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| Bangkok, Thailand |  Review on August 3, 2015: |
aehall10
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Our experience with Bangkok Embassy:
1. My fiancee's appointment was schedule for 7:00 am, so she got there at about 6:15 am. [Early risers at our U.S. Embassy!] Once inside, my fiancee felt nervous but not intimidated. Everyone seemed pleasant.
2. The interview was done at a walk-up window, "like a bank." There is a partition of some type, so the conversation occurs via microphone.
3. My fiancee interacted with only one person. The Embassy officer asked her the same type of questions you would expect your Aunt Martha to ask (e.g. "How did you meet?" "What do you know about him?" "What do you like about him?" "How does your family feel?" "When did you last see each other?" "How often do you talk to each other?" "When did you last speak to him?" "Were you aware he was married and divorce before?" etc.). The questions almost seemed conversational. My fiancee said she had no trouble answering any of them and there were no surprises.
4. My fiancee brought two scrapbooks full of receipts, photos and stuff as "proof of relationship" evidence. Only one scrapbook fit underneath the partition. [*I think these books should be kept under 1.5 inches in width]. The officer flipped through the book and may have asked a question or two about items inside.
5. The officer stepped away from the window for a few minutes. When she returned, she asked if my fiance could recall the name of the internet site where we first met about a year ago. She said it was "important." [We met on a social-networking site and my fiance explained how it had unfolded]. This question was important, I suspect, because of the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act. There are some specific legal requirements if a "marriage broker" has been used. Those regulations don't apply to social networking sites where people cross paths, as we did.
6. The officer told my fiancee that her visa was approved and that it would likely be mailed to her in "about two weeks." My fiancee was told not to buy a plane ticket until after she had the visa in hand.
7. They wrapped up their conversation and my fiance was back outside of the embassy by about 8:40 am.
8. The visa arrived in my fiancee's mail 5 days later.
Overall, it was a comfortable experience for my fiancee. She described the staff as "nice" and thought the questions were "reasonable."
Feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions about my fiancee's experience or how we prepared for the interview.
Final note: I have visited her in Thailand 3 times (December 2014 thru May 2015). We talk on Line-App chat almost daily and we were on the phone until the Embassy guards told everyone to turn off their phones before coming into the Embassy.
(updated on August 3, 2015)
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #17470