islamabadembassy IR1 at ISL Waiting for IL 2022

[just_passing_by 11]

1 hour ago, gulkhan said:

Thanks I was hoping to go with him since I’m here anyway. 

That is not true what kuchiki said. 
 

are you the US citizen? 
 

I petitioned for my wife ( as a US citizen) and when it was her interview date at Islamabad embassy, I went with her. When her turn came they called her to the glass window. First question they asked her was when did she last saw her husband. She said this morning. They asked oh he is here and she said yes. They completely ignored her after that and called me to the window and asked me few basic questions about my work and that’s it. 
Actually I highly highly recommend going to the interview because that guarantees this a valid marriage. I m saying this as someone who personally did it at the Islamabad embassy. 

[Kuchiki 170]

6 hours ago, just_passing_by said:

That is not true what kuchiki said. 
 

are you the US citizen? 
 

I petitioned for my wife ( as a US citizen) and when it was her interview date at Islamabad embassy, I went with her. When her turn came they called her to the glass window. First question they asked her was when did she last saw her husband. She said this morning. They asked oh he is here and she said yes. They completely ignored her after that and called me to the window and asked me few basic questions about my work and that’s it. 
Actually I highly highly recommend going to the interview because that guarantees this a valid marriage. I m saying this as someone who personally did it at the Islamabad embassy. 

And when did your wife's interview take place? Was it recent? Generally embassies do not allow unless there's a valid reason for petitioner to accompany the applicant to the interview. Rules keep on changing though. 

[Sikander321 33]

5 minutes ago, Kuchiki said:

And when did your wife's interview take place? Was it recent? Generally embassies do not allow unless there's a valid reason for petitioner to accompany the applicant to the interview. Rules keep on changing though. 

US citizen is allowed to the embassy. 

[powerpuff 6,608]

7 hours ago, just_passing_by said:

That is not true what kuchiki said. 
 

are you the US citizen? 
 

I petitioned for my wife ( as a US citizen) and when it was her interview date at Islamabad embassy, I went with her. When her turn came they called her to the glass window. First question they asked her was when did she last saw her husband. She said this morning. They asked oh he is here and she said yes. They completely ignored her after that and called me to the window and asked me few basic questions about my work and that’s it. 
Actually I highly highly recommend going to the interview because that guarantees this a valid marriage. I m saying this as someone who personally did it at the Islamabad embassy. 

How long ago was that?

 

After COVID, most consulates stopped letting petitioners go in.

 

8 hours ago, gulkhan said:

Thanks I was hoping to go with him since I’m here anyway. 

Your husband can take your passport with him and show it/give it together with other documents and say that “my wife is here visiting”. That usually works well.

[Sikander321 33]

7 hours ago, just_passing_by said:

That is not true what kuchiki said. 
 

are you the US citizen? 
 

I petitioned for my wife ( as a US citizen) and when it was her interview date at Islamabad embassy, I went with her. When her turn came they called her to the glass window. First question they asked her was when did she last saw her husband. She said this morning. They asked oh he is here and she said yes. They completely ignored her after that and called me to the window and asked me few basic questions about my work and that’s it. 
Actually I highly highly recommend going to the interview because that guarantees this a valid marriage. I m saying this as someone who personally did it at the Islamabad embassy. 

I’m a US citizen and I will accompany my wife during her interview at US Embassy islamabad soon . 

[powerpuff 6,608]

Accompanying Persons

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Attorneys are not permitted to accompany clients into the waiting room or to their interview. Only the following persons may accompany a visa applicant to their interview: 

• Interpreter:  Applicants may bring ONE interpreter if they do not speak English or Urdu well enough to participate in an interview.
• Special Needs Visitors:  Applicants may bring ONE person to help if they are elderly, disabled, or a minor child.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/ISL-Islamabad.html

[Kuchiki 170]

Just now, Sikander321 said:

US citizen is allowed to the embassy. 

Just checked the official guidelines from the travel.state website regarding accompanying persons for Islamabad embassy as of 2023. Attached is the screenshot from the document. It clearly states only two instances where a person can accompany the applicant.

 

[Sikander321 33]

9 minutes ago, Kuchiki said:

Just checked the official guidelines from the travel.state website regarding accompanying persons for Islamabad embassy as of 2023. Attached is the screenshot from the document. It clearly states only two instances where a person can accompany the applicant.

