Not going to be with fiance during interview......

[rebeccajo 14]

As the USC, I will insist that any consul review and understand EVERY piece of documentation that we have, in detail, while I am standing there, until he says, "Enough -- we will issue the visa." They may be able to bully a sweet Ecuatoriana, but I'm going to have my day in their court, and woe betide them if they try to pull any monkeyshines. Si, man.

[TBoneTX 45,304]

As the USC, I will insist that any consul review and understand EVERY piece of documentation that we have, in detail, while I am standing there, until he says, "Enough -- we will issue the visa." They may be able to bully a sweet Ecuatoriana, but I'm going to have my day in their court, and woe betide them if they try to pull any monkeyshines. Si, man.

Noted. To clarify, I will be respectful yet firm, and will "read" the consul to see what approach is most called for (battle of wits, ego-stroking, etc.). I will prepare for the worst just in case, but it could just as readily be that the interview will proceed amicably and straightforwardly. I won't "turn stupid" unless they do so first.

[rebeccajo 14]

As the USC, I will insist that any consul review and understand EVERY piece of documentation that we have, in detail, while I am standing there, until he says, "Enough -- we will issue the visa." They may be able to bully a sweet Ecuatoriana, but I'm going to have my day in their court, and woe betide them if they try to pull any monkeyshines. Si, man.

Noted. To clarify, I will be respectful yet firm, and will "read" the consul to see what approach is most called for (battle of wits, ego-stroking, etc.). I will prepare for the worst just in case, but it could just as readily be that the interview will proceed amicably and straightforwardly. I won't "turn stupid" unless they do so first.

If the CO decides to 'turn stupid' it's not going to be beneficial to do likewise.

I'd also suggest respectful, relaxed, friendly and self-assured over 'respectful yet firm'.

[TBoneTX 45,304]

If the CO decides to 'turn stupid' it's not going to be beneficial to do likewise.

I'd also suggest respectful, relaxed, friendly and self-assured over 'respectful yet firm'.

Noted; thanks. "Calm and steady" is the goal on this end.

[IrieCat 2]

My Fiance had his interview Tuesday and I was not there. We made sure he had all the evidence we could get together. My mother wrote a letter, a mutual friend wrote a letter and I wrote an explaination as to why I could not be there (single mom, end of school year etc). They didnt ask for a shred of evidence and approved him. I think it is the luck of the draw. Louis is calm, confident and open to share his feelings for me. He is not shy. I think his personality benefitted him.. I was nervous about not being there but it worked out.

If you can't go - dont beat yourself up about it. If they deny they will most likely grant a 2nd interview and then you can call everyone you know and ask for a loan and get to the 2nd interview. :-)

[TBoneTX 45,304]

My Fiance had his interview Tuesday and I was not there. We made sure he had all the evidence we could get together. My mother wrote a letter, a mutual friend wrote a letter and I wrote an explaination as to why I could not be there (single mom, end of school year etc). They didnt ask for a shred of evidence and approved him. I think it is the luck of the draw. Louis is calm, confident and open to share his feelings for me. He is not shy. I think his personality benefitted him.. I was nervous about not being there but it worked out.

If you can't go - dont beat yourself up about it. If they deny they will most likely grant a 2nd interview and then you can call everyone you know and ask for a loan and get to the 2nd interview. :-)

Very happy for you, si man!

[motu 6]

TBoneTx - if you turn hostile they would just tell you to go away - its very common at some consulates. In India I observed this many years ago - one of the applicants kept insisting on being heard (he wasn't too loud or obnoxious) but the interviewer told him to leave - walked away from the 'window' and the next number was called to that window in another few seconds. I saw this happen several times while waiting my turn. Your being a USC may have some bearing on it but he could terminate the interview and turn away the applicant. And hostile is what they deem hostile - not what you think may be hostile. I have seen too many people get caught in this and lose not only at the consulates but other places too. Just go to the interview and handle it in a calm, cool manner. Good Luck

[TBoneTX 45,304]

TBoneTx - if you turn hostile they would just tell you to go away - its very common at some consulates. In India I observed this many years ago - one of the applicants kept insisting on being heard (he wasn't too loud or obnoxious) but the interviewer told him to leave - walked away from the 'window' and the next number was called to that window in another few seconds. I saw this happen several times while waiting my turn. Your being a USC may have some bearing on it but he could terminate the interview and turn away the applicant. And hostile is what they deem hostile - not what you think may be hostile. I have seen too many people get caught in this and lose not only at the consulates but other places too. Just go to the interview and handle it in a calm, cool manner. Good Luck

This does not sound hopeful, then, and it conforms with other statements that these consulates are their own little "fiefdoms" where some of the COs can be drunk with power. Regardless, if they drag my USC rear end down there (I was ORDERED to appear), then they're going to hear me. No bull-in-china-shop behavior, but I will insist that the originally and supplementally provided evidence be adequately examined.

[BigCityDave 0]

TBoneTx - if you turn hostile they would just tell you to go away - its very common at some consulates. In India I observed this many years ago - one of the applicants kept insisting on being heard (he wasn't too loud or obnoxious) but the interviewer told him to leave - walked away from the 'window' and the next number was called to that window in another few seconds. I saw this happen several times while waiting my turn. Your being a USC may have some bearing on it but he could terminate the interview and turn away the applicant. And hostile is what they deem hostile - not what you think may be hostile. I have seen too many people get caught in this and lose not only at the consulates but other places too. Just go to the interview and handle it in a calm, cool manner. Good Luck

This does not sound hopeful, then, and it conforms with other statements that these consulates are their own little "fiefdoms" where some of the COs can be drunk with power. Regardless, if they drag my USC rear end down there (I was ORDERED to appear), then they're going to hear me. No bull-in-china-shop behavior, but I will insist that the originally and supplementally provided evidence be adequately examined.

