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| Moscow, Russia |  Review on May 3, 2006: |
Neonred
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
We arrived at the embassy at 7:30 AM, a little early but there were already others waiting. At about 7:45 they had the girls line up and then started checking passports and the pink “invitational slip” that was sent to the girls with instructions on it. Then they went through a security screening outside before they were allowed to enter the north entrance to the embassy. Once inside the girls received a number and waited to be called up to the first window. The entire visa process takes place in sort of a hallway and not in separate rooms. The girls can see and hear most everything that goes on with the others being interviewed.
At the first window a Russian security officer checked all the documents very carefully and kept her DS-230, DS-156, my I-134 and my last years tax transcript and W-2. He also asked for and kept one picture of us together. He then issued her a slip to take to another window to pay the fee of $100 which she paid in US currency. She then watched a movie on a monitor while waiting for her number to appear for the interview (as she watched and listened to all that was going on around her).
The interview was conducted at another window, not in a separate room. There were three people conducting interviews, two women and one man. My girl said they were all very nice and friendly and with smiles. My girl’s interviewer (a woman) checked all documents and compared the information to something that was appearing on her computer screen. Then my fiancé was invited up to the window for the interview. First there was the swearing in, and then a digital scan of the right and left index fingers, and then began the questions. The first question they asked my girl was can you speak English? My girl said yes, a little. They started asking her questions in Russian, but my girl answered all questions in English so they switched the interview to English. Then the next question was “Tell me something about your fiancé”. Then they asked my girl’s daughter what she thought of me. My fiancé was asked to show telephone bills (fortunately I had used a prepaid system which allowed me to print out a complete record of all my calls) and she showed mine and hers. She also showed some ICQ instant message print outs. Next the interviewer asked to see any letters or cards. We had a collection of 7 or 8 cards that we had exchanged and the interviewer looked these over and read some of them and asked a few questions about some postcards and made some nice comments about the cards from my home town in Florida. She then asked where in Florida I lived. Then she asked if we had planned a date for our wedding. The interviewer then said congratulations for your success (in the interview)! The actual interview took about 5 minutes, but from the time of entering the embassy until leaving was 2 hours.
Other girls were asked:
How did you meet?
Where have you been together?
What are you two talking about when you are alone?
How many times have you met?
Do you know about his age? (He was more than 25 years older than her)
What will you do after you are married?
One girl was successful but was asked to return with more documents about her children for their visas. Two girls arrived without the DS-230 filled out, but we did not find out what happened to them. It also appeared that girls that could speak good English had very quick and easy interviews and girls that had difficulty with English had longer interviews and were asked many more questions.
Hope this helps!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #540