(Based only on our own experience as F2A visa applicants)
Tuesday is the DAY! Our interview appointment at the US Embassy in Manila was at 6:15am on January 12, 2016.
But before I share our interview experience, let me share the preparations before it.
1. We prayed. A LOT.
2. Hubby and I collected all documents required per the letter we received from NVC. I printed most and have them photocopied. Here's my checklist.
3. I researched and read a lot of blogs, sites, posts and forums online and I must say I got a lot of information and tips from other people's experience.
These made me worry less. But I still had some things bothering me before our interview:
a) I worked in Saudi Arabia for 2 years. I don't have a police clearance from there which the Embassy usually requires if you stay in a place for more than 6 months. However, I've read from their website that police certificates from Middle East are waived. But still, I was anxious about this.
b) I have a slightly different signature in one of the documents (newly wed signature :P ).
Now let me try to remember what happened on our appointment day. ;)
We arrived at the Embassy on January 12 just past 5am. And OMG was I surprised. I thought we were early. haha. There were several lines already arranged per time of appointment with like around 200 individuals per line! Plus there were lots of vendors and companions in the area as well.
As soon as we alighted our car, one Ate vendor asked us what time our interview sched is and quickly led us to the correct queue of applicants. Ate was really helpful, maybe with an agenda to sell too. She reminded us of the things needed and those not allowed so we could enter the Embassy.
It was really cold outside. My son was enjoying though. My father accompanied us again just like during our medical exam at St. Luke's last month. We, mommy and baby, wore matching denim outfits. Haha! Cuteness. Any little thing to help us with the process. :P
At around 6am, the lines started moving.
I'll try to summarize the next happenings :)
1. 1st check just outside the building. Embassy personnels asked for the 1st page of our Appointment Letter (1 only for both of us), DS-260 (one for me + one for my son) and our passports. The lady personnel put our open passport inside a ziplock bag with the biometric page facing out. Then we entered the building at 620am. Yes, a companion is allowed inside if the applicant is a child, a senior citizen or a PWD. So my father went with us. I don't know if I could have managed the process without him. Hehe.
2. Xray machine to check bags & we passed through the metal detector thingy. From here on, we were prioritized. Hihi. There were 2 xray machines and we were asked to pass the one without a long line. Then we entered another heavy metal door. :)
3. We lined up for our queue number. There were 3 windows in this area. We were asked to drop our appointment letter and DS-260s through the window slot then a number was attached to our DS-260. The lady personnel said we'd proceed inside the actual building through Door2 and drop our appointment letter in window 38.
4. We went in Door 2 and had my bags checked by a very friendly Pinay personnel while we passed another metal detector frame. Then dropped our appointment letter in win.38. Another lady personnel guided us and made us line for Step 1.
5. Step 1. Fingerprint Scanning/Biometrics processed at Windows 31-37. I was the only one who did the fingerprint scanning. The nice lady at window 31 said kids don't undergo this process. She also gave my son a chocolate candy. ;) She then asked a few questions like my full name and birthday. Then scanned my fingerprints. After the process, she asked us to proceed to Step 2, section A.
6. Step 2. Section A. We were still prioritized just like other applicants with kids and the oldies. This step is the initial interview. The nice lady at window 40(?). She's a Filipina but is really good in English (w/ Am accent). lol. She was smiling at my son who had just finished breastfeeding. She even said I could continue feeding him if he still wants but my son was already playing with my father as soon as I gave him up. The officer had our file in front of her and the paper stack was quite thick. :P
Here are the questions she asked (ones I could remember):
a) She checked our DS-260s and passports, asked my full name,birthday. Returned our DS-260s but kept our passports.
b) She asked for our documents (Birth Cert, Marriage Cert, NBI clearance) plus CEnoMAR! aha! Good thing I've read this in a forum. Other applicants ahead of us didn't have this. The officer said it's very good that I have CEnoMAR.
