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| Frankfurt, Germany |  Review on July 4, 2014: |
tina:)
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Interview: June 12
We (a friend of mine and I) decided to take public transportation to get to the Consulate to avoid traffic and the hassle of trying to find a parking spot (we saw later that there were a few open spots right across the street from the Consulate though). The subway station Gießener Straße is right around the corner (5-10 Minute walk).
When we walked up to the main entrance of the consulate we saw lots of people waiting in front of it. There were two lines: “non-immigrant visas” (maybe two people were in that line) and “all others” (empty). I was able to give my phone and wallet to my friend and got in the “all others” lane. All I had on me then was my folder. I got called up to the window right away and had to present my passport, the invitation letter and my DS160 print-out. I was then given a ticket with a number on it and asked to enter the Consulate (a glass door to my right). There, I went through security (similar to that at an airport). Once done, one of the security guards opened the door for me and asked me to walk along a little pathway outside to the next building.
Once I entered the next building I got a little confused because I saw that numbers were being called up (there were tons of people lining up on the right in the non-immigrant section). I decided to wait at the little reception they have set up right at the entrance. After a minute the woman that handed me my ticket in the beginning walked up and handed me a sheet of paper with instructions on it. She told me I didn’t have to wait in line and that I should just proceed to window 22 in the back.
There, I had to present my invitation letter and turn in my passport. The man checked me off the list and asked me to take a seat before being called up to the next window. I sat down for about a minute before I got called up to the next window (I believe it was window 20).
I was greeted and asked to place my fingers on the scanner. After that, the man explained the K1 visa rules to me in German and asked me when I plan on travelling to the US. He then told me the expiration date of the visa and showed me what I would be receiving from the Consulate if my visa was to get approved. After that, he asked me take a seat before getting called up to the next window for the actual interview.
I waited for about two minutes. During those I saw the man who would be conducting the interview going through our paperwork. He called me up by my name and I was so incredibly nervous! He had a bright smile on his face and started my interview by asking me how I was doing in German (he ended up conducting the whole interview in German, his German was nearly perfect!). His friendly and nice attitude loosened me up a little bit. He then asked me the following questions:
- How did you meet? (I told him that we met during my exchange year in the States and he asked me how that went. I got a little confused and thought he meant how we started dating but really he meant to ask me about my exchange year. We both started giggling about the confusion. He said he’s glad to hear that I had a great year.)
- What does your Fiance do as a job? (He is in the military so we talked about his next duty station that we plan on moving to which is San Diego. He then asked me if I’ve been there before and we both agreed on the perfect weather there.)
He then closed the folder with all our paperwork, looked at me, smiled and said “everything is approved” before typing something in the computer. He looked at me again and told me that I can expect my visa in the mail within the next week and he wished me good luck in San Diego.
Conclusion: There is no reason to be nervous! Everyone at the Consulate was so nice and professional. I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the man was who conducted the interview. He didn’t make me feel intimidated at all and he was able to create a relaxed atmosphere for more of a small talk than a formal interview.
The whole appointment only took 20 mins (from entering the embassy to leaving)! I got in line at 10 50 am and was out by 11 10 am 
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #14757