Consulate Review: London, United Kingdom
Review Topic: K1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
August 16, 2013 |
| Embassy Review : |
My Interview was on 12 August at 9am. I got to the embassy and queued outside for a few mins. (if you are wearing a belt make sure you take it off, as they will give you a clear bag to put it in for security reasons like at the airport) Someone outside at a desk checked my appointment letter and passport and i carried on queuing in another line for people who were checked off the appointment list for a few more mins. Then i entered the security check point and put my bag and folders in a tray,(like at airport security), including my appointment letter and passport. I was not requested to take my shoes off, which surprised me! After exiting the security point, i walked around the corner which was clearly marked with arrows to follow to the entrance of the embassy.
Once walking up the steps to the entrance of the Embassy, i was asked for my appointment letter and passport at the reception desk. The lady on reception put a sticker on the letter with a number on, and told me to wait in the waiting room and watch the screen for my number to be called.
The waiting room was up the stairs on the left from the reception desk.
The waiting room has rows of chairs and numbered windows with counters (windows with counters like you go to at the bank.) There are also more numbered window counters continuing around the corner up a corridor to the right of the rows of chairs.
I sat down looking at the screen ahead in front of the rows of chairs. When a number is called it is shown on the large screen with a beep to inform everyone another number has been called. It also indicates which numbered counter to go to. I was called to window 13 at first, which is up the corridor to the left of the seating in the waiting area. As you turn that corridor, you will notice there are toilets on the left, mens, womens and a separate baby changing room, which is good. Walking a bit further up is the numbered window counters and i went to 13. I was greeted by a young man who took my fingerprints electronically on a machine, which was simple. He then asked for the following original documents: Appointment letter, MRV receipt(Visa Application Fee Receipt that was emailed to me after i paid over the phone with the London Embassy before my interview.. they emailed me this receipt and i printed it out to take to my interview as requested for proof of payment), birth certificate + a photocopy of it, UK Police certificate + a photocopy of it, also Canadian police Certificate + photocopy (as i had previously lived in Canada for over 6 months.), and my Divorce Certificate + a photocopy of it (i was previously married and am of course divorced). Also gave him my passport, in which he told me it would be kept for processing the visa. He gave me an envelope with a cd of my chest x-ray results and told me to keep this incase i needed it for my adjustment of status once in the US. He did not hand me back any of my original documents i gave him, as he told me they would be given back to me later after they called me to the windo again. He told me to sit down and wait in the waiting area again and wait to be called with the same number. I sat and waitied for between 40-60 mins until my number was called on the screen again. It showed to go to window 14, which again was on the left down the corridor. Once at the window, i was greeted by a friendly American man. He asked to verify my fingerprints, and i just had to put my hand on the electronic creen once more. After this he gave me all my original documents that i had submitted earlier, and asked me if i had arranged courier delivery for my visa online. I hadnt, so he told me that the courier would call me on my home telephone number (he took this number from me for the courier contact at this point), he then went on to tell me they would call me to arrange a delivery day to return my passport with the visa in it.
After this, he showed me the form that my fiance filled in prior to the interview (the form with the income info on) and mentioned that our sons name was on the form as he was going to be travelling with me. He asked me to sign a form and print my fiance`s name on it. Then he asked me for proof of my fiance`s income. I gave him the print out of his online employment verification (which his employer does instead of an employment letter. He also asked for his most recent tax info. I gave him the 2012 tax transcript plus his W2s. He gave me the tax transcripts back as he said he only needed the W2s for the most recent year (2012). I also gave him a photocopy of these so that he could give me the original W2s back. He said that was all ok, then asked me the following questions: Have you ever applied for a US visa before? (No), How did you meet? -we met online on a friendship/ dating site, What website did you meed on? - we met on tangowire.net , when did you meet? - 3 December 2010, How did your relationship progress? (we started messaging and email eachother every day, we have a lot in common and talk for hours about...blah blah blah.. i went on to describe how we communicated in detail and how are feelings progressed, how we are so alike etc.), When did you 1st meet in person? 5 March 2011, Where did you 1st meet in person? At Minneapolis airport., has he ever been to the UK to see me? No because of his work.. starting new job etc., when did you last visit him? Dec 01, 2012- feb 2013., Whats the longest visit you have stayed in the US? - I visit for as long as possible so roughly about 3 months (90days) that the Visa waiver program permits me to. Have you ever stayed longer than 3 months? No. What does your fiancee do for work? - He works for CHS in Sioux City. What does he do? - He is a microbiologist. Does he rent property or own a house? - he rents (i went on to tell him places that he has rented during my visits to US, and that he had recently moved to rent a 1 floor house as this was better for us with no neighbours below or above us. I also went on to tell him we had a baby together and it was better with no stairs. In which he acted pleasantly surprised like he didnt know we had a baby together. Lastly he asked me what date i planned to return to the US, in which i told him mid-sept. He told me that i was APPROVED!! and told me congrats. I asked if he wanted to see any photos and he said no, you are already more than prepared! I was abit dissapointed that he didnt want to see the photos of me, my fiancee and our baby together as i spent ages printing them out for this interview, but at least i can put them in frames for around our appartment and give afew to family!!
All in all everything went smoothly and was stress free. The questions were more like general chit chat than an interrogation. He also asked me if my son was in the US.. I think this was a trick question, as he already knew he would be travelling over with me, so i pointed out that he was with me, as he is only 18 months old!
The interview was very polite and friendly. He even told me that my fiance had a lot of nappies to catch up on changing when me and our son got back, in which i agreed!! It took 3 hours at the Embassy.. The interview and paperwork itself only took about 5 mins, the rest was just waiting around in the waiting room! |
| Rating : |
Good |
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ver 5.0