E-2 Interview Feedback

[Redsox]

Wanted to give the forum an update on our E-2 visa having read the forum for several months.

Application/Filing Date: 28 Feb (actual received date 6th March)

Adjudication: 15th September

(email identical to emelee re 221g)

Our attorney challenged the 221g email and received an acknowledgement that the additional information required was minimal and it wan't a 221g interview.

Interview: 11th Oct
Interviewing officer was very professional, courtious and fair, had read our business plan and asked relevent searching questions. (know your business plan!)

E-2 approved for our business (yipee!).

Wanted to just provide some definite dates and feedback to everyone during what we know is a very stressful time. We have stayed in the UK except for occassional visits to the US for meetings etc during this period.

Good luck to all those people waiting...

[Kitty]

Hello

Welcome and many congratulations, it is so good to here of a sucessful application.

Are you in the USA now or coming in the near future?

[Ron]

Hi Redsox

Congratulations and welcome

Could you please let us know what your attorney sees a 221g as ? Did he/she think this was a denial interview or just a request for further information?

I may be wrong by from what you say I get the impression your attorney thought it may be a denial interview.

Did the officer at embassy ask if you would keep a residence in the UK? Did the officer ask if you had children under 21 years old?

Just trying to find out the sorts or questions asked apart from details of your business plan.

[Redsox]

Our VA saw the 221g as a request for more information and absulutely not a denial - the subsequent email from the Embassy didn't mention 221g at all so her view was correct.

We had to produce a small amount of additional info that we took to the interview.

The officer had read our very detailed business plan and asked relevent questions. The business is a start-up high-tech company based in the mid-west. I think the most positive thing was being able to really show we understood the business and how it would meet the business plan projections.

We were not asked about children, but we don't have any. We were asked where we were currently living and if we owned the property. We have stayed in the UK during the visa processing. We sold our property in Feb to fund the business as per our business plan and the oficer was satisfied with this response.

We are now planning to move over in the near future.

[victoria]

Fantastic - congratulations. So nice to hear some good news - and particularly for me re a start up.

Can I ask when your start up started as it were? How often did you come into the US for your meetings?

[victoria]

Actually one more question. Did your Attorney correspond/chivvy the Embassy along during the process? Ours has very reluctantly sent only 2 brief emails - I honestly have no idea what is the best game plan - sitting back & waiting or pestering them (in the nicest possible way of course).

[Emmalee25]

Hi,
the first bit of positive info i have read since this whole sorry affair started, so thanks.
My VA seems to think that the 221g is just a reaquest for updated docs and most definitely NOT a denial too.
its just scary stuff when you dont know exactly what they want. My VA has RSVP'd my personal interview and we have been told we should have an appt in 4-6 weeks.
Em x

[victoria]

Funny how 4-6 wks doesn't seem too bad....

Did they give your VA any insight as to the 221g request given that they had said they would?

[Redsox]

The business was incorporated in January - I've been out approximately once a month since just for meetings and staying well within the limits of the Visa waiver. And yes, I'm totally fed up with air travel, especially the 'chicken or beef' airline food!!

Our fairly well known UK-based VA only sent two emails during the process - she made it clear at the start she doesn't chase the Embassy. We only ever asked her where we were in her list of clients so we always knew we were being dealt with in the same way as everyone else...

Our US business attorney pulled some other strings to find out what was happening at week 20 (of the 32 weeks!!) and it was clear the applications were being dealt with in order and 'there was no way of speeding up the process'. He was very confident pestering wouldn't help.

The officer who did the interview didn't seem to have any problem with the company being a start-up at all. As well as the business plan we had plenty of marketing information and sales leads showing the prospects for the business were good. The interview took around 10 minutes (after the 4 hour wait...).

[victoria]

No way - 10 minutes??!!! Somehow I imagined it would be much longer - perhaps you were just one of the really lucky ones or perhaps I'm just expecting the worst.

Thanks for your responses, very helpful. By the time of your interview were you on track with your business plan?

Personally I prefer the vegetarian option on virgin...

[mandy]

Congratulations Redsox, great news!!!

What a breath of fresh air for us E2'ers in the queue.

Some positive news for a change!!!!!:D

[Emmalee25]

a 10 min interview???????
thats quite annoying in its own way isnt it? 32 weeks of insecurity and waiting and the 10mins to decide yes or no???? sigh! i too imagined a thumb screw type interview, backed up to a wall being interrogated as to why i want to be there.....maybe ive had too long to think and my imagination is running away with me somewhat!!!!!!

P.s I DO NOT eat airline food....even on my trusted and wonderful Virgin..i take a lovely pack up instead :)
Em x

[Redsox]

Our VA briefed us that interviews are between 5 and 25 minutes normally. They actually take place at a counter like a Post Office (with glass between you) so any longer and they take you off to a room with a desk apparently...

I was initially thinking what only 10 mins??, but I was asked to explain the business and then he asked some good questions. Beleive me, it feels like longer than 10 minutes at the time!!!!

Victoria - no, our business was behind the plan - I made it clear in the BP that it was based on an April visa date. When I explained where we were, I was clear we had been able to trade properly without the visa because of the limitations of the visa waiver.

And come on - airline food is totally awful, but dont spoil the fun by ordering/bringing along real food :)

[Emmalee25]

Lol redsox's would hate to spil every one elses fun by throwing up across the draylon seats :)
you really have lifted my spirits after yesterdays feeling of despair.
will look forward to the glass pane...do you think its bullet proof???? do you think they feel the need of the protection from some disgrunteled rejectees???

Em x;)

[victoria]

Thanks Redsoxs - that's totally our scenario.

We were hoping that they would understand that a company with no CEO isn't going to be as successful as someone who's working there night & day. Sounds like they are appreciative of it...so fingers crossed.

Like Emma, you've certainly cheered me up - it's been such gloom & doom here & with total silence from the Embassy was starting to question my sanity.

I remember those cheery glass counters & that godawful sign that shows you are nowhere near the front of the queue... The first time I went for my interview I was hungover from h#ll and could not believe I had to sit in a hot stuffy room with no food & no phone - at least now they have airline cake & coffee to keep you going while you sit there & panic for hours on end!

[Emmalee25]

at least now they have airline cake & coffee to keep you going while you sit there & panic for hours on end!

:eek:

em x

[InnVic]

Even better than the glass counter at the interview is the sign at the government office here when we went to get our SS numbers. it said "it is a federal offence to kill a government employee"

...So if you just wound them is that okay?..or maybe you can only kill other people in the waiting room "without causing an offence" :-)

But I guess then you couldn't tick the not convicted of "Moral Turpitude" box on the VW card on the plane!