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| Vancouver, Canada |  Review on March 9, 2011: |
LDRkristin
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
My interview was June 28, 2010
I was very impressed by my experience at the Vancouver consulate. At the time, I worked close by, so I took the afternoon off work for my 1pm appointment (for locals: I could have made it back to work in Burnaby for the rest of the day, but chose not to).
The entrance to the embassy is on the right side of the building. I had to present my appointment letter and passport at the door, and the friendly security people searched my document folder looking for metal. Next I went through a metal detector and was accompanied up the elevator by security, who gave my directions for what to do next. There were just a few people paying this or that fee in the office, and only two others there for interviews. I brought a book to read while I waited, which I recommend, as there was a LOT of waiting to do.
At the first window, a staff person went through all my documents to make sure they were there, and in the right order. Then He told me I could either wait in the office, or return in 45 minutes. I chose to get lunch and come back. There is a Starbucks at the main entrance of the building, and Caffe Artigiano right across the street. I recommend using the washroom before returning to the consulate, because the washroom is on another floor, you need a security guard to escort you back down the elevator, and then will have to go back through security around the side of the building to enter again.
After lunch and a bit more waiting, I was called to pay the difference of my visa fee (as it changed after I sent it in). You must pay in US cash. At the same window I was also fingerprinted.
Then I waited some more. Finally I was called for my interview. The man who interviewed me was a jovial fellow with a twinkle in his eye. When asked, I told him I met my fiance in Austria. He responded with, "Austria? I met the LOVE of my LIFE in Austria thirty years ago!" He then proceeded to tell me his tragic romantic love story. I suppose if your job requires you to read people's love stories to make sure they're real, you're bound to either be, or turn into, a die hard romantic.
Next he took a look at my fiance's tax transcript, and noticed that he was a musician. I received about three minutes advice on filing tax as a musician (the consul was one), followed by best practices in recording and producing. All very thoughtful.
Finally he stated that there were three requirements I had to meet in order to be eligible for a visa: 1. i couldn't be married to anyone else, 2. we had to prove that my fiance could support me and that I wouldn't become a ward of the state, and 3. it had to be a real relationship. His response to this was that obviously, I wasn't already married, I didn't look like the type of person who would become a ward of the state, and that I had enough evidence to prove it was a real relationship, but that it didn't matter - it was obviously real because "anyone who moves from Vancouver to Dallas is slummin'!" He then gave me the stamp of approval. Yay!
Overall, I was impressed with the friendliness and professionalism of the staff. I felt quite at ease the entire time, and though I had to wait a long time, it always seemed like I was waiting as someone read my application in detail, and not as my application just sat on someone's desk. It all felt very efficient. This was by far the easiest part of the process.
Good work Vancouver consulate!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #7248