Recent interviews

[Mark&Took 1]

Anyone with a recent interview care to share your experience? I'm also interested in hearing your experience at your POE on entry into the U.S. How was it?

We would like to hear anything else you care to share from packing up and leaving Thailand, to the flight here, and settling in here in the U.S.

We have an interview coming up on March 22 and will share our experience. I have a trip planned to Thailand in April and we hope to move Took here in May. We plan to travel here together after closing her apt and fitting as much in suitcases as possible.....lol. Has anyone used a shipping company? I'm not sure if we will use one or not. I'm thinking most electronics and appliances will go to relatives or friends since they won't work here. The same for a few furniture pieces. It looks like just clothes and sentimental items will come here as everything else can be replaced. I'm trying to pack light to allow here more space. I think we can have 2 bags each @50lbs. per bag and a couple small carry on bags each.

Thanks in advance for the replies. Good luck to those with interviews coming up!

M&T

[ThaitoUSA 15]

Our interview was a while ago, nearly three years, but I do not think much has changed. My wife was fortunate to have a fast and painless interview, while others have had to suffer probing questions and a less than amiable interviewer even though they were also approved. I guess we sometimes get a friendly person at the Department of Motor Vehicles/Social Security Office/checkout lane and sometimes we get a grouch; hope your fiancé gets the former. I've asserted and others have agreed that the interviewer has already made up his or her mind prior to the interview, which is largely a formality. If the officer finds a concerning inconsistency in paperwork prior to the interview, it will be brought up then and used as a reason for RFE, administrative review, or return to service center for a slow death. If everything appears in order, the interviewer will go through the motions and grant the visa.

My wife left most of her belongings with family in Thailand, carrying just two small suitcases and her dog. She was thrilled to shop for all new clothes, shoes and handbags upon arriving.

Best advice I can give regarding adjustment is to find an Asian/Thai grocery store before she even arrives. We discovered them shortly after my wife arrived and it wasn't long before we had sticky rice steamers, a mortar and pestle, fermented fish paste, and all sorts of seasonings. There is a great Burmese grocer not far from my sister's that carries nearly every Thai foodstuff she could want. She's happy to cook and I am happy to eat. I had lived in Thailand for four years and dearly missed their delicious cuisine; now I get to have green curry, fried rice, coconut milk soups, etc. on a weekly basis.

All the best on the big move

[Mark&Took 1]

Took attended her interview and was approved on 3/22!!!

Thanks for the response and tips. Like others have said they most likely have their mind made up prior to the interview unless something really unusual happens in the interview. That is what I thought and what I told Took so she wouldn't be nervous. Here is how it went for her:

She was given an appointment time of 1pm in the email notification a few weeks prior to the interview, however, a few days before the interview the Embassy called her and asked her to show up early to turn in paperwork (originals). She was let in ahead of a line of About 30 people waiting. After turning in her papers she was told to come back at 12pm. It turns out she had to wait past her stated interview time (1pm) and was the last person to interview (close to 4pm I think). She said there were not that many people there but it seemed like most interviews were taking about an hour. I'm not sure if they were all K1's that day. Her questions were pretty close to what others have listed before and the person interviewing her was pleasant but also focused on the job of the interview (I believe she said she interviewed with a male officer). Here is what she was asked:

- how did we meet?

- how many times have I been there to see her?

- have we travelled abroad together?

- have I met her family?

- has she met my family?

- when did I get divorced?

- when did she divorce?

- how long was I married?

- do I have any kids?

- does she have any kids?

- does her ex know she will marry again?

- what do I do for work?

- what company do I work for?

- when does she plan to immigrate?

- when is my next trip to see her?

- what does she do for work currently?

She took extra pictures, Valentine cards, emails (between us and between her and my parents), chat logs, money transfer receipts (when I have sent money for expenses during this process). They didn't ask to see any of it. Maybe seeing she had it helped. She wanted to get a certified paper saying that she was single from her home district. I didn't think she needed it since it wasn't listed anywhere in the K-1 process however, having something extra can't hurt, and she had the time off to do it, so she went home to visit family and also got that......she turned it in with the original papers that morning. She was never asked for that paper (maybe because she turned it in....I don't know). I was under the impression that paper was probably for someone getting married in Thailand (which we will not do since it would void the K-1 application and make us re-file for a K-3). She did tell me another girl there that day was asked for that paper....but Took wasn't sure what kind of visa application she was interviewing for. Long story short, if you are not sure if you need something and cant get a firm yes or no answer then I say get the form.

Took interviewed on a Thursday. Unfortunately getting the visa is still a two business day process meaning she can't pick up her visa until Monday afternoon. They will give you an appointment time to pick up the visa. Took saw others waiting to pick up their visas the day she interviewed and it seems you will probably have to show up and wait up to a few hours that day as well so be prepared for that instead of a quick in and out.

On a side note be careful what you turn in. She said there was a girl there who had to come back for a second interview due to the fact that they saw the couple was arguing in the chat logs they turned in. Also the petitioner was still seeing and talking to his ex!

Good luck to those with interviews coming up! I hope something here helps you.

M&T

[kflyco 0]

Just posted a review for our interview on 3/23.

