|
|
| France |  Review on August 13, 2015: |
djnantes
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
The French consulate recently changed how they process the fiancé visa applications so we were a little confused as to how the new process works. To clarify to those who are about to go through the same process, our petition arrived at the consulate from NVC a full month before we received package 3 with instructions on what paperwork to gather for the interview. It also instructed us to send in a "readiness" form and to wait to receive package 4 to schedule the interview. Package 4 arrived about three weeks later and gave us an already scheduled interview date, time, further details about documentation to bring, and information about the medical appointment.
We only had one weeks notice of our appointment date, but Dr. Slattery fit my fiancé in right away. You go to his office, pay the first fee, get blood work taken, and then your vaccinations records are reviewed (in your carnet de santé). After you have to go to a different office for your x-rays. Here you pay different fees to them. After waiting 24 hours we were instructed to come and pick up the results: a sealed envelope for the consulate and another envelope with results and xrays for US entry.
My fiancé and I went to our consular interview together and it went very smooth. Food and electronics are not allowed inside so we opted not to bring them at all. They first check that the beneficiary is on the list. For the petitioner you just have to bring your American passport to be allowed inside. Afterwards you go through security, followed by a desk that asks for your appointment paper work and gives you an appointment number — we were the first ones for our time slot, having arrived at 12:40 for our 1:00 appointment.
We waited for about 40 minutes before being called to our first window. There they only asked for the appointment letter and the proof of payment.
We sat back down and waited for 20 minutes before being called again. The next window we were asked more questions. Here we were required to provide them with an original birth certificate, the DS-160 bar code, the sealed medical exam results, an original criminal records, a photocopy of the GAPD form (military service exemption form), a letter of of intent to marry (only mine, the petitioner, because they view coming to the appointment at all as proof of intent for the beneficiary). In addition we gave an affidavit of support, tax records, and letters from my banks. These were not compulsory, but they were glad to add it to the file. After we were told that we could sit back down and wait for our interview. As the petitioner I was told that when we were called back I could stand beside my fiancé, but during the interview I was not allowed to answer any questions for him.
We waited 15 minutes to be called back up for the interview. My fiancé was asked only a few questions: How did you meet? How long have you known one another? Why did you go to (the city where we met) and for how long were you there? What was your fiancée doing there? What do you do for a living? What does your fiancée do for a living? Where are you living now? — We've been living together for the past two years so she said that it made it easy on her and said that all our paperwork is in order so our visa is approved.
My fiancé's passport was taken and will be mailed back to us within 10 days along with a sealed envelope to bring to the United States. In addition, he was told to bring the additional medical records provided by the Dr. Slattery's office.
Good luck to everyone who has their interview in the future!!
| |
|
Consulate / USCIS Member Review #17531