How does then interview work as far as reviewing papers?

[Antonio y Olga 1]

We are planning to bring to the interview so much evidence, photo albums, tickets, e-mails, phone records that we have a pretty large file so this leads me to ask, .....does one turn over the paperwork to the consul before the interview and then they go and digest it and come back or do they interview and ask for papers one by one?

thanks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[N&D 0]

Ours worked like this:

The consul swore her in.

He said "have you ever been to the US?" She said no of course

He said "this should make your husband happy, please come back on Monday to pick up your visa"

Gave her a card with "K" stamped on it, and that was that.

All the C--p she brought wasn't even opened or asked about

The only paperwork that was turned in ahead of time was the packet III stuff.

[ladyinpink 1]

Ours worked like this:

The consul swore her in.

He said "have you ever been to the US?" She said no of course

He said "this should make your husband happy, please come back on Monday to pick up your visa"

Gave her a card with "K" stamped on it, and that was that.

All the C--p she brought wasn't even opened or asked about

The only paperwork that was turned in ahead of time was the packet III stuff.

wonderful!!!!congrats

[vickydeutsch 0]

We are planning to bring to the interview so much evidence, photo albums, tickets, e-mails, phone records that we have a pretty large file so this leads me to ask, .....does one turn over the paperwork to the consul before the interview and then they go and digest it and come back or do they interview and ask for papers one by one?

thanks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It depends on the consul I think... my interview with the consul was like this:

First, i gave the forms D156, D156K and the other form which is included in the package to the first window

Then, in the next window, i gave the lady the medical exam, my birth certificate, my fiance's tax returns, the affidavit of support. I showed her some emails which she read. I had more emails but she read only three or four emails.

Then with the consul, I just had my fingerprints, i signed a form and that's it. I had my photo album, a folder with tons of emails, chats, history phone calls, birthdays' cards, boarding passes, etc, etc.

He just asked me some few questions and i was approved.

[TBoneTX 46,137]

Indonesia (N&D's embassy) is not Latin America, and the ease of that poster's interview, while enviable, should in no way be considered typical of what can happen in Latin America.

In general, the paperwork and your supporting evidence might be turned over to a FSN (Foreign Service National), a local native employee. The FSN would then turn it over to a consul. Alternatively, you might hand it all directly to a consul. Consult the lively thread in the Latin American regional subforum for specifics about the Bogota embassy.

Bogota does seem to be one of the better-run consular operations. It is high-volume, so the best consular personnel in the world will largely be assigned there. The key thing regarding consular interviews in Latin America is for both of the couple to be there for the first interview. Vicky (above) was extremely fortunate. Some of the rest of us (see my signature) were not.

EDIT: Good grief -- original post was from January 2008. Advice in this post is still valid, however.

Edited October 16, 2008 by TBoneTX