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| Naples, Italy |  Review on December 1, 2011: |
andre&nancy
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Well, I got my K1 visa issued from Naples last tuesday (Nov. 29)and I would like to share my interview experience with the visayourney community...
DOCUMENTATION PREPARATION: NOTE: READ VERY CAREFULLY THE PACKET 3 INSTRUCTIONS.
1)DS 230 part I: fill, sign and fax it to the Naples consulate along with "APPLICANT'S STATEMENT" (last page of the Packet 3 instructions). Fil but DO NOT SIGN part II.
2)Fill out but DO NOT SIGN...I repeat DO NOT SIGN....I repeat again DO NOT SIGN
TWO COPIES of DS-156 and one copy of the DS-156K. AGAIN, BRING TWO UNSIGNED COPIES of the DS156.
I did not read the instructions carefully and I signed the DS 156. Fortunately, the night before the interview, I reviewed the instructions and I managed to re-print the form in my hotel. The consular staff people are really picky on documentation and might send you back.
3)Birth certificate (BC): although packet 3 asks for both beneficiary and petitioner' birth certificates, the consulate only requires the beneficiary's BC which must be original or certified copy. I simply went to my hometown's "comune" - ufficio dello stato civile and asked for the "Estratto di Nascita". The BC MUST specifies both parent's name. By the way, since it was free, I asked for 4 copies since I believe they will be required later on for the AOS process.
4) POLICE CERTIFICATES:
I went online and requested the Casellario Giudiziale Generale and the Certificato dei carichi pendenti from the Tribunale's website. Both documents should be available after 3 working days. To pick them up, you must go to the office and bring the marca da bollo requested (about 25 euro).
If you lived in a foreign contry after you turned 16 years old, you MUST provide the police certificates from that foreign country. In my case, I am italian, but I was born in Japan and moved to Italy when I was 2 years old. Therefore I was not required to provide the police certificates from Japan. During the interview, the officer will look at where you have lived (from your DS 230 form)and will ask for the required Police certificate. I also lived in the U.S. for several years under non-immigrant visas. Because it was in the U.S., I was not required to show US police certificate.
MILITARY RECORDS: the Italian/US reciprocy agreement says you have to provide the FOGLIO MATRICOLARE. The italian military documentation system takes usually 60 days to generate that document. In my case, I was enlisted in the italian army but never did boot camping training (SERVIZIO DI LEVA) since I was attending college at that time and while in college, they abolished the servizio di leva. Anyway, I was given the FOGLIO DI CONGEDO ILLIMITATO. I brought that at the interview (instead of the Foglio matricolare) and they accepted it.
PHOTOGRAPHS: during the fingerprint process, they asked me for my pictures. I gave them a 45 mm x 45 mm pic. They rejected it and asked me to go get 50 mm x 50 mm. THEY ARE SUPER STRICT ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHS. So learn from my experience and go get your 50 mm X 50 mm pic in advance. Also, DO NOT WEAR EARRINGS. They WILL REJECT THEM!!!!!! Read the section below about FINGERPRINT PROCESS.
PAYMENT RECEIPT: Once you schedule the interview, print the confirmation email and bring it with you to the BNL bank. The interview confirmation email contains the routing/banking information of the payment. Pay in cash and make sure the bank officer gives you two receipts. The first copy is for you to keep. The second one is the most important and must be given to the consulate. Verify the routing/banking information are printed on the receipt for the consulate and that it has been stamped with the "INCASSATO' stamp.
EVIDENCE OF SUPPORT: I asked my fiance to fax me her I 134 form with her signature (consulate does not need the original signed form). Everyone will have different assets/income. Just make sure you bring with you all the supporting financial documents. In my case I brought with me her employment verification letter (EVL), house purchase contract, mortgage payments, paycheck stubs and last tax return. The officer only took at the EVL and paycheck stubs. she did not even look at the other financial docs. I think the trick here is to show your sponsor/petitioner's income/assets are above the poverty line (I think it is about $10,000). If YOU HAVE ASSETS UNDER YOUR NAME (the beneficiary) IN THE U.S., you can use that as well. Assets outside the U.S. will not count!!!!!
PLEASE NOTE: the I 134 form contained in packet 3 is an OBSOLETE form. I went online and download the curret I 134 form. I suggest you do the same, since I did not have any problem with it. If you choose to use the OBSOLETE form, you do it on your own risk.
PACKET 3 and PACKET 4: in my case both packets were sent electornically via email TO MY FIANCE ad zip files. Be sure you Fiance checks her email regularly!!!!!
Packed 4 will ask you (the beneficiary)to call the number and schedule the interview WITHIN 5 BUSINESS day.
In the regurlar MAIL, I received a letter from the NVC containing the NVC CASE NUMBER. YOU WILL ASK TO PROVIDE THAT NVC CASE NUMBER when you schedule the interview as a identity confirmation. I didnt have it when I scheduled mine. However, they already have that number in the system so they closed an eye and went ahead and schedule the interview.
SCHEDULING THE INTERVIEW: when you call to schedule the interview, MAKE SURE TO HAVE YOUR PASSPORT NUMBER. Otherwise, you will have to call again and they charge you 15 euro again. I called and scheduled the interview on Nov.3. The earliest appointment slot available was Nov.28-29. You do the math if you want to know how long it might take.
OTHER DOCUMENTS: I brought with me the NOA2 letter, the entire I 129 packages, pictures, my fiance passport's copy just in case (NONE OF THESE DOCS WERE ASKED DURING THE INTERVIEW).
END OF PART 1
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #8793