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| Ukraine |  Review on February 17, 2019: |
Shiran
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Across from a a very narrow street from embassy, several entrepreneurial Ukrainians set up some vans for storage. 100 hryvnas, some give you key, some just a token. Cell phones and all electronic devices, large bags/backpacks stay here. I left my smart watch here, out of abundance of caution. You then wait outside. Before you enter they want to see DS-160 printed receipt page and passport. Petitioners are allowed inside to accompany beneficiaries! Just show your American Passport. Inside the first building there will metal detector security check. Belts, coats, wallets, and all items out of the pocket go out on airport style conveyor. Shoes are ok to keep on. My lip balm was temporarily confiscated at this point. Small wrist wallet/purse thing are allowed in after x-ray. Then you are told to "take belt" and "put on coat" Reason they want people to hassle through the queue, and not spend too much time putting belts back on, but you need to go outside into inner courtyard, so coat is needed to be on.
Down the stairs into inner court yard, across to another building. You get a ticket number here. I believe the ones for immigration cases start with 8. For immigrant visas you wait in a first area, near the entrance. non-immigrant go around the corner where there are a lot more processing windows. You can put belt here in peace. There is coffee machine, 35 hrivnas I think, only takes small bills so plan for that if you need it. You called to a first window pretty quickly, all they do there is take fingerprints (4 left hand, 4 right hand, then 2 thumbs together) then ask for documents in specific order. Passport first, followed by medical, followed by birth certificate (no photocopies, original only, or official original copies. Laminated are ok) followed by police certificate, followed by I-134 and proof of financial support and lastly proof of ongoing relationship. In exchange for that you are handed a piece of paper with oath in 3 languages to "read and understand before your interview" and then you send back to wait. Oath is to confirm everything said on DS-160 and during interview is true and accurate to the best of ones knowledge. This wait was a lot longer.
Eventually you are called to window 12 or 13. Interviewer was not surprised by my (petitioner's) presence. I was not asked to recite oath. My fiancée was asked if the understood the oath. I did not found interviewer's questions or demeanor hostile. Some of them he directed to me, most of them to her. He did clearlytried to cross reference my answers with what provided on 129F. How/where we met. Details of our first visit etc. His question to me about meeting parents was yes/no question. I was NOT asked to elaborate as to when or how the meeting happened. I answered it accordingly with simple "Yes, I have" which was the end of it. There was also a question if there was material support (e.g. money) being exchanged between us. I said there were occasional small remittances, nothing systematic. Questions about how often we communicate with each other, and how (e.g. Telegram/Viber) At the end he said congratulations you are approved and handed us pre-printed piece of paper saying visa is approved and will be ready in 5 working days. Overall positive experience.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #25608