Interview day!

Well, today was the culmination of seven and a half months of form-filling and waiting - time for my visa interview at the US embassy in London.

I caught the train up yesterday (Sunday 17th) with my brother, staying at the "cheap as chips" Travelodge right next to Marylebone station - cheap was for a reason, mind...  The bathroom wasn't the most salubrious, no air-con, wi-fi costs extra - but the beds were comfortable enough.

This morning was interview time, so up at about 7.30am, shave, dress, black cab to North Audley Street so that I could put my phone into the safe-keeping of Gould Pharmacy, then wander down to the embassy.  Queued for a little while outside, then through the scanner (both me and my bag, separate scanners, naturally) and into the embassy proper.

At the welcome desk I was allocated my number (I915 - presumably the 15th immigration visa of the day) at 8.17am, and sent to the waiting area.

Find a seat, sit down, and wait....... and wait...... and wait.....

Take a book, this bit is very boring!

I was called through for the first part of the interview, where my documents are checked and my fingerprints taken by the scanner - this was at 10.15am.

Sent back to the waiting room again....

Half an hour later, my number is called again, and off I trot for the interview proper.  Scan one hand to prove it is I, raise my right hand and affirm that what I say will be the truth.  And off we go.

Well, off we go may be a slight exaggeration - I was asked if Gin and I had met, if I'd been in the US for more than 90 days at any one time and to complete one of the forms with Gin's full name and my signature.

That was it.


APPROVED!!!

All done by about 11.50am, sent to the courier desk to pay the fee, and off I jolly well trot out of the embassy.

Go back to the pharmacy, retrieve my phone and proceed to wake Gin up at 4am Utah-time with the good news - followed by my Mum & Dad, and then off to meet my brother for a very British shake of the hand in congratulation lol