Interview in Rio de Janeiro

[Mew 0]

I'm so happy for you Mew!

Thank you! Meet on the AOS forum!

I look forward to your links there!

Thanks, devilette! I know your fiance was also approved and I'm very happy for you guys.

Hopefully, the AOS stage will be much less eventful and I won't have to link away...

[lou_7979 0]

Mew, when you gave them your tax returns and W2 forms, did you give them your originals or just photocopies? Also, did you give them your complete federal and state tax returns or did they just want certain pages? Thanks

I'm so happy! And the interview was really painless.

Here's how it went.

I got at the consulate at 7:30 am. Security guards? Not the most polite people. It's okay to bring cell phones and gadgets - they have a locker where you'll put them. They x-ray our stuff and we go to the second floor where the immigrant visa unit is.

We got a slip of paper with a number (senha). A lady handed out a paper containing a list of the documents we have to hand out. We were asked to put the documents in order. When your number's called, you get into a booth and the lady checks the documents and forms. They had misplaced DS-230 part 1 I had sent them, so I had to fill one out and sign it.

They were indeed picky about passport pictures. Both ears must be showing. A few people had to leave the consulate and have new pictures taken.

After everyone's handed out their forms and documents, they called applicants by name. Two people were interviewing applicants.

I got into the room, and the consul made me swear everything in my petition and everything I was about to say to be true and accurate. Fingerprinting followed. She then gave me back originals and copies of documents. (As far as the I-134 supporting documents go, she only kept the last tax returns and W2; bank statement, letter of employment and paystubs were given back to me).

Questions asked:

How did you meet?

What does he do?

Do you plan to get married here or in the U.S.?

Will your parents attend the wedding?

The only evidence of ongoing relationship she asked for were pictures. I signed the forms I was supposed to and she said everything was in order, so I got the green slip (visa to be picked up two days as of the interview). Yay!

I had to wait for 4-4.5 hours to have the interview, but it lasted for less than 5 minutes.

Tip: If you're comfortable with speaking English, I'd say it's a good idea to have the interview in English. It was kind of hard to understand what the consul said in Portuguese and she was very glad we could speak in English.

I rated the experience 4 (just because of the waiting).

To all of you who will be going through Rio: good luck! It's not scary and you shouldn't freak out at all.

[Mew 0]

Mew, when you gave them your tax returns and W2 forms, did you give them your originals or just photocopies? Also, did you give them your complete federal and state tax returns or did they just want certain pages? Thanks

I gave them copies of my fiance's e-filed federal returns and copies of state returns (although Rio doesn't ask for them, they kept them) and W-2. All pages.

[lou_7979 0]

Thanks for your response Mew and congratulations on everything. You've been a great help to me and others and I hope everything goes well for you and your fiance. Felicidades once again!

Mew, when you gave them your tax returns and W2 forms, did you give them your originals or just photocopies? Also, did you give them your complete federal and state tax returns or did they just want certain pages? Thanks

I gave them copies of my fiance's e-filed federal returns and copies of state returns (although Rio doesn't ask for them, they kept them) and W-2. All pages.

[Mew 0]

Thanks for your response Mew and congratulations on everything. You've been a great help to me and others and I hope everything goes well for you and your fiance. Felicidades once again!

No problem, Lou! And thanks

[lou_7979 0]

Mew, just one last thing in regards to the AOS documents you submitted at the interview. When you gave them your fiance's tax returns and W-2's, did you give them copies of the last 3 years? Or just last year? Same thing with the bank statements, did they just want the most recent month's statement? Or did they want the last 2 or 3 months as well? Thanks again!

Thanks for your response Mew and congratulations on everything. You've been a great help to me and others and I hope everything goes well for you and your fiance. Felicidades once again!

No problem, Lou! And thanks

[Mew 0]

Lou, I gave them the last years tax returns + W2s. That's what they kept. I also gave them a letter from my fiance's employer and the bank statement (a letter stating when his account was opened, how much money he had deposited and the amount deposited throughout a year), as per the instructions on I-134. I had the latest 6 pay stubs. None of these were kept by the consular officer.

However, that's Rio. And more importantly, that was what they wanted to get from me regarding this specific sponsor. Other posts might be interested in other documents.

Mew, just one last thing in regards to the AOS documents you submitted at the interview. When you gave them your fiance's tax returns and W-2's, did you give them copies of the last 3 years? Or just last year? Same thing with the bank statements, did they just want the most recent month's statement? Or did they want the last 2 or 3 months as well? Thanks again!

[kungfuadam 0]

I am very concerned. My Fiancee went to have her interview on 1/22/08. They asked for a different police certificate and they wanted additional photos of us together. She sent them out and the Rio de Janeiro Consulate received it on 2/7, after Carnaval. I have not heard anything from them, nor has she received her passport! The emails I send to them were ignored. We called the Consulate and they told us absolutely nothing....

The interview was very difficult for her, they even called me in the United States to ask some questions, some extremely personal about our relationship. I am posting this here because it seems to be an active discussion