So...how often do Interviews fail?

[A_I_S 0]

I've so far been treating an interview as "Ok, show up, answer a question or two and you're done"...am I right to do that?

If the paperwork is in order (that's what NVC and USCIS is for), we meet the financial requirements, my wife didn't check any of the self-incriminating checkboxes on DS-230...

why should they deny a visa at the consulate?

I know there are some weird cases that have to do with religion (like the poor Pakistani couple who filed for K1 but was told to refile for K3 since they had religious wedding) and embassy will put more scrutiny into "old rich white guy and 20 year old Thai girl" (no offense to Thais, but this is the stereotype), but should the 90% of the couples worry when going for an interview? By worry I don't mean jittery nerves just for the hell of it, but rather "the consulate routinely denies 50% of visas due to this, that and that"?

Thanks.

[cmnb 0]

I've so far been treating an interview as "Ok, show up, answer a question or two and you're done"...am I right to do that?

If the paperwork is in order (that's what NVC and USCIS is for), we meet the financial requirements, my wife didn't check any of the self-incriminating checkboxes on DS-230...

why should they deny a visa at the consulate?

I know there are some weird cases that have to do with religion (like the poor Pakistani couple who filed for K1 but was told to refile for K3 since they had religious wedding) and embassy will put more scrutiny into "old rich white guy and 20 year old Thai girl" (no offense to Thais, but this is the stereotype), but should the 90% of the couples worry when going for an interview? By worry I don't mean jittery nerves just for the hell of it, but rather "the consulate routinely denies 50% of visas due to this, that and that"?

Thanks.

basically, if your file doesnt have anything that would raise an eyebrow...then you shud be fine. atleast thats what i think. they cant just deny you a visa..they need to give you a good reason why and give u the grounds of denial which can be contested.

[Penguin_ie 5,996]

Honestly, a lot depends on the consulate. I think Russia is somewhere in the middle- not as easy as most Western European consulates (see my embassy review, my interview was pretty much "show up, answer a few questions" like you thought), but not as difficult as Casablanca or Vietnam.

[MrsRowe 2]

My embassy, Georgetown, Guyana, seems to be putting a lot of people on AP review lately. It is making me a bit worried. However, my sister's husband's interview went very smoothly and they were both there for it.

[TBoneTX 46,125]

The one cardinal recommendation is to BE THERE for the interview. As the USC, you may not be allowed "in" the interview, but you can surely be on the consular premises.

Consulates can do anything that they damn well please, including refusing to look at mounds of "relationship" evidence that your fiance/spouse brings, telling him/her that not enough evidence has been provided, and kicking him/her out with a command that you, the USC, need to attend a second "joint" interview. This "joint" interview can very well be a Stokes Interrogation, which is used on criminals by police. Also, consulates can ask questions that are illegal in government and in the private sector. This all happened to me, and more. The short answer is to be there to preclude some of these monkeyshines.

Edited September 23, 2008 by TBoneTX