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| Sydney, Australia |  Review on July 8, 2007: |
Rings
Rating:  | Review Topic: K3 Visa
Loke's Review
Okay...firstly hi everyone and sorry about the extended absence, but it has been the most hectic time this last few weeks. I know everyone said things would go quick once we were approved but I think we might have set some kind of record. From what we have been able to work out, the NVC received our approved petition on May 30, and from there it has taken 34 days to interview. The Consulate put me under pressure with my letter of appointment too, which arrived only 6 days before my interview date...lucky I found out via an email to Rings the Friday previous, or booking flights an accomodation would have been stressful.
So what happens in Sydney...
I land after a relatively painless flight (middle seat...I hate middle seats lol) and the backpackers hostel I am staying at offers free airport transfers if you stay 3 nights, which I am. So I call them to arrange the transfer and then have to call back and ask them to hold off when I find out Qantas lost my luggage. They put it on the wrong plane...
So after I get through baggage services I call the hostel back and arrange the bus to pick me up, and I get there knowing I have a single room...but damn I thought the rooms in my flat were small. This place is barely big enough to fit a single bed and a chair into. But it is on Pitt St. which I know crosses Martin Place, and simplicity of travel to the Consulate is important. And it suits my budget too. Finally my luggage gets delivered by Qantas at about 10pm, which is a relief. I have all the vital documents in my hand luggage, but some extra stuff I wanted to have with me (and my nice clothes haha) are in the checked luggage.
blah blah blah all nervous and can't sleep and stuff, finally settle in and have trouble waking up because I have not slept enough haha...and begin the trek up to Martin Place....is cutting to the chase.
I knew I had to go up to the 10th floor and then go throguh the Consulate reception lobby. What I didn't know is that you have to get an elevator (they're towards the back of the MLC centre - follow the signs. I was tempted to go up the escalator but beyond that there's signs pointing you to the lifts) to the 8th floor first, then another to the 10th and then through the security check...pretty much like airport security. Show passport and letter of appointment, put your bags through an x-ray machine and don't set the metal detector off...saw a few guys in business suits walk into the interview area with their belts in their hands, I thought that was kind of funny. Then wait for the guard to take you to the elevator to the 59th floor. Then through another metal detector - they don't mess around - and finally through the door into the interview room.
Ticket machine is in front of you, slightly to the right. Tasteful wood panel (or substitute, I didn't really look closely), push the top button for immigrant visa ticket...K3 is technically a non immigrant visa but for the purposes of interview, all K visas are considered immigrant visas - they really know how to confuse people. Waited for what seemed like an hour, but was probably only 20-30 minutes for my number to come up. They processed a bunch of other visa types while I waited, there seems to be only 2 windows (1 and 2 - I got window 2) dedicated to immigrant visas and the rest are for work/tourist visas etc.
I handed all my documents to the lady, including a few she didn't want to see, and she sent me away to wait more while she checked over the paperwork more thoroughly. Then she called me back up (well, the flashing numbers did, she didn't actually say anything) and told me it all looked good, and as long as the immigration officer agreed with her then I would be approved. Told me to wait a little longer and then my number was called - this time by a real person and I was asked to go to window 7. This was the interview.
The lady there had all my paperwork in front of her and to be honest this is the bit I remember least lol. I was nervous. She asked when we married and where, and how we met and how long we had known each other. Asked how long Rings had stayed, when we first met in person and how long that was before we married. She laughed a little when I said we met 2 weeks before we married, and that settled me down a little, it seemed a reassuring laugh. She asked about both our jobs and about Rings' kids - how old, have I met them, do I get along well with them. Then it was all over. She told me I can go back Thursday to pick up my visa.
I lugged a huge amount of paperwork up the hill and up to the top of the building. Emails, chat logs, photos, letters and other documents to prove we actually do love each other. Nobody was interested in seeing any of it. I guess I should be relieved just to be approved but I can't help feeling a little disappointed that nobody wanted to see how good we look together, or how much we love each other. I might try to balance that out by handing photos out to random strangers while I wait for Thursday afternoon to come around.
oh by the way, for anyone wanting to stay and collect their visa in person, it's 3:30pm the following afternoon (unless your interview is July 3rd, in which case you wait an extra day while they eat turkey and...oh wait, that's Thanksgiving...while they dress up in ghost costumes and...no that's Halloween...while they do whatever it is for the Fourth of July...let off fireworks or something. So the 4th is out, and I am back at 3:30pm on the 5th, which ironically is actually the REAL Fourth of July, except I guess in Australia they celebrate a day ahead of their American compatriots.
WOHOOO!! I am so relieved to have got through all of this. I am a natural worrier so even though it has been nice to be able to take an active part in the process as opposed to the initial stages which involve more work from the US Citizen and I had to be patient and trust that Rings was doing it all right (and I know she had a hard time with the reversal - it is tough to not be in control of these things). But the natural extension of that is that even though I like being in control of my situation, I do stress about things...about the medical - I was so worried they would find something wrong, ro some little thing to stop me getting my visa (I do have to get one more tetanus shot when I get to America), and about the interview. But it really was a simple process. I don't think they are so worried about immigration fraud from Australia. Our country totally rocks so only crazy people would really want to leave to go to another one...actually I am surprised they didn't do psychological testing on me LOL.
I am kidding. America is a cool place too, I am sure. I really like what i have seen of it. But I do get the impression they are okay with accepting Australians more than some other nationalities. It certainly was nowhere near as stressful as some of the other stories I have read about people being denied for not being able to prove a legitimate relationship.
okay...I think I am done for this post...if anyone needs to know anything more I guess I am just about qualified to answer questions now. Unless its about police certificates from Uruguay...I have no idea about those...
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #1773