Getting Married In South Africa - Part 2
So… we left DHA dejected and stressed beyond belief. Not only had they rejected our paperwork, but their availability for marriage interviews was mid-October.
…and the clock was ticking…
Phone Calls, Emails, And Sheer Panic
Immediately after walking out of DHA, I called the US Consulate in Cape Town. After all the horror stories we heard in the Love Is Not Tourism groups, I was amazed that I got a live person on the phone.
It would have been better if the person was actually helpful. Instead, they directed me to their website to make an appointment to come in and get my cover letter for my Letter of No Impediment that said the US doesn’t issue Letters of No Impediment.
So, I went to the website on my phone to find an appointment.
Side Note to the US State Department - It’s 2021… make your website MOBILE FRIENDLY!
The first appointment I was able to book?
Mid October. Yes, the same mid October timeframe that DHA said their first availability for marriage interviews would be.
Needless to say the anxiety level increased exponentially.
Fortunately, after multiple emails pleading for help (and multiple automated responses) the Consulate was able to rebook my appointment for the next week, only 4 days later.
The Consulate trip was pretty easy. We left the house at kak o’clock to make it all the way across Cape Town to make our 7:45am appointment.
About an hour and $50 later, we left with our cover letter and a second single status affidavit.
DHA Take Two
On the advice of our marriage official, we returned to DHA to resubmit our paperwork a second time. Naturally this meant a trip to South African Police to get our 97th set of copies certified…again.
I have nothing but good things to say about the Stellenbosch Police station and their staff. They were very friendly, helpful, and even laughed with us when we shared bits of our story with them.
With yet another set of certified copies in hand, we set off back to DHA to resubmit our documentation.
SUCCESS!
Clearly, second time was the charm. Our paperwork was accepted and the immigration official said they would call us for our interview once she verified the documents.
Within just a few days, DHA called and said our documents were acceptable and could we come in for our interview in 3 days time.
The Interrogation
Welcome to Home Affairs
We have a few questions for you…
We arrived for our interview and our quiet, unassuming DHA officer handed us our questionnaire and two sheets of paper. Then she said the words that made us both begin to sweat.
“Write out the history of your relationship and if you get even one date wrong, you fail.”
So we wrote…and wrote…and wrote…and wrote…
If I couldn’t remember the exact day, I put month and year. Both of us spared no details in the two and a half page essay we each drafted.
Then came the questionnaire.
What’s your partner’s shoe size?
What’s their favorite food?
What do they like to wear?
Do you enjoy breakfast together?
…and on and on and on…
We finished our essays and questionnaires, and handed them to the DHA officer.
She looked them over, asked us a few more questions and gave us the approval!
The SA government had now decided that this American import was legit and we could get married!!
…Part 3, the finale, coming soon…
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