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| Finland |  Review on July 1, 2021: |
Kaljukotka
Rating:  | Review Topic: General Review
I decided to grab my medical envelope on my way to the embassy as the hospital was only 3 tram stops away from the embassy. When I arrived at the embassy I wasn’t sure if I had arrived at the correct entrance so I approached the security window where they gave me directions to head back to the way I had came from. For some reason both Google Maps and Apple Maps directed me to the other side. The correct entrance is the consular side so if you see the sea behind you, you are at the wrong entrance.
Then I proceeded to wait until it was 5 minutes to my appointment. I approach the security window where I was asked to give my passport. I was also asked to turn off my phone and keep waiting outside until they call me in my by name. Soon a guard let me in and I was instructed to put everything in a plastic bin for the x-ray machine similar to the ones on airport security checkpoints. I only had my phone, wallet, keys and the appointment documents. I brought everything in a plastic bag as they don’t allow you to bring big bags. I even left my bluetooth headphones home as they don’t allow you to bring in any electronics.
They took a while to calibrate the security machines and scan my belongings. I was instructed to walk through a metal detector. Then they handed me everything else but my phone and instructed me to go forward to the waiting area. There I took a number and waited for around 10 minutes before I was called to a service desk. The man took at least my birth certificate, police records, I-129F packet, Affidavit of Support, passport pictures, DS-160, return envelope for my passport and medical. They didn’t take a look at the other documents really. I was then instructed to go back to the waiting area and they would call me again for the interview. This time I waited maybe 15-20 minutes. The whole time I was the only person there.
When I got called to the desk for an interview, a nice lady asked me to take the oath and then she took my fingerprints. She then proceeded to ask questions like, where did my fiancé and I meet, which university was it, what did he do between his graduation and employment, asked me to openly tell about our shared trip, whether he had bought a house, if we would live there just the two of us, about his employmen, when was I planning to leave, if we had wedding plans already etc. She then said that she was going to approve the visa and gave me the Rights and Protections pamphlet explaining what it was. She said that currently the visa processing time is 2-3 weeks and told me that they would send me an email once the passport was ready to be sent but if I didn’t hear from them by the 19th I should send them an inquiry.
The whole process in the embassy took about an hour. People were nice and polite.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #29799