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| France |  Review on May 5, 2021: |
Mario001
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Let me share my experience of the K1-Visa at the France US Embassy. I did my interview today, May 5th 2021.
I am Portuguese, so I will comment on my experience and what was the necessary documents for a Portuguese Citizen. If you are not Portuguese the required documents or what they check could be different.
Embassy sends an email 3 weeks before the appointment.
You should book your medical appointment 15 days before your interview. The embassy says that you will get an envelope with the medicals but that information is outdated. After your medical they send the results by email to the embassy (If you do the medical in Lisbon). You don't receive anything. The medical exam is: Blood analysis, eye exam, chest x-ray, check your vaccines and do a general touch on your whole body to see if you have any lumps.
The police certificate is a document that you can get online. You pay by card and you are able to download the document. The document is exactly the same if you get it online or in person, so I strongly recommend that you get the document online to save time. To access the document you will need your "Chave Movel Digital" Be sure to have it, if not you can order online and you will receive it in 5 businesses days. I think the cost was 5euros
The birth certificate, you cannot get it online, you need to go to a "Loja do Cidadao" or "IRN" that offers this service and they will print it and stamp it. It took my one week to get the document because booking is a bit limited. Cost was 20euros
The website says that you need 1 One color photograph – 2 inches by 2 inches — for each applicant. This is outdated. They asked for 2 photographs 2inches by 2 inches. You can get this picture at any place, just be ready to pay extra because this is not a usual format in Portugal. I payed 10 euros for 3 photos!
I brought the I-134 and I-864 documents with me to the embassy, but they were not necessary. They didn't even ask for them. However, just in case you should have them (just don't put a lot of effort into them).
Additionally, you will need to get a chronopost envelope to give at the embassy. This can only be purchased in France at any La Poste office (there is a bunch of them, and one near the embassy). The envelope costs 59euros. Do not throw away the foam that comes inside the envelope.
If you are flying to Paris from Lisbon. I recommend that you fly to Orly or BVA, Both have really good bus routes that take you to Paris city center. It's much cheaper than flying directly to CDG airport. On my departure flight I flew Lisbon to BVA and took a 1hour bus (this bus departs the airport every 20min, and costs 16euros) to Paris. In Paris you can take the subway to your hotel. On my return flight I took the bus to Orly. It was 9.50euros.
I found that AirBnb was cheaper than a hotel.
At the embassy you arrive and you need to wait to be called in. I was let in at exactly my interview time. I had to leave all my food with the officer. Inside the embassy you go to 3 different people:
First booth - Asks for the DS-160 and your passport, they then send you to another booth
Second booth - The lady asks for your Birth Certificate, Police Record, Passport, Medical Record (in case it was not submitted by email from the hospital), the chronopost envelope, 2 passport photos and the Fiaance statement that she is still free to marry.
Third booth - Finally you have the interview. To be honest, the interviewers was really not putting a lot of effort. It felt like he just had a checklist to fill out, and that's it. He just asked:
* Is your fiance a US citizen or a Greencard holder?
* Where did you meet? (You don't even need to give details)
* Please show me one picture you two together.
And that's it. Total time at the embassy from entry to exit was 45min. If you have an appointment in the morning you can book a flight in the afternoon (ex: 4pm) and you will have enough time to arrive at the airport after the interview.
PS - Don't forget that when you do the DS-160 you need to select France Consulate and not Lisbon.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #29586