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| Auckland, New Zealand |  Review on April 27, 2013: |
leonidas_alexan
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
I must say I was quite tense since the time I got to know the interview date from the embassy. Largely because the last consulate review at Auckland was a very rare case of rejection. It was of an Indian citizen living in New Zealand. Since I am also an Indian citizen living in New Zealand it immediately set off alarm bells in me. In a way it was good because I really went into an overdrive in terms of meticulously collecting and arranging my evidence that I intended to show at the interview.
Also for the very first time I mentally actually drew up a Plan-B on what to do if God forbid I got a negative result at the embassy. I made up my mind that I will be applying for my permanent residency here in New Zealand and my fiancee will have to move to New Zealand. Essentially speaking I wanted to ensure that the decision of the consulate officer did not affect my plans to be with my fiancee, if I am not with her in America, it will be in New Zealand.
Also, I have extensively reviewed embassy reviews from India. The Auckland embassy reviews I only read to actually identify the consulate building and how to pay the fee etc., But mainly I prepared myself as if I was going to appear at a US consulate in India---keeping in mind the previous experience of an Indian citizen's interview result in Auckland.
I had prepared rather thoroughly for the interview. I prepared about 50 questions and divided them into important and general questions. I had compiled a mountain of evidence neatly divided into various folders and labelled them appropriately. I was tense, anxious but well prepared.
THE DAY OF THE INTERVIEW
My interview was on 23rd Tuesday, April at 9.30 am. The building was easy to find thanks to Google Maps and my own reconnaissance mission a day ahead of the interview. Actually the day before the interview I went to the post shop on the ground floor of the building where US consulate is located and purchased a SIGNATURE REQUIRED tracking code envelope.
Since I had to come from Hastings which is about 400 kilometers away from Auckland, my friends in Auckland offered me accommodation but I politely refused as I wanted to be alone before the interview. I left the hostel where I was staying at exactly 8.00 am and was feeling hungry and wanted to have a quick snack, but strangely I did not feel like eating at all --as my stomach felt like a twisted rope with all that tension wracking my brain.
The consulate is on the 3rd floor of the Citibank building.
I entered the building at exactly 9.00 am and pressed the 3 on the lift button panel, but something really bizarre happened to me, I went somehow straight up to 7th floor, came back down to ground floor and went out---it was really unbelievable --I felt as if I was completely zoned out--I realized what I had done and went to the post shop and actually sat on a chair, breathed calmly and again went inside the lift. This time I did arrive on the 3rd floor.
There were two security guards in white uniforms. One bespectacled serious looking guy was lecturing the other security guard on how to scan various items that people bring with them to the consulate. As they were talking to each other I mildly approached them and said "I have an appointment at 9.30 am at this office". The bespectacled guy without even looking at me said "I will be with you in a minute" and kept lecturing the other security guard. I felt very slightly uncomfortable. Then the guy who was perhaps being trained asked me to give him my passport and appointment letter. He disappeared into the building and appeared back after 5 minutes. Then he asked me to empty both my bags. Then the security guard supervising shouted "Ask him to remove his belt". I removed my belt and the guard scanned everything. I also gave him my cell phone without him asking me for it. He asked me to switch it off and put it in the empty bag. He gave me a token number and told me I will have to carry all the evidence I brought without the bags. Now when he placed all my documents on table from the bag --they were all jumbled. There went my neatly partitioned and labelled evidence.
I thought it was not exactly a great start. I was asked to then walk through the scanning machine. Then I was asked to wait at Window number 5.
INSIDE THE BUILDING
Once inside the building, I felt pretty claustrophobic as I felt everything was very small and near. Windows 1 was for US citizens. Windows 2 and 3 are designated for the actual interviews. Window 4 is to pay the visa. Window 5 I cant remember now, lol. Window 6 and 7 I believe are for Non-Immigrant Visa's.
I stood right in front of window 5 when a gentleman above 50 years came near me and said "I have my appointment at 9.00 am, may I know when is your appointment? I said I have my appointment at 9.30 am but the guard specifically told me to wait at this Window 5. Then he said okay then I will also wait here and it was an awkward situation as we both shared the same small space at Window 5. Then I told him I wished him all the best and left the window to sit down.
I waited for my turn. The consulate did not have many people but what was really disconcerting to me was you could hear all the conversation between the consular officers and the interviewee's.
Once that 50 year old guy left the window, I went back to window 5 and pressed the buzzer. A friendly Caucasian lady came up to the window and asked me for my passport. She took it and asked me to sit down and wait. After 5 minutes my name was announced and I was asked to come to Window 6.
