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| Argentina |  Review on October 28, 2019: |
Talo
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Our case was expedited so we uploaded a lot of documents through email directly with the embassy. They would ask for different things and we would send them by email. Whenever we had doubts, we also communicated by email with them and they were super responsive. Always responding inmediatly and being helpful.
My appointment was at 10:30. I went to the embassy at around 10 and right when I was checking in at the entrance, somebody noticed that there was a backpack left on the ground. An alarm was set off and we all had to wait in front of the embassy until it was checked. It took about 2hs for the police to get there and clear the backpack and we were then called back in.
As they mentioned before, you have to go in front of the line and find an embassy employee (not security guard) and tell them that you have an immigrant visa. They make you go to a window (outside of the embassy). There, they asked my name, checked it on the computer and asked for one passport picture. They gave me a green folder with a paper attached to it that tells you what documents you have to put in the folder and in what order. Then I went through security (by the way, if anyone is going with an insulin pump, it’s no problem) and then to get my fingerprints taken (again, you have to approach the employee that is organizing the line and let them know you are there for an immigrant visa so that you skip the line of tourist visas). After that I went into another room with some chairs and I waited for 5 minutes until my name was called. Meanwhile I organized the papers in the green folder. They called my name and directed me to room 15, which is a separate room with a chair on your side and an argentine employee on the other side. She asked me for some of the documents (Original passports, original marriage certificate, police certificate, evidence of marriage and the DHL step for the passport). She explained to me that since my case was electronic, everything they needed was uploaded at NVC or required by email). After that they directed me to another booth, in which I payed the fees (since our case was expedited we didn't pay before). After that I waited in the same room as before, they said that my interview might take a while since they were a bit delayed. I waited there for around an hour until they called me to booth N°5 (another separate room).
As soon as I entered, the consular officer said hi and made me swear that everything I stated was true. The interview started in Spanish. The CO was SUPER serious all the time. Respectful, but super serious. He wrote a lot on his computer and looked at things in the computer, occasionally he would just look at me without saying anything. At one point he also apologized because the computer was slow. The questions that he asked me (I don’t remember the exact order) were:
- Who is the petitioner?
- What is her name?
- How did you meet?
- When did you get married?
- In 2015 you were denied a tourist Visa. Why didn't you mention her? At this point he got a little pushy with the questions ("you swore everything you are saying is true", "YES OR NO?"). You did know her back then didn’t you? Were you going to travel with her? Why were you travelling there?...
- Who is Scott? (joint-sponsor, father in law)
- What is his job?
- Who is Tammy? (mother in law)
- What does your spouse do for a living?
- Where does your spouse live?
- What are you going to do for a living in the states?
- Did you ever have trouble with the law?
- How do you communicate with your wife?
* I said Spanish and English (he then switched to English for a little bit)
- So you do speak English?
* Yes, I do
- Would you prefer to do the interview in Spanish or English? Totally up to you.
* I said Spanish and then we switched back.
He occasionally would give me incorrect information. I guess expecting me to correct him:
- So this will be the first time you go to the states
* No, I went when I was a child
- How long did you stay back then? (and he checked with my old passport)
- So your Wife currently lives in Argentina...
* No, she is in the states now
- I see that since your wife started working in the states this year, you are using a co-sponsor
* Actually, she started working in 2018
After all of this, he started looking at some of the evidence, but it looked like he was having a quick glance. He did stop to take a look at some plane tickets and at the photographs. He quickly looked at the first and last photographs (we sent more than 30).
After that he started explaining to me some stuff about the visa while handing me some papers (domestic violence, fee for the green card, and that if I needed something from the government, the co-sponsor would have to pay). At this point I was thinking that everything was going well, his face wouldn't show any of this.
He then said my visa was approved, have a good day. And that was it!!
Overall, the employees at the embassy were super nice and helpful. The interview was a little bit intimidating, but he wasn't disrespectful.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #27360