As I previously posted, on Tuesday I flew to California for the purpose of applying for a fiance visa. I went to the consulate on Wednesday and thought everything was in order. I had all the documentation called for on their list, plus some that wasn't on their list. Instead of the low-stress experience I was expecting I was interrogated at every turn.
1. The fact that I only had 2 pictures of us together, never mind almost 3 years worth of emails, cards, phone records, airline ticket stubs, etc. The clerk just couldn't fathom us not having had more pictures taken together. I explained that a) I don't like having my picture taken, b) we didn't know our relationship was going to take this turn when we were together before so there was no reason in our minds to take more pictures and c) since most of our time together was spent at his house there was nobody else around to take pictures of us together.
2. Why it took me a month from the time I was turned away at Gatwick to come apply for my visa. I explained that a) boyfriend had to gather up all the documentation he was required to submit and mail it to me b) that documentation was floating around in the mail system for 15 days, and c) I live in Oklahoma and couldn't just hop on the first plane to LA unless I wanted to pay an exhorbitant amount for a ticket. From the day I received the documents to the day I hit California was 1 week exactly and that was because I purchased a 7-day advance ticket at a decent price. She asked me three times why I'd waited so long and got the same answer each time.
3. The sponsorship (intent) letter from my boyfriend and the letter from his employer are both dated July 29. The clerk told me I have to get more recently dated letters for both. She wouldn't accept either one of them and didn't care that it was because they were in the mail. She said for all she knew he (boyfriend) has now changed his mind and doesn't wish to marry me or he has lost his job.
4. I brought 6 months worth of bank statements for both me and the boyfriend. When he mailed me his things he had the July statement. The last statement I received on my account is July. She wouldn't accept those. She wants the August statements.....I tried to explain to her that I can't get mine that quickly because my bank is in Oklahoma (this earned me a grunt of disgust from her) and they will not fax bank statements based on a phone call.
There were several other things as well, such as a nasty snide comment that was made about our age difference (he's 10 years younger than I am).
Boyfriend is going to fax the letters to the consulate in the morning. I have access to his account information via the web and am going to fax a copy of his August statement (oh boy did that get me a look of shock and horror when she found out I have access to his bank accounts!!) I'm still trying to figure out how to get a copy of my bank statement. I think they're just going to have to be satisfied with a printout of my online banking activity. If they won't accept that then I'm screwed because my bank WILL NOT fax statements. They must be mailed through the U.S. postal system and that takes anywhere from 5-10 days to reach me....by the time I got it she'd want the next month's!
Now mind you, this was during the process of turning in the application and documentation so I could pay the fee, not the official interview that I am still expecting to be called in (she confirmed the fact that I will definitely have to come in for a face-to-face interview) for once Gatwick has sent the information on why I was denied entry in July.
Call me psychic or just call me paranoid but this is exactly why I made my trip to California for a duration of almost 2 weeks. I just knew that if something could go awry it would....and this was just in the first step of the application process!
If I didn't know better I'd say that the clerk I had today at the consulate is the mother of the immigration officer I had the distinct "pleasure" of meeting at Gatwick in July.
Have any of you had a similar experience?
