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| Dublin, Ireland |  Review on June 16, 2013: |
stebe
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Had my interview a few days ago. It was scheduled for 1pm, I arrived around 12:50 and was let in straight away. Showed my passport to the security guards and went through airport type security. Had to leave my phone, car keys, headphones (basically anything electric) in a locker in the security hut. The guards are friendly and directed me where to go in the embassy.
I entered the embassy and the guard at the door asked me what I was interviewing for and then gave me a numbered ticket. I was the second person to arrive and sat waiting for about 20 minutes, during which time another 4-5 people arrived. I would recommend bringing something to read as there's a fair amount of waiting around. There's a waiting area with a few rows of chairs and then at the end of the room is a long counter with several partitions, similar to a bank. The embassy officials are behind glass and speak to you via a microphone and speaker. After a while my name was called and I went up and paid my €192 with a postal order. The man who took my money was Irish and very nice, he told me how the process would go and then told me to sit down and wait to be called again.
After another wait of about half an hour I was called up again to the same man who took my documents. Thanks to VJ I had my documents well ordered and ready to go. I handed over:
- My passport
- My original birth cert. The embassy instructions said a certified copy would be ok so when the man asked for my original I asked if the copy would do. He took both and said he would ask a consular officer and send the original back with my passport if the copy was sufficient.
- Police Certs
- My medical test results, you'll get the x-ray back to give to the immigration officer when you arrive in the US.
- 2xDS156 with attached pictures
- DS156k
- I-134 support form
- Self addressed envelope with €12.50 of postage. My envelope measured about 18"x12.5", it was very much on the large side but I prefer to be safe. I was asked to confirm some info like the addresses I had put on the forms, and also to sign the unsigned forms. After submitting these I sat back down and waited to be called for the interview portion.
After another wait of around half an hour I was called back up to a different window for the interview. The interview was an American man, and very friendly and nice. He started by asking some basic info like both our names and DOB's. Then he asked where and how we had met, and the major details of our relationship like when and for how long we had been physically together over our relationship and our engagement date. He then asked to see some proof. I had brought a large folder full of pictures, birthday/xmas cards, emails, facebook message printouts etc. I handed him the pictures first and talked him through the 20 or so. He seemed interested in what I had to say about them and cracked a smile about some of the more light hearted ones. After he handed them back to me I asked would he like to see any more and he said no he was satisfied. Then he asked me to swear that I intended to marry withing 90 days of arriving and said everything looked good. I didn't ask explicitly if I was approved then but I gathered from what he said that I was all but approved. I received my passport and visa about 4 days later.
Overall the process was very pleasant and easy. I had been worried that I might have forgotten a crucial form or that I would be grilled extensively about the ins and outs of my relationship. Thanks to VJ I was very well prepared, it really pays to have everything well organised so you know exactly where each form is when they ask. Look through the other reviews and the various visa checklists, and check and recheck your documents before the interview and everything will be fine.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #12147