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| Chile |  Review on September 1, 2011: |
kels1787
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
I am the US petitioner, and my fiance, Carlos is the Chilean beneficiary. We have been living together and working in Santiago for about a year and a half now.
Yesterday (Aug 31st) we went to the US Embassy for his interview. I was quite nervous, but everything turned out great. We arrived at about 1:30pm (a half hour before his interview time - 14:00). There was a line outside, which we waited in. Once they opened the doors a little after 1:30pm, the line moved pretty quickly. Security let us through at about 1:40pm, and when they saw us they actually commented "la pareja feliz, pasen". That made us smile! They gave us a red number to claim our cellphones after the interview and a yellow number to be called in order for the interview. Then we put out stuff on the x-ray scanner table and walked through the metal detector, and out the back door through the patio, and into the Consulate. There were quite a few people in there waiting for various types of visas. We waited probably about a half hour before our number was called up to window 8.
I went up with him, and the Chilean woman behind the window told me (in English) that I could take a seat because she was just going to ask him for some documents, and that I could be right by his side during the interview. So I took a seat and I was trying to overhear what they were saying. She asked (in Spanish) for all of his stuff (birth and police certificates, doctor's envelope, I-134 from me and my step-father sponsor, ChileExpress receipt), and he had to sign item 41 on a couple of the forms, swearing that he would marry me within 90 days of entry to the US. She also asked him how we met, and if we were going to include his 13 year old daughter, Camila, on this petition (which we are not). Then he sat down next to me and we waited probably a half hour more until his name was called to window 8, where we were received by an American woman, Raquel.
She first asked Carlos if he speaks English, or prefers the interview in Spanish, and he said Spanish. She then asked me if I speak Spanish, and I said yes. She then took his fingerprints, using the electronic thing on the counter. Then, she started to ask him about what he does professionally and where he works. She got a little firm and told him that he needed to give more details in his answers and speak more loudly into the microphone. She continued to ask him what he studied and what he plans to do in the States, and if he's planning on learning English (to which he answered YES). Then she asked him how we met, and she asked me why I chose to come to Chile, and asked where I was from and what I want to do in the States. She was nice to me, trying to identify with me, saying "I understand why you want to take a piece of Chile home with you." hehe. Then she asked me "WHY HIM?" I started to answer in Spanish and then changed to English part way through. Then she asked him "WHY HER?" He responded, and she said "very good." Then she told us that our case was not done yet, but asked what our travel plans were. We explained that we're planning a big wedding for June, but if it's necessary we'll get a legal marriage before that date. She told us if we wanted to wait longer, she could do some things to make it take longer; and even offered that we could take a seat to think about it a little. We said we'd prefer to have it sooner. Then she made him raise his right hand and swear that everything he'd said was true. She said that everything appears to be in order and that the VISA IS APPROVED!! She gave us a yellow slip to pay DHL.
As we were walking to the DHL table, we both were on the verge of happy tears. We paid 6.500 for the passport and visa to get sent to our apartment, which they said will take about 2 weeks. Then we walked out and hugged and kissed each other in the court yard, and went for a very happy and delicious celebratory lunch javascript:emoticon(' ')
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #8232