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| Croatia |  Review on January 13, 2008: |
Lexa
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
K-1 VISA INTERVIEW – Zagreb, Croatia on March 11, 2003
Nice, sunny, and very warm day. What a perfect day to get my visa after waiting 6 months and one week.
They don't schedule interviews, you can walk-in any Tuesday and Thursday from 8am to 11.30am when you have all papers needed.
I was at the embassy at 7:58 am. I was asked for what kind of visa I’m coming for. Guard said I need to wait few more minutes and it would be the best if I take a short walk for 5 minutes. Oh my…how hard it is to kill 5 minutes, I thought it will take for ever.
When I came back at 8:05 am they let me in and security checked me as if I’m brining something they don’t want. Guards were friendly and nice. Then they allowed me to get in a room where some people were already waiting. I was waiting for about 10 to 15 minutes when I was called to a window with bullet proof glass. Nice and friendly lady brought my medical exam results and our approved I-129F. She first gave me my x-rays and told me that I should take them with me when I’m leaving. Then she made a copy of forms which doc filled at medical exam and results of my blood test. She took a list and asked me to give her documents in order as she will say.
So I gave her:
3x DS – 156
1x DS – 156K
1x Birth Certificate (translated in English)
1x Police Record (translated in English)
3x ADIT pics
1x I-134 with supporting documents (I gave her employer letter and tax returns)
1x visa fee payment receipt
my passport
She took a quick look to see if everything was ok and then asked me to sit down until my name will be called when it is my turn. I was watching people coming and going. Most of them came for tourist visa and they were filling out the new DS-156 forms, because everyone who had forms already filled out didn’t know there are new ones out. It took about 15 more minutes when I heard my name. I walked to another room with same bullet proof glass window and there was a lady waiting for me. She asked me first if I’m fluent in English. When I said yes she smiled and started to browse through all papers.
Here are questions she asked me:
- Where did you meet your fiancé?
- Did you ever apply for US visa before?
- Did you visit US? (I said yes and then she looked at me and asked how come if I never applied for visa. I explained that I’m coming from one of the countries who are using Visa Waiver Program and that’s why I don’t need visa to travel there as a turist. She looked at my passport and said “ Oh ok…your from Slovenia…right”
- When, how many times, and for how long you have been in US?
- Did your fiancé ever visit your country? When, how many times and for how long?
- Is he living in a house or in apartment?
- Is he living alone?
- What does he do for a living?
- Have you ever been married before? What about him?
- Where is he working and for how long?
- When are you planning to get married?
- Do you plan to work in US?
Then she asked me to swear that what I said was the truth and after that we both signed DS-156K. She told me that I have 6 months to use my visa, 90 days to get married after I enter US and if we don’t get married I need to leave the US. I was told to come back between 3pm and 4pm to pick up my passport and papers. I was done at 9:10am. I had a lot of time to wait and since it was so nice, warm, and sunny weather I decided to go around town, found something to eat and later I found a bench in a park near the embassy and read my book.
At 3pm sharp I was back to the embassy. There was some people already waiting to get in and get their visas. I waited 5 minutes for my turn. I was searched again by security. When I came back to the room where I was in the morning there were about 10 people already waiting. But I was lucky and I was called first. I got my passport with Visa and the mysterious sealed brown envelope. Nice lady said I should not open this envelope and I need to give it to immigration officer at my POE. I looked at my visa, checked everything to see if its ok. Lady wished me good luck and then I left.
When I came home I went online to talk with my Sweetie….I scanned my visa and sent him an image. After short while he said….Oh my…..I thought your birth date is 26SEPT and not 16SEPT. I was sure he is making fun of me and that he is kidding. I opened my passport where visa was and got shocked. My birth date was really wrong and I checked so many times before I left the embassy and still missed that. I was so very upset and very mad at myself. I wrote email to embassy staff in the middle of the night explaining what happened.
I got a phone call in the morning. They were calling me from the embassy. Lady apologized for a mistake and asked if I can come back cause they need to issue new visa. So I’m going back on Monday March 17 and I’m sure I will be very careful and check 1000s of times if everything is ok this time!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #2346