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| United Arab Emirates |  Review on January 25, 2017: |
TheSkywalkers
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Time of Arrival: 5:50AM (There were already 3 families when I reached the Embassy, did not see any K1 visa applicant until the time they let us in.)
7:30AM : The security asked all Immigrant Visa filers to fall in line near the booth by the entrance.
Step 1: Handing over the original passport, appointment letter and DS-160. They scanned the barcode of my DS-160 and printed a sticker with the barcode so they can put it at the back of my passport. They gave me back all those (3) documents and instructed me to enter the door at the left side.
Step 2: Security Check - They instructed us to switch off our mobile phones, and put them in a small tray along with our belts, wristwatches and wallets. They had it scanned along with my paperbag (no bags allowed inside the Embassy so I used the paperbag from NMC). They then instructed me to pass through the body scanner. After checking my things, they took my mobile phone and powerbank, gave me a claim card number while they keep them in the booth. They told me to enter another door and to sit inside and wait for a bit.
Step 3: I was instructed to go to another building and upon reaching there, the security asked for my passport (again) and the appointment letter. They then gave me a token number and told me to wait for my number to appear above the windows used for interviews.
Step 4: Document Collection - I was called to approach window #9: the lady asked for my original passport and appointment letter + DS-160. She asked me if I have been married before and I told her no. She asked for my birth certificate (original and photocopy), and asked me if I have lived in another country for over 6 months apart from UAE and the Philippines, told her no, she then asked for my Dubai police clearance and NBI Clearance. Afterwards she asked for the financial support documents, I handed over my fiance's Form I-134, Tax Transcript, Bank Statements, Employee Certificate, his pay history (he has no paystubs but he has his pay history listed in a table), W2 + our joint sponsor's documents (my aunt) which consists of her Form I-134, Form 1040, Social Security Benefits statement, and her passport copy as a proof of her US citizenship. Lastly, the lady asked for (2) passport size photos and my medical results.
Step 5: Fingerprinting (Total Time of Waiting: 20-25 minutes) - left hand, right hand and then both thumbs together.
Step 6: Interview (Total Time of Interview: 3 minutes) - I was called to approach Window #10 for the interview. The consul (a guy) looked serious but nice. He was nice enough to ask how was I doing and though I was so nervous, I told him I am fine. First off he told me that they need to make sure that all the information we provided are true and correct. He asked me to do another fingerprinting of my left hand. He then looked at me and compared my face to what's on the passport and once he was satisfied, he started firing questions while typing. He constantly looked me in the eye, nodding his head while I was giving answers.
Here are the questions:
"So Luke, right? So how did you and Luke meet?"
He told me to wait a moment as if he forgot something, left and went back in and handed over a pamphlet for helplines I can contact if I ever needed help regarding domestic violence and told me to read it thoroughly.
He then proceeded to asking A LOT of questions.
"How did the conversation start?"
"How long was he here when he visited?"
"What did you do while he was here?"
"How long have you been here in the UAE?"
"What do you do for work?"
"And what does he do for a living?"
"How about now? How do you communicate?"
"And what do you talk about?"
"Where is his family?"
"Does he have any brothers or sisters?"
"Where do they live?"
"So who is living with Luke? Is it just him?"
"What are your plans when you get there? Are you going to work or be a housewife?"
"Is it gonna be real estate again? Or something else?"
"Do you have any family in the US" (I said Yes)
"What family?"
"Where do they live in the US?"
After that, he closed the file where all our docs are, I saw him scribble the word "Approved" on a post-it note, put it on top of the file, took a rubber band and put it all around the file securing the post-it on top and told me, "Everything looks good. So you need to wait for 3 to 4 working days and we will be sending an email telling you that your visa is ready for pickup at the nearest EMPOST. Congratulations on your approval. Have a nice day." He handed over a white slip to me after that. I thanked him and wished him a nice day then stepped out of the building.
All the stress that we went through for the past 4 months was all worth it.
To everyone who answered my questions (here and via PM), to everyone who included us in their prayers and wished us well for today's big day, to everyone who went an extra mile to lend a helping hand and forwarded me e-mails for starting the process, A MASSIVE THANK YOU!
And to everyone who are still in the process of getting theirs approved, best of luck, be patient and pray really hard!
Remember that this is just the beginning. There's more to come (AOS) but as long as this group and its members are here, it's gonna be a piece of cake!
UPDATE: I have created a blog entry about K1 visa journey. Please visit this link: https://happilyhaberlafter.wordpress.com/2018/04/21/k1-visa-process
Hope that helps! 
Godbless us all!
(updated on January 26, 2017)
(updated on April 21, 2018)
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #21250