Friday 14 October 2011

Part sixteen - the interview

So after all the excitement, perhaps it's time to explain the how's about getting through my visa interview. I guess until your actually there you could read a million web pages and experiences and non of them will be like your own and in reality unless your immigrating you might never ever get to step inside that building. Getting into the Embassy at Grosvenor Square was like going through airport security, you line up with your passport and your interview date ready to hand over, your given a see through bag to empty your coins, belts and keys into [your not allowed to take anything electronic into the building, so phones, mp3 players, key fobs, laptops, batteries are all banned - I left mine in the left luggage in Kings Cross].

After getting through the first line, you queue up for security checks, bags and paperwork go into a box to be X rayed while you walk through the security checking device. Then you walk towards the entrance pass lots of armed guards with very scary guns, but you can understand why. Once your in embassy I was given my identification letter and number, this number is the one I waited to hear being called out to go to my interviews. Until then you sit in what resembles an airport departure lounge, rows and rows of seating all facing screens. After getting into the embassy and sitting down at 8:25am it took an hour before I was called for my first of the interviews. 

The first part involves handing over my original documents - the police forms, birth certificate and my passport, the lady asked me a few questions about how I met Joe, took my fingerprints and went through the immigration process once I land at my "point of entry" [Detroit airport]. Oddly she knew Detroit so she passed on some really useful information about how to sort and where in down town we need to go to do the next steps to adjust my status. After that she told me to sit back down until my number was called again and to fill out the courier form. 

Waiting seems to be what going to the embassy is all about, the second hour wait seemed however to go a lot quicker, and to be honest i did enjoy all the people watching. There was so many types of visas yet along people there, from families, posh city workers, young people, older people, all there to immigrate, and the amount of different passports i saw was amazing. You forget that you're just one person in a sea of millions trying to get to America, I guess it still is a country with a massive draw for people.

An hour later and I was called to see the second person for my more formal interview, checking my fingerprints he got me to swear my details where true, asked about what Joe does for a job, why I was working for Boots with two degrees [I ask myself that a lot] and how we met. He went through my whole file of papers, signing and ticking things - my file is literally one or two inches thick! Than after passing me my documents back and telling me he was keeping my passport he informally just told me go "take your courier sheet to the payment desk because your approved". I walked to the desk with the biggest smile ever on my face.

It will take another 7-10 days to get my passport with all my visa paperwork back then I'm free to enter America and my new life begins. Even two days on from finding out it really hasn't sunk in, next week will be crammed with trying to start sorting everything out. Altogether this part of the "journey" took nine month, we have a couple of months out, we get married and the next steps start all over again.

Thank you to everyone that's ever supported us or wished us well and said well done, it really does mean a lot.

20 comments:

  1. congratulations lovely, so happy for you x

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  2. such a big massive YAY for you!

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  3. Wow, how exciting! I remember when we were at the Embassy in Frankfurt, Germany to get our visa...it was exciting but also kinda scary...
    Good luck with the rest of the "journey"!

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  4. Thats so fantastic, Rachel, so now you can really start crossing the days off the calendar, phase one to the end of Boots phase 2 to the beginning of Joe

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  5. Ooooh I have the biggest smile on my face! Im so pleased for you!!! I have read your entire visa journey and I can almsost sense your relief and happiness!!

    Make sure you enjoy and make the most of all your time with Joe! :) xx

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  6. Thank you thank you!! I totally want to book my plane tickets now but I don't know if it's risking it with getting my stuff back, can't even track my paperwork because it's still with the embassy. Ahh, saying that there is still so much to sort out lol x

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  7. nearly time to get those cardboard boxes out and start packing up your old life! Please carry on blogging when you are out there, i love following your story X

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  8. I really am so happy for you, hope everything you've got left to sort out goes well - I'm sure it will!

    xo

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  9. Charr - i'll totally still be blogging, I won't be working [mainly because I wont' have the paperwork which allows me too] so i'll have loads of free time, plus it'll be winter so I won't be able to do much so I can just write about American life and how the superstores amaze me for hours lol Then i can bore you all with wedding talk, and a wedding, and a honeymoon and Detroit and all about our cat! hehehe

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  10. So pleased it all went well, bet you can't wait to get over there! x

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  11. so happy it went well! i cant wait for you and joe to start a life together, you both deserve the best! :)

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  12. I'm a new follower but congratulations!!xx

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  13. i'm excited to hear it all! even about the cat! Xx

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  14. !!!!!!!!!!! YAY! So happy for you you! I am so excited for your new life to begin, Rachael! Congratulations and Huzzah!
    Hope you have a happy weekend!
    ♥ laura

    the blog of worldly delights

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  15. I am so, so happy for you Rachael, all the waiting was so worth it, I can't wait to hear about life with Joe in America, I wish you both all the happiness in the world!

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  16. cannot wait to hear about your new experiences here in America!!!!
    good luck to you both
    ROBIN

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  17. i'm truly truly happy for the both of you! i'm actually grinning from ear to ear now!!

    i can't wait to see the both of u together, u both deserve a lifetime of happiness:))

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  18. I'm so pleased for you! looks like all our positive thoughts came good. x

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