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| Vancouver, Canada |  Review on September 9, 2010: |
Chickaflick
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
I requested my interview date for the day after the medical. If you have children (K2's) and they are younger like mine is, then I'd recommend giving yourself the breathing room because otherwise its a lot of hassle back and forth between the medical and the interview if they are on the same day. Not to mention the consulate is busy on the Wednesday, and quieter on the Thursday!
We arrived on Thursday September 02, 2010 at 12:45pm. There was nobody outside the entrance except the security guards who were chatting with each other. They let us in early, combed through my file folders, took our medical envelopes and ushered us through a metal detector. The less you bring with you, the better. We were escorted up a flight of stairs to a lobby where our medical envelopes were xrayed, then onto an elevator and up to the 20th floor. We then went through another metal detector and settled into a bare waiting room. There were old magazines and thats about it to entertain yourself in there. We were only one of two applicants.
Eventually I was asked to window B to release all my documents. I actually forgot a form so I was escorted to a seperate waiting room and was asked to fill out the form. When I was done, I was taken back to the main waiting room with the security guard.
We were then directed to the cashier to pay. Remember its in AMERICAN dollars! After paying, we were told to sit in front of the interview wickets. A lady came and took my fingerprints. My daughter was not fingerprinted as she is only 6yrs old.
Then we waited for a long time. The consular officer came and sat down in front of us and took his time sorting through all our papers and writing notes in the computer. Eventually he called the other person waiting up first, and she was done her interview in about... 15 minutes. Then I was called up with my child. We were asked a few questions about my previous marriage, my trips to the US (there were many) and about living there on a TN visa. He was not at all interested in our proof or our financials. He was mostly interested in my custody with my daughter and then went on to talk about a great gelato place in Vancouver followed by some stories about the kinds of people they interiew at the consulate for fraud and human trafficing! Scary!
The most stress I felt during the entire thing was because of my child who was so super bored for the entire 3.5 hours we were there she was being a brat. They do not allow electronics in so if you have a child bring lots of books and other simple things to entertain them. I was asked by the staff there on two seperate occassions if my child wanted anything like water or a sandwich!! I'm not too sure that is the norm but it was sure nice of them!
Contrary to what other people have experienced, they did NOT allow for next day pick up of our passports and visa's. I had to use xpresspost, and it arrived at my home the middle of the following week.
Its not a hard interview, but it can be stressful if you have a kiddo with you!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #6585