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| London, United Kingdom |  Review on July 12, 2008: |
BexandAlan
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Ok from the top. My interview was July 11th at 9 am and I traveled down with my cousin the night before so we could spend some time together. We stayed in a hotel in Wembley and co-workers had told me that it would take 35-40 minutes to get from Wembley Park to Bond Street. So I was up at 6 and we were out of the room by 6.50, parked and on the tube by 7 expecting a bit of a journey into London. Imagine my surprise when it only took 15 minutes and we were standing in Grosvenor Square staring up at the eagle by 7.30. We found a coffee shop and set up camp, it made me nervous seeing people running down the road to the pharmacy to get photos or leave their phones/car keys/usb ... they all looked so super stressed out. We went and got in the queue at 8.30 and finally got to a check point where a security guard looked at my letter and sent me to the 9oclock line. In front of me were two lovely people who were both also going in for 9 o clock K1 visa interviews so we all sort of stuck together from then on which was really comforting. So at about 10 to 9 they started letting us in through security 2 at a time, though the front door, get your ticket and into the ARGOS waiting room! It’s a horrible, unloved room packed with stressed out people all staring at the screen waiting for their number. The three of us sat together and watched as the numbers came and went, neither of them had used VJ - I’m not sure if I helped or not with all my inside knowledge from you guys. I was finally called for the first half after about an hour or so and a rather uninterested English man was at the window. After having a conversation with the woman who takes the payment for a few minutes whilst I stood there he finally acknowledged me and asked for my passport, appointments letter and passport photos and gave me back my x-ray. He then told me to put my fingers on the scanner so he could take my prints and asked for the birth certificate, police certificate and I-134F (he barely looked at them.) He then asked for a letter from Alan’s employer and said go and pay then come back with the receipt which I did and he told me to go and sit back down and to fill the delivery slip in whilst I waited. Total contact time = 5 minutes
I went back to join my new found friends and we all sat and waited another maybe 30-40 minutes (they take your watches from you and there is not a clock in the place – I’m sure its intentional) and I was called back to a different window and greeted by a rather smiley American man. He asked me to scan my right fingers and then raise my hand and agree to tell him the truth and sign a form. He then asked how we met, what Alan does now, what he did in the army and whether or not he had any children. Alan was in the airborne unit in the army and so I said something about him being crazy for jumping out of a plane for a living but that I was the only person in his family that hadn’t done it so it was looking like I would have to as well. He said he had done it and not to worry because as long as I did a tandem I wouldn’t hurt my bum on the landing – to which I made a comment about their being plenty of padding there anyway! We had a giggle. His last question was have you ever been to the states and when I answered it transpired I had seen more of it than he had. He then said I’m very happy to approve your application today, congratulations, take the pink slip to the courier desk on your way out and good luck with the wedding!! I was thinking but I have all these pictures for you to look at and bank statements and flight itineraries I SPENT HOURS ON THIS! Total contact time = 3 minutes.
The absolute worst part was waiting to pay for the delivery. The whole time we sat there the queue was never more than 3 deep. As I turned the corner I noticed there must have been at least 20 people in front of me. Grrrrrrrrr. It took about 30 minutes to get to the front and the chap there took great pleasure in taking £35 from me (£14 standard and £21 extra to get it delivered before 8.) To be fair he could have asked for £200 and I still would have paid it with a big grin on my face!! I was out before 12 and not concerned that it had taken nearly 3 hours because I got the news I wanted! Was so simple – why did I get so stressed?
Total contact time = 8 minutes or there about.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #3116