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| Madrid, Spain |  Review on July 3, 2013: |
bluetraveller
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
PACKET 3 RESPONSE:
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Before going to Madrid I sent the packet 3 response with the 4 DS-* forms (DS-230 I, DS-156, DS-156K, DS-157) + the checklist signed, so I didn't have to take those with me. I never learned whether doing it this way is mandatory, I don't think so. Read more about it here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/413985-when-and-how-to-send-ds-157-ds-156/#entry6225476
MEDICAL:
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I had the embassy appointment set on a Monday at 12:00, so I had to have the medical done the previous Friday, apparently now they do interviews any day of the week, as opposed to before, when they would only take place on Wednesdays. I was concerned I wouldn't have enough time to pick up the results on Monday, since the clinic says you can pick them up from 12:00, but once there they told me they actually get the results earlier, and just say 12:00 to be safe.
So on Friday I went to pay the visa fee at the Banco Santander that's closest to the clinic, at Calle de Claudio Coello 9, and said I wanted to pay the "visado de prometido". Got a poker face so I said "visado K-1 de la embajada de EEUU" and he nodded and processed the payment for 195 EUR, or something very close to that.
Then I went to the clinic, where they entertain you with iPads in the waiting room, and ask you to hand in the embassy letter with their address + the passport pictures + my passport, and fill in a form. Then the doctor does his thing, asks a few questions about your medical history and off you go to wait again for the nurse to take the blood sample. It was at this point where I tried to get a DS-3025 or equivalent and failed. You can read more about it here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/430569-can-you-get-a-ds-3025-in-your-medical-at-madrid/#entry6331651. Later I was given instructions on how to get to the hospital to have the x-ray taken and charged 165 EUR for their work. I think I must have been there for less than 1 hour in total. Then I went to the hospital to have the x-ray taken, no problems there.
That was Friday. Then I spent the weekend in Madrid, which would have been complicated or just expensive to someone who didn't know anyone in Madrid. This is the reason why I wouldn't give embassy appointments on Mondays, but that's not up to me.
INTERVIEW DAY:
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Then on Monday I went to the clinic at 11:00, and picked up my results, in a sealed bag, while being notified in front of everyone in the waiting room that I was fine. Great. It took 10 minutes and on I went to the embassy.
In the entrance they ask you to show your appointment letter or some proof that shows you're doing the visa thing. You're not allowed to take any electronics inside. Not even switched off. Neither are backpacks allowed. I had a bunch of envelopes and nothing else to pack them in, so I just had to take it all like that. A bigger envelope or folder would have helped. My fiancee was allowed inside, she was only asked to show her passport.
Inside there were about 10 people in the waiting area, and I was called in 5 minutes. They had my file with all the DS-* forms and everything else ready. I had copies and originals of everything, and I wanted to use copies wherever possible. I was asked for the birth certificate, which once compared to the original they would return and keep the copy. Then I was asked for the police certificates, which had to be originals, no copies accepted there. Then all the sponsor stuff (I used the co-sponsor option), no problems there, handed in all in copies except for the I-134 of course. Then I was told to wait and watch for the screen where my number would be called again. I was called and I thought I would be taken to a different room, but it's just a different window, where this woman started to speak in English to me right away, letting me know she was going to ask me a few questions. I was asked to swear under oath and sign the DS-156K. And then the questions came:
- Where and how did you meet your fiancee?
- Who is X (her dad)?
- How many people live in X's house?
Then I was asked to show a few pictures of us together, and after a few moments.. "Ok, your visa is approved, we'll mail it together with your passport to your address here, any questions?" I said no, and that was it. I left the embassy about 40 minutes after getting in.
As a final note, I got the package in the mail only 4 days later, sent by MRW, with postage to be paid by me. It doesn't bother me to pay 10 euros, but it was just unexpected to receive it like that, I never asked for it to be couriered to me.
All in all I give the whole experience clinic + embassy a 4/5. Why? Everything was fine, but I missed some extra value for everything to be perfect. I could have used some more help in the clinic, and in the embassy I was dispatched pretty informally. Nothing wrong with that, I just think there's room for improvement, like everywhere else.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #12257