Consulate Review: London, United Kingdom
Review Topic: K1 Visa
|
| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
June 25, 2008 |
| Embassy Review : |
I left my hotel at about 7.20 for my appointment to ensure I’d be on time. Catching the bus without any problems, my feet began to bother me - I’d bought new boots especially for the interview and they were giving me blisters. I was walking like the lovechild of House and Ironman by the time I got to the embassy, giving me something extra to worry about. The queue was fairly long and as we stood waiting it began to filter into two columns, then three, for 8.30 appointments, 9.00 o’clock appointments (which mine was) and 9.30 appointments. Embassy officials trawled the line repeatedly asking people to make sure they had no electronic devices on them, no cell phones, blackberries, Ipods or even car keys. Those that did had to leave the line and deposit them in a chemist just down the road. Once your appointment slot line is reached, a few at a time are taken to stand in front of the security office. Even at this point, people had to leave the line to deposit an electronic device. I saw people with huge bags and no bags at all - people in suits (like me) and one person wearing gold chains, trainers, and a Punisher t-shirt (a giant red skull with no jaw). Whether he was successful I don’t know. It can’t hurt to look smart though. One man with children was asked to show his DS-156s which made me worry for a moment as I hadn’t brought additional copies of the paperwork I‘d already submitted. The important thing here is not to look at other people’s documents, because people are coming for any number of reasons and will invariably have different paperwork to your own. I entered the security office after removing my belt, wallet and other metal items, placing them in a plastic bag provided, and putting them in the scanner. It’s basically a less stringent version of American airport security - you needn’t remove your shoes. Inside, I took a number, 5011, and sat in what can only be described as a combination between bus station and a bank - the chairs are arranged the same way, and the officials line the walls behind glass counters. They started reading numbers, beginning to my horror with number 1006. Fortunately, they then started calling the 2 and 5 thousands concurrently. After close to an hour, I was called and had my fingerprints taