about the name of the school and if I like the weather. This time he asked me where I was going to stay in the US (friends initially), for how long I was planning to stay with them (until I find my own place), and clarification of some of the educational records I had provided, all while quickly typing on his computer. Then it got more personal and he asked me why I decided to move to the US initially when I was there as a student. First I said that I wanted to study there, which wasn’t detailed enough for him, so I continued explaining that I was initially in a relationship with an American, plus it being a good place for my field of research. Then he asked why I wanted to move there now. Stating that I’ve lived there for several years and made some good friends, that I like it there, and that I consider it my home now was apparently not enough, and I was asked to elaborate even more on exactly what I liked about the US. I did not expect that type of question and I didn’t really know how to elaborate further, so I hesitantly said something about me enjoying the lifestyle. At this point I had started looking at him strangely, which he noticed, and he made the comment “well, I have to ask you something, don’t I?” (with a “don’t kill the messenger” tone) and moved on to asking me what I was planning to do for a living and why I would rather pursue a career in the US than in Sweden. So I trash talked the Swedish academic environment in my specific field of research for a while, after which he said that I had qualified, and that he had to double check a few items in my paperwork before issuing the visa, but that it was just a formality and I should receive the visa in 1-2 weeks. I received no note of any kind, nor did anyone use the word “approved”.
I spent a total of 1 hour at the embassy. The visa was issued after a week and I painlessly entered through Toronto airport at the end of September, where the first CBP officer told me to go to the secondary inspection room to get my fingerprints taken and sign for my green card, neither of which was requested in the end.
Some other peculiar observations:
1. The embassy in Stockholm has a separate phone line for immigrant visas where a recorded message explains that as of a few years ago they don’t take any phone calls. They’re really good at replying to e-mails though, usually within a day.
2. As for the military records, the official instructions on the reciprocity page (using the link in the e-mail I received from the embassy) refers to a department in the Swedish military which seized to exist in 1995(!), along with an invalid phone number and an address where the postal code doesn’t match the city (and never has…). For any confused Swedes out there: a phone call to Rekryteringsmyndigheten is all you need to have them send you the letter. Takes a week.
I received other incorrect information from the embassy as well, such as them requiring notarization of I-134 (they changed their mind after I pointed out that it is illegal under Washington state law to notarize a document that doesn’t have a notary spot), so thank you Brit for making this website!
October 19, 2015 at 20:15
Qualifying on work experience story
Hi Britsimon.
More than happy for you to provide the links to those threads concerning our case…. I hope it is helpful to others on the forum. 🙂
You are right about preparation of evidence. I believe it was absolutely crucial !!
We prepared the most thorough and comprehensive case we could, taking primary evidence (which we presented) as well as back up (plan B and plan C) evidence, which didn’t end up coming into play. We prepared ourselves to keep presenting further evidence if needed until the CO was convinced and unable to refute the case.
In the end, the first lot of evidence we supplied was enough.
We made a special effort to present ourselves well and that may well have been another factor….
Nothing over the top, but we dressed smartly and in a way that showed we were serious, we really wanted this and we respected the situation.
Regarding the actual evidence….
It’s difficult to say if any particular document held good weight, as we were asked to take a seat while the CO looked through everything.
After about 10 minutes we were called back to the window, asked a couple of questions about our plans for life in The U.S. and were then approved.
Mrs mandb does have qualifications in her field, so we provided those. (1 Diploma and 3 job specific certifications).
She had 2 jobs spanning the required time in the occupation, so we compiled evidence for each of those jobs.
It mainly consisted of:
* Letters from her direct managers explaining her duties etc backed up with Affidavits.
* Letters from other senior colleagues.
* An outline of how her duties compared to O*Net.
We presented everything nicely ordered with a cover sheet.
The fact that she was a Government employee probably helped and her occupation being “Bright Oulook” according to O*Net may have contributed to the decision.
I think you are right about this case being a sort of “Benchmark”. It goes to show that if you prepare well and cover all your bases, there is a good chance of success and the “Human Element” definitely plays a big part in the outcome. 🙂
Thanks again for your encouraging words and advice !!
Note from BritSimon:
If you are qualifying through work experience, It is well worth reading the link below and the other links in that thread – a lot of good information on what looked like a doubtful case to start with.
http://forums.immigration.com/threads/successful-thankyou-all.317746/
October 26, 2015 at 21:15
hello Brit
Interview Experience at Us Embassy in Barbados
My apologies for being so late with the experience i said i would tell you of my experience at the soonest but maybe it was the nerves of waiting and excitement also but here goes:
My family and i did our medicals at a us approved medical center in Barbados A week before our interview.
On interview day we arrived at the embassy a little after 7. Sorry i am not to certain of the time since i forgot my watch.
At about 20 minutes later we were asked to line up and proceed to security check.
We stood there for sometime before reaching the security ,during our time waiting to get to the security check it started to rain,thankfully we had an umbrella so please walk with an umbrella in case it rains.
Finally we got to security check and surprisingly they could not find my name on the list,what a shocker.
We were put to the side and asked to wait .
Omg our hearts melted as it seems like we were completely forgotten on the side,i tried to approach the security twice to inquire as to what was being done to rectify the issue but she brushed me off,yes she did.After waiting for maybe about an hour a security officer came outside and ask for our appointment letter ,then she went back in and we waited again for about another 30 mins . Can anyone even begin to imagine how we felt? Anyway finally the security came out and said that we could go in,omg my kids were by that time very restless and noisy and wanted to go home and my husband and i were also by that time very stressed, anyway we passed through second security set up and were then directed to another building,upon entering it was filled with people in lines and sitting and being interviewed. We sat and about 15 minutes heard my name over the system asking me to proceed to window 3 .There the lady asked if i had a copy of my ds260 because they could not find my name i said i don’t but i have the confirmation page to which she responded great and took it to scan the barcode i think then she said “there it is there is everything” then she asked me to go pay the visa fees then to return to her.
I then went to the cashier and paid the fees for my family of 4.
Then went back to the window but she was attending to someone else so i waited until she was finished and when she was i proceeded to her, she then asked for my document which i had already separated and marked for each family member so she was very pleased to see how well organized i was by mentioning to me, she then went through all the documents only asking for the copies to my son’s translation statement to which i told her that we don’t need it they can keep it and that’s why i did not copy it.she also asked if i had any letter from my work stating what career field im in ,i presented her with that ,i didn’t expect to be asked for that document since i was applying based on education but thankfully i had it,so take note. This took quite awhile since my family is 4 members but finally she was done and asked us to have a sit and wait to be called to see the consular officer.we took a sit and waited for about another 15 mins and were called to window one.There the officer greeted us and ask us to take an oath and asked for our kids since he could not see them because they were playing behind of us so we presented them and he went through our documents also we did some finger printing we also did finger printing at widow 3 then he asked me where i was going to in the states and who lived there and when did i graduate from high school to which i answered and that was it.He said that we were approved and that we should return to our country and send our passports back with the green approval letter .
simple as that.
All my worries all my stress all my sleepless nights. interview wasn’t more than 5 mins
but then again all our documents were presented and in order so i guess that is why we were not asked so many question .
October 31, 2015 at 15:48
London, UK
Hi, first of all I would like to say a big thanks to Mr. BritSimon, without Your help and support we couldn’t got out DV visas Thank You again Mr. Simon.
The appointment was 8:00, we got to US embassy at 7:30. Took into consideration the numbers that we saws in a big screen the applicants applaying to immigrant visas was about 15. After waiting for a 30-40 minutes we saw our ticket number in the screen and went to the mentioned window , the gentlemen ask all required documents, included affidavit of support and evidence of our money balances (bank statements). Then we wait for another 30-40 minutes and was called to the interview. Nice and very professional grated us my wife was a principal applicant. At first she checked my wife’s education as she has high school education, bachelor and two master degrees and she graduated all of them with honor and she is stadied in Oxford university now, CO said that it is amazing to study so hard.Then CO said how we meet together and where cause we got married after my wife won a green card. Finally she ask about middle name casue my wife in initial application filled middle name her fathers name, after that she congrats us and said that our visas approved and we will get them 7-10 days, after 7 days we got them. Interview was took about 15-20 minutes. Thank You !!!!
November 1, 2015 at 10:43
Riyadh, KSA
Case Number: 2016AF7xxx
First of all I would like to thank Mr. Britsimon very much for his help and his valuable information there is now such words to describe his efforts for helping us.
Sorry Mr. Simon but this will be very long article, as I have learned from you that every detail could be useful for someone.
I have filled my DS-260 in May and received my 2Nl in August
My interview was supposed to be at the middle of October and after I have arranged for the flight, a guy from the embassy called me to inform me that my interview will be postponed for the next week as they are facing some technical problem and he that he will send me official e-mail to be printed and I have to bring it with me to the appointment, this was one day before the interview, so I had to Change the Flight Tickets and to feel more stressful about the interview.
Day of the interview:
My interview was at 12.30, so I have booked a flight from Jeddah to Riyadh at 7.30 so I can arrive about three hours earlier than my appointment (you think I am smart no I am not :)) my airplane had a fire at the engine before we take off and we have to leave the airplane back to the airport to find out that all flights to Riyadh are full, but thanks God he guided me and calmed me down so I was able to run very fast and book another flight on another airlines (waiting list) and it was 11.00 o’clock arrives on 12.30 (which is my appointment time) you cannot imagine how stressful and nervous I was but something inside me told me to calm down and every think will be just fine.
I arrived at 12.45 at Riyadh Airport taken a cap to the embassy arrived at 1.30 , I went directly to the security and show them my 2NL and the e-mail but they didn’t find my name on the list (which was very good in my condition that they have not scheduled me and there was no problem if I was late) so they had to call the Guy who sent the e-mail and he confirmed my data, so I got inside and take a number after passing the security check on the gates.
I set down waiting for my number to be called, but after about 15 minutes they called my name before my turn as they have it from the e-mail and the 2NL, so went to window number 7 there was an officer who is very Gentleman and very very funny person we were joking and laughing a lot that every person at the embassy was looking at us with a smile on their faces then he checked may papers, the papers were:
– Medical report (sealed envelope from the Hospital with CD with X-ray)
– Birth certificate original (translation and copy).
– High School certificate original (translation and copy).
– College certificate original (translation and copy).
– Military certificate original (translation and copy).
– Police records original (for Egypt and KSA – see the embassy of Riyadh for details) (translation).
– Bank statement for the last 6 months (10 K shall be enough for one person).
– Copy of my Iqama (resident card), and my Passport (original).
This was occurred situation as I thought this was the role of the CO , but this Officer asked me about every details (date of birth, my mother and father name, college degree, why I am single, why I have exempted from the military, checking my medical reports and told me to keep the CD with me in case I got the Visa to be given to the Immigration Officers at the Airport) but during this he was joking a lot and suddenly asking me a lot of questions then laughing again, then he told me to put my fingers for fingerprint (the interview with this guy took about 20 minutes) and asked me to pay the fees (330 USD or 1254 SAR they accept credit cards also but bring cash just in case as the machine was not working and this happened in my case) and come back to him with the receipt, he gave me my copy and ask me to wait till I meet the CO. after 5 minutes the CO called my name to window 13. the interview with the CO last from 30 to 50 seconds exactly no more, it goes like this:
CO: Mohamed
Me: yes
CO: English is fine
Me: yes
CO: ok, do you swear…….etc.
Me: yes
CO: your college is Baccalaureate.
Me: yes, 4 years (he tried to read my certificate in Arabic and succeeded)
CO: you are going to …. And your friend name.. and what is he doing there?
Me: studying…
CO: OK, put your fingers here, I have no problem to give you the Visa congratulations, you can go back again to the same guy and he will tell you the next procedures (I wanted to ask him where is my congratulation papers Mr. Simone told me that you will give me one :)) ) I went back to the same guy, he told me in funny way what have you done you have finished so quickly why and told me to leave my passport and pay for SMSA the mailing company and come back to him after that he told me your Visa will be issued within 1 to 2 weeks, I got out at 4.00 o’clock and flight back to Jeddah. After 5 days exactly my Visa was ready.
My advice: the interview will be very easy and will goes very smoothly as long as you are prepared, dress smart, be honest and confident from yourself and do not make my mistake, and travel one day before your interview if your home is away this will be more relaxing for you.
Once again thank you Mr. Brit Simon and sorry for being detailed about everything.
Good Luck for every one
November 2, 2015 at 14:07
Hi folks,
Here’s my interview experience from Nairobi, Kenya
Got to gigiri at just about 05:45 and wanted to park at Warwick Centre. Was kindly advised by guard to wait till 6 then start paying the daytime toll. So incase you get there that early, just wait till 6 then you can park else you’ll pay the standard night toll of Ksh. 1000 plus the hourly toll after 6.
So finally I park and move on to the embassy, rather chilly so please put on a pullover. At the gate we’re divided into 2 groups. Ladies and gents. We’re searched thoroughly and appointment letter and passport are checked. You’re then ushered to the second security check where your appointment letter and passport are checked again and this time your details are confirmed against a checklist. Please make sure to book your appointment online post receiving the 2NL.
After confirmation and a bit of waiting, wer’re ushered into a room where you submit all electronics and once again searched thoroughly. Also do not carry the medical CD from IOM. You’ll only leave it at the entrance.
After that we then move on to the waiting area. DV applicants are ushered in immediately and issued a number.
Session 1
Called to window 7 after about 10 minutes of waiting
Multiple questions asked, are you married, have any kids, ever served in military or police then she repeated the question are you sure you haven’t been married before then asks for documents in this order:
Birth Certificate and copies,
High school cert and copy
Police certificates of all countries lived in for more than a year
2 Passport size photos.
Then asked to go pay at the cashiers then return receipt to window 7. So I paid then whilst waiting to return receipt my number was called to Window 9 where an American lady was waiting. She says hi then asks What is your name sir, when were you born (these caught me off guard but since there’s nothing to hide, everything came out naturally without stuttering) then goes ahead and takes my fingerprints. She then asks me to wait outside and will be called back for my interview. After about 30 mins of waiting am called to window 10
CO wasn’t too jovial but ok.
1. When did you finish high school
2. What was your score
3. What did you do after high school
4. Where did you go to college
5. Why did you go there
6. What are you doing now
7. Whom are you going to stay with in the United States?
8. Where does he live
OK sir, I’m returning your original documents to your (Birth cert and school cert) she kept the police certs. Sh then shuffles through the forms and says your visa is approved and hands me the green sheet with dhl details and asked to pay for green card before departure. Have a good day sir and am very grateful to her and wish her a good day.
The smile on my face was from here till sunday. Couldn’t believe I got the green form.
So in a nutshell, have all docs well prepared, relax and all will be very smooth. 2.5 hours tops.
Good luck to all of you who have interviews coming up. All is well. I was so tense and nervous thinking of all possible mistakes I made but none of that came up.. God bless all of you and I wish you my sincere best.
Britsimon, thank you so much.
November 5, 2015 at 14:53
Hello Brit,
I had my interview in Accra and want to share my experience. This will be good for everyone who has applied, who may apply next next year and who is awaiting for the interview. My husband and i have been issued with American visa before but yesterdays interview experience was the most frightening.
Our appointment was @ 7:30am and we got there at 6:45am. We were smartly dressed, i was in an office wear and my husband was in a jacket but without a tie.
We had to take our pictures again cos we were not sure of the one we had. Queues were formed outside the embassy to begin entry. Our appointment letters were check with our passports and we were allowed to enter the building.
In the building our appointment letter was taken we asked to sit down. We sat for about an 1 hear before our names were called to a window for some information. We were given a sheet and asked to go make payment which we did and were to wait to be called for our documentation. We had to sit and wait for another 1hr 30 mins to be called.
Originals and photocopies of my birth certificate,school certificate, marriage certificate, our DS 260 confirmation pages, my husband birth cert and police reports were taken. Our Affidavit of Support was not taken.
We had to wait for another hour before we were called. We were sitting directly in front interview windows so we could hear some of the conversation that were going on. When you have selected foe the DV is truly doesn’t mean you would be awarded the DV visa. Some fellow applicants who were ahead of us were refused the visa for some reasons:
–> Inconsistent information from initial application form and DS 260
–> Change of identities
NB: It is advisable you complete every information by yourself or if a 3rd party is doing it be there and verify every information.
After waiting for a while, we were called.
Interviewer: Have you both ever lived outside Ghana for more than a year?
US: Answered
Interviewer: Have you ever been married before?
US:
Interviewer:when did you get married
US:
Interviewer: To me–.I see you have been to the USA before, when was that? To my husband: You also, when was that?
US:Answered
Interviewer:i see you have a son, how old is he?
US:Answered
Interviewer:Does he have a passport?
US:Answered
Interviewer:i am going to give approve your Visas but you would have to pick it up next week?
NB:My affidavit of support was never asked for ,but have your with ..you may not know who would ask
She gave us the green sheet but kept our originals and photocopies and said when we are coming for our passports we would get them
We were really excited… After a long wait..God has been faithful
I want to thank Brit for all the Support.
To all about to go for the interview,. Just believe in God he will see you through.
See y’ll in America……
November 9, 2015 at 06:01
Hi
Our interview was in Kathmandu Nepal. We reached at 12:30 and taken immidiately to security check by guard as we have 23 month old daughter.
After security we reached to waiting area and got token number. After token call I paid visa fee and again waited for sometime. Then again called for document submission. The lady politely requested for the basic documents . No affidavit of support no relationship certificate. Then she verified required documents and asked to wait. After some time our number was called and a lady greeted us and asked to take oath. Then she asked our marriage date and number of children. But she didn’t wait for our answer and was busy in her computer. Then she asked me if I lived in another country? I said yes. Then where and why?after these question she returned all our original document except passport and said that our visa is approved. She wanted me to give a paper to create a profile so that delivery of passport will be easy. But I said I have already created profile then she asked me to wait until your passport is ready. You will get email notification to pick up the passport.
We were happy and said thanks and came out.
November 11, 2015 at 15:56
Caracas, Venezuela
CN 2016SA3XX. We are a family of 4: Me, my husband and my twins daughters (9 years old) scheduled for an interview on November 05, 2015.
Our appointment was at 1:00 pm, so we arrived at the embassy at 12:15 pm approx. we passed through the first office with glass walls where we show our appointment letter and then we passed through two security checkpoints to finally reach the area where the windows are, the first 12 windows are for non immigrant visa so we kept walking until reached the area of windows 13 to 16 which is the immigration area, we took a number and sat down in the wooden chairs in front of this windows (12:45 pm). There was nobody in these windows and the blinds were down.
At 1:10 pm the window 14 was open by a thin gentleman wearing glasses, I think he was Venezuelan, and he said by microphone: please come to window 14 the first ones for immigrant visa, so a married couple that was there before us were the first one attended. After about 25 minutes they left window 14 and the gentleman said by microphone: come the next one to window 14 (they never called us by number), it was our turn! (There was nobody else in that area) so we approached window 14 with all our documents, we said hello and told him that we were there for the Diversity Visa, and he said: Who is the principal applicant? And I answered: I am. Then he said: ok, you’re going to give me the documents that I request to you:
First he said: give me the passport of each family member. Then he told me: you’re going to open each envelope of the medical exam results which are sealed and give me the papers that are inside (so I had to open the envelopes in front of him); then he asked for the birth certificates of each family member, and he said: you can give me a copy not the original; then he asked for one (01) photo of each family member, and I told him to be sure: Just one? And he affirmed: Yes, only one. Then he asked for the original Police Certificate (mine and my husband); Then he asked for a copy of the marriage certificate (not original) and finally he requested a copy of the University Diplomas (mine and my husband), I gave them to him and I asked: Do you need the school diploma? He said: It´s not necessary. Then he asked if we had done the registration in ustraveldocs and I said yes and gave him the sheet with bar codes that I printed when registered. Those were all the documents requested! While he was asking for the documents he made us two questions: Have you had previous marriage? And the other question was: Which was the longest period you have stayed in USA? So we answer the true. Finally he took our fingers prints (both hands) and gave us the instruction to pay at the cashier. Before we left the window I told him if he needs our passports with the tourist visa (me and my husband had a valid B1 visa in an old passport) and he said: Oh yes! Give them to me.