c) Also asked: Who's our petitioner? (my husband)
d) When did my husband migrate to US? (Sept 2012) How did he get there? (petitioned by his father)
e) When did we meet? (2006) How did we meet? (intro by common friend way back in college) When did we become bf/gf? (2006 too)
f) When was the last time I saw him (personally)? (2015, on vacation for our son's 1st birthday)
g) When was our wedding day? (check out my other blog entries to find out the answer. lol)
h) Is the baby my only child? (yes)
i) Did you travel abroad? (yes. I worked in Saudi) Anywhere else? (no.)
j) The officer asked if I brought old pictures of me & hubby + love letters. I said yes. But as I was giving the photos/letters to her, she said I can keep them and just show them later if the Consul will ask.
(If I remember more questions, I'll just add them later on) The lady officer then told us to proceed to Step 4. We skipped Step 3 (Oath Taking)
7. Step 4. Interview with the Consular Officer. Windows were just starting to open as we were lining up (priority group first. hehe). I was getting a bit nervous while waiting as I can hear the interview with the other applicants, though the ConOffs were generally nice.
I overheard some interviews and I think (my opinion only) the reasons some visas were delayed/if not completely denied right then were petty. One applicant, a mom with her 3 children, didn't even bring their marriage certificate and birth certificates. The other elderly man didn't know the new location/address of his petitioner. The other man can't remember or was unsure when he answered their wedding date. :(
I was called to window 61 and the ConOff was a pretty Asian-American. She asked my full name, my son's full name and our relationship with our companion (my tatay). She then allowed my son to leave with my father so he could play some more (they have a play area near the Step 4-section).
Unfortunately, or FORTUNATELY rather, the ConOff's computer had a problem. She apologized for the delay and she asked someone to help her fix the problem. After like 10minutes, she came back with our file folder in her hands. She scanned my fingerprints and made me take my oath (step 3 not skipped after all). I raised my right hand and answered yes to her oath question. :) Here are the other questions she asked:
a) My full name, son's full name
b) Our birthdays
c) Did you travel abroad? (yes. I worked in Saudi) Anywhere else? (no.)
d) When and how did we meet?
e) When was the last time I saw my husband (personally)?
f) She said, I see you have a co-sponsor, who is he? (my father-in-law)
All the while, I was smiling just a bit and the ConOff was typing (computer) & checking/writing on our file/documents. She was "gentle". I couldn't describe her in another way. She wasn't rude/strict but also was not smiling. She just seemed nice by the way she spoke.
The CLIMAX.
ConOff: So, we're done. Congratulations! You're visa's approved.
Me: (super smile) Thank you very much ma'am!
ConOff: I'm sorry I made you wait too long. (computer issue) Take this (a small piece of paper with instructions for registering shipping details online) and we'll just send you your passports/visas. You can go home now.
Me: It's okay ma'am. Thank you again. (still super smiling)
Haaaaay!! I was jumping inside when I heard those magic words! I whispered 'thank you Lord!'
I felt so relieved after all the stress: mentally, physically and financially. Hehe. I didn't expect that she'd only ask few questions and didn't even ask me for any more documents, photos, etc. After bringing a heavy bag full of paper. Haha! Well, it's better than being under prepared like the other applicants in the Embassy. And apparently, there's no need to pay for the shipping/courier service of the passports/visas anymore. My husband said during his time at the Embassy, he had to fill up a form at the courier booth inside the building (2Go) and pay for it as well.
We went out with big smiles. The result of our interview must have been obvious to the other applicants. :P It was 740am.
We're very blessed that everything went very well for us that day. My son, as always, was enjoying and playing with other people in line who was very fond of him. Thank God he is also breastfed as it was very convenient not to bring any more bottles, water, etc (I'm not sure if they allow these things inside the Embassy. Maybe). My father, was very patient with the 'makulit at malikot' as always.
