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| Montreal, Canada |  Review on October 12, 2007: |
MonopolyMoney
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
We got to the Embassy at 6:50ish and we were 5th in line. The doors opened at 7:30 and we were ushered into the building after showing the security guard our appointment letter. Security took people in one by one and was quick and efficient. The woman that was directing us through the process was friendly, yet you could tell she meant business. We were given a card with the letter E and window #9 on it before going through a metal detector and being wanded. After that, we were told to go downstairs and wait in the waiting room. After 5 minutes, the nice security guard came down and took us up in the elevator, instructed us which window we should go to, and then left.
I would reiterate all of the nice short cuts to take (back of elevator, directions, etc), but it doesn't matter in the long run. The order in which you arrive at the Embassy dictates the order in which you will be called for the administrative tasks and the interview.
At the first window we went to after getting off the elevator, we gave them our interview appointment letter and the card. There was a bit of a comical moment when the woman asked for our letter, and then after we had handed that to her, asked for "the other letter". Kurtis and I looked at each other (panic on my face) and then the woman clarified that she had wanted the letter that we got at security.
We sat down in the main waiting room and...well.. waited. After a bit, they called Kurtis up to window 6. This is where we had to hand over all of the original documents. The woman that was taking them said, "I need your documents." I knew we had to hand over the DS-156K, but I wasn't sure which documents she needed copies of. I asked, and she just...didn't answer. So, I asked again and she said, "I need your documents." Ooooookay. We just started handing over everything--the medical (they don't need the X-ray), birth certificate (with copy), name change document (with copy), police certificate, proof of ongoing relationship, letter of intent from me, affidavit of support. There was bare minimum interaction from the woman taking our stuff, even when we asked her some questions. She had Kurtis go pay the $100 USD cash at window #14 and then come back and give her the receipt. Then she told us to sit down and wait again. BRING A BOOK. Kurtis was practically pulling his hair out from boredom and resorted to reading some tax forms.
We waited for about an hour before we were called to door #8. We entered the room, greeted the woman standing behind the glass (she was a black woman with bleach blonde hair). She didn't greet us back, and instead told us to put our stuff down so that the little desk area in front of the window was clear.
Then she started asking questions. Her voice was completely monotone. She asked Kurtis (wouldn't even look at me) how we had met. He asked her, "How did we meet in person or online?" and she just repeated the question, so he launched into our story of how we met in person for the first time. She didn't nod or show ANY emotion, just stared at him. He just kept rambling on about how we met until there was no more to say.
Finally, after 30 seconds of silence in which she just stared at Kurtis, she asked, "How much education have you had?" He replied, and she asked about how much education I've had. He told her, and then she asked about what he plans to do for work in the US. Since he hasn't been allowed to come to the US since we've started the visa process, he replied with his skills that he has and the type of work that he was going to look for once he's allowed. She then asked about what type of work I do. I'm unemployed (since I'm in Canada and not allowed to work), and he told her that. She then asked, rather rudely: "How do you plan to survive if you both will not be working?" I jumped in and told her I have two jobs lined up for when I get back to the US. She didn't even look at me.
She then said, "Do you swear to the statements you've made?" Kurtis didn't hear her, so he said, "I'm sorry?" and she repeated what she said in a very exasperated tone. She then said, "You will receive your visa within a week."
And that was that.
We left happy and smiling, despite the rudeness of the staff (minus the security guard) at the Embassy and the nerve-wracking interview. We were out of there by 10:30.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #2101