The Visa Interview!

Hello everyone,

So following my ordeal at the medical exam, a whole month passed and I found myself at the big day finally! Visa interview day!

Prior to attending the interview you will be required to log on to the visa service website and accept the interview and confirm the delivery option for your documents. You can chose to have them held at a specific depot "near" your home, or you can pay extra to have them home delivered by courier. I chose the courier option, as it only cost me £18, and my depot was miles away. It probably would have cost me nearly that in travel and fuel.

Jon and I had agreed that given it was such a huge day, and the fact I was likely to be a nervous wreck, that he should be in the UK. So, he booked a flight a couple of weeks before to be with me on the day. We already knew however he wouldn't be allowed in the embassy with me, but at least he could travel to London with me (which is an ordeal in itself), and be with me in line at the gate, and be waiting outside once I'm done. Then we could celebrate together, too right?...

Back to that morning, and we got up ridiculously early having not really slept well through anticipation. We got to London Charing Cross and walked the rest of the way. You have to understand, Charing Cross is at least a half hour walk at my own brisk pace (everyone always tells me I run along rather than walk), but we chose to do this in fear of getting on a tube and it breaking down or being delayed. Cautious yes, paranoid, maybe a little - but better safe than sorry, right?

We found ourselves in Grovesnor Square at about 7.15am, a full hour and fifteen minutes before my interview time - but we weren't the first ones there! There was already a line, and it started to get long after we arrived too, so bear that in mind. I'm glad we got there when we did.

A little while before the embassy opened for the first appointments of the day staff started to trickle out and set everything up. They will organise the queue line into different sections depending on your appointment time. We had to stand in a separate, second line, since my time was not until 8.30am - apparently appointments begin at 8am, so they let all those people through first. The staff at the front of the line will ask to see various documents which you must have with you. You MUST take with you:

• Your appointment confirmation - whether that is an email printout or an actual letter doesn't matter.
• Form DS260 confirmation page from the DOS website (it has barcodes on it that they scan)
• Your confirmation of your accepting the interview printed out from the visa service provider website. This is the page that basically states how your documents are to be delivered. If you have chosen home delivery it is imperative you print this page, as they will ask for it inside in order to ferry your documents once all is said and done.

Of course, any other documents may also be required, and these are specified in your appointment letter from the NVC. We had already submitted everything, and we didn't need anything else, but be aware that you may be required to take originals and/or copies of any other document, such as birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates, photographs etc. Of course, you also need your passport, too, but I would assume that goes without saying!

Once the guard has admitted you to the embassy you pass through airport style security checks. You are allowed to take your mobile phone, but NOT laptops or tablets. You should definitely avoid any unnecessary hassle by minimising the items you take with you on the day. Luckily I had Jon who would wait outside, so he could take everything I didn't need. Unless agreed by special arrangement prior to your appointment, you will NOT be allowed to take anyone - even your US spouse - into the embassy with you. While waiting in line we saw several people be told that they would not be allowed entry.

Once through the security checks there are signs telling you to proceed around the side of the building. You go up some steps and enter a lobby area. Present your documents again, and the person at the desk will give you a ticket number. You'll then be directed up the stairs to the waiting area.

The waiting area basically looks like any other waiting room - it could be a hospital for all it's worth. There is a large screen that displays the ticket numbers and which window to attend to. It took well over an hour for my ticket to be called, and there were a lot of people that morning.

Once your number is called you go up to the post office style counters and the officer will proceed to ask you a series of questions and ask for some of your documents. It was here that I handed over my document delivery confirmation page. I'll be honest, I was not at the window probably even 7 or 8 minutes. The officer asked how I knew Jon, what Jon does for a living and one or two other very minor things that didn't seem that important in all honesty. He took my passport and I was told to sit back down and that I would be called again shortly.

I literally sat back down, text Jon to let him know I'd been called up, then my number was called again! This time I had to go to the next window along. The officer there informed me that this was my actual visa interview. I was told to raise my right hand and swear that I would tell the truth. I said I would, and he proceeded to ask a couple of similar questions to the first officer. Again, I was there only minutes, and the questions were nothing taxing; all very generic, "how long have you known each other", "where is Jon right now?", etc.

After the officer was apparently satisfied he turned to me and said, "Your visa application is approved. You'll get your passport back in two weeks. Good luck!" And that was literally it! I was approved! I thanked him, gathered my things and walked away from the desk in a daze! All the panic and worry that I had caused myself over this day, wondering what it would be like, what they would as, say or do - and now it was over in 10 minutes flat!

I ran outside and met with Jon, and we spent the rest of the morning wandering London having fun, in celebration of the most excellent news!

My advice to anyone is literally, do NOT panic. I got myself into such a state over this interview and it was so easy. You have to remember that you have already been approved, you have already had the medical, you have already given them everything they could possibly want about you - this is the final part so they can just meet you and check everything over one last time before giving you the visa. I know it's easy to say that in retrospect, but my lawyer kept telling me this over and over, yet I still got worked up over it. Providing you are genuine (and I hope that anyone reading this would be), then you have no reason to worry.

I'll be making another post later about the final steps after the interview, as there are a couple more things that you must do.

Dan.