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| Finland |  Review on October 29, 2014: |
Lenny&Sanna
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
I had my Visa interview this Monday at the consulate in Helsinki. First of all, it was easy to find. I walked a short walk from the train station and the door to the consulate was situated between Robert's Coffee and Steam cafe. Because I was over an hour early I went inside a cafe to wait since they don't let you in until right before your appointment time. There were a lot of people standing outside with folders in their hands close to 9 am. My appointment was at 10am.
9:57 I pressed the buzzer at the door and told the machine who I was and why I was there. The voice asked me when my appointment was and I told them and I was let in because it was almost 10am. They adviced me to go through the doors (both the front door and the next one work with the buzzer so I went through them quickly so I wouldn't get stuck in between haha) and to the second elevator on the right. Confusing thing was I could only see one elevator but then a sign on the wall said "consulate 5th floor" and I followed it and around the corner was the second elevator.
Up at 5th floor, I pressed the buzzer on the door to the consulate and a security woman asked for my passport (and asked me to shut down any electronic devices such as my phone) and after checking that let me in. Inside there were two more security personnel and I gave them my bag, jacket, phone and any metal (in my case, my belt) and I walked through a metal detector. They gave me a number tag that would tell them what stuff in there is mine when I come back. At this point I only had myself, that tag and all my interview papers and passport with me. Another security guy let me in the waiting room.
I was the only 10am appointment so they asked me to the counter right away. A man asked me for my paperwork and passport and asked me to sit and wait while he goes through the papers. Then a woman asked me back to the counter, took my fingerprints and I sat back down. Then a while later another woman, this time American, asked me back and that's when I was interviewed. I've heard they mostly interview in Finnish but sometimes it's in English like mine was. I had to take an oath to promise that all I've told them is true to the best of my knowledge, while holding my hand on the fingerprint machine.
What I was asked:
- You are engaged to the petitioner of these papers, correct?
- Where did you meet?
- When did you meet in person? (since we met online originally)
- Was this for a short trip? (after I said we met in person when my fiance came to Finland)
- Have you been to the US?
- What does your fiance do?
- What do you do at the moment?
- What do you plan on doing in the US?
- When are you planning to travel?
- When have you planned on getting married?
After this the woman told me everything looks good and the visa will come in the mail in 1 or 2 weeks. She also reminded me that I have 6 months to travel with the visa and in the US 90 days to get married. Then the man came back with the extra papers I gave them that they didn't need and that was it  Visa approved!
Everyone there was really friendly, smiled and the security even joked around with me and such. A really smooth thing to go through and I wasn't even nervous at all like I was before the interview because the people there being great made my nervousness go away. Overall a great experience for me
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #15483