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| Peru |  Review on February 3, 2014: |
cristi1231
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
I went to Peru to accompany my fiancé to his interview.
Our interview was 845 am but we got to the embassy at 7 am, and there was already about 30 people in line. We got parking right in front, and walked up to the line. I stood in line while my fiancé (Peruvian) went to make sure this was the correct line since we had read that sometimes people get places in a shorter line. They told us to stay in that original line.
A man came out and said some words and a bunch of people went over to another line. We weren’t sure why, so my fiancé went to ask and the told him again to stay where we are.
We got near the front of the line and a lady asked to see our DS160 confirmation page and our interview letter. She saw our type of visa and sent us over to the other line that had just formed. She gave us a number on a small green paper (I forget when we gave this back, maybe when my fiancé got called to the window for the first time)
We made it inside to an area where you go through a metal detector and I had to run my purse through the xray machine. They took any liquids (like hand lotion) my USB, my phone charger, our cellphones turned off, and car keys and they gave us a number on a red paper to pick it up later.
We cross the patio and we go inside the building, and yet another xray and metal detector. This waiting area my fiancé told me is where people also get tourist visas, except that’s the area closest to the entrance. It’s a long room so at the very end of the room is where people wait for different visas. So we go to the end and sit on a couch. We see another couple waiting and we later figured out they are also doing a fiancé visa. They get called first to a window to pay, they get a receipt and go to pay at window 14.
Gonzalo, my fiancé get’s called to window 12 and I go with him. They ask for his passport pictures but only took one, the DS160 confirmation and they give him a ticket to pay for his visa at window 14. But the other couple was still waiting there to pay there’s. I remember reading about pushing a button to have someone take your payment so we told them but they said they were told not to do that. But then an officer nearby heard us and said it was ok to push it. Someone came, the couple paid, then Gonzalo paid. He had $250 and they gave him $10 back and a receipt for the interview.
An hour passed, and we tried to keep busy. We goofed around quietly, played tic tac toe, tickled him, people would stare at us, what can we say, we’re happy and in love haha  The couple in front of us got called first during that time to a window. At 9:10 Gonzalo got called to window 10, and I go with him. They see me and say that it’s okay, I can just wait sit down. I wasn’t so far from the window, but not close enough to hear the question but I could hear Gonzalo’s answers. After a few minutes he sat back down and I asked him what happened. He said that they scanned his finger prints, he gave all my financial documents (bank, employer letter, w2, tax returns, paystubs, 134, etc.) he gave all his certificates, birth certificate, medical results.
They asked him questions
- when did you meet her, how did you meet her, when had she traveled, why I was here now (for the interview)
- is she of Peruvian origins (no her parents are but she was born in the states
- why do you have an American visa (because he was a merchant marine and he was on a contract in which he may have had to go to florida but he never did)
- Do you have family in the US (yes his dad, 15 years now, is a legal resident)
- Asked if he served in the military, he said yes in a way since he went to the naval academy in Callao
They opened the results, the big envelope and looked and gave it back to him. While they were asking him about us, the lady was looking at the attached sheet of paper that I had sent with the 129 when it asked how we met. So when he said we met in june of 2012, she asked him back “there was an event right?” she knew the whole story and was testing him I guess. He saw our original 129 packet with a pink paper on top that said “APPROVED”.
They also gave him two pages to read about his rights as an immigrant in the US. We saw the other couple reading it so we did too. Mainly we read it to pass time. We joked around about what we were reading haha.
As we waited we started talking with the other couple. Their interview was also for 845 and it was way passed 9 haha. Apparently their process they started in October and already had an interview for January, looks like fiancé visas are being processed a lot quicker right now for Peru.
At one point I went to the bathroom which is at the other end near the entrance, where there were masses of people applying for tourist visas. When I got back, the people on the other end of the room were in the middle of swearing. So I saw Gonzalo with his hand up in the air repeating after this man who was obviously American in his physical appearance and his accent as he spoke Spanish. I stood on the side, and sat down after it was done.
Around 1020, the other couple gets called in so Gonzalo and I wish them luck. We are sitting with our backs to window 15 which is really a small room that you go into and then there’s a window with chairs. Gonzalo and I are nervous again now that we had no one to talk to. Two minutes go by, and the couple comes out. Gonzalo can see the door quicker than I can and he tells me they look happy. They were approved! They come over and say that they didn’t even ask for their pictures or evidence or letters of intent. We said good bye.
A few other people got called before us, for other kinds of visas I assume. Around 1030/40 we were called. We went into the small white room and sat down. It was the same American man who had sworn us in. Gonzalo had to scan his finger prints again, I guess tomake sure it’s him, and he asked the same exact questions from the window, how we met, when I traveled, why does he have that one visa. I didn’t talk much because I didn’t want to look like I was speaking for him haha, I just smile and supported his answers. He asked what he was planning on doing when he gets to the US, he said get married of course, the man said good answer and laughed. Then Gonzalo said look for a job, plan our religious ceremony, etc. I thought that I should bring up the fact that we have evidence of our relationship, but before I could say anything, the man said “Well we are going to give you the visa (I smiled so big) but I see here that your passport expires this December. Usually you have 6 months to travel, but just in case, because of your passport, we recommend you travel as soon as you can” Gonzalo said “yes yes I plan on going in February as soon as I can”. I could tell that he hadn’t really heard the man said in an indirect way that we were approved, so the man smiled and said again “Well your visa is approved” and Gonzalo was so relieved. He stamped over the current visa he had (visa tripulante) to cancel it, and he kept his passport!
He told him to just keep any eye out for something from DHL (Gonzalo already had an account with DHL set up for Polo for pick up) and it would be there in one to two weeks (hopefully just one!). Since we were there I asked that we’re thinking of PR for our honeymoon since it’s still the US, and what he thought of that. He said “well PR is part of the US so it’s not problem!”We thanked him and went out. They NEVER asked for our evidence and photos!
Leaving that room, we were smiling so big, but we were trying to maintain control because EVERYONE stares at you when you come out to see if you were approved or denied.
In the courtyard before exiting we started laughing and he picked me up and it was the best feeling ever. We stopped by the metal detectors room and got all our things back.
We crossed the street to the car, and a man sold us icecream to celebrate our visa approval and he congratulated us haha.
We were home by 11! It was a wonderful experience. Even though we were there so long for a supposedly 845 interview, we expected the long wait. We just made the best of the situation and tried to be silly/have fun while we had to quietly wait.
I am home now, but before I left, I left him these things
- his xrays and results
- original shots records
- letters of intent from him and me that they didn’t take at the embassy
- the receipt of paying the visa
- another copy of his interview letter
- all our evidence we didn’t give
These he will have on hand just in case when he enters the country, along with the sealed packet he will be getting with his visa.
Thank you for reading! hope it helped
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #13790