I went to the cashier and paid Bs. 8.316 ($1.320), by the way I paid in Bolivares at a rate of 6,30Bs / US$ (you have to take the exact amount, they do not give exchange and they do not keep exchange). Then I went back to the immigration area and had to wait about 20 minutes to be called to window 16. The Consular Officer was a nice and smiling lady; she was American but speaks Spanish perfectly. We said hello and she asked for the visa payment receipt and she asked if we had paid in bolivares. Then she said: I am going to take your oath, she explained what the oath was for and we raised our right hand. Then she asked us the same question made by the first officer: Which was the longest period you have stayed in USA? So we answer again the true. Then she took our fingers prints (just right hand) and explained to us that it was the way to sign our documents. Then she said (without anesthesia): YOUR VISAS ARE APPROVED! CONGRATULATIONS! Then she gave us the instruction for the payment of the US$ 165 fee, she also explained how to do this payment and then said: Ok everything is complete, you will receive your passports in two weeks, and she said again: Your visas are approved! And we said THANK YOU and good bye with a big smile in our faces.
November 15, 2015 at 18:26
Ok simon Egypt Cairo
the weirdest thing happened today i will explain all details later but now that weired thing was my wife was the principal applicant and me her and our kid went to interview we did all the process and the american consul congratulated us and gave us the registraion paper online and said i approved your visa and u ll het passports in 2 weeks then what happened later was surprising i got a call after 4 hours from the embassy saying my wife and kid visas are fine but mine will go through AP!! And asked if we want to process them or wait till mine is done with AP i told them no ,and asked to do theirs and not wait for mine i tried to know why but i couldnt !! What should i do now? Should i email someone?! And why did she said its fine then AP?! Plz help
November 23, 2015 at 18:38
Cairo, Egypt. November 2015. (7:30 am)
I arrived at the Embassy at 6:30, I prefer to Be Early than being Late. at 7 am we started to Line up. at 7:30 we enter the Embassy.
– In 10 Minutes they Called my Number to collect and review the documents I have, They Asked for my Birth Certificate, University Certificate, Police record, Military Record, my current Passport and my Previous Passport because I have a Valid US Tourist Visa.
– after 20 more Minutes they called my Number again to Pay the Fees $330 because I’m Single, which I paid by a credit card.
– Then the hard Part Began, I waited for another 90 Minutes before they call my Number for an Interview:
CO: Can You Speak English?
ME: Yes.
CO: Where you Will stay in USA?
ME: XXXXXXX
CO: with whom??
ME: XXXXXXX
CO: what will you work in USA??
ME: XXXXXXX
CO: did you join the Egyptian army?
ME: XXXXXXX
CO: Have you Been to USA Before?
ME: XXXXXXX
CO: How long have you stayed there at your last Visit?
ME: XXXXXXX
CO: What did you do in that time?
ME: XXXXXXX
CO: What did you do in this State?
ME: XXXXXXX
CO: Congratulations, you Got the Visa.
ME: Thank you.
ME: Okay May I have my old Passport Back?
CO: You will Receive the 2 passports together.
ME. Okay, Thank you again.
Q1: I Have No Idea why they Kept my Old Passport, I thought they will VOID my Tourist Visa and give it back immediately. Right??
Q2: Also It been 9 days so Far, and I didn’t receive my passport back. does it really takes that long?? or Only Me??
Best Wishes to those who didn’t have an Interview Yet.
November 24, 2015 at 23:56
Tirana, Albania
The entire process at the Embassy was great – people were very polite and understanding.
I was scheduled for 7.30 and I queued with other people at the entrance door. The officers asked for the passport and 2NL printout. Once in, my name was called to different windows to submit the passport again and medical results, to make the payment and give the fingerprints. Then, I was asked to sit back again with the others for the next window – the interview.
The interview officer was fantastic. Questions: What high school did you graduate from? When did you start and finish it? What did you study at University? What is your job now? Who is XYZ? (my sponsor) Are you going to stay with them in the beginning? Have you ever lived abroad more than 6 months? I see you have visited US before? When did you go and how long did you stay? (I am a single applicant, so I am not sure what families are asked about). Then she said I qualified and that I would receive my visa packet via DHL in two weeks 🙂
I would like to point out that it would be advisable to be at least 15-30 minutes before your scheduled time. You will stay 2-3 hours in the Embassy. It is good to be truthful and correct in the interview. The interview is generally easy but still, good preparation is never too much!
GOOD LUCK to everybody!
Many thanks to you Brit for the enormous help with your advice!!
November 25, 2015 at 00:44
Thank you for adding that!
It is worth noting that Tirana embassy has some non standard application of the rules. So applicants interviewing there need to be well prepared. I just want to add a couple of notes in case people find your Tirana interview experience.
They are strict about not accepting vocational education (evemn in the case where that education would normally be considered general education).
They are strict about the level of income needed to be shown in the I-134 (which is typically expected at Tirana).
They also email selectees prior to the interview and expect documents to be sent in by mail for review prior to the interview.
December 5, 2015 at 10:15
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
My interview date was on November 15, 2015 at 12:30pm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I arrived at the US Embassy at around 11am and I was in my finest British suit. As interviewees are allowed into the embassy not more than 15 minutes before the 12:30pm, I took advantage of the available time to re-scrutinize my documents to be extra sure I had brought everything the CO would want to see. Afterwards, I seized the opportunity to acquaint myself with the beautiful scenery of the Diplomatic quarters.
At exactly 12:15pm, we were directed to line-up in front of the gate to be inspected before entry into the embassy. Both my residence permit (IQAMA) and appointment letter were requested and the latter matched against the list of immigration applicants to be interviewed on that day. Even though I have attended several visa interviews, I must admit I have never been as tensed as I was on the day of the interview. Despite the tension, a little voice from within me kept telling me not to worry, for everything will be just fine.
All applicants were given some numbers based on which they were called for the interview and I happened to be the 6th person to be called to window 12. The officer there asked for my details and then matched it against a sheet he was holding. He then asked me to submit my passport to his colleague at window 7 and go back to the waiting area until I was called. In about half an hour’s time, I was called to meet one of the officials at window 7. The following were the questions I was asked:
Officer: when were you born?
Me: Answered
Officer: What are you doing in Saudi Arabia?
Me: Answered
Officer: Can I have your student ID?
Me: Of course, Yes! I handed it to him
Officer: Are you married?
