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| Malaysia |  Review on March 28, 2016: |
zomgitsrin
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Appointment was scheduled for noon. Fiance was with me; granted entry via his American passport and my I/C.
You get passed through 2 security checks - wear simple, light clothing/shoes and do not bring any electronics in with you. Car keys and such paraphernalia will be left with the first security counter at the front of the building. Second security just walks you through a metal detector and (if necessary) a simple pat down. Security staff will then stamp your interview letter with corresponding letters (my K1 letter got a 'B' stamp) and give you a queue number.
Proceed to waiting rooms and stare at electronic counter on the walls. Eventually called up to the counters 3 times: Document submission, fingerprinting, and actual final interview.
Protip: Have your documents in the exact order as the list sent to you in Packet 4, as the staff collecting the documents will ask for them going down that list. The better you know your stack of papers, the easier and quicker the process will go for you.
The most excruciating part of the entire process is the waiting. My final interview only took place at about 4.30PM or so, so I'd been there for about 5 hours. There were plenty of travel visa applicants waiting with me, which the embassy handled first - I assume the travel visas are more straightforward and easier to process - before getting around to the immigration visas (study/work/migrants).
The final interview was a breeze compared to everything else. You start off taking an oath to tell the truth, and are asked some questions:
- How did you two meet?
- What have you been doing since then?
- Why did you two decide to move to the US to get married?
- What are you planning to do in the States?
- What are your wedding plans like?
Basically just trying to get a good idea of your relationship timeline. If you two know each other well enough (and you should!) and just tell the honest truth, you'll make it through just fine. I had also been previously rejected for a travel visa (twice), but it did not affect this K1 application whatsoever (the interviewer brought it up to clarify, but that was it).
The interviewer also did not ask me for the rest of the photos and proof of continuation of relationship that was requested in Packet 4 (but I did have them prepared with me).
After a bit of typing on her computer, the interviewer then told me that my visa was approved and that I would be notified of the availability of my passport + visa for pick-up at the Aramex offices.
I received an email from Aramex about 3-4 days later telling me my passport was ready at the office. Drove over to pick it up, then jetted off to America!
Overall, a pretty easy, pleasant experience. The staff was friendly and understanding, the embassy is comfortable to wait in (with bathrooms and water fountains available), and the process fairly straightforward. Just be prepared for a bit of (uncertain-ish, slightly confusing) waiting, but it'll all be worth it in the end!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #19184