 

For the interpreter do I have to fill up a form or i just have to inform the security that I’m a US citizen and the interpreter of my wife for the interview 

[Kuchiki 170]

14 minutes ago, Sikander321 said:

For the interpreter do I have to fill up a form or i just have to inform the security that I’m a US citizen and the interpreter of my wife for the interview 

Can your spouse speak Urdu? If yes, then she can always opt for 'interview in Urdu' before her actual interview. The officer will ask before interview regarding the choice of the interview language, English or urdu.

 

You do not need to accompany your wife as an interpreter unless she has a speaking disability in which case a sign language interpreter is allowed to accompany her. You can only accompany her till the waiting area of the shuttle service. I hope it's clear now. 

 

In case your wife does not speak English or Urdu, then you need to contact the consulate by email or phone and let them know that you will be accompanying her as an interpreter since she cant speak English or Urdu. 

Edited February 6 by Kuchiki

[just_passing_by 11]

50 minutes ago, powerpuff said:

How long ago was that?

 

After COVID, most consulates stopped letting petitioners go in.

 

Your husband can take your passport with him and show it/give it together with other documents and say that “my wife is here visiting”. That usually works well.

This was the year before Covid. But I remember reading the same guidelines that people posted about who can accompany. I did my research and went in. 
 

The way Islamabad embassy works is you have to show up early at a pick up location where you go through some security and then board buses provided by embassy that take you through check points to the actual embassy. Before you board the bus, is when they check your reason for visiting embassy. For being a US citizen, they just looked at my passport and let me on bus. 
 

The worst that can happen is they won’t allow you to go to embassy and you have to wait at the bus pick up spot. But if they let you go in then essentially you have a really solid case of why the marriage is valid.  Remember the interview  is looking at how strong the evidence is for the marriage to have been ongoing. Hence the reason they ask when did the couple physically met last time. 
 

Quite frankly, I think me being at the interview was extremely important. It helped my wife as she was nervous. The interview took 1 min, where they didn’t even care about my wife. They literally called her and asked her to take seat and just asked questions from me about what do I do and how long I have worked and that’s it. We were done in at most 5 mins. 

[powerpuff 6,608]

1 minute ago, just_passing_by said:

This was the year before Covid. But I remember reading the same guidelines that people posted about who can accompany. I did my research and went in. 
 

The way Islamabad embassy works is you have to show up early at a pick up location where you go through some security and then board buses provided by embassy that take you through check points to the actual embassy. Before you board the bus, is when they check your reason for visiting embassy. For being a US citizen, they just looked at my passport and let me on bus. 
 

The worst that can happen is they won’t allow you to go to embassy and you have to wait at the bus pick up spot. But if they let you go in then essentially you have a really solid case of why the marriage is valid.  Remember the interview  is looking at how strong the evidence is for the marriage to have been ongoing. Hence the reason they ask when did the couple physically met last time. 
 

Quite frankly, I think me being at the interview was extremely important. It helped my wife as she was nervous. The interview took 1 min, where they didn’t even care about my wife. They literally called her and asked her to take seat and just asked questions from me about what do I do and how long I have worked and that’s it. We were done in at most 5 mins. 

That makes sense, I suppose it’s worth a shot. I agree that for a not so easy consulate like Islamabad it would definitely help. As you said the worst that could happen is you’ll wait for a while outside. If it comes to that then I’d give the passport to the spouse to carry to the interview. 

[SalishSea 17,751]

1 hour ago, Sikander321 said:

For the interpreter do I have to fill up a form or i just have to inform the security that I’m a US citizen and the interpreter of my wife for the interview 

She will not need an interpreter for an interview in her native country.

[Sikander321 33]

4 hours ago, SalishSea said:

She will not need an interpreter for an interview in her native country.

The language options are English and Urdu . And my spouse only speaks Pashto. Even the bus shuttles services don’t speak or understand Pashto language.

[Kuchiki 170]

37 minutes ago, Sikander321 said:

The language options are English and Urdu . And my spouse only speaks Pashto. Even the bus shuttles services don’t speak or understand Pashto language.

Call the embassy and inform them that your wife only speaks pashto and would be needing you as an interpreter. Do this asap before her interview. Good luck.

[gulkhan 18]

Hello guys update. My husband had interview today. I did go to the interview with him and was allowed in the shuttle but not inside the embassy. There were a lot of petitioners there with spouse or parents but were not allowed inside.
 

they didn’t ask him much questions only a few questions about where I live and about our son. My husband took our passports with him.  They only checked our original birth certificates and marriage certificates.

he was told by the counselor it’s approved and he’ll receive his passport in two weeks. online it says AP processing I hope it’s not one of those lengthy process.