Me; Answered
Officer: Why are you not married and when do you intend to marry?
Me: Answered
Officer: You were in the US last year? What did you go there to do? How long did you stay?
Me: I went for an academic conference
Officer: You only stayed for 5 days, why?
Me: I smiled and told him I had to return to the UK early enough to take care of some tasks
The officer then asked for the following documents in order:
1. Two passport pictures
2. Appointment letter (2nd notification)
3. Educational Certificates and transcripts (High school, bachelors, MSc)
4. Police Certificate (UK, Saudi Arabia (translated)) I was yet to get my police certificate from Ghana and he asked me to make arrangement for it as soon as possible, preferably before the end of the month)
5. Bank Statement (I had enough funds in my bank statement so, affidavit of support was not requested even though I had one with me)
6. Medical Report (he gave the CD back to me and advised me to travel to the US with it)
After collecting all the documents, I was then asked to wait in the waiting area until I am called to meet the CO. In barely 10 minutes I was called to meet the CO at window 13. I must admit that the interaction with the CO was very friendly and straight-forward. He asked me to swear that all the information I had provided them is true and then took my fingerprints.
CO: I noticed you have completed a masters in the UK and you are doing another one in Saudi Arabia. Is there any special reason?
Me: Answered
CO: I do not have any issue approving your visa but you need to furnish us with a police Certificate from Ghana. From our system, it should not be difficult to get that. Please arrange for that as soon as you can.
Me: No problem, Sir. I will arrange for it as soon as possible.
CO: You have a five-year US Visa already. This will be cancelled after your DV visa has been issued
Me: No problem, Sir. That is ok by me.
CO: Please return to my colleague at window 7 for your original documents and additional information.
I had the police certificate from Ghana on the 22nd of November and couriered it to the Embassy on the same day together with my passport. I got my passport and the IV package today, December 5, 2015. But for the non-readiness of my Ghanaian police certificate at the time of the interview, I should have had my visa long ago. My humble advice to prospective interviewees is that, it pays to be very organized and confident. The officers there are ready to give you a warm reception. Do yourself a favor not to give them the opportunity to have issues with you….lol.
Of course, I would want to specially thank Britsimon for his wonderful sense of brotherliness and selfless support. Dv selectees cannot thank you enough! Your reward is certainly with God. May HE keep you safe and continue to make you a blessing to generations. I want to also seize the opportunity to thank all the wonderful BritsimonSays fraternity. Your insightful comments and the experiences you shared on the various platforms were really helpful. I am also indebted to Tarek and Mohamed for sharing their Riyadh Interview experiences with me and guiding me on how to get some documents from KSA.
December 6, 2015 at 01:15
Interview experience in Hong Kong
my appointment was at 8:30am. I got there at 7:30am, waiting outside the gate until 8am for them to open. Then I was called to go upstairs to a small room with only 4 windows, sat there for another 2 hours. The windows were not even open until around 9am. During those two sleepy hours, an embassy lady took all my documents and she basically told me that everything looks great and congratulated me and she chit-chatted with me, a very nice lady.
This is what I first gave her:
– 2 photos
– birth certificate
– police clearance
– university diplomas
– school transcript
– health record (sealed)
– employment letter
– work recommendation letter
– copies of passport and resident ID card
She told me everything looked great but if I also prepared some documents that proved that I have some savings such as bank statement. I said YES! and I handed her my
– bank statement
She was so happy and told me that my case looked more than great and everything looked perfect for an immigrant visa but before she passed my folder to the CO who was in the other window, she wanted me to go outside to the cashier to pay the $330 DV fee and went back in. So I did that and went back in. She saw my receipt and she passed my folder to the CO who’s interviewing others.
And then, I waited again… for two more people’s interviews before me. That was around 10:30am. Yes it was a long wait! And finally I saw the CO was going through my case, she carefully read every documents I had in the folder. And then she called my name. She told me to swear, and she did my fingerprints and she asked:
CO: What’s your date of birth?
Me: …………………
CO: How long have you been in the States?
Me: I studied there and worked there…………………………..
CO: Where do you live now?
Me: …………………………………..
CO: What do you do for living?
Me: ……………………………………….
The interview was barely 1-3 minutes including the fingerprints. It was just a few questions she asked to verify me. It was a no brainer.
She kept nodding her head while listening and she typed bunch of things into the computer, and handed me back all my documents.
CO: Ok thank you, your immigrant visa is approved, I have to cancel your work visa now (put a huge void stamp on my work visa).
Me: Oh!!! Thank you!! So when will I get my passport back?
CO: You can ask my colleague about that, please!
Me: Thanks so much!
Note that I was very stressed for the whole process since I got the 1NL, and was more stressed during the last month towards my interview, but then the real interview was a breeze. I suggest anyone who’s now waiting for his interview not to be so stressed out but just prepared the documents they required well and be chill and you shall be fine! Good luck!
Thanks so much Simon! You are amazing!
December 6, 2015 at 23:52
Interview experience in Caracas (Venezuela)
Hello! I don’t want to start this post describing our interview experience without thanking God in the first place, who blessed our lives enormously. Secondly, I have to thank God for letting me know @Cornelio, who guided us and was very supportive thru the entire experience, and last but not least to @Britsimon for all his knowledge and answers with absolutely good heart and will.
Our appointed interview was scheduled for Dec 2, 2:00pm at the American Consulate in Caracas. We got there by 1:00pm and went to the first security checkpoint. Form there we went thru other screenings and checking before getting to the Immigrant Section. We took a ticket are we called at booth 14. The CO gently greeted us and proceeded to take our fingerprints and told us to sit while he asked my wife (the main applicant) all our documents. I sat with mi kid in front of the booth and I could hear everything she was asked. First our passports, then my wife’s civil documents, then mines and our son’s. He only requested photocopies of each documents and the original translations. After that, the CO asked for me to come to the booth and asked if i was married previously, how many times I had traveled to the US and what was the longest stay there. He told me to take a seat again and kept asking my wife for more documents. After 10 minutes he told her to go pay the visa fees for the interview: 330USD @6,30VEF/USD and that we were going to be called by another CO afterwards. She made the payments and handed them to the first CO. It was just 1 minute of wait and we were being called to booth 16. The officer told us to raise our right hand to make an oath of telling the truth and nothing but the truth; he took again our fingerprints and no questions asked he told us straight forward “Your visas have been approved! Congratulations!”
I must say that both COs were very kind, gentle and respectful. It took us just 30 minutes from entering to leaving with our visas approved.
I strongly advice to all selectees avoid paying for any agent services. This was very simple even though it seems to be complex. The blog britsimonsays.com helped a lot from my experience. But above it all, have faith in God almighty.
I wish all God’s blessings for those who have their interviews scheduled for next month or are waiting for their 2NL.
