some interview tips

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hello All:

we had our (successful) K-1 interview last week in Kiev. I thought I would pass along some tips. (I went to the interview and brought all the documents with me)

1. Take your documents with you in carry on baggage! In 30+ years of frequent air travel I never lost a bag, but on this trip, sure enough they lost my bag and I did not get it until the next day...disaster avoided! When I got out of the baggage area and told my fiancee they lost my bag, she almost fell over, but I said "Not to worry, sweetheart, all the documents are here" (in my small duffle over my shoulder) and she breathed a big sigh of relief! Oddly enough they lost my bag coming back also...with her wedding dress inside! We got it two days later, delivered to the house with her shampoo spilled all over her wedding dress! Nothing a cleaner can't fix, thank goodness.

2. Do not bring more than you need. They won't let you take anything but documents and your wallet inside the consulate so travel light.

3. The Kiev consulate has lines outside for appointment times. Arriving an hour early only assures you will wait outside for an hour. You WILL be let in precisely at your interview time.

4. If you use the bank branch nearest the consulate to pay your fees on the day of the appointment, allow at least a half hour for this. There are a LOT of visa applicants all doing the same thing. If you do not want to wait in line, pay it ahead of time at a bank branch farther from the consulate.

5. I brought lots more documents than I needed and two copies of everything. I also brought our entire I-129F file. Better to have it. It isn't like you can run home and get what you forgot. I highly recommend going with your fiancee if you can. For moral support if nothing else. My fiancee was such a nervous wreck (for no reason as it turned out) I do not think she could do it herself. I think she would have fainted when they called her name! Hey, I was nervous also and I am sure I would have been a complete wreck if I was here and knew she was there by herself. It was very simple and the people were very friendly, efficient and professional (see my review of the Kiev consulate)

Gary

[Reallyfrustrated 0]

Hello All:

we had our (successful) K-1 interview last week in Kiev. I thought I would pass along some tips. (I went to the interview and brought all the documents with me)

1. Take your documents with you in carry on baggage! In 30+ years of frequent air travel I never lost a bag, but on this trip, sure enough they lost my bag and I did not get it until the next day...disaster avoided! When I got out of the baggage area and told my fiancee they lost my bag, she almost fell over, but I said "Not to worry, sweetheart, all the documents are here" (in my small duffle over my shoulder) and she breathed a big sigh of relief! Oddly enough they lost my bag coming back also...with her wedding dress inside! We got it two days later, delivered to the house with her shampoo spilled all over her wedding dress! Nothing a cleaner can't fix, thank goodness.

2. Do not bring more than you need. They won't let you take anything but documents and your wallet inside the consulate so travel light.

3. The Kiev consulate has lines outside for appointment times. Arriving an hour early only assures you will wait outside for an hour. You WILL be let in precisely at your interview time.

4. If you use the bank branch nearest the consulate to pay your fees on the day of the appointment, allow at least a half hour for this. There are a LOT of visa applicants all doing the same thing. If you do not want to wait in line, pay it ahead of time at a bank branch farther from the consulate.

5. I brought lots more documents than I needed and two copies of everything. I also brought our entire I-129F file. Better to have it. It isn't like you can run home and get what you forgot. I highly recommend going with your fiancee if you can. For moral support if nothing else. My fiancee was such a nervous wreck (for no reason as it turned out) I do not think she could do it herself. I think she would have fainted when they called her name! Hey, I was nervous also and I am sure I would have been a complete wreck if I was here and knew she was there by herself. It was very simple and the people were very friendly, efficient and professional (see my review of the Kiev consulate)

Gary

Great post for those of us about ready for our consulate interview! I will be traveling to Belgrade, Serbia for our interview at the American Embassy in Belgrade. I have flown to Belgrade about 10 times since October of 2006 and my luggage was only lost once on the trip back. BUT, you are absolutely right, my documentation will not leave my sight. One question for you - were you asked any questions and were you able to help your fiancee answer any of the questions posed to her?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hello All:

we had our (successful) K-1 interview last week in Kiev. I thought I would pass along some tips. (I went to the interview and brought all the documents with me)

1. Take your documents with you in carry on baggage! In 30+ years of frequent air travel I never lost a bag, but on this trip, sure enough they lost my bag and I did not get it until the next day...disaster avoided! When I got out of the baggage area and told my fiancee they lost my bag, she almost fell over, but I said "Not to worry, sweetheart, all the documents are here" (in my small duffle over my shoulder) and she breathed a big sigh of relief! Oddly enough they lost my bag coming back also...with her wedding dress inside! We got it two days later, delivered to the house with her shampoo spilled all over her wedding dress! Nothing a cleaner can't fix, thank goodness.

