Question about possibility of interview

[steph816]

they try at all costs to avoid an interview - it's even written in their OP. But yeah, if they suspect your marriage may not be "bona fide", or they have questions about your evidence, or they simply need you to sign an additional form or document, they will call you for an interview.

as for the phone records....if the calling card shows an actual number (i.e. it appears on sponsor's phone records - ) then all you need to do is highlight those calls, and then make a stat declaration stating that the phone numbers belong to the sponsor and the applicant....this is proof enough, they don 't track phone numbers etc.... This is what a lawyer advised us to do. I did all my calling from my land line to my husband's various cell phone #s and that was good enough. He just signed that those were his numbers. my phone records had my name and address on them. =) good luck!

 

[canadianwoman]

Phone cards by themselves are not useful. If you can get some record from the company, or other proof of who you called with them (as noted in earlier posts), then they have some use.
The regional guides for some countries say to not send phone cards; for these countries I would not include them (unless I had further records from the company). If the regional guide for your country does not say to not send the cards, then I would include them. Most visa officers think they are worthless as evidence, but a couple of forum members have had their phone cards accepted as evidence, so including them won't hurt your application. At worst, the visa officer will just ignore them.

As for the sponsor being interviewed with an outland application: occasionally the visa officer will phone the sponsor (very rare). They will never expect you to come to the applicant's country to be interviewed. However, if the sponsor happens to be in the applicant's country when the interview is scheduled, and goes with the applicant to the embassy, then the visa officer will probably want to interview you too. This happened to me. My suggestion: if you are with the applicant in the city where the interview is being held, don't accompany him/her to the embassy. If the VO asks where you are, the applicant can say 'waiting at the hotel/at home'.

 

[KJG]

Phone cards by themselves are not useful. If you can get some record from the company, or other proof of who you called with them (as noted in earlier posts), then they have some use.
The regional guides for some countries say to not send phone cards; for these countries I would not include them (unless I had further records from the company). If the regional guide for your country does not say to not send the cards, then I would include them. Most visa officers think they are worthless as evidence, but a couple of forum members have had their phone cards accepted as evidence, so including them won't hurt your application. At worst, the visa officer will just ignore them.

As for the sponsor being interviewed with an outland application: occasionally the visa officer will phone the sponsor (very rare). They will never expect you to come to the applicant's country to be interviewed. However, if the sponsor happens to be in the applicant's country when the interview is scheduled, and goes with the applicant to the embassy, then the visa officer will probably want to interview you too. This happened to me. My suggestion: if you are with the applicant in the city where the interview is being held, don't accompany him/her to the embassy. If the VO asks where you are, the applicant can say 'waiting at the hotel/at home'.

Hi Canadianwoman.....I was going to go if my husband got called for an interview...would the VO office not question why you did not accompany your spouse to the embassy but rather stayed at the hotel/home if they travelled all that way???? Just trying to figure out if it is maybe better that I stay in Canada since that seems to be the practice....but when my husband and I talked about it we thought it be better if I was there...now I don't know???

 

[canadianwoman]

I think this is just up to each person's opinion. I feel it was bad that I was interviewed too - I was nervous. Also, interviewing both gives the VO the chance to ask the same questions, and you had better have the same answers. Usually, the applicant will just have to agree with the application forms. To me, having the sponsor there too just adds one more scared, nervous person to the mix.

Others have gone to the embassy, and felt it was the right thing to do. I think if the two of you are living together in the interview city, then going to the embassy with the applicant seems like the normal thing to do and shows support. If you're just visiting, I don't know. I felt it was a mistake for me to have been there.

 

[KJG]

That you for your candidcy. My husband and I do not live together and frankly when we discussed me being there for the interview it was for moral support only...a united front so to speak.....we did not entertain the idea of me also being interviewed. I think we will talk about this some more.....like you said it does create more pressure if you know that you both might be interviewed and that your answers better be the same.....yikes!!!!

 

[Steph C]

I think this is just up to each person's opinion. I feel it was bad that I was interviewed too - I was nervous. Also, interviewing both gives the VO the chance to ask the same questions, and you had better have the same answers. Usually, the applicant will just have to agree with the application forms. To me, having the sponsor there too just adds one more scared, nervous person to the mix.

Others have gone to the embassy, and felt it was the right thing to do. I think if the two of you are living together in the interview city, then going to the embassy with the applicant seems like the normal thing to do and shows support. If you're just visiting, I don't know. I felt it was a mistake for me to have been there.

Canadianwoman, did you end up getting the visa after going to the interview?

 

[I.N]

We have gotten good at the waiting part, wifey did a name change when she went back to the Phils, that resulted in a nearly 11 month delay, as they processed the name change, the marriage report and then changes of name for her and her sons passports. Yeah nearly a year lost because of a simple name change.

Oh well that part is over, now we are just getting our forms and paperwork together to start the process with CIC. Then it will be waiting part duex

Dan

You are a real alive exemple of what is means "waiting".... , God! How you manage to do all that?!
Well...everybody has to do his part, and I could say to you Congrats! You will doing great!

All the best!!

I.N.

 

[Dan_from_Surrey]

You are a real alive exemple of what is means "waiting".... , God! How you manage to do all that?!
Well...everybody has to do his part, and I could say to you Congrats! You will doing great!

All the best!!

I.N.

It hasn't been easy, especially when we just had both our birthdays and our anniversary just pass with in the last few weeks.

The worst part was waiting on the Philippines Government to move onthe paper work! My last visit to the Philippines Consulate to inquire about the delays and progress resulted in me simply taking a seat and saying I would happily wait for their person to return, and not simply be turned away resulted in a two hour wait for someone who was apperantly out of the office, to magically appear from the back some place. Amazing how just digging your heels in sometimes can pay off

For us though, now that we are so close to finally getting our paper work submitted to CIC, it finally feels like we are starting to make progress. Even though our ordeal is a year into it, and we still haven't submitted anything (yet) I think of a friend from work, who was trying to sponsor his wife from Ethipoia, and for them, that took nearly four years! I think of that, and our wait doesn't seem quite so bad

Reading other people's stories (especially the sucsesful ones) gives a lot of encouragement.

And to anyone else reading this who is currently separated, and waiting, my advice, find a hobby or something you enjoy and are passionate about to help pass the time, just sitting and watching TV all day or night will be the end of you, keep your mind occupied.

Dan

 

[Steph C]

I hear you regarding the paperwork! Philippines and paperwork do not mix.

 

[Bold9900]

I think this is just up to each person's opinion. I feel it was bad that I was interviewed too - I was nervous. Also, interviewing both gives the VO the chance to ask the same questions, and you had better have the same answers. Usually, the applicant will just have to agree with the application forms. To me, having the sponsor there too just adds one more scared, nervous person to the mix.

Others have gone to the embassy, and felt it was the right thing to do. I think if the two of you are living together in the interview city, then going to the embassy with the applicant seems like the normal thing to do and shows support. If you're just visiting, I don't know. I felt it was a mistake for me to have been there.

Hi Canadianwoman,

You said is a mistake for you, did you both pass the interview?

 

[Marty11]

My suggestion: if you are with the applicant in the city where the interview is being held, don't accompany him/her to the embassy. If the VO asks where you are, the applicant can say 'waiting at the hotel/at home'.

Not necessarily true. I think it is on a case by case based. I was with my wife when she was scheduled for the interview, although it was not necessary for me to be there (just available for an eventual phone call, if necessary) and, surpise, the VO officer intervied me first, then she called my wife. Maybe it depends on the VO, but being there with your spouse at the interview I think adds a lot of weight for the success of the interview. Just my 2 cents.

 

[canadianwoman]

Canadianwoman, did you end up getting the visa after going to the interview?

No, my husband was rejected.

I agree that the sponsor being there shows support. But in our case, it would have been better if I had not been interviewed. Now, maybe if I had stayed at the hotel the visa officer would have said "The sponsor is here in town with the applicant, but has not come to the embassy. This seems suspicious. Blah, blah, blah."