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| Naples, Italy |  Review on August 26, 2008: |
Kittty
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
I want to start by saying that, like everyone, my fiance and I were nervous about his medical exam and interview for the K1 visa (August 2008), but that the process went as smoothly and as easily as we could have hoped.
Our day began by attempting to find the Varelli Institute. Originally we had planned to take a subway and walk the rest of the way, but we found the subway system to be enormously confusing and when we attempted to take a bus it happened that both drivers were taking a break. Furthermore, the Institute is in a residential district and quite far from the city center.
Coming from the main train station terminal we found the best way to get to the Institute to be to take Metro 2 on the red line to the stop at Campli Flegrei and then to take a taxi (081.20.20.20) to the Institute. We did not arrive until nearly 8:15 but the whole process moved swiftly and my fiance was done by about 10:30. His interview was scheduled for the next day, but the Institute told us that the consulate had moved his appointment up to that same day. From the Institute we caught a taxi to the consulate.
Before the appointment we stopped at the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, which is the required bank for the payment of the appointment fee. There is a branch on the same street that the consulate is located on (Via Francesco Caracciolo) which is a block or two up the street--walking in the opposite direction from the flow of traffic.
The embassy paperwork warns that no bags are allowed in the consulate, but when we were there the guard at the security checkpoint simply held our electronic devices (cell phone, camera) and allowed us in with our backpacks.
The waiting room and the interview room are all in the same place so as soon as we entered to sit down a very nice gentleman approached us and asked for the different forms and paperwork relating to our case. We waited for about twenty minutes before my finace was called to the window where the consular interviewed him. I was allowed to stand beside my fiance as long as I did not contribute to the conversation. The consular was very kind during the whole interview. He asked my fiance how we met and also some other simple personal questions. After the interview we were told to come back the next day at 4 pm to pick up the visa.
The visas and packets were handed out the next day prompy at 4pm in the courtyard of the consulate. It was a festive occasion with all the other candidates waiting for their visas as well.
My fiance and I stayed overnight at a very nice B&B located very near the embassy. We had a beautiful double room with bath and breakfast provided by a bar on the street below, all for 70 euros. The room was in a beautiful old building and had high ceilings, decorative tile floor, balcony, and period furnishings. Napoli Central City B&B Corso Vittorio Emanuele,737 Tel: 081 19577840. There are many nice reasonably-priced restaurants to choose from just down the street in a little square on Via Mergellina (just down the hill from Piazza San Nazzaro).
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #3279