2. Do not bring more than you need. They won't let you take anything but documents and your wallet inside the consulate so travel light.

3. The Kiev consulate has lines outside for appointment times. Arriving an hour early only assures you will wait outside for an hour. You WILL be let in precisely at your interview time.

4. If you use the bank branch nearest the consulate to pay your fees on the day of the appointment, allow at least a half hour for this. There are a LOT of visa applicants all doing the same thing. If you do not want to wait in line, pay it ahead of time at a bank branch farther from the consulate.

5. I brought lots more documents than I needed and two copies of everything. I also brought our entire I-129F file. Better to have it. It isn't like you can run home and get what you forgot. I highly recommend going with your fiancee if you can. For moral support if nothing else. My fiancee was such a nervous wreck (for no reason as it turned out) I do not think she could do it herself. I think she would have fainted when they called her name! Hey, I was nervous also and I am sure I would have been a complete wreck if I was here and knew she was there by herself. It was very simple and the people were very friendly, efficient and professional (see my review of the Kiev consulate)

Gary

Great post for those of us about ready for our consulate interview! I will be traveling to Belgrade, Serbia for our interview at the American Embassy in Belgrade. I have flown to Belgrade about 10 times since October of 2006 and my luggage was only lost once on the trip back. BUT, you are absolutely right, my documentation will not leave my sight. One question for you - were you asked any questions and were you able to help your fiancee answer any of the questions posed to her?

I was able to be in on the "interview" but there were no questions asked! It amounted to giving back her original documents and instructions on getting the visa sent! Then the man asked ME if I had any questions!!!! NO!!!! Let me out of here with the visa!

Gary

[Brad and Vika 129]

Congratulations and well done!! Where did you stay in Kiev?

[drbilldc 0]

Hello All:

we had our (successful) K-1 interview last week in Kiev. I thought I would pass along some tips. (I went to the interview and brought all the documents with me)

1. Take your documents with you in carry on baggage! In 30+ years of frequent air travel I never lost a bag, but on this trip, sure enough they lost my bag and I did not get it until the next day...disaster avoided! When I got out of the baggage area and told my fiancee they lost my bag, she almost fell over, but I said "Not to worry, sweetheart, all the documents are here" (in my small duffle over my shoulder) and she breathed a big sigh of relief! Oddly enough they lost my bag coming back also...with her wedding dress inside! We got it two days later, delivered to the house with her shampoo spilled all over her wedding dress! Nothing a cleaner can't fix, thank goodness.

2. Do not bring more than you need. They won't let you take anything but documents and your wallet inside the consulate so travel light.

3. The Kiev consulate has lines outside for appointment times. Arriving an hour early only assures you will wait outside for an hour. You WILL be let in precisely at your interview time.

4. If you use the bank branch nearest the consulate to pay your fees on the day of the appointment, allow at least a half hour for this. There are a LOT of visa applicants all doing the same thing. If you do not want to wait in line, pay it ahead of time at a bank branch farther from the consulate.

5. I brought lots more documents than I needed and two copies of everything. I also brought our entire I-129F file. Better to have it. It isn't like you can run home and get what you forgot. I highly recommend going with your fiancee if you can. For moral support if nothing else. My fiancee was such a nervous wreck (for no reason as it turned out) I do not think she could do it herself. I think she would have fainted when they called her name! Hey, I was nervous also and I am sure I would have been a complete wreck if I was here and knew she was there by herself. It was very simple and the people were very friendly, efficient and professional (see my review of the Kiev consulate)

Gary

CONGRATS!!!!!! this post brought up thoughts and emotions from about a month ago when we did the same thing...:) !!!!!!

very funny though..now that everything is ok..but we had little things go wrong like you...I.E. your wedding dress...waiting outside ..(that si the hardest part of the interview)....lol

but as Ekaterina says: "THIS is Ukraine" meaning ANYTHING can and usually does go wrong.

happy for you guys!!

Bill and Ekaterina