The only problem is the CO can ask the USC to step into the waiting room and hold the interview with only the beneficiary if he or she wishes.

[TBoneTX 45,304]

The only problem is the CO can ask the USC to step into the waiting room and hold the interview with only the beneficiary if he or she wishes.

True, yet it follows that because I was ordered to be there, I will be spoken with by them as a mandatory facet of this second interview.

[Cassie 8]

The only problem is the CO can ask the USC to step into the waiting room and hold the interview with only the beneficiary if he or she wishes.

True, yet it follows that because I was ordered to be there, I will be spoken with by them as a mandatory facet of this second interview.

But don't be surprised if that doesn't happen.

Edited June 1, 2008 by Cassie

[rebeccajo 14]

TBoneTx - if you turn hostile they would just tell you to go away - its very common at some consulates. In India I observed this many years ago - one of the applicants kept insisting on being heard (he wasn't too loud or obnoxious) but the interviewer told him to leave - walked away from the 'window' and the next number was called to that window in another few seconds. I saw this happen several times while waiting my turn. Your being a USC may have some bearing on it but he could terminate the interview and turn away the applicant. And hostile is what they deem hostile - not what you think may be hostile. I have seen too many people get caught in this and lose not only at the consulates but other places too. Just go to the interview and handle it in a calm, cool manner. Good Luck

This does not sound hopeful, then, and it conforms with other statements that these consulates are their own little "fiefdoms" where some of the COs can be drunk with power. Regardless, if they drag my USC rear end down there (I was ORDERED to appear), then they're going to hear me. No bull-in-china-shop behavior, but I will insist that the originally and supplementally provided evidence be adequately examined.

TBoneTx -

I'm going to go out on a limb here and conjecture that much of your opinion regarding 'fiefdoms' comes from lack of research and understanding of the consular process. And I'm going to go out on that limb because of your past case history which indicates a lack of same, including a call for a 'better organization' of consular accounts on this website when such a system already exists (not to mention the VJ search feature; not to mention the plethora of other immigration websites out there; not to mention Google; etc.)

Consular officers interviewing visa petitioners are doing their job which includes a charge from our government to prevent foreign born individuals from circumventing US immigration law via a family connection to a USC. They wouldn't be charged with this duty if there were no reason for it. Family based visas are the only category within US immigration with no numerical limit. At the present time we don't require our family-based immigrants to fall through any sort of 'filters' regarding ability to speak english; educational credentials; work skills; or any other criteria such as other nations do. The only 'proof' the US government seeks is that the familial relationship under which the visa petition was filed be a bonafide one. In short, if you wanna come to the US, just find a US citizen to file a visa petition for you.

It's quite easy for an immigrant to feign interest in an unsuspecting and gullible USC for the purpose of a future of living in the USA. It's quite easy for USC's and immigrants to conspire together by feigning a mutual interest in each other in exchange for mutual benefits (a cash payment to the USC and life in the US for the immigrant). And in some countries, both of these behaviors are escalated in comparison to other countries. The nation of birth of your fiance is one of the highest fraud consulates in the world.

You weren't 'ordered' to appear at the consulate. You don't have to go. You only have to go if your beneficiary wishes to have their request of the US government answered. Many a USC has journeyed to their beneficiaries side for the consular interview, including myself.

Anybody can sit stateside and dial a phone daily to force a visa petition through the benign paper process of USCIS for NOA2. But as you have personally witnessed, the grant of a visa is an entirely different bar to be crossed. If the visa beneficiary is less than convincing at the consular window the USC may have to be inconvenienced with a journey to that consulate. If I were you and I believed my fiance's intentions towards me were genuine and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with that person, I'd be eating crow on interview day instead of getting my back up. You aren't the 'man with the gold' on interview day - the CO is.

Si, man?

Edited June 1, 2008 by rebeccajo

[CoolHand2x2y2z 0]

I must be missing something. I thought only the spouse being sponsored is supposed to attend.

I got this from the embassy in Vietnam:

I am a petitioner. May I attend the visa interview with my relative?

As is standard practice around the world, we do not permit the petitioner to attend the immigrant visa interview. Our officers are trained to conduct interviews in Vietnamese. If the applicant is still unable to understand the questions posed to them, we will provide a local employee who will translate for the applicant.

http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/faq3.html

[rebeccajo 14]

I must be missing something. I thought only the spouse being sponsored is supposed to attend.

I got this from the embassy in Vietnam:

I am a petitioner. May I attend the visa interview with my relative?

As is standard practice around the world, we do not permit the petitioner to attend the immigrant visa interview. Our officers are trained to conduct interviews in Vietnamese. If the applicant is still unable to understand the questions posed to them, we will provide a local employee who will translate for the applicant.

http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/faq3.html

Different consulates have different policies regarding whether or not the USC may attend the interview. And some consulates will publish that they do not allow the USC to attend, but research may yield anecdotal evidence to the contrary. Some consulates will firmly not admit the USC, but the USC waiting outside the consulate is oftentimes a bird in the hand for the visa beneficiary should the interview go awry.

Onus is on the USC and the beneficiary to do their homework and determine which scenario fits them. A decision might be made based upon the denial ratio and typical interview patterns/styles for that consulate.

[CoolHand2x2y2z 0]

Thanks! I need to look into this.