God bless you all.
December 9, 2015 at 19:56
Interview experience, Bucharest, December 8th
Hi everyone!
My interview was scheduled for Tuesday, December 8th at 1 PM. I arrived at the embassy around 12:45 and had to wait outside, until 1 when one of the officers working there came out and checked my passport. I was the only one scheduled for that time of the day.
As soon as I entered the embassy I was called to window 4 to have the paperwork checked and hand out for the interview.
I was asked a couple of questions and in the same time I was asked for documents, originals plus copies
– passport
– birth certificate plus copy
– high school degree plus copy
– financial support ( my bank e-statement that showed >$10,000 plus AOS)
– police clearance from Romania plus copy; police clearance from Greece plus copy, also the authorized translation of the police clearance plus copy
– US college degree plus transcripts.
After 5 minutes all this was done and I went to windows 7 for fingerprints. Afterwards I was politely asked to have a sit until they’ll call me for the actual interview.
I was waiting for more than an hour when I heard my name being called to window 9 for the interview. Over there I was asked to swear that what I’ll say os going to be truth and immediately the questions start pouring.
Have you ever been married?
Do you have any children?
Have you ever been arrested?
Do you have any problems with the law?
Please tell me about your American experiences.
How many times have you been to US?
I see your last visa was a F1, how did you like your time in school there?
What was your filed of study?
Now, your visa on your passport states that you’re allowed in US from September 2010 until end of December 2013. Why did you overstay your visa and kept your legal status? Here I had to explain that even though my visa was expired I had my I-20 valid at all times. Because of having too many credits to take I had to change my graduation date to May of 2014 and the school officials extended my I-20. After graduation I was allowed to apply for an OPT (optional practical training program) and work for one year in my field of study. I also had to tell the Consul that I applied for work authorization with the USCIS and all my original documents should be at them. She asked me then for the proof of all what I told her. Thank God I had with me all my I-20 in original plus my work authorization card.
I was again asked to have a sit in the waiting area and I as told that the computer is too slow and she needs to check that what I said was true.
And here I am, again waiting, not knowing what the heck is happening.
In about 20 minutes I was again called at the same window and asked another set of questions. To be honest I don’t remember those questions. I was exhausted because of the stressful situation with having to explain where, why and when.
And I don’t even remember when she said: Congratulations! Everything is in order. You did all the hard work. You’ll get your passport and papers in 7 to 10 days. I had to ask her twice if what I heard was real. She said yes, you can go. You’re approved! Happy holidays and have a good rest of the day.
I’m one of the most happiest, excited, thrilled persons on this Earth and I want to thank you BritSimon for your blog, your advice and your invaluable support.
America I’ve missed you for the past four months and I’m so looking forward to come back!!!
December 11, 2015 at 02:58
Interview Experience: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Prior to the interview, we ensure that we submit the DS260 as soon as we hear they we were selected for the lottery. We were lucky that our number was quite low and we repeatedly checked the DS260 documents before we submitted to ensure that we dont need to unlock it and delay our interview. we got the 2nl for October interview after submitting our DS 260 on May 20th.
Our case was quite complicated as i am not a Sri Lankan but my husband is. I havent stayed in Sri lanka for more than 6 months, so, all the documents needed for me needed to be from my country. We managed to gather all documents in time as per the checklist the embassy provided on the website. My husband has a A-levels and also a US degree. However, were quite nervous because he took london A-levels instead of local and we werent sure who to certify and what not
Interview appt: 1pm
We arrived at 1pm and had to wait for a couple of minutes before we can go in. We had to keep our cell phone at the security and went through the normal security check. We were allowed to go to the interview place and submitted our documents to a nice lady who only took whatever we needed. After 30 minutes, we were called to make payment and we waited for at least another hour before being called for interview.
we were asked basic questions : how long did you stay in the US, what were you studying, how long have you been married,what are you working as and we even showed our wedding photos from 3 years ago 🙂
1 thing we didnt pay attention to was for the form i134 where it requires 2014 tax transcript (new requirement in the checklist) of our sponsor. So, we were put on AP till our sponsor submits that about a week after. I had to take my passport back as i had to travel for work. And we submitted back a month after. We waited for about one a half weeks and they emailed us back to pick our visa packages.
went to the embassy to pick it up and everything looks good and we received the seal packages and our passports. It was a looooong and satifying journey. Referred to this blog daily and other forums to ensure we are up to date with all the sharing from others.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all!
December 23, 2015 at 05:19
Nairobi, Kenya. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arrived at 5.20am. At 6.00am the embassy main gate was opened. We went 1st security check and only 2nl and PP was required at that point. Proceeded to the 2nd security check point. This point 2nd/PP was requested and instructed to leave all the metallic objects and phones. Proceeded to the hole after the checks and we were given a token number after giving the receptionist our 2nl. We were told to wait outside as we wait our number to be called. After 20mins our number was called at window 7.we met a kenyan lady who asked for the fillowing;
Principle applicant (me):-
1.birth cert and copy
2.marriage cert and copy
3.police clearance cert without a copy
4. KCSE and copy
1st Dependants(my wife):-
1.birth cert and copy
2.Police clearance cert
2nd Dependant(my daughter):-
1.birth cert and copy
After the lady went through our docs and got satisfied, she sent me to pay the visa fee for 3 of us which was $330 per person. After returning the payment receipts to her, she told us to wait outside and wait our number to be called again.
After about 30mins we were called to counter 9 where we found a tall white lady who requested to take our fingure prints. Then she told us to go back and sit outside to wait for our number to be called again.
In 1hr time our number was called again to counter 10. Found a black American lady who was now the CO to conduct the interview. Then it started:-
CO: Good morning
Me&wife: morning
CO: Both of you raise your right hand and swear…. brrr
Me&wife: yes, we do
CO: To me what are yours names.?
Me: brrrrrr
CO: when did you complete your high school?
Me: brrrrrr
CO: what was your grade?
Me: brrrr
CO: What di you do after high sch?
Me: brrrrrrr
CO: what are you doing now?
Me: brrrrrr
CO: which state and city are going?
Me: brrr
CO: who lives there?
Me: brrr
CO: how are you related?
Me: brrrr
CO: To me & wife- is this your first marriage for both of you?
Me & wife: brrrrrrr
CO: To me & Wife- is this your only kid?
Me & wife: brrrrrrr
Congratulations your visa is approved. I will now return your originals but will remain with your PP………….brrrr. I even did hear the last part of the conversation ?????
All the glory be to God.
