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| Panama |  Review on November 3, 2009: |
Mariposa1010
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
One surprise here was that all of the paperwork (except medical) needed to be complete before an interview date would be given, so instead of just bringing the I-134 to the interview as planned, it had to be FedExed in advance. Once the interview date was scheduled, the medical just had to be done (on a walk-in basis) at least 6 days prior to the interview.
Our interview appointment was at 1:00. We arrived and parked in a small lot outside of the embassy grounds and walked through the security gate. Ingrith (Panameña) was asked for her appointment slip, but they didn't at any point ask for my (USC) ID. All electronic equipment (including a flash drive that I hadn't realized was in my bag) had to be left at the security desk, so don't plan on presenting any evidence in electronic format.
There appeared to be 3 immigrant visa applicants on this day, all with 1:00 appointments, and we were handled second in line. Once inside, we waited for about a half hour before being called to a window to submit the paperwork. Then we returned to the seats to wait again before being called to another window for the interview. The interviewer asked if we'd like to proceed in English or Spanish, and he actually asked me some questions about her family, so it seemed to be a good move to have me there. The interview itself lasted only 15-20 minutes and mostly concerned how we had met what she knew about my work and my family. We were told that we were approved and that we should be able to pick up the packet and visa in 5-7 days.
Having booked a return ticket for 3 days after the interview, we were hoping for faster and were told to wait for a call to let us know when it was ready. On the advice of a friend, I called on Thursday (2 days after interview), explained our situation and was told it was "impossible" that we would have our visa in-hand for a Friday departure. Five minutes later, Ingrith's cell phone rang, and she was told that they were still working on the visa but that she should report at 10AM Friday. We did as instructed, got the visa, and returned to the US as planned, 2 weeks before our wedding.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #5185