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| Sydney, Australia |  Review on October 19, 2010: |
Mike & B
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
My three sons and I flew to Sydney the night before our interview and stayed at the Travelodge Phillip Street (recommended by a fellow VJ) and it was fabulous. Its literally around the corner from the MLC building and so convenient. My appointment wasn't until 11am the following day but I spent that night dreaming that I'd missed the interview (not a nice feeling...lol).
I'd previously read on the reviews that many applicants go early to their appointments so we arrived at the MLC building around 10.20am. There was a gentleman that sits at the top of the esculators and I told him we had an appointment with the US Consulate, he headed us in the right direction toward the back of the building for the lifts to level 10.
We followed the signs to the US Consulate and lined up to go through the security check. They asked for our passports, the letter of appointment and to put all our belongs onto the scranner. They then gave us a ticket for our bags and told us to just take the documents we needed and my wallet incase we needed to make payment of something whilst there. We then sat on the first row of seats and waited. One of the officers came and me if we were here to apply for a visa, I was a little nervous and replied yes, and she said, "you all look so lovely and well presented"..LOL I thought presentation was important!
Another staff member then guided us to the lifts and sent us to the 59th floor where they checked our passports again and allowed us through another security door. Inside we took a ticket and sat down.
Within seconds an officer called our number and asked for the documents that were listed in Packet 4 and she asked us to take our seats again. My sons had a look out the goregous view whilst I waited paitently to be recalled. I'd noiticed the officer stamping alot of our documents and then saw the big red 'approved' stamp and thought, YES...we're through, thats wonderful.
The officer called me up again and asked me to sign one of my sons forms that I must have forgotten to sign previously and then asked me "So you're marrying Mike?" and I said yes, thinking it was one of the many questions that she was about to ask me but then she said, I have family that know your fiance, please give him our love!!! So surprised yet relieved,it was so nice to hear and took so much of the anixousness away. She asked me to be seated again and wait but by this time my boys were becoming restless.
She finally called us up again and said that all the paperwork is correct and looks good, to take a seat in the next room and wait for the interviewer to call us. I thought...there's more to come, I was hoping she just approved it there but no.
Another 15 or so minutes passed and our name was called, my youngest son (6years) was over it by then and did not want to co-operate....poor thing was fed up waiting. The interviewer said she wouldn't keep the kids for long and just asked them one question "Are you looking forward to going to America?" and they replied yes. Then she asked them to take a seat.
She then asked me these questoins-
How did you meet
How did you communicate being so far away from eachother?
Have you been to American before
Have you met his family
How were they with you
Has he met your family
What made you decided to get married
When do you plan on flying over to the US
When do you plan on getting married
Then she said, everything looks good, you're approved and we'll received our passports and visas in the mail within 5-7 workings days.
I was so relieved. And so were my sons by this time....lol! Everyone was wonderfully kind and very nice at the consulate. The whole experience was very pleasant, we went in around 10.20am and we were out by 11.45pm. Pretty good considering there were 4 of us to process. I happily give a rating of 5.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #6735