Visa Approved!!!!
I'm pretty impressed. I don't know what I was nervous about after all, the whole visa situation was incredibly unstressful on the day. The worst thing about everything was not sleeping too well on the Thursday night, thinking that I'd either sleep in, or that I'd forgotten something. I woke up 3 times, 2.30am: convinced I'd forgotten something, 4.30am: utterly convinced I'd dropped something on the floor and both time I was searching around half asleep looking for it, 6.30am: arrgh too early - I can sleep another 45 mins. Needless to say, I probably just got back to sleep, then the alarm went off. :P
Anyway, I was fine and in time for the doctor's, as the hotel I'd had recommended was just across the street, so I just hung around in the hotel reception, until I saw the queue of people start going in. There was no need to get cold waiting in the snow. We were given a little plastic folder and an "order of the day" type form as we went in, told to read that, and do what it said (basically put in it a passport visa type photo, vaccination history, the medical questionnaire they'd given previously and any other medical stuff they'd need), hand it in at reception and go sit back down. I handed mine in 4th, so I was 4th to get called to reception to pay (yay *cough*) then sent downstairs to another small room. I had a blood test, then I had to have a chest x-ray. After that, I got called in to see the doc during which she just went through the stuff on the questionnaire and asked about a couple of things there, quick examination and out. Finally, I was handed my x-ray and told to take that in my hand-luggage when I come to the US, and was sent on my merry way to the embassy.
It was kinda cool as when I got there I was able to jump the queue cos I had an appointment. They do security checks, much like at the airport, plus you have to hand in your phone/camera etc. at reception before you go up into the immigrant visa waiting area. I told them I was there, and sat down (next to the people I recognised from the medical) so we chatted a bit. I got called up and they asked to see my documents (passport, 2 more photos, birth certificate, marriage certificate, police report and the support documents D prepared for me). The guy just glanced at the support stuff (all 30 pages or more), then he said, "ahh yeah that stuff's fine, we're not that interested in that so much". I guess that sucked a little bit, cos D had spent a decent amount of time sorting it out. Apparently, it will become more important once I get over to the US and have to apply for permanent residency. I was told to sit down again. This bit seemed to take forever, but I just sat chatting to a guy from Wales, who was waiting for a fiance visa, so it wasn't too bad. It was nice having a bit of morale support, so we were just chatting about how we'd met up with our other half, and what he should see in London.
I guess it was another hour to an hour and a half before I got called again. This time I talked to another official at the embassy. I had to raise my hand and say that the information I'd given and was above to give was correct to the best of my knowledge - words to that effect anyway. He just started asking me a few questions, it was pretty relaxed really. It was: "how did you meet your husband?", "where will you live?", "what does he do for a living?", ("oh really, what kind of work within that?" just a general query for that), "does he have any real estate?", "what work do you do?", ("have you any leads about that?). That was it, he just told me to come back at 12.30pm (it was around 11.15am), so I just went to have a chocolate cream frappaccino (mmmmmm!) and muffin.
I made my way back at something like 12.20pm, cos I figured I'd just sit there and wait in the embassy until things were ready. Anyway, I presented myself at the desk again, and the guy went to check. I heard him say, "is the first batch from this morning ready?". It was, so he comes over and hands me my passport back saying that everything was totally fine, my visa had been approved. He handed me a big sealed envelope and said I needed to take that and hand it over to immigration when I got to the US, without opening it. :) Finally, he said, "have a good time living in the US!". That was it, pretty painless.
Sooooooo in a nutshell: USA here I come! :)
Anyway, I was fine and in time for the doctor's, as the hotel I'd had recommended was just across the street, so I just hung around in the hotel reception, until I saw the queue of people start going in. There was no need to get cold waiting in the snow. We were given a little plastic folder and an "order of the day" type form as we went in, told to read that, and do what it said (basically put in it a passport visa type photo, vaccination history, the medical questionnaire they'd given previously and any other medical stuff they'd need), hand it in at reception and go sit back down. I handed mine in 4th, so I was 4th to get called to reception to pay (yay *cough*) then sent downstairs to another small room. I had a blood test, then I had to have a chest x-ray. After that, I got called in to see the doc during which she just went through the stuff on the questionnaire and asked about a couple of things there, quick examination and out. Finally, I was handed my x-ray and told to take that in my hand-luggage when I come to the US, and was sent on my merry way to the embassy.
It was kinda cool as when I got there I was able to jump the queue cos I had an appointment. They do security checks, much like at the airport, plus you have to hand in your phone/camera etc. at reception before you go up into the immigrant visa waiting area. I told them I was there, and sat down (next to the people I recognised from the medical) so we chatted a bit. I got called up and they asked to see my documents (passport, 2 more photos, birth certificate, marriage certificate, police report and the support documents D prepared for me). The guy just glanced at the support stuff (all 30 pages or more), then he said, "ahh yeah that stuff's fine, we're not that interested in that so much". I guess that sucked a little bit, cos D had spent a decent amount of time sorting it out. Apparently, it will become more important once I get over to the US and have to apply for permanent residency. I was told to sit down again. This bit seemed to take forever, but I just sat chatting to a guy from Wales, who was waiting for a fiance visa, so it wasn't too bad. It was nice having a bit of morale support, so we were just chatting about how we'd met up with our other half, and what he should see in London.
I guess it was another hour to an hour and a half before I got called again. This time I talked to another official at the embassy. I had to raise my hand and say that the information I'd given and was above to give was correct to the best of my knowledge - words to that effect anyway. He just started asking me a few questions, it was pretty relaxed really. It was: "how did you meet your husband?", "where will you live?", "what does he do for a living?", ("oh really, what kind of work within that?" just a general query for that), "does he have any real estate?", "what work do you do?", ("have you any leads about that?). That was it, he just told me to come back at 12.30pm (it was around 11.15am), so I just went to have a chocolate cream frappaccino (mmmmmm!) and muffin.
I made my way back at something like 12.20pm, cos I figured I'd just sit there and wait in the embassy until things were ready. Anyway, I presented myself at the desk again, and the guy went to check. I heard him say, "is the first batch from this morning ready?". It was, so he comes over and hands me my passport back saying that everything was totally fine, my visa had been approved. He handed me a big sealed envelope and said I needed to take that and hand it over to immigration when I got to the US, without opening it. :) Finally, he said, "have a good time living in the US!". That was it, pretty painless.
Sooooooo in a nutshell: USA here I come! :)