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| South Africa |  Review on July 21, 2015: |
queentobe
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
There aren't a lot of South African's on here, so I thought I would do my due diligence and post a review for the Johannesburg Consulate:
I arrived at the embassy at around 12:20 in the afternoon for a 13:00 appointment. There was hardly anybody there when I arrived and I ended up being fourth in line.
Outside the embassy, security verified our names with their appointment sheets at around 12:45. At 13:00 they let us in one by one and it was the usual US Embassy protocol from there - remove all electronics from your pockets, bags etc and submit them for collection when you leave and just to clarify, electronics obviously includes your cell phone. Anyways, after that I went inside and collected a number at the front podium.
After about 10mins of waiting, I was called to the first window. At this point, a South African woman asked for my name and collected my packet, which appeared to be my I-129F petition and then some. She then asked me for the following:
- Passport (I had two to submit so they could cancel a prior visa that was about to expire)
- Unabridged/Long Form Birth Certificate (I gave her the original and she actually asked if I had a copy to submit instead, which I didn't because my certificate was finalized an hour before I had to go to the embassy. She offered to make a copy and assured me it would be returned to me before I left. Even though the appointment letter states that even certified copies will not be accepted, definitely bring a copy of all necessary documents. Also, another tip to any South Africans who went through the Unabridged Birth Certificate nightmare - fill out another form and pay the additional R75 for a second copy. You never know when you'll need it again or God forbid something happens to the first one)
- Form I-134 & all supporting documents (I included most recent tax return, letter from employer and a letter from the bank with my fiancés account details. All original documents.)
- Police Clearance
- Proof of Ongoing Relationship (I put all of my relationship evidence into a soft binder so that I could submit everything for them to see. I included everything from regular photos to social media posts to flower delivery receipts)
She said my documents appeared to be in perfect order and she then requested to take my finger prints. After that, she gave me a receipt to take to the cashier and a document to read about domestic violence and our rights as immigrants.
I then proceeded to the cashier to pay for my visa. The visa fee for a K-1 is $265. I paid this fee using a South African credit card, which I think is the easiest thing to do unless you happen to have enough dollars in cash to make the payment. You can most certainly pay cash in South African rand as well, just make sure you have more than enough with the exchange rate. Note that you cannot split the payment between cash and card, also someone ahead of me had an issue with a US credit card. Not sure why.
Anyways, after paying the real waiting began. I believe it was close to an hour before I was called up for my interview. I was relieved when I finally heard my number called. When I got to the window I was greeted by a US official. He verified my fingerprints and then asked me the following questions:
- Where did you guys meet?
- What were you doing in New York at that time?
- What does your fiancé do?
- Where does he work?
- What do you do? Are you currently working?
- Why aren't you getting married here in South Africa?
This was all fairly quick. He then said everything looks fine and I should expect to receive an email when my passport is ready. He then gave me a pink slip, which basically detailed what he told me and states that the process will take 3-5 days before my visa is ready for collection. And that was that!
I left there at about 15:00, so the whole process took about 2hrs from when we entered. Overall, a pleasant experience.
TIPS:
- For people who are not familiar with the area, there is NO PARKING at the embassy. Park across the street at Sandton City or have someone drop you off right in front of the embassy.
- I am not sure if today was a particularly quiet day, but there was really no need need for me to get there as early as 12:20. If I had arrived 20mins later, I still would have been fourth in line. Anyways, I cannot say that this is always the case as I've read about people lining up as early as 11:30 for 13:00 appointments.
- Bring a snack/water or change for the vending machine if you're one of those people who get peckish. Be warned that the vending machine options are pretty lack luster 
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #17377