I'll update this post when we receive our visas soon. :)
Grateful for this opportunity! Thank you God!
Tuesday is the DAY! Our interview appointment at the US Embassy in Manila was at 6:15am on January 12, 2016.
But before I share our interview experience, let me share the preparations before it.
1. We prayed. A LOT.
2. Hubby and I collected all documents required per the letter we received from NVC. I printed most and have them photocopied. Here's my checklist.
These made me worry less. But I still had some things bothering me before our interview:
a) I worked in Saudi Arabia for 2 years. I don't have a police clearance from there which the Embassy usually requires if you stay in a place for more than 6 months. However, I've read from their website that police certificates from Middle East are waived. But still, I was anxious about this.
b) I have a slightly different signature in one of the documents (newly wed signature :P ).
Now let me try to remember what happened on our appointment day. ;)
We arrived at the Embassy on January 12 just past 5am. And OMG was I surprised. I thought we were early. haha. There were several lines already arranged per time of appointment with like around 200 individuals per line! Plus there were lots of vendors and companions in the area as well.
As soon as we alighted our car, one Ate vendor asked us what time our interview sched is and quickly led us to the correct queue of applicants. Ate was really helpful, maybe with an agenda to sell too. She reminded us of the things needed and those not allowed so we could enter the Embassy.
It was really cold outside. My son was enjoying though. My father accompanied us again just like during our medical exam at St. Luke's last month. We, mommy and baby, wore matching denim outfits. Haha! Cuteness. Any little thing to help us with the process. :P
At around 6am, the lines started moving.
I'll try to summarize the next happenings :)
1. 1st check just outside the building. Embassy personnels asked for the 1st page of our Appointment Letter (1 only for both of us), DS-260 (one for me + one for my son) and our passports. The lady personnel put our open passport inside a ziplock bag with the biometric page facing out. Then we entered the building at 620am. Yes, a companion is allowed inside if the applicant is a child, a senior citizen or a PWD. So my father went with us. I don't know if I could have managed the process without him. Hehe.
2. Xray machine to check bags & we passed through the metal detector thingy. From here on, we were prioritized. Hihi. There were 2 xray machines and we were asked to pass the one without a long line. Then we entered another heavy metal door. :)
3. We lined up for our queue number. There were 3 windows in this area. We were asked to drop our appointment letter and DS-260s through the window slot then a number was attached to our DS-260. The lady personnel said we'd proceed inside the actual building through Door2 and drop our appointment letter in window 38.
4. We went in Door 2 and had my bags checked by a very friendly Pinay personnel while we passed another metal detector frame. Then dropped our appointment letter in win.38. Another lady personnel guided us and made us line for Step 1.
5. Step 1. Fingerprint Scanning/Biometrics processed at Windows 31-37. I was the only one who did the fingerprint scanning. The nice lady at window 31 said kids don't undergo this process. She also gave my son a chocolate candy. ;) She then asked a few questions like my full name and birthday. Then scanned my fingerprints. After the process, she asked us to proceed to Step 2, section A.
6. Step 2. Section A. We were still prioritized just like other applicants with kids and the oldies. This step is the initial interview. The nice lady at window 40(?). She's a Filipina but is really good in English (w/ Am accent). lol. She was smiling at my son who had just finished breastfeeding. She even said I could continue feeding him if he still wants but my son was already playing with my father as soon as I gave him up. The officer had our file in front of her and the paper stack was quite thick. :P
Here are the questions she asked (ones I could remember):
a) She checked our DS-260s and passports, asked my full name,birthday. Returned our DS-260s but kept our passports.
b) She asked for our documents (Birth Cert, Marriage Cert, NBI clearance) plus CEnoMAR! aha! Good thing I've read this in a forum. Other applicants ahead of us didn't have this. The officer said it's very good that I have CEnoMAR.
