Consulate Review: Moscow, Russia
Review Topic: K1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
January 17, 2014 |
| Embassy Review : |
We arrived to the Embassy at 9am. There were about three people ahead of us in the line outside and about five people behind us. The guard asked for all passports of those entering. He went into the guard station and came out a few minutes later. He opened the little gate and passed the passports back to the rightful owner while they walked through. We walked down a little side-walk til we came to the entrance (side of building. When we got inside, there was a super long line. But the good thing was that is was MOVING. When you first walk in, they check your passports and you bags and then you get in line. I didn't bring my purse. I had a few things in my jacket pocket and that's it. I highly suggest you leave everything in a "cloak room" in the metro station or in your hotel room if you have no "check out". It's faster and easier and your won't get snet back outside if you do not bring more than your documents and a few small items you can fit in yoru pockets. Do not bring electronics. Do not even bring your ear-buds for listening to music. You must surrender your cell-phone(s) where there is a little white nook and a lady who takes your cell, puts in it a little slip of a case and hands you a card which you'll use to pick it up at the end of your interview. I think we stayed in that line no more than twenty minutes before we walked through some glass doors, through the security check-point and then, into another room where there were chairs and a lot of people sitting around. This was the room for non-immigrant visa applicants. As soon as we walked through the doors, we saw the "windows" where you go to "check-in". There was a line, of course, but it went very fast. We got to the window and a nice young man asked my fiance in Russian, for his DS-160 and passport, and also my US passport. He scanned the bar-code on the DS-160 and checked our passports and then told my fiance, in Russian, where to go. Before my fiance headed to the proper room, we decided to use the bathrooms, located conveniently on the right (to the left are vending machines with snacks and drinks). Once we were ready, we went through the way facing towards an exit. Then we made a sharp right to a room filled with people standing in line. Another sharp right and there were the stairs. The sign on the left of the stairway said "Immigration Visas" and we both smiled. We climbed til the 2nd floor. In front of us was the door we needed. We walked through and on the wall in front of us there were three plaques. The top said "Immigration visas window 23 and 24" and the one below that said "immigration visas window 24 and 25." The last plaque said "registration". We took the instructions to go to the right where window 24 and 25 is. I'll state right now, this is wrong. We sat down in the little waiting room, but we felt it wasn't right to be there. SO we went to the window 23 and 24 room and a lot of people were sitting in chairs and staring at us. We walked up to the window 23 where a very nice lady helped my fiance get "registered". She took from him all nesicsary forms and documents (passport, and photocopy, birth-certificate and photocopy and english translation, military record and translation, police record and translation, etc. She checked everything off the list of what my fiance needed to have and we saw that it was complete! Proud feeling. She also mentioned that she could see our co-sponsor's EMAILED documents (and I-134 which some were saying HAD to be original) and said it was all good and we should take a seat but not too far from the room because our name would be called and we needed to be able to hear it. In the tiny waiting room, all the seats were taken, but an old gentleman was called soon and my fiance (being the gentleman that he is) offered for me to sit down. I did and we just waited, smiled, and talked a little. One by one, those that werea head of us were called, and everyone got visas! Well, there was one guy who didn't get it, but he was going through a different process than the K1. One guy came out of window 25 room and said that the consulate in that room was very nice and he wished everyone luck! So finally our turn came and we went to window 25. Since it is allowed for the U.S.C. fiance to attend the interview with their Russian Citizen fiance, I went in with my fiance and sat down. The consulate greeted me in English. We sat down and he asked right away if Mikhail was comfortable speaking in English instead of Russian. My fiance, being fluent in English told him he was happy to speak in English. So the interview proceeded in the English language. First he asked how We met. My fiance nervously explained we had met online and then he has tried to get a tourist visa to visit me but it failed and then we decided to meet in Mexico. The consulate then asked Where my fiance was employed. He answered... Next the consulate asked about Mikhail's Military service and if he served. And then he turned to me and asked for me to tell him my parent's first names. I answered. Then he turned back to Mike and asked when he planned to marry me. Mike answered. And the consulate repeated sort of to himself what Mikhail had answered. Then, there was a pause. Then he said "Alright, your visa is approved. It will be mailed to you. It will arrived in less than ten days." It is the second day now. We will let everyone know when we get it (which day). Everything went so smooth: we couldn't have asked for it to work out any better! The whole interview with the consulate lasted about three minutes. We got out of the embassy around 12pm (lunchtime) so total time spent there was about three hours.
My advice:
Even if someone is telling you, don't bring a certain document because they will not need it, bring it anyway. We were told that the I-797 was not needed, but we brought it anyway and even though the consulate never asked for it, we had it, and it made us feel more comfortable having it. We also printed off a ton of our conversation and a ton of pictures which were never asked for. But we had them, because it was instructed to bring them and its better to have what is needed or might be needed than to not have it and that can cause a lot of problems... RFE's...
Also, the embassy opens at 8am. We got there at 9am and we didn't have to wait a whole long time in a line. Most of our waiting time was done in that tiny immigration visa room. So, if you're running late, don't sweat it too much. But do try to be there as early as possible because you will spend there at least three hours.
There is a little bathroom directly located off the tiny room where you're supposed to wait. If you have to go, try to do it before it becomes around the time for your name to be called. Once your name is called, high-tail it to the window that they tell you to go to. Get in, get out. It's very fast. Especially when you're completely organized.
I held my fiance hand throughout the interview. Even though your fiance might tell you, "I won't be nervous. I'm a confident person." They are going to be nervous and you should comfort them. As soon as I saw my fiance's face getting red and his voice was a bit shaky, I held his hand tight and smiled at him throughout his speech to reassure him I was there for him and supporting this whole process. He calmed down immediately.
About the I-134... My co-sponsor was instructed by the consulate in an email that ALL documents could be emailed or faxed. Alternatively, they could be mailed to the beneficiary and then brough to the interview. My co-sponsor sent ALL documents by email and there were no problems. Not even with the I-134, which we thought HAD to be original. I thought for sure we would need the original. But the lady at the window who registrated us, said, "We recieved your co-sponsor's documents and I-134 by email. The consulate interviewing you sees it on your file." There were absolutely no problems sending it by email. We did not get a 221g slip requesting the original I-134. However, even though it worked out for us, I still advise your fiance to bring the I-134 orignal, all documents, instead of emailing. UNLESS your fiance or you email the consulate the ask them if you can send everything by email. If they give you the go, like they did my co-sponsor, then send it by email because it cuts down on paper and I honestly believe it is easier and that the consulate prefers it done electronicly. He didn't mention it at all. As if he already reviewed it, had no questions and really felt relieved that it was all on his computer.
They did not ask for my I-134 or my supposrting documents. They did not ask for my fiance's or my letter of intent to marry. I was suprised that they did not want it. But also relieved because it was so simple.
Last but not least, I cannot thank everyone enough for all the help and feedback we have recieved. Each and every advice you gave was taken and helped us tremendously! We are going to the U.S. near the end of this month (Jan 2014). Wish us luck! I wish all those about to have their interview luck and success!! |
| Rating : |
Very Good |
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ver 5.0