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| Bogota, Colombia |  Review on August 4, 2008: |
B&E
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
We arrived to the embassy around 6:30am and stood in line 3. The temperature was a little cool in the morning, but remember I'm from Duluth, MN, so I can stand alot of cold weather before I'm bothered too much. We were lead into the embassy, through security, who does take your iPod and if your phone has a camera, that too. That initial part was a little mechanical, like cattle being lead into the pasture. But, no one was especially rude to us, just indifferent and mechanical.
Once inside, we sat along the southern most wall on a very cold stone bench. It sucks your heat out your butt. There is no order there, and don't worry about getting ahead there...doesn't matter. You move slowly toward the west end of the area where they take your name and give you a folder to put all your paperwork. That took about an hour to get the folder. After that we got some cappuccinos and cheese bread thingies. Don't recommend those. We then sat near the west bank of windows, close to the green 30-31-32 windows where we'd be called next. We sat there because it was a little away from the crowd and more in the sun.
Around 10:45am Estefa was called the window 32. She talked for a little as the lady looked over our paperwork, and noticed my 2007 tax return wasn't there. Somehow, in all the shuffle we'd left it. No worries though, I had enough other financial support that they didn't seem to mind too much. We were at that window about 5-7 minutes. Then we were told to go to the North-East area to green window 2 for finger printing. So we went and waited there about 30-45 more minutes until they called Estefa for finger prints. We then sat in some chairs close to windows 2-4.
Around 12:10pm we were called up for the interview. Estefa got on the phone first and talked for about 2 minutes...they asked her about her previous trips to the US, where her siblings live etc. No questions about me really. Then the interviewer asked for me. I got on the phone and she told me thanks for coming down for the interview as it helps. I said no problem. She then asked me one question. How do Estefa and I communicate and I answered "In English. Her English is really good." The lady then said, ok, well, her VISA has been approved...go over to the DOMESA (or whatever that's called) and pay for it to be sent." She then said something like good luck or something, I don't remember because my mind had already shut off after she said approved. We went over and paid, and made phone calls from her Cell (which had no camera).
We spent some time talking with family etc...then collected our things from the security check point and exited the embassy. We walked East towards the street and were starving...since neither of us were from Bogota we couldn't really think of where to go to eat, luckily, I looked up in the distance and to the east and slightly south there was a TGI Friday's. I know, it's boring to eat something you can eat at anywhere, but we were just really hungry. We walked there, ordered some large drinks and got drunk and full. A nice little celebration to a stressful morning.
Hope this info helps future interviewers. We did have a huge packet of evidence of our relationship, photos, letters, emails, phone bills, etc. They didn't ask for any of it...I think it was because my original Question #11 extension from the Petition was very good. She did hand that back to me...nothing else though.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #3192