Trying to prepare for interview.

[jal8485 4]

First of all I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to VJ. I could not have gotten this far without this website. One problem I have though is that Cambodia is considered a high fraud country and is very tough to pass the interview in this country. I don't think interview experiences in other countries are enough to help me prepare for this step. I would like to ask anyone with recent interviews in Cambodia to please post their experiences and some of the questions that were asked. I don't understand why but I've noticed that many people have their interviews then don't say anything about it. I will be posting my experience good or bad to help others on their journey and I ask that others do the same.

[WandY 430]

I know Cambodia well, but have not been through the K-1 process there. I have worked there as a journalist and spent a good deal of time in-country. A big age difference will be a tough sell. There are many reasons why Cambodia is tough for Americans seeking marriage. One, the country has an extremely high rate of fraud based on sexual and economic exploitation. Thank the huge number of American male pedophiles running amok in Cambodia - it's sickening. Also, Human Rights Watch and other NGOs have documented rampant abuse of Cambodian women for economic gain (turning them into maids, factory workers, etc.). In other words, the legal screw has been put to embassies to make the exit window very narrow.

Document, document, document. Prove your love WAY more than most of us have to prove. The bar for you may be high - I don't know. But when a government allegedly bars foreign men 50-plus from marrying the country's females - well, it's going to be tough. I hope someone will shed light on the interview process in Cambodia. It's a beautiful country with beautiful people; maybe a little lawless and adrift, but a nice place. The women are exceptional in many ways. I wish you luck. Keep us informed.

[Pitaya 2,577]

~Moved from K1 Process to Asia: East & Pacific Regional Forum~

~Inquiry/commentary is country-specific~

(mod hat off)

Welcome to the forum.

I hope that you request does not go unheeded. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that folks tend to develop a very short memory after personal visa issue is completed. Good to hear that you will be a helpful VJ member.

Good luck on your immigration journey.

[NikaMo 39]

Here is the reason why many people don't say anything about their interview experience. Most likely their visa were denied and they are too depressed to write anything. It is extremely difficult to pass interview in Cambodia specially K-1 and CR-1 IR-1 as well. It's like winning lottery. It's nothing like most other countries. That's the reason people in other countries have no idea or experience about Cambodia interview. You can have all the documents and evidence in the world nothing matters in this embassy. They predetermine before even interview (denial). You have to overcome first few routine questions. How did you meet your fiance? How long do you know each other? When did you meet? When did you get engaged? Was it your first visit when you got engaged? If it was they will stop right there and focus on that same question and keep asking same questions for a long period of time. Like interrogating. Keep ask you how can you get engaged on a few days after you know each other? If it is the case then sorry to say your chance is very slim. Not to discourage you but that is the reality. I don't know detail about your case but dealing with this embassy almost close to 4 years, I learned a lot about this embassy and personally witnessed many interviews in person in 4 different occasions. Met many couples. Sad to say mostly denials and most probable cause is getting engaged or getting married on first physical visit. Not that there are other reasons as well but that is the number 1 reason. Doesn't matter you visited later on multiple times. By the way they never actually tell you the exact reason why they deny you. They just give you a general reason they have reason to believe your relationship is not genuine. I personally had a K-1 case which was denied back in 2011. Not that I was lacking any evidence or documents. In fact I had better evidence and documents then 99% candidates. I can say it surely because I always try to help other people and I can compare with my case. My case was one of the strongest case but still it was denied. Anyway I fought back, got married later on. applied again and won at last. Sorry to scare you about this embassy but it is the harsh reality. I did post all my experience at this embassy in the past but you might not have read it because my wife got approved in September of 2013. Today, October 13 is actually the anniversary of her arrival in the US. I can help you in detail if I know your case history. In case they don't approve visa the good news is you can re apply and its very quick right now to get to interview stage. Normally within 4/5 months. But you should prepare with everything you have. Also attending interview is a must for you at this embassy. Don't let your fiance attend interview alone.

[jal8485 4]

Thankyou for you replies and I want to say congrats to Nikamo.

Just a little history of me and my fiancé from Cambodia. I am 40 and she is 26. We met on my first trip to Cambodia and got engaged 7 months later on my second trip in April 2015. I stayed 5 weeks with her and we went to Thailand together. We had a very good time and have lots of pictures of us together all over Cambodia and Phuket Thailand, and some photos with her family too. We have been talking for a couple hours everyday when we are apart and we have a lot of evidence except for passport stamps due to losing my passport. I am still very worried about the interview because I have seen some sample questions and I've realized that some of them we would not be able to answer even though we know each other very well. We have sent our ds-160 in already and just waiting for an interview date now. I am guessing it will be sometime close to January for our interview. I hope until then some people will post some more embassy reviews and also if anyone knows how do we find out our interview date at this step after submitting our ds-160. I would like to start planning my trip as I will definitely be there for the interview. We love each other very much and I want to do everything possible to make sure we don't have to do all this over again.

[NikaMo 39]

You can try to find interview dates here by your case number. http://cambodia.usembassy.gov/scheduled_appointments.html

You got engaged on your 2nd visit. That's a big plus although lately I saw they denied people even though they got engaged on their 2nd or 3rd visit. Try to show evidence of visiting Thailand together. Pictures, visa stamps on passport, hotel room together, boarding pass together etc. We visited multiple countries together including Thailand but as I said we were still denied but 2nd time around they did match both of our passports visa stamps in different countries.Try to get your senators involved right before interview. They will inquire on behalf of you to US Embassy. Bring many pictures specially to Thailand and with families. Don't leave anything behind. There are many red flags. You do have one that I can see which is age difference but it's not a very big deal in Cambodia. Other red flags are, different race, different religion, different language, divorce record etc. But as I mentioned previously, it's first few questions normally determine pass or fail. Also you must attend interview to have better chance. How did you meet who introduced you that also play a big part. If you are Cambodian origin and introduced by family, that's also a red flag. I learned that recently. People recently denied for the reason they were introduced by family. People also got denied because they met through facebook. There are so many reasons to deny you there. It's a black listed country. Also remember, they never tell you the reason for denial as well. Just prepare as best as you can answer all the questions honestly, attend interview with your fiance, give everything you got and there is a chance of getting visa on first try even though it is very slim if you compare to visa applicants at this embassy last 3/4 years. I am not just making this up. It is the true reality at this embassy. 20/25 applicants appear for interview everyday at this embassy and there are times no approval in whole week!! Then other times multiple approvals same day. If a few people get approved in a given day at this embassy that is considered a miracle. I know few people if you see their case history you will say there is no way they can deny them visa and guess what, they sure got denied!! Just read some recent vj members post. Also look at how many vj members from Cambodia passed interview. Very few and far in between. You mentioned people did not write their interview experience. Guess what. They all got denied visa!! That's the reason not too many people writing their experience. After denial some people lose hope don't go through it again. Then again some other people never give up which includes me. Good news is if you really love each other you will succeed no matter what.

[MAXX1 8]

Hi, try to have your fiance with you for the interview. We had our interview in Jan. 2015 and were approved. My fiance, now wife, is non cambodian. we had a five year relationship and had been in Cambodia for a year and a half. There was not much of an interview. It seemed as if they had decided before that we would get the k visa. Other k applicants did not get approved. Their was even one couple there that was not approved because his fiance did not get the police report!!! This guy came frpm the US to be there for the interview and his girlfriend did not do that simple step. We had to get a police report and we do not speak khilmer. Good luck. M

[wongkong69 0]

if my fiancee in Cambodia want to request to have the interview in Khmer rather than english, how do i do that?

[jal8485 4]

Most of the people conducting the interview speak Khmer.

Your fiancé will have a hard time in the U.S. If she cannot speak English without some relatives or friends . It might be a good idea to do some English classes if possible.

[wongkong69 0]

thanks a lot jal845, Our relationship started since May last year. Her sister introduced to me, she living here now in Las Vegas. since then we communicated by facebook, i have visited her once last september for couple of weeks, took a lot of pictures, submitted the k-1 application, so far everythings are fine. Current stage is ,next to fill in the DS-160 form online, and then do the checklist and mail the Form 169 to embassy. I am planning to be present in the waiting room when conducting the interview, so they can ask me if i am needed, and show that i am serious. Can you tell me what is packet 4? After you already know the inteview date by checking online, how soon do you receive the package 4? The reason i ask is that they don't send anything to her, but to me( like packet 3). And i planning to be over Cambodia as soon as i know the interview date is set. So i can take her out to Thailand together, prove that we have travel together on flight and hotel stay. Right now all i got is facebook logs, and pictures to show. Or maybe i can do some Engagement Certificate over there? Can you give me some advices, i really appreciate you help. Thanks a lot . ...i really love her.