Consulate Review: Vancouver, Canada
Review Topic: K1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
June 16, 2015 |
| Embassy Review : |
Let me say this first :
EVERYONE WAS SO SUPER NICE!!!
As a Vancouverite, it's always so fresh and heartwarming to encounter genuinely nice and friendly staff. Even the officer who takes people up the elevator was friendly and happy.
Arrived at the Starbucks around the corner at 8 am. My interview was at 9:30. I made my way a bit before 9 am, thinking they probably won't let me in yet.
But at the entrance, which was like a small alleyway almost, there were lines set up and three officers guarding each line. I went ahead into the middle line (I think because a sign said that was for the K visas or something related to me), and the officer asked to see my DS160 confirmation page and passport. I gave it to him, and all he did was check them briefly and put the confirmation page inside the passport and give them back to me. He then told me to wait in the next line on the right side. There, I was led to another officer who, this time, checked my personal items. I had emailed the consulate about bringing a small purse (the security instructions say 12x10x6" is okay) and I had brought a cellphone, a book, wallet, and keys in it, and a paper bag that had all my documents.
The officer went through my purse very thoroughly, and he asked me to unseal the letters I had in my purse to put in a mailbox at some point. So, nothing sealed was allowed.
Then, I was asked to go to the far left line, where another officer checkedy phone, made sure it was off, and took it. He gave me a number bracelet in return, and I was to show that when I claim my phone after the interview.
Now, I was told to go through a door (seriously just a door) and go up the stairs which started pretty immediately. At the top of the stairs was another door guarded by another officer who told me to put all my belongings in a basket like at an airport. At this point I couldn't even see what was beyond the officer. He gestured that I step forward after a while, and there was a metal detector like at an airport. I was asked to walk through it, and I was told to specify the two sealed envelopes I had: the unopened medical exams package, and my japanese police records check
I was given back everything after the metal detector, and I was now asked to wait by the elevator which was right there. This place was really kind of small.
After a while this fifth officer summoned the elevator and came up to the 20 th floor with me. On the 20th floor, he showed the way to yet another officer who led me through a small hallway. At the door, he told me to go in and take a left and another left; I thought it would be a bit of a wall, but it was literally around a cornered wall. And he told me go to window B and flip the switch once.
There really was a switch, on the wall of window B. I just made the switch to point the other way, and soon a lady came to the window.
She asked me for all my documents and passport (I spent about fifteen minutes with her) then she called someone to get a number. My number was 62, and she told me to disregard the sign that tells a number to go to window 1. The numbers being called then was still in the 40s, so I started to read my book. People around me were obviously frustrated that their numbers were taking so long to get called. I think I waited about an hour or an hour and a half (I'm not sure because I didn't have a watch). My number wasn't necessarily called after 61 and before 63. So don't worry about that too too much.
I get to window 4 like the board said, and a young lady greeted me. She looked through all the files the Window B lady had taken from me, and asked me to tell her about the relationship between me and my fiancé. I gave her briefly but not too scarcely, and when she felt she needed more information she asked for it. It wasn't much of an interview. It took a whole 10 minutes, maximum, for her to tell my I was approved and that I need to go back to window B.
I went back to window B, where a gentleman this time gave me the original documents back and took the copies in their stead. He told me to get married within 90 days of entering the United States using the K1 visa, and that I will be notified via email when my passport and visa will be ready for pickup. In 3-5 business days.
I go back past the window 4 to exit, because you don't exit through where you entered. And this time, nobody could care I was taking the elevator. I was alone. I came to the main floor expecting to find myself somewhere around the entrance - I was in the building that had the Starbucks attached. I had to go outside and around the corner to get to where I left my phone. I was out by 11:30. ish.
.... That was June 9th.
Today I emailed the consulate to see how my visa was doing, since tomorrow is the 5th and last business day I would wait. They tell me there has been some worldwide computer problems and they cannot print visas. I didn't think to ask what would have happened had I not emailed them? Were they never going to inform me?
Apparently the problem affects people who had their interviews on of after June 9th. That is the official date they are announcing. And they don't know how long it will take to fix the problem, or to catch up the delayed cases.
They told me to be "rest assured" that I will get informed as soon as my visa is ready
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| Rating : |
Not Rated |
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ver 5.0