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| Kazakhstan |  Review on August 20, 2010: |
Copperkid
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Smooth as butter is all I can say. I did a LOT of unnecessary worrying with this consulate. Natasha's interview was only 15 minutes long and she was asked simple questions such as when we met, what is the date of our wedding, my parents names, sister's name, place where I work etc. If you are getting an interview through this consulate just coach your finacee through some of the common questions and make sure that you provide all the documents that they ask for. The consulate was VERY professional, courteous and friendly. These guys know that there is a lot at stake and do their best (at least at this office) to minimize the stress.
The building itself is VERY cold inside so take a light jacket with you because you will most likely wait for a couple of hours in the main area. When you first enter, you go through security (American Marines were friendly to Natasha but the Russian guards were rude and stoic). You present the invitation letter to the security staff and they search your belongings. They will then direct you to the main area to sit. After a little while, you are called to a window and you submit your documents there. I don't think they wanted the personal evidence (photos, etc). They just asked for the forms and financials. After sitting for a while Natasha was called into a room (don't know more details than that, I think there as a clear partition separating the consul from the applicant, I'll ask her later) and the interview was started. He was American and very friendly. He looked over our personal evidence and after asking questions he was satisfied with the interview and told her that her visa was approved.
She returned to the main area and was given some docs back to her, but they keep the financials and other documents (WARNING: when you give the consulate your I-797C, which is the NOA2, give them a COPY, not the original. You need to keep this form SAFE because you also need to send a copy of it for your AOS. USCIS won't process an AOS without it, and to replace it costs $340 and a 4-8 month wait. And NO, the consulate will NOT mail it back to you. It is in the embassy forever or destroyed; this goes for ALL US Embassies, not just the Almaty branch)
Overall, a great experience with a lot of unnecessary nail biting....
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #6509