c) Also asked: Who's our petitioner? (my husband)
d) When did my husband migrate to US? (Sept 2012) How did he get there? (petitioned by his father)
e) When did we meet? (2006) How did we meet? (intro by common friend way back in college) When did we become bf/gf? (2006 too)
f) When was the last time I saw him (personally)? (2015, on vacation for our son's 1st birthday)
g) When was our wedding day? (check out my other blog entries to find out the answer. lol)
h) Is the baby my only child? (yes)
i) Did you travel abroad? (yes. I worked in Saudi) Anywhere else? (no.)
j) The officer asked if I brought old pictures of me & hubby + love letters. I said yes. But as I was giving the photos/letters to her, she said I can keep them and just show them later if the Consul will ask.
(If I remember more questions, I'll just add them later on) The lady officer then told us to proceed to Step 4. We skipped Step 3 (Oath Taking)
7. Step 4. Interview with the Consular Officer. Windows were just starting to open as we were lining up (priority group first. hehe). I was getting a bit nervous while waiting as I can hear the interview with the other applicants, though the ConOffs were generally nice.
I overheard some interviews and I think (my opinion only) the reasons some visas were delayed/if not completely denied right then were petty. One applicant, a mom with her 3 children, didn't even bring their marriage certificate and birth certificates. The other elderly man didn't know the new location/address of his petitioner. The other man can't remember or was unsure when he answered their wedding date. :(
I was called to window 61 and the ConOff was a pretty Asian-American. She asked my full name, my son's full name and our relationship with our companion (my tatay). She then allowed my son to leave with my father so he could play some more (they have a play area near the Step 4-section).
Unfortunately, or FORTUNATELY rather, the ConOff's computer had a problem. She apologized for the delay and she asked someone to help her fix the problem. After like 10minutes, she came back with our file folder in her hands. She scanned my fingerprints and made me take my oath (step 3 not skipped after all). I raised my right hand and answered yes to her oath question. :) Here are the other questions she asked:
a) My full name, son's full name
b) Our birthdays
c) Did you travel abroad? (yes. I worked in Saudi) Anywhere else? (no.)
d) When and how did we meet?
e) When was the last time I saw my husband (personally)?
f) She said, I see you have a co-sponsor, who is he? (my father-in-law)
All the while, I was smiling just a bit and the ConOff was typing (computer) & checking/writing on our file/documents. She was "gentle". I couldn't describe her in another way. She wasn't rude/strict but also was not smiling. She just seemed nice by the way she spoke.
The CLIMAX.
ConOff: So, we're done. Congratulations! You're visa's approved.
Me: (super smile) Thank you very much ma'am!
ConOff: I'm sorry I made you wait too long. (computer issue) Take this (a small piece of paper with instructions for registering shipping details online) and we'll just send you your passports/visas. You can go home now.
Me: It's okay ma'am. Thank you again. (still super smiling)
Haaaaay!! I was jumping inside when I heard those magic words! I whispered 'thank you Lord!'
I felt so relieved after all the stress: mentally, physically and financially. Hehe. I didn't expect that she'd only ask few questions and didn't even ask me for any more documents, photos, etc. After bringing a heavy bag full of paper. Haha! Well, it's better than being under prepared like the other applicants in the Embassy. And apparently, there's no need to pay for the shipping/courier service of the passports/visas anymore. My husband said during his time at the Embassy, he had to fill up a form at the courier booth inside the building (2Go) and pay for it as well.
We went out with big smiles. The result of our interview must have been obvious to the other applicants. :P It was 740am.
We're very blessed that everything went very well for us that day. My son, as always, was enjoying and playing with other people in line who was very fond of him. Thank God he is also breastfed as it was very convenient not to bring any more bottles, water, etc (I'm not sure if they allow these things inside the Embassy. Maybe). My father, was very patient with the 'makulit at malikot' as always.
I'll update this post when we receive our visas soon. :)
Grateful for this opportunity! Thank you God!
Wonderful Stuff.,Thank You..
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