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| London, United Kingdom |  Review on June 18, 2010: |
MrStrain14
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
I only live an hour's drive from London but stayed at my Sister's in Harrow so I could just jump on the tube. Got to Goulds Pharmacy at about 7:30, left my phone & saw another VJ couple interviewing for a K1, so we kind of stuck together in the embassy. Got into the fairly short embassy queue, through security (remove belt, sip water etc), and follow the signs to the lobby where I got number I-907, not too bad.
The waiting room is long with a row of back-to-back screens in the middle & rows of chairs either side facing the screens. The big glass windows at front of the embassy run along one side of the room, with the post-office style ‘interview’ windows along the other & a snack bar at the far end. The courier desk is along the left wall as you walk in, with more interview windows down a short corridor off the main room.
There were only a few people waiting when I made it into the embassy but the room quickly filled up, and just got busier throughout the morning. I had no watch so I couldn’t tell how long I was waiting but I estate about 8am they started calling numbers, and there were maybe 10-15 ‘N’ numbers to every ‘I’ number. I think I was waiting just under an hour before my number was called.
Went to window 1, had a quiet but friendly oriental lady, she asked for my I number & passport, then passport photos, birth & police certificates & I-134. Didn’t need out co-sponsor forms or any relationship evidence. Took fingerprints, was hole punching documents & adding them to my file. Got me to sign 2 of the forms I’d sent in (too nervous to note which ones!) and added them to the file. All the while she was talking about random stuff, like how many fiancée visas there were and some other topic, not quite sure what as she spoke quietly & the thick glass makes it impossible to hear! She then gave me a yellow slip, told me to go pay at window 12 (£238) and bring back the receipt, which I did. She then gave me a pink courier form and told me to go wait again until my number was called.
Probably another 30 minutes went by and I was called to one of the windows down the corridor. A friendly American lady asked me how I was doing & took my left fingerprints again. She had me raise my right hand, swear I’d told the truth, then had me sign another one of my completed forms. Then she asked a bunch of questions: How did you meet, when did you get engaged, how long have you been together, where does Simone live, is that where I will be moving to, when will I be leaving, will I be working, what will I do, all the time typing on her keyboard. Then she says ‘ Ok, I’ve looked at everything and I think I’m ready to go ahead and approve your visa today’. YESSSS!!! I managed to hold back the excitement and gave her a smile and a thank you. She explained about the courier, the envelopes I will receive, told me not to open the big brown one and to hand it to the immigration officer at POE. Then she told me to go pay the courier, which I did, and then was out of there just after 10am. Woke up Simone (it was only 5:15am back in GA), she was so happy, met up again with the other VJ couple & we had a coffee and shared in the excitement and relief of getting approved & then headed off. I enjoyed the sunshine on Oxford street for a while before heading back home. All in all a pretty good experience. Very happy! Feel free to message me if you have any questions or want to know more.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #6232