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| Naples, Italy |  Review on April 3, 2014: |
cmoore
Rating:  | Review Topic: General Review
We just returned from our medical visit and successful interview in Naples and I thought our experience might be relevant or helpful for others in our situation.
I'm American, my husband is Italian, we have one child who has dual citizenship.
We've been together over 14 years and married for almost seven. I've lived in southern Italy for almost 8 years.
I read other reviews on this site about how long people waited and I was very nervous about entertaining and containing our 3-year-old for all of that time. We arrived at the medical visit by 7:30am, he took a number, showed his passport and we went to a waiting area (this took a whole 2 minutes). From that point, they didn't take people in the order they had arrived, which upset the people who'd arrived at 7 that morning. I'm not sure what "order" they were using but my husband was called in relatively quickly and with a couple of extra "waiting" times, we were out of there by 9:30 AM.
They have changed the process and they no longer tell you to go to the consulate at 2pm that day. After the medical visit, you are done for the day.
The next morning we arrived at the consulate at 7:30am and were 5th in line. It is important to be there early as you are processed in the order you arrive (more or less). At about 7:45AM, they told all of the families with children to get into another line and that we would all go first. (So we were 2nd at that point!)
They send you through security one family at a time and you go upstairs to a waiting area. If you have kids, remember that they'll take all electronics at security so have crayons, other toys, etc that your kids can play with!
They started calling people before 8AM. By the time everyone was upstairs the room was *full* - I would estimate 18-20 cases.
As others have said, you go to a window and show all of your papers.
I had divided the paperwork into "sections" and had made a list of what I had (and in which folder I'd put it.) It seems obsessive, I know, but it made the process go so smoothly! I had all original birth and marriage certificates and his military and "crime" records in one folder; copies of all of these certificates and records in another folder, sponsorship info in one, proof of our relationship in one and proof of my domicile in another one. They never asked for or looked at proof of our relationship or proof that I'd kept my American domicile (old tax records, permanent mailing address, banking accounts, etc).
We were probably at the window less than 10 minutes. She told us to go pay the visa fee and to wait.
I thought they'd do the "interview" in a little room somewhere but actually they do them right there at one of the windows. They aren't loud so people can't really hear most of what you are talking about, but it definitely isn't private.
When it was time, they called my husband to the window. She said I could be there for moral support but that he needed to answer her questions. She asked him when and where we met and where we planned to live in the US. Maybe she asked another 1-2 questions, but they aren't anything to worry about. She thanked us for having our paperwork so organized and said his visa was approved and that we'd hear from DHL in the next few days.
We were out by 9AM so less than 1.5 hours total that morning. You don't have to go back at 5 that evening-I'm assuming this is something else they've changed (or it was for people getting a different visa than us). Ours will arrive in the mail via DHL.
A few things I overheard other people having problems with:
- When you complete the DS-260 electronically it will tell you to print the confirmation page and take it with you to the consulate. Make sure you do this. I overheard people who didn't have it and it was the first thing she asked us for at the window. (One couple who didn't have this copy were visibly upset when they left. I have no idea of the circumstances, of course, nor do I know if they were denied, had to reschedule, etc...)
- For the sponsorship stuff, make sure you have everything you are supposed to have for the person / people who are sponsoring you. I heard people saying they didn't have certain documents for all of the relevant people.
- I am a small business owner so we were lucky that we didn't need other sponsors but in case any of you are in the same boat as us, they'll only need your sponsorship application / statement and your last year tax return with your schedule "C" or appropriate self-employment forms from your taxes.
I thought all of the people working at the consulate were very nice and we had a very positive experience. In bocca al lupo!
(updated on April 3, 2014)
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #14228