December 30, 2015 at 14:28
Nairobi, kenya (form 221g)…….interviews on 21st dec, i arrived at 6a.m went first security check then proceedd to mainhall, called at window4 en asked to give originals en copies of birth,police,ksce cert +passport, went to cashier en paid 330usd. was called for fingerprints. Called for interviews CO.. good mornin ME.xxx, i then did the oath CO.. whats your name ME.xxx, CO what state are yoi inteding to live ME.xxx, CO..whats the name of the person who is hosting you ME.xxx thats all the CO gave me back all my documents + my passport en then handed over a 221g form saying examination body(KNEC) should send my cert.direct to the embassy, i had a recept with me showing that i,ve paid kshs2320 to knec to deliver my cert but the CO could not hear, from there i went to knec headquarters en they said they have submittedu my cert to the embassy,, now am mixed up coz its 11/2wks en embassy have not contacted me, ive checked at CEAC but no response, do i have any chance f getting visa en by when? plz brits i need your advice thx in advance en happy new year.
January 6, 2016 at 22:44
Accra, Ghana
My wife and I had a 7:30am appointment. We got there at about 6:40am, joined the queue to get in and the waiting started. There was a long wait inbetween activities. We made payments, submitted documents and waited to be called for our interview. We submitted our birth certs and photocopies, police& hospital reports, my educational certs(high school & university), and we also had to submit proof of marriage/relationship(marriage certificate, ceremony album, lots of random pictures before and after dv, whatsapp chat, viber chat, Instagram posts, emails, joint bank statement, health insurance with me as beneficiary, bday and Val’s day cards, receipts bearing both names, phone call log from both my phone and my wife’s). We sat and waited for our interview which started around 1:40pm. I was the Principal applicant and my wife was the beneficiary, but note that the CO started with my wife, so couple must both prepare well for the interview.
CO: have u traveled before?
Wife: yes
CO: where?
Wife: xx
CO: how long did u stay?
Wife: xxx
CO: have u travelled elsewhere?
Wife: xxx
CO: do u have a family in UK?
Wife: xxx
(Turns to me)
CO: u were born in Germany?
Me: yes
CO: when did u come to Ghana?
Me: xxx
CO: oh so u were a baby
Me: yes
CO: so you grew up in Ghana?
Me: yes
CO: what’s your highest level of education?
Me: xxxx
Co: what course did u offer?
Me: xxxx
CO: what work do u do?
Me: xxx
CO: have u had any previous marriage?
Me: no
Wife: no
CO: do u have any kids?
Me: no
Wife: no
CO: do u live together?
Me and wife: yes
CO: since when?
Me: xx
CO: do u have any family in the US?
Me: yes
CO: who?
Me:xxx
CO: congratulations I’ll have to approve your visa. It should be picked up in 2 weeks from…..
Me: I hugged my wife with so much excitement
CO: oh u are really happy. Enjoy my country. She said this with a broad smile.
We were seven DV applicants. The first person also got approved, and we were the second to be called so can’t tell what happened with the rest.
Thanks for this website, Brit. It’s been extremely helpful..
January 22, 2016 at 16:19
hi brits, I went for the interview yesterday,
Co; did you fill the initial form yourself.
me: a friend filled it for me.
CO: where were you born?
me: kailahun
co: your initial entry say you were born in Freetown.
co: your friend made that mistake right?
me: yes.
she checked my documents starting from my birth certificate which States my correct birth place. and the other documents which include my educational qualifications with my high school certificate that shows my qualification for the DV.
then she puts all original document one side. and tookout a white paper wrote the date and My CN.
co:you are NOT qualified for this visa. this paper will explain the reason for refusal. at first I thought it was for the place of birth discrepancy.
under section 212(a)(5) which prohibits the issuance of visa to any one who does not meet labour certification requirements and qualifications for certain immigrants.
what does that means considering? because am honestly qualified with education NOT work. I was only able to read the paper at home coz I was distressed at the hall, think it was bcoz of the mistake.
I want to go and appeal at the embassy do you think they will reconsider.
bcoz they have all my photocopied documents.
this happened in Freetown.
January 25, 2016 at 13:26
HI Brit. Luckily we got our visa. First off all i want to thank you for help so far. I want to share our visa interview for others. we were asked to be embassy by 9:30 am. We were there by 8:30 am. We waited with others who won DV lottery. We entered one by one. We paid fees and waited our turn coming. I and my wife were called to go to #9 window. we went there and were greeted by CO. He was sitting there with a smile. be honest when i saw him i was totally relaxed. He greeted us nicely and started conversation so friendly. he asked us that all the information are true and we said yes. then he asked us just two questions 1 for my wife that you graduated English philology . she said yes. 2 for both of us where do you want to stay when you go to USA?. finally he said that our visa has been approved. he told us to come after a week at 2 pm. I came by myself to get it.
Here i want to ask some more on USCIS immigrant visa fee. Now i am in korea(south). I know how to enter that website and enter our A number and DOS. what i want to ask is that after entering, is there a kind of account will appear? if it appears, then should i let my friend know that account to pay for me? if he can pay for me, how do they know that it is paid for me? I mean that that account only opened for me ?
February 2, 2016 at 07:37
Interview experience in Ethiopia Addia Ababa
First of all would like to thank God for every thing! next tnx Brit Simon for your help and information
let me start from the scratch
submitted ds-260 on may 5 unlocked and resubmitted on may21
got my 2NL on december28
and DHL registration is must because it is the only way to peak your visa
my interview was on February 1 8:30
i entered the embassy @ 8:00 and we submitted the following documents
-Appointment letter
-congratulation paper(1NL)
-9th-12th grade transcript and matriculation Result(authenticated)
-police certificate
-Birth certificate
-passport
-2 photographs 5×5
-medical slip and sealed envelope
then i was scheduled @6:30
i was called to window 4 and i gave back the paper of instructions and information concerning Dv signed
then i was asked my age ,academic background and marital status the asked to pay 330$ after that i gave the receipt back
finally i was called to window 10 for interview
he asked me to raise my right hand and asked me to swear all the information and documents are true and i said I do.
Q:what is your highest level of education?
A:———————-
Q:Do you have children?
A:———————
Q:who is your sponsor?
A:——————-
Q:Do you intend to marry after your visa is issued?
A:no
congratulations and gave me yellow paper
and am waiting for my visa tnx everyone and Good Luck!
February 6, 2016 at 01:09
Interview experience in Caracas (Venezuela) on February 4th. CN2016SA007XX.
My appointment was at 12:30 pm, I arrived at 12:15 pm approx. I passed through the first room with glass walls (where used to be zoom office) I showed up my 2NL and DS260 confirmation and they printed an adhesive label, then I passed through security checkpoints to finally go to the Immigrant Section. I took a number and sat down in front of windows 13 to 16 (12:35 pm aprox). There were 2 groups applicants waiting for immigrant visa interview.
