Consulate Review: New Delhi, India
Review Topic: K1 Visa
|
| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
October 13, 2015 |
| Embassy Review : |
Arriving at the Embassy you'll find that there's phone storage across the street, inside a small guard box. It's 50 rupees and you can store your phone there for after your Embassy Interview. (Ask the Embassy guards for directions, it wasn't obvious where this was for us.)
There's three lines total for entering the Embassy, all guarded off by tape, American Citizen Services, Immigrant Visa, and Non-immigrant visa. We got a guard's attention and they instructed us inside, using the Non-immigrant visa path (It was actually empty outside, no lines, very few people the day we went.) Heading around the tape we eventually came inside for a security check. Frisked us down, scanned our documents via x-ray, you know, the usual.
Heading inside we reached the courtyard, which is filled with rows of green seats for people to wait in. However, again, it was very empty. No one was in the Non-immigrant waiting area, or even the Immigrant Visa waiting area. We asked a nearby guard and they instructed us to head around the waiting area and onward to the main building.
Reaching inside we found ourselves at the end of a long room. We were told to follow the red lines on the floor for Immigrant Visas. Near us were lines filled with people for Non-immigrant visas. At the head of each line were the interview windows, counters with a glass partition between you and the Interviewer. Windows 1-19 were being used for Non-immigrants Visas. Window 21 was being used for biometric check in, 24 and 25 for payment (if you hadn't payed online). We'll get to the other windows in a bit.
We were asked to sit down in a row of chairs across from Window 21. It took awhile before we could line up, there was a back up developing thanks to several extremely elderly couples, but eventually we were asked to get in line. There we waited until it was our turn at Window 22. There they took Linny's biometric fingerprints again (I assume to check her in from her VAC appointment) and had her pull together her primary documents (DS-160, Medical, PCC, etc.) Prior to this a man will approach you while you're waiting and request that you gather these together (So things will move faster at Window 21). At this point he'll rip open your Medical, don't worry, this is normal.
After checking in at Window 21, We were guided to another row of seats (just a few feet from where we'd originally been waiting) placed in front of Windows 26-30. These windows are for giving over your documents (DS-160, Medical, PCC, Affidavit of Support, etc.) The wait for this took a bit, with numerous couples, beneficiaries, and others handing over their documents. If you're there for a K-1 or CR-1/IR-1 Visa you'll receive a N??? number that is used to call you to the window when your case is ready for the document gathering. While waiting we heard several details of other cases. One guy who was having trouble proving his marriage to his wife (who was with him) was legitimate and documented (unfortunately I don't think he ever succeeded. We saw them later walk out of the Embassy, looking annoyed and defeated.)
Finally they called us and we stepped up to hand in the documents. They immediately asked for Linny's contact number. In our particular case we had two co-sponsors, both my parents, as I don't have the fiances to complete the Visa for Linny myself. She looked through all three affadavits briefly, before discarding mine and my mother's financial supporting documents and making my father the primary sponsor. At the end of this the woman apologized to me as she handed Linny a packet on emergency services for spousal abuse (this led to a couple of relief filled laughs.)
We left the window and went back to where we'd originally been waiting. Windows 20, 22, and 23 were being used for the actual final interview. This took awhile, as they'd gotten backed up thanks to elderly applicants, people taking bathroom breaks seconds before they were called for their interview, etc. Eventually Window 20 called us. Linny jumped up and marched to the window, with me trailing behind.
The CO looked up and asked who I was. When I explained I was the petitioner/Linny's fiance she said "oh. Go sit down. Go sit down. I'll call you if I need you." While waving her hand for me to "shoo." I wasn't comfortable leaving Linny alone, not after reading some cases on VisaJourney where Petitioners, who had accompanied their fiance/spouse, were sent back and their fiance/spouse was promptly handed a 221g and their Visa denied. Ultimately I decided to adhere to her request, for fear of making things difficult. I sat down at the nearest row of green chairs and waited, listening as best I could to how the interview progressed.
Linny was asked a series of questions, "Have you ever been outside India?" "How did you two meet?" etc. Very basic, classic interview questions. Our hearts jumped when she took out the photos we'd submitted with our original packet, a total of five selfies of the two of us. She looked them over and asked Linny, "Do you have any more photographs?" We both panicked, having not bothered to bring additional photos, since I would be present. Linny answered no, that we'd forgotten to bring more. The woman frowned and began asking "When did you get engaged?" "When was his last trip here?" (Asking when I had arrived back in India for this interview.) She then started asking slightly tougher questions, "Why did you get engaged and not married during his first trip?" to which Linny answered that it would've been too soon for us to get married the first time we met in person, things would've moved too fast, "Why are you getting married in the U.S. and not here with your family?" At this point Linny was becoming flustered, fearful this was all building to a denial. Linny explained that since I was the one with a job it made more sense to marry in the U.S. than here in India, stressing to the point where she forgot to mention that, in Mizo culture (her culture), it's common, and expected, to marry where the man lives, rather than the woman.
Thankfully our fears were adverted when she began asking Linny about the domestic abuse packet. We both realized that if she was asking about that packet, containing emergency contact information, that meant we were getting a Visa. Linny answered her questions, "Did you read the packet?" "What's the police contact number in the U.S.?" etc. Finally she handed Linny a yellow piece of paper, her approval slip, and congratulated her. Linny turned around, and we left, practically skipping on our way out. This is where we discovered that, out in the courtyard, is a small food booth, with brownies, drinks and other goodies. So if you need food there is actually food there.
I've also decided that if the petitioner is present, and they are sent to sit back down, that the Counsilar has decided you are an open or shut case, for better or worse. I believe that, ultimately, the interview becomes a meer formality, with the CO having already decided to issue either a 221g or the approval notice. So don't freak out quite yet if this happens to you, it doesn't gaurantee a dismissal as in our case. All in all we got out in about 2 and 1/2 hours. Either way, we're both so happy everything turned out okay and we both wish everyone else luck in their dealings at the New Delhi, Embassy, and hope this write up aids you in some way. =) |
| Rating : |
Very Good |
|
ver 5.0