Questions about being at Manila interview

[John+Lourdelie 28]

I pose these questions to those (fiancée and fiancé) who have already been through the interview process in Manila.

My questions have to do with the importance of the US Citizen accompanying their fiancée for the visa interview. I do understand that it is important, but I am wondering, how important is it.

I have visited her once prior to submitting the I-129F petition. There is a good chance that I will not be able to make another trip before the interview, and being at the interview would be very difficult due to my work schedule. Since we would have to wait for the visa to be delivered to her in the Davao region, it would be difficult to ensure that it would arrive before I would have to leave. If I go there I would want her to travel back with me.

I would like to hear from current and former K-1 visa holders that maybe only had one visit to the Philippines and/or were not able to attend the interview.

Did the interview go as planned?

Were there any questions about the validity of the relationship?

If there were any issues, what might they have been?

Thanks in advance,

John

[Scott and Mhay 57]

In Manila it isnt as important for you to be there at the interview as some other countries where you would be outright denied if you didnt attend. I would say that if you can afford it and get the time off, go to the interview, but most of us cant do that and they realize it. The visa journey is expensive enough. They dont need to make you have more expenses to just get approved.

[SuperDuper! 230]

In Manila it isnt as important for you to be there at the interview as some other countries where you would be outright denied if you didnt attend. I would say that if you can afford it and get the time off, go to the interview, but most of us cant do that and they realize it. The visa journey is expensive enough. They dont need to make you have more expenses to just get approved.

+1 for Solid Advice. Don't let the "geniuses" tell ya otherwise!

[mrsean 4]

u do not have to be there but if you do and you want to come back to usa together you give the name and address of the hotel your staying at and they[air 21] deliver the visa there!!!and let the interviewer know also. we had ours delivered 2nd day at the lotus garden hotel

[pookaphilus 12]

Good day!!..no worries..my fiance(husband now) visited me once prior to our I-94 petition last May, 2010, he wasn't able to accompany me during my interview @ the embassy becoz of work..I got approved!!flew here last September,2010..got married last October,2010...now on our AOS...just support her and have faith in God..God bless!!

[Kevin- 13]

What you describe is pretty typical. I was present for the interview, but I think I was the only USC attending any interview in our batch that day. The other gals Bel talked to that day were all approved, as far as I recall. In some rare circumstances, attending can be a benefit to passing, but it's definitely not required.

[John+Lourdelie 28]

Thanks to all that replied. I really want to be there with her. As of right now it looks like that might not be possible. As we get closer to the interview I will have to re-access the situation.

I do like that you can give air21 your hotel address and have it sent there. That might help with the visa wait time.

Thanks to all.

John

[Tahoma 2,292]

Hi John and Lourdelie...

Sometimes it can be a good thing to attend the interview. I wish I had attended Chinook's interview. However, at the time, we decided to save my vacation for when she was here in the states. I took a week off of work when Chinook first arrived here. Then, we used my other two-plus weeks of vacation to travel around the western U.S. during the summer.

Chinook's interview went just fine until the very end when the consular officer gave her the blue slip and told her that she would have to submit another original page three of my I-129. The reason that the consular officer required her to submit another page three was because none of the boxes were ticked on the I-129 that we submitted. For some reason, when I printed out the I-129, the ticks in the boxes did not print out...and neither of us noticed it!

Despite the fact that none of the boxes on my I-129 were ticked, for some reason the consular officer was concerned only about the box on page three, where it asks if I was ever convicted of any crimes. If I had been there at the interview with Chinook, I could have ticked all of the boxes on the spot...problem solved. Instead, I had to three-day Fed Ex a single page to Chinook at her hotel in Manila...at a cost of $40. The entire episode was stressful for both of us, not to mention that Chinook had to wait in line for a long time in order to change her PAL flight home. I wish I would have been there to share the stress with her and to support her.

She had her interview on a Monday and she submitted the new page three on Thursday. On Friday morning, Chinook was awakened in her hotel room by a phone call on her cell phone from a case worker at the Embassy's Immigration Section, where she had her K-1 interview. How often does the Embassy call someone?!? The caseworker told her that he had "misplaced" all of my financial documents ...my I-134, etc. He told Chinook that she would need to resubmit an original I-134 and copies of the other documents.

Chinook called me, and then I called the Embassy and talked to case worker #2, our actual case worker...the one who lost my financial documents. He finally told me that it wasn't necessary for us to resubmit the documents. However, Chinook was taking no chances, so she ran over to the Embassy, talked her way into the Embassy, and submitted copies of everything they lost, except for an original I-134. She simply submitted a copy of the I-134. I wish I had been there to share that stressful day with her also.

I feel that there are other good reasons to attend the interview. For example, if the petitioner is on the borderline financially, or is hoping to use a cosponsor for a fiancée visa, I believe it helps for the petitioner to attend the interview in order to make their case. If you don't think it helps, please go talk to VJ member bmagno23.

Good luck on your interview...I hope you can attend on the big day...to support your sweetness if nothing else.