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| South Africa |  Review on September 9, 2014: |
fridgewater
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Was a little nervous due to the magnitude of the event.
Got to Consulate early around 12.15pm - interview at 1pm (good idea as there was already 10 people in the queue and you can end up standing in the sun otherwise), they started letting us in one by one just before 1pm.
Wasn't extremely busy as it's mostly immigrant interviews. They called us up randomly, (not queue order nor alphabetical).
At first call up, I spoke to a South African lady and they scan your finger prints and I gave in 2x US passport photos, my passort and additional (recent) proof of marriage (some A4 pages of printed photos), she asked if this was my first marriage and if my husband was the petitioner. The you go sit and wait again.
Second call up (the "interview"), I spoke to an American lady and she asks you to make an oath that you are telling the truth. She asked me a few more basic questions, how we met, when did we first meet, have I met his family and then she asked about the new photos. Took about ten minutes, but you do talk at an open counter and everyone waiting hears everything you say. She returned my new photos and my original birth certificate and marriage certificate, but not the police certificate (all of which we had sent to NVC). She stated that everything looked ok and said congratulations. Then she asked how I would like to collect my passport (DHL delivery: R90 or you can collect from Consulate for free, but have to wait in that queue again on either a Monday or Wednesday at 1pm).
Johannesburg is known for being a top notch consulate and I agree. Start to finish about 2 hours (incl. queue waiting).
Best advice I can offer, answer the questions simply and straightforward, don't go into everything in too much detail, they don't want to hear your life story!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #15165