It’s here! One year after starting the procedure… Now I have to renew it in April [to remove the conditions and get a 10-year one] 😆

Personal Blog
It’s here! One year after starting the procedure… Now I have to renew it in April [to remove the conditions and get a 10-year one] 😆

My interview was at 10am, I arrived a little early but as I read in testimonials (on visajourney for example), no need to arrive more than 15 minutes early because they will not let you in.
I had made the mistake of wearing heels (even if quite small!) but with the heat (I had my interview in the middle of a heat wave) I already had foot pain when I arrived.
I waited in the small park on the other side of the road and went at 9:45. The security guards at the entrance joked with me, but I can’t remember on what… but it was a relaxed atmosphere.
After this first security point, I presented my passport, my DS-260, the sealed envelope given at the medical examination and my criminal record.
1st security point and verification of your identity and appointments.
You then pass a second security check where they take all your electronic equipment (phone, headphones, and so on) and give you a badge to pick it up at the exit.
Once inside the embassy, an agent signaled me to go in line. There were a few people in front of me (about ten people), and I waited a good hour. The VERY bad surprise (compared to the fact that I did not want to land in flip flops when believe me a lot did not shy away) is that there are no seats! It just did not work out, the only benefit I would say is that I was so much in pain that it completely took precedence over my stress.
When I finally arrived at the first window, they took my fingerprints, checked my documents, gave me back the unnecessary duplicates – we actually already had provided a lot of originals so I did not need to bring all that (but caution is mother of safety …). In the end I think they only needed my pictures, my more recent criminal record and my sealed medical envelope. I have only been asked one question, who is my sponsor (my mother-in-law), is she married and does she have dependent children?
Everything was OK so I was told to go in line for the next window.
After another hour of unbearable suffering wait, I finally arrived at the window for the actual interview!
There is about zero confidentiality because while you are queuing you are roughly one meter behind the people who are interviewing.
I do not know if it’s because I arrived with a “Good morning” but my interview was conducted in English while all the other windows were in French.
The Consular Officer was impassive from A to Z, typing on his computer the whole time, stopping only to look at the file and mark a new page with his pen. He did not ask a lot of questions and kept typing at the same time. The annoying side for me is that I have a weak ear and I have a lot of trouble hearing 1) behind a thick glass 2) with noise around (as I was saying people waiting are right behind you ).
He asked me:
There was just a moment when he apologized and left for a minute, so I was afraid he had discovered a problem with our file, but he came back alone and continued typing.
After all these questions, he joined his hands and leaned a little towards me/the window and said “I guess you do but I have to ask you, are you aware of his legal situation?” I answered “Yes” and I was expecting other questions on the subject to follow but he said “Looks like everything is okay, your visa has been approved, you’ll receive it in about ten days”.
I didn’t even know how to react on the moment, I just said “okay …”. He did not ask for any proof of relationship or anything extra. I happily thanked him and greeted him all the same, but my foot pain prevented me from doing my little victory dance in the bathroom.
To give you an idea, here is our complete timeline for my visa:
You probably noticed that we lost a month at the NVC stage. It’s because, despite my emails to our lawyer asking if everything was ready to be sent as soon as the file would arrive at the NVC, he was missing a document quite long to get for my mother-in-law and he also insisted that we try to get a social security card for Alan… when I KNEW that it was impossible. In the end, the prison gave us a paper confirming his security number so it was not completely useless, but everything could have LARGELY been done in advance and ready to go in time.
After successfully completing the USCIS and NVC steps, your file is sent to the US Embassy in Paris (or wherever you’re from).
Almost 3 weeks after having our Case Complete, we finally received the “Packet 4”, which contains the date and time of interview, a reminder on the last necessary steps and a checklist of papers to bring to the interview.
I do not think I said it before because it must have seemed obvious, but all correspondence/information is in English.
First, go to nvc.state.gov/interview to download the PDF corresponding to your embassy (Paris for us) which explains everything in details.
Several steps are included in this step 3:
If your visa is granted, your passport will be kept and your file will update to Administrative Processing. Not to be confused with the AP that some complicated case files face. Here, it just means that your visa will be printed.
You can follow the evolution on the CEAC website.

After Administrative Processing, it will change to Issued. You just have to wait to receive your passport with your visa at home! It will also be accompanied by an envelope that must not be opened and that will be given to the agent at your Point of Entry in the USA. You must then pay the last $220* Immigration Fee (the cost of your Green Card).
* as always, fees vary from one year to another so check them here.
Once step 1 is behind you, your file is sent to the National Visa Center.
Second step: NVC

There are then 2 “requests” to manage simultaneously.
The DS-260 (there is no order, you can start with this one or the other).
This is an online questionnaire that you fill out on https://ceac.state.gov/IV/Login.aspx with your case number and your invoice number. Watch out, it’s long! Fortunately, you can save it and fill it in several times.
The information to provide:
Once you have completed everything and re-checked (several times and with a rested head!), you submit.
The I-864 packet.
To build this packet, you must follow the instructions of your cover sheet. The papers depend on your situation and what you have already provided in your initial file.
Here is a list of what is needed:
You then send it by mail and the day your file arrives at the NVC is what is called your Scan Date (the day the file is entered into the system). Then starts the wait again, which used to be short (between 2 and 4 weeks) before but can sometimes go up to 12 weeks (we waited 9 weeks) since your Scan Date.
If you have forgotten a document… it’s horror! You will receive a checklist and it will be necessary to provide these documents as soon as possible BUT the date of their arrival at the NVC will be your new Scan Date so… yes, you have guessed right, you must wait again for a similar amount of time!
Once everything is OK you finally have CASE COMPLETE (you receive a letter/email)! At this point, you can begin to relax, because you fulfill all the administrative and financial conditions to obtain the visa (but there is still the medical visit and the famous interview).
Your file is then sent to the embassy.