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| Moscow, Russia |  Review on April 14, 2016: |
KirilleXXI
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
My petitioning fiancé couldn't be present at the interview (he is a primary caregiver to his father, we even requested a waiver for the condition of personal meeting within the last 2 years, and, it seems, our waiver was approved).
My original appointment was scheduled for April 7th, but on that day everything that could go wrong actually went wrong, I couldn't make it to my interview and prepared myself for the possibility of having to pay another $265 fee and scheduling again before the April 30th deadline (4 months since I-129F was approved by the USCIS). I called the embassy the next day to find out what I should do in my case, and I was pleasantly surprised to be reminded of something I've read a long time ago and have forgotten since: I could miss my appointments twice and reschedule until I have to pay the fee again. I was also lucky enough to get a new appointment on the very next Monday, April 11th.
On April 11th I got into the building around 10:00 am (appointment was for 9:30 am). The embassy employee collecting my required documents at window 22 made a point to criticize me for being late (even though I still had to wait for an hour for my interview later on). I don't see what's the big deal about being a little bit late if there is a line of 14 other applicants waiting for one of only two consul officers interviewing them in windows 24 and 25. After all, it's a huge city of Moscow, and getting anywhere downtown during the morning rush hour usually takes about two hours.
Upon submitting my documents, I found out that the sealed envelope with my medical exam results hasn't arrived to the embassy in time for my interview (I had my medical on March 29th which is almost two weeks prior to my eventual interview date, although I was promised my results will be delivered by April 7th). The thing is, I had to see an additional doctor to talk about a health issue that arose on my physical, so the panel physician told me not to wait for the sealed envelope and just see that other doctor in a different clinic the same day, and my results will be delivered to the embassy with a courier. I knew I should have insisted on coming back to pick them up myself.
After a few phone calls, the embassy employer collecting my documents at window 22 told me it wasn't my fault, I didn't fail to show up for some required medical procedure and that everything that needed to be done on my part was done. Huge relief. If it was my mistake, it probably wouldn't look good to the consul officer.
After waiting for everyone else to go through the interview (a family with two children, two applicants who got there with their American fiancés, to name a few), I was the last man standing (or, rather, sitting) all alone in the little waiting room on the second floor of the building, with a restroom right behind the two rows of seats. Thank God for that restroom! I felt so much better after fixing my messed-up hair and getting rid of the nerve-wrecking dry mouth right before going in.
Finally, I was invited to the window 25. The consul officer, a very nice and good-looking young woman, was very friendly, polite, smiling and laughing. The first thing she asked me was if I would be comfortable speaking with her in English. I affirmed and she was very glad about that! I was hoping for that as well just to show that my English is well enough for me to adjust well in the US.
Right away we cleared up an issue of using several different names and nicknames online since that's how we actually met — on a blog dedicated to marriage equality being on trial in a case that ultimately made its way to the Supreme Court and jump-started a chain of other legal battles which ended with marriage equality becoming the law of the land unequivocally and undeniably all over the United States of America. And that finally allowed me and my fiancé to go through the K-1 visa process after waiting for over 5 years of having a mostly long-distance relationship.
I was asked about how we've met and I told the whole story of commenting on that blog and noticing each other's comments, openly discussing legal things and our personal lives both on the blog and in private chats on Skype, ending up talking for hours on end every day, sharing our lives with each other, stories of discrimination from the past, family issues and so much more. I think one of the best evidences of our long-standing and caring relationship is my command of English language. I couldn't have gotten this far without hundreds and thousands of hours of conversations with my fiancé, without his lessons correcting my English and teaching me proper ways of expressing myself. And, as much interest did I have in English, as much of that interest he had in my language and my culture. However, Russian language is a very complicated one, so we haven't been so successful in that area, but mostly because I do not make a great teacher.
The other major factor going for us was the fact that my fiancé had lived with me in Russia for three months five years ago. The consul officer seemed to be impressed by that. I also mentioned some great news about his new job that he was starting that same day as my interview, I explained what the job was and what it demanded. I think it showed that we are a part of each other's lives, and some of the short stories in our relationship showed that it was a genuine loving relationship that had to struggle through years of discriminatory policies which prevented us from becoming a real family for all intents and purposes years ago back when we were already ready for that.
I was also asked about my plans in the US, to which I replied that I am definitely planning on finding a good job and that my professional skills are in great demand in the US.
Finally, the interview was over and I received a piece of paper stating my visa application was denied because of missing medical results. I had to make sure I understood it right, so I asked if that was a final denial. The officer was very nice to explain to me that it was just a technical denial pending the arrival of my medical papers, and that as soon as it happens, my visa will be issued and sent to me via Pony Express.
As of today, three days after my interview, my visa has not been approved yet. But I am hopeful and am going through the preparation for leaving to the US as soon as I am able to.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #19313