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| Manila, Philippines |  Review on October 8, 2009: |
marriedtomrg
Rating:  | Review Topic: K3 Visa
Interview Date: October 8, 2009 (7:00 a.m. appointment)
We arrived at the Embassy before 6:00 a.m. There were four lines, one was for K1/K3. We went through that line but the security guard stationed behind the concrete barrier near the street asked us what time our appointment was and asked us to transfer to a different line. We followed, though I had doubts. I asked my daughter to ask a different security guard at the front of the K1/K3 line to ask if that's where we should go. He said yes, and I moved back to that line.
The guard checked our appointment letter and asked for a valid ID. After that we were led to the waiting area where there were about 5 benches where a line of people were waiting to be called inside the building.
They started letting us in just after 6:00 a.m. We went into the Immigrant Visa Unit where we were asked to bring out our DS-156 and DS-157 forms. Our pictures were not glued or stapled onto the forms, so I had to walk over to one side of the room to glue our pictures on them. When I returned, I handed the woman collecting the forms the following:
- DS-156 forms (2 copies eahc for Pippo and I)
- DS-157 forms (2 copies each for Pippo and I)
- the blue copy of our BDO payment slips (US$ 131 each)
I missed one entry (estimated dearture date), so I entered the missing entries on all the DS-156 forms.
We then fell in line in front of a booth where there were 2 windows, two women behind the windows would take the forms, stamp them and ask the following:
- how many applicants are present?
- are you pregnant? (how many months?)
- where is your passport?
- (if you answered that St. Luke's Medical Center Extension Clinic took it) what did St. Luke's tell you?
- do you have to return to St. Luke's for more tests?
After that they would give you a number, two (2) Air21 forms (with instructions to fill them up after the final interview) and ask for you to wait to be called for fingerprint scanning. We didn't wait very long, about 10 minutes, then we were called to Window 16. The lady behind the window asked our names and birthdays. She only took my fingerprints, our daughter was exempted (she is 10 years old). When we were done, we were asked to wait again to be called by one of the pre-screeners.
We didn't wait long again, maybe about 20 minutes then I saw our number flashed on the screen with the window number we should go to (Window 15, right next to the fingerprint scanning window). The pre-screener was very nice and friendly. She asked for the following documents:
- NSO Birth Certificate (mine)
- NSO Marriage Certificate (Rick and Kaye; the pre-screener thought there was a discrepancy between my birth certificate and my marriage certificate, I just pointed out that they typed my first name above my second name...so she encircled it with a pen)
- Proof of termination of prior marriage
Rick:
> certified true copy of Rick's divorce decree
Kaye:
> annotated NSO marriage certificate (Kaye's previous marriage)
> certified true copy of Kaye's annulment (she asked if they could keep it, I asked her if a photocopy would be ok, she said yes, so I gave her a photocopy)
- NBI Clearance
- I-134 affidavit of support (I asked if they needed a separate one for my daughter, she said just one original will suffice)
- evidence of ongoing marital union (I gave her photocopies all bundled and she asked for actual pictures, wedding and non-wedding photos)
She also asked the following questions:
Kaye
- how long have you known your petitioner?
- how did you meet?
- when was the first time you met in person?
- when did you get married?
- does he have children from his previous marriage?
Pippo (our daughter)
- what is your full name?
- when is your birthday?
- how old are you?
Of all documents I forgot to photocopy Rick's 1040 (at this point I saw the big red stamp called APPROVED in the middle of our I-129F petition). lol So I gave them my only copy (which Rick has on file as a PDF). When she checked to make sure she had everything, she told us to sit down and wait to be called for final interview.
This is where we waited for about an hour. The numbers flashed on the screen were not being called consecutively (this was explained on the number tag they gave me). Windows 27 to 32 were the interview rooms, which had sliding wooden doors. We saw our number flash around 9:30 a.m., and asked to wait outside Window 28.
When we were called in, the Consular Officer (young American Caucasian male) greeted us in Tagalog (Magandang umaga Mrs. G---.)
He asked me for my full name and birth date. He also asked Pippo for her full name, birth date and how old she was.
He stopped for a minute because the Consular Officer at Window 27 (young American Caucasian female) asked him a few questions.
When he was done, he came back and apologized for making us wait. The he asked me:
- how long have you been married?
- how did you meet? (we talked about this a lot, since Rick and I met through a well-known dating site...the CO thought it was a good love story lol)
- when did you get married?
After that, it was mostly conversational. I work for a Canadian immigration firm and we got to talking about the differences between the Canadian and American immigration systems and processes.
Then he asked me if I was previously married. When I said yes, he asked me to explain the annulment process. I said, well...it was 20 months and the cost was equal to the amount we spent for the wedding. He laughed out loud. (I didn't expect that, so I laughed too and felt really relaxed).
While he was checking our documents, he apologized (surprise, surprise) that my husband and I had to wait so long during this process. After that, we went through the forms and was marking things down and checking things on the computer.
In a short time he turned to us and said "Your visas have been approved, please go to Window 37 for further instructions on the delivery of your visas, you should get them by Monday (October 12) or Tuesday (October 13)." 
We waited outside to be called at Window 37 (Immigrant Visa Releasing). When they called my name I got up and we wound up the last in line. When we got to the window, the young Filipino man there checked our documents again and asked us for our Air21 forms (I had filled them up earlier while waiting). After making sure our forms were correct and complete, he handed my my appointment letter with the famous pink slip attached :D We were directed to the Air21 counter near the door and I paid the courier fee (Php 205 each).
When we finished, it was 10:00 a.m. It was a very pleasant experience. 
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #5062