At 1:05 pm the window 15 was open by a gentleman wearing glasses with a perfectly Spanish (maybe Venezuelan) and he call the first family to come to window for immigrant visa, a young lady was the first one, then a family of 5, and finally was my turn at 2:00 pm aprox. I went to the window so nervous I said Good Afternoon and showed him my 2NL.
He asked for my passport, the label and 1 photo. Then he told me you’re going to open the envelope of the medical exam and are going to give me the papers that are inside; then he asked for my birth certificates only photocopies and the original translations made by a Public Interpreter. Then he asked for the original Police records and the original translations; then he asked for my university and high school diploma certificates only photocopies and the original translations.
Then he asked if I completed ustraveldocs registration, I said yes and gave him the bar codes confirmation page.
While he was asking for the documents he made some questions: Have you ever married? What do you do for living? Which was the longest period you have stayed in USA? and who lives at the direction you put on DS260.
That is all!, less than 5 minutes.
After the interview he told what to do to pay the visa fees 330USD or 2079 Bs, and I should give back to him the payment confirmation. I spent about 15 minutes to complete the payment, it was crowded. I went back to the first CO and he asked me to go to windows 13, there another CO asked me to raise my right hand to make the oath of telling the truth and nothing but the truth; he took again my fingerprints and asked me which city I will move and Your visa have been approved! Congratulations! You will receive your passport in 10 days, you will received a zoom text message.
By the way, the 2 first families got approved too.
Best wishes!!
February 9, 2016 at 16:35
Interview experience
Nairobi – Kenya
After the primarily security check(s) we were allowed to get into the embassy consular section and we were issued with token number to wait for our number to be called upon (summary).
After sometime I was called to counter number 6
Co: Handover your Birth certificate, Police clearance certificate and High School certificate(I can see your birth certificate was issued recently, Police clearance lacks attachment)
Me: ……………………………..
Co: Are you married, do you have kids, have you ever been married?
Me:………………
Co: Make payment
Co: Bring back the receipt
After some minutes I was called to counter 7
Co: What is your name?
Me ………………
Co: Your date of birth?
Me……………………
Co. Took fingerprints
After some minutes I was called to counter 10
Co: Swear………………
Co: Are you married?
Me………………..
Do you have kids?
Me………………………….
Co: Have you ever lived in any other country?
Me…………………………..
Co: Let me see your passport.
Co: Which year did you complete High school?
Me……………………………..
Co: What is the name of your host?
Me…………………………….
Co: Who is he to you?
Me…………………………….
Co: Where does he live?
Me……………………………..
Finally the CO handed yellow paper(on top written Administrative Processing) to me and told me I’ll be called.
February 18, 2016 at 01:59
Interview experience
Monrovia, Liberia
I am a single applicant and don’t have any kids my interview was at 9:00 clock AM but i arrived there by 7:30 AM. I was smartly dress because I think it matters. since I had a lot time i started sitting at a place designated for DV applicant, At about 8:30AM the security at door made a announcement calling for all 9:00 clock interview people to get in, i woke up and got in the line and we starting going in, At the first security door i was asked for my passport and the security verify that my name was on the list for schedule interviewers after that i was given a pass and told to go in,i arrived at the second security point and they did like wise, and told me to take a seat, while seated i was called to window one where i was asked for the following:
1 PASSPORT
2 BIRTH CERTIFICATE
3 MEDICAL EXAMINATION RESULT
4 AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT
5 PAYMENT OF THE 330 USD
after this i was told to have a seat and i will be called to the next window, after like 5 minutes i was called to window two where i was asked whether i pass the West African Examination Council( WAEC) i said yes and was asked to give a card u used to check the result on the internet it is called the WAEC Result checker card u can get it from the WAEC office in your country. i give it to him and he asked me for my WAEC ID number i called it to him, he then asked for the year that i took the WAEC i told him, and he asked me whether i took Re sitter or Regular i told him regular. he told me to go and sit while he check the result and that i will be called to a next window. after like another five minutes i was called to window six where i meet the CO the first thing was that:
CO: pls put ur hands here for finger prints
me: I did
CO: do you swear that everything here is true
me: answer
CO: are u married
me: answer
CO: do u have any kids
me: answer
CO: did u graduated from high school
me: answer
CO: which school
me: answer
CO: which year
me: answer
CO: did u pass WAEC
me: answer
CO: have u ever traveled out of Liberia
me: answer
CO: since u graduated from school what have u been doing
me: answer
CO: congratulation ur VIsa has been approved she handed me a white paper that contains a date and told me i will get my visa package on the date written in the paper.
February 18, 2016 at 08:08
@Prof
Yes it was Accepted. It was actually the first thing i was asked.
My Interview in Accra went well.
All questions was about my education and current job basically.
I only had a little issue with my Birth Certificate.I got a new one issued which i understand
that is what been accepted now (Because it has some security features).
I handed a copy of my old one to the person at the Birth and Death department to use the information to Issue me a new one. I picked it up when it was ready but unfortunately my sir name was wrongly spell. I never saw it till the concealer drew my attention to it.
She handed me a paper which all the information i had to know regarding resubmitting my documents and asked me to go back to get it rectified and submit my document to a specific DHL office in Accra (GSS distribution center)
I went back to the B&D told them about their mistake and then a new correct one was issued and also went to the high Court to swear a Statutory declaration of the correct spelling of my name.
I have now submitted my documents again and apparently should here from them in two week via phone to pick up my passport all things been equal with my Visa issued.
I advice everyone to double check every document with their names correctly spellt, some mistakes can be very tricky and you may not see it until you double check.
I will keep you all updated as and when.
I pray and have my fingers crossed.
February 27, 2016 at 06:36
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Our experience is similar to others. We went through two security checks and got a token. A lady in one counter asked for our documents and their copies one by one. Then she said our documents are completed and asked us to wait for the interview. After much waiting time they asked us to pay interview fees to the cashier. They are accepted Sri Lankan rupees.
We called to the interview to a separate covered counter. Then officer asked us few questions.
First they ask for the oath. She asked the questions from my husband as he is the principal applicant.
Were you single when you apply for the lottery?
When did you get married?
How long your affair before you was get married?
How you both met?
What is the relationship with your sponsor?
Then she said that sponsor’s income is not enough for both of us. Luckily we had another sponsor as we heard from the Britsimon’s blog we over prepared for the interview. Then the lady said the second sponsor’s income is sufficient and asked our relationship with him. But the sponsor’s documents we have given her is not the one they needed so she asked us to contact the sponsor and tell him to request the IRIC tax form from the US government and mail it to our embassy. Our interview went all well. After 3 weeks waiting they called us and asked us to collect our passports. We got our visa and sealed envelope.
We were well prepared for the interview thanks to Britsimon’s blog and the people in the embassy are very friendly and helpful. I am delighted and waiting to go to the USA soon.