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| Bucharest, Romania |  Review on December 23, 2014: |
EarlyMorningHours
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
We arrived at the embassy much too early, maybe 45 minutes or so, but my wife was concerned, and with good reason, that we could be held up in traffic. The last time we had gone to the embassy, we were about 15 minutes late because of a traffic jam that is fairly typical in Bucharest. Well they made us wait outside the entire 45 minutes and it was both cold and windy. By the time we finally got inside, we were both shivering and had uncontrollably runny noses.
We were the first let into the embassy even though we were towards the end of the list that the officer was working off of. I'm not sure, but it may have been because I, an American citizen, was accompanying my wife. We went through the usual airport security style kabuki dance and were told to go to the next building.
We hadn't even rounded the first corner and there was a lady at window 1 asking my wife for her passport.. in Romanian, which I understand some, but not terribly much. We barely handed over her passport when she was called to window 5 to, as I later found out, give her fingerprints. I continued with the lady at window 1, who mercifully changed to speaking English. I handed over the medical results, the TNT confirmation, my divorce papers (with apostille I might add - it's very important to have this), and then I handed over pictures and wedding cards without even handing over any of the other "evidence of relationship" material. She simply told me that this was plenty and smiled. I wasn't totally confident this was a good thing or not, but figured we would find out soon enough.
We then waited maybe 20 minutes before we were called to window 11 for the interview. My wife was asked how we met and what web site and then the questioning turned to my divorce. I was then asked about the circumstances that led to the divorce, if my wife was aware of my marriage when we first met, and I'm sure a couple of other questions I don't even remember as I write this. The officer was then interested in my income, wondering why I made so much more in the last couple of years. So I let him know I'd been working 3 extra jobs so I could afford to buy round trip tickets as much as I have been the last two years. Finally, it was probably 5 minutes max but felt like 20, he told us my wife's visa was approved and if we didn't mind waiting about half an hour we could walk out with the visa in hand. It could go without saying that we took him up on that offer. And sure enough, after half an hour we had the visa and went on our way.
Aside from approaching hypothermia while waiting outside, the process was pretty easy, professionally handled, and not overly stressful. The visa process as a whole however was maddening at best, infuriating at times, and heartbreaking at others. All those times when I would say goodbye to her at the airport. It just about chokes me up now thinking about it. That we had to waste so much time of our lives. I'm 45 and to me everyday counts. By the time you get to be my age, you realize how brief your younger and healthier years really are. We are both beyond thrilled and almost in a state of disbelief that this is really over. But there's still a part of me that knows it didn't have to be that long and drawn out. If you're in this process now, just know that it does indeed eventually conclude.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #15843