Can't stress enough to take time to practice the interview multiple times to build her confidence and comfort with the documents she will be presenting!! I also organized info from most recent to the beginning of relationship to help ensure questions they asked focused on recent events vs a year ago( which worked as they never looked past the first few pages of the hundred we submitted).

[rick313 5]

Took attended her interview and was approved on 3/22!!!

Thanks for the response and tips. Like others have said they most likely have their mind made up prior to the interview unless something really unusual happens in the interview. That is what I thought and what I told Took so she wouldn't be nervous. Here is how it went for her:

She was given an appointment time of 1pm in the email notification a few weeks prior to the interview, however, a few days before the interview the Embassy called her and asked her to show up early to turn in paperwork (originals). She was let in ahead of a line of About 30 people waiting. After turning in her papers she was told to come back at 12pm. It turns out she had to wait past her stated interview time (1pm) and was the last person to interview (close to 4pm I think). She said there were not that many people there but it seemed like most interviews were taking about an hour. I'm not sure if they were all K1's that day. Her questions were pretty close to what others have listed before and the person interviewing her was pleasant but also focused on the job of the interview (I believe she said she interviewed with a male officer). Here is what she was asked:

- how did we meet?

- how many times have I been there to see her?

- have we travelled abroad together?

- have I met her family?

- has she met my family?

- when did I get divorced?

- when did she divorce?

- how long was I married?

- do I have any kids?

- does she have any kids?

- does her ex know she will marry again?

- what do I do for work?

- what company do I work for?

- when does she plan to immigrate?

- when is my next trip to see her?

- what does she do for work currently?

She took extra pictures, Valentine cards, emails (between us and between her and my parents), chat logs, money transfer receipts (when I have sent money for expenses during this process). They didn't ask to see any of it. Maybe seeing she had it helped. She wanted to get a certified paper saying that she was single from her home district. I didn't think she needed it since it wasn't listed anywhere in the K-1 process however, having something extra can't hurt, and she had the time off to do it, so she went home to visit family and also got that......she turned it in with the original papers that morning. She was never asked for that paper (maybe because she turned it in....I don't know). I was under the impression that paper was probably for someone getting married in Thailand (which we will not do since it would void the K-1 application and make us re-file for a K-3). She did tell me another girl there that day was asked for that paper....but Took wasn't sure what kind of visa application she was interviewing for. Long story short, if you are not sure if you need something and cant get a firm yes or no answer then I say get the form.

Took interviewed on a Thursday. Unfortunately getting the visa is still a two business day process meaning she can't pick up her visa until Monday afternoon. They will give you an appointment time to pick up the visa. Took saw others waiting to pick up their visas the day she interviewed and it seems you will probably have to show up and wait up to a few hours that day as well so be prepared for that instead of a quick in and out.

On a side note be careful what you turn in. She said there was a girl there who had to come back for a second interview due to the fact that they saw the couple was arguing in the chat logs they turned in. Also the petitioner was still seeing and talking to his ex!

Good luck to those with interviews coming up! I hope something here helps you.

M&T

Congrats! Sounds like it went very well. It really is true - in my opinion - that at the early stages it is the most nerve-wracking. We're getting ready for our green card interview in a few months, and are feeling pretty confident that everything will go well. My wife has already been through a tourist visa interview, her K-1 visa interview, the POE interview, and various other non-visa related experiences (drivers license, medical exam, etc). The experience definitely makes one nervous, but over time her confidence has increased (as has her English). Good luck!

[Karee 4,190]

Congrats! Sounds like it went very well. It really is true - in my opinion - that at the early stages it is the most nerve-wracking. We're getting ready for our green card interview in a few months, and are feeling pretty confident that everything will go well. My wife has already been through a tourist visa interview, her K-1 visa interview, the POE interview, and various other non-visa related experiences (drivers license, medical exam, etc). The experience definitely makes one nervous, but over time her confidence has increased (as has her English). Good luck!

It's possible you may not even have an AOS interview. Not sure if they have given you an interview date.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1k3aos

[Miew-Miew 9]

here is our recent experience at the Thai Embassy in Bangkok. (*Note- we had a succesful expediate, so the dates may be different from others..)

Packet 3-

20 April We submitted all of the documents except for the Police Certificate. She went to the police staton on about 6-10 April to order it, I don't remember. They said it would take 10 buisnesss days to mail. Meanwhile, we waited a couple weeks then mailed in packet #3 on Thursday the 20th of April. We figured we'd get an interview date weeks later which would give us enough time for the Police Cert to arrive and for her to get her medical done. Well, it didn't quite work that way! The day after mailing packet 3 in, the Embassy called her and said her interview was the next week on Tuesday (25 APR)! Luckily, she went to the Police Station the day before the interview on the 24th and tey gave it to her.

Interview-

They didn't look at any of her documents that she brought in in regards to the relationship athough she contacted me while inside and was freaking out a bit saying there were girls in there with HUGE books of copies and print-outs. The facebook, Skype messages doesn't mean much. Bottom line is that airlines pickets, passport stamps and hotel receipts with both names on it mean way more that killing trees with skype conversation print-outs. We did print one random page from every-other month or so (removed all the spaces). But our ENTIRE packet from USCIS through Packet 3 was definitely less than 50 pages total and that includes all the forms. I guess each case is different, but less than a half inch thick fr ours.

I'll have Miew post on here about what questions they asked, how long it took and other details..