POSITIVE VIBES
Surprisingly I saw there an Indian lady dressed in a Punjabi attire. The very first thing she did was handed me a document named IMPORTANT NOTICE-FIANCE VISAS--it was essentially a document which contained all the detailed guidelines and instructions as to what I should be doing once I receive the fiance visa--once I land at the POE and how to apply for Adjustment of Status etc.,
I was surprised as I had not yet been interviewed. This gave me my first positive vibe about the interview. The second positive vibe came soon after.
She handed me a photocopy of the vaccination worksheet signed for by my US panel physician and intently told me to safeguard it as I will need it at the time of Adjustment of Status. Again there was a rush of positivity in me as I felt she was talking to me as if I was already approved.
Now, I do not know if this is the standard practice at Auckland consulate to handover these post K1 visa instruction list and the vaccination document to the petitioner. Anyway I quietly felt confident and happy. The Indian lady then asked me to pay the visa fee at Window 4 and wait for the consular officer to call me for the interview.
WAITING FOR THE INTERVIEW
I paid the fee in New Zealand cash and as I waited there, I was carefully looking at the faces and demeanor of the people getting interviewed. Almost all of them were smiling and it made me feel good. Especially couples with children seem to have had an easy time. As I was lost in my own thoughts my name was announced and I was asked to come at Window 2.
THE INTERVIEW
That is when I realized, okay this is it and I walked towards the window with a silent prayer on my lips. The consular officer looked calm, wore specs and had a faint hint of smile but very imperceptible. He had the entire I-129F petition with him and all other documents which I had already sent to the consulate for their review almost 10 days back.
The following questions were asked
1) How did you meet your fiancee?
2) What was the name of the chatroom where you met her?
Pause, he was flipping through the pages--
3) What does your fiancee do for a job?
4) What do you do for a job?
Pause, pages continued to be flipped over--
Then he made me sign the DS-230 Part II.
A FUNNY INTERLUDE
The consular officer was looking at my birth certificate and asked me for my date of birth. I told him my complete date of birth, month and year. He then pointed out in my birth certificate and said "but the year of birth says 1969". For a split second I was shocked and then realized what had happened. I told him ever so politely "Officer you are looking at the name of the Act under which my birth was registered, Birth and Death Registration Act, 1969".
This broke the ice, he smiled with a little embarrassment and he lightly hit his head with his hand, lol . That was the time I really relaxed.
THE TURNING POINT
As he was flipping pages, I saw a huge "APPROVED" stamp on one of the pages. My heart jumped a bit in excitement and the officer saw that I saw the page and quickly flipped it over. I acted as if I saw nothing. I was so desperately trying to hide my smile.
He then proceeded to ask me
When did you meet your fiancee?
How long did you stay there?
By this time I think we both realized what was happening there. After a while, he said "That's it". I asked him "Sir, what should I tell my fiancee? He replied "Everything looks good".
It was such an anti-climax and he did not even ask for any evidence at all.
The reason I stopped myself from posting this review the very same day was---I literally did not believe how incredibly easy it was. I am only posting this after I have actually looked at the visa inside my passport.
I had received my passport earlier in the day and I cannot believe that the actual interview turned out to be such a non-event. Thank God.
EPILOGUE
The US consulate in Auckland has got to be one of the best consulates in the world. They are quick, fast, efficient and incredibly responsive. Every single email was replied to in a matter of minutes. Every single request I made was met with a positive response. Once the petition reached the Auckland consulate, they work at such a high speed that it really is up to the beneficiary to gather all the documents and be ready for the interview.
In my case now, with the benefit of hindsight, I can categorically say that I was already approved even before the interview. I was not asked to show any evidence at all. Not a single question was probing in nature. They were all fact based, nothing very special. It was essentially a dream interview for every K1 beneficiary.
The way Auckland consulate works is also pretty unique. The way they collect the documents from you well in advance essentially puts them in a position to take a decision on your visa beforehand. At least that is the impression I got and if anybody read the previous reviews at Auckland it would be clear.
Overall it was an extraordinarily painless experience.
I want to take this opportunity to thank everybody at VJ for their support, advice and the moral strength they gave me.
The process took me exactly 8 months from start to finish. I consider myself really lucky. There was not a single hiccup. Not a single aberration. Everything went really smooth especially since the time the petition reached the Auckland consulate.
I wish all those people waiting for their NOA2's and interviews very best.
For VJ'ers from Auckland, as long as your relationship is genuine and have all the documentation, there is really nothing to be worried about.
Cheers.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #11881