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| Manila, Philippines |  Review on August 26, 2008: |
buddhabeans
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
the interview was a total nothing...what interview??? so we get there at 0630 and are inside by 0650. dont know about all the times inbetween, but we were out of there at 1050...would have been 1020, but we waited for extra 30 minutes to arrange to pick up the visa at the embassy.
as a side note...i was somewhat concerned because EVERY SINGLE DOCUMENT that riza had for this process was created in the last 9 months! EVERYTHING!! she had no birth record...and in researching her record, she found out that she (and all her siblings) have been using the incorrect middle name their entire lives (this was discovered on her parent's marriage license). so she had nothing...no school records, no nothing with her true name on it. so over the last 9 months everything was created...birth record, baptismal, school, NBI, CENOMAR, blah, blah, blah...all new docs! THIS HAD ME WORRIED TO SAY THE LEAST! as well, she did not get the NBI and CENOMAR (even though i reminded her about this many times) in her previous name...and they talk about needing this in the prep paperwork.
the first interview with the Filipino: asked how we met...and riza was SO NERVOUS that she couldn't say it...but i said "relax...this is not a test...just calm down and tell her how we met"...so she tells her how we met. then she asks for supporting relationship docs and the I134 with supporting docs...we hand them over.
WARNING: DO NOT GO TO THE INTERVIEW WITHOUT YOUR MOST RECENT 1040 AND YOUR W2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they want to see them and they were NOT INTERESTED in seeing any of the other financial stuff that i brought with me!
continuing: a few more questions about my trips to meet the parents...more small-talk than anything...and then she asks about my previous marriage, as she is looking right at Riza to make sure that she knows about the previous marriage! of course she did know already...so that was it...go sit and wait to talk to the consular officer.
consular officer: i was not allowed in for this...but she said there were probably only about 5 or 6 questions...same stuff, how did you meet, how many times has he been back to see you...but most of the time she is looking thru the paperwork...not really asking much...and that's it!
so we get called to window 34...this is a good sign, because this is the visa distribution window...says pay the delbros and expect your visa in about 5 to 7 days...so then i ask, because riza did not know for sure, "did the consular officer APPROVE her visa???...yes it was approved"
so with making the request to pick up the visa (interview is on monday and our flight out is on sunday)we had to wait 30 minutes for the consular officer to come back from a break and approve the pick-up. no problem...we'll call you when it's ready...
that was it!!! we left monday morning, and they called on tuesday afternoon saying we could pick it up anytime wednesday. went wednesday morning and had it in about 45 minutes.
i have heard so many horror stories about this embassy...either they have changed their ways, or we got lucky, or they really liked my I129F submission...i dont know...but total piece of cake!!! of course, the 5 trips back to see Riza since we met in March of 07 surely helped the situation...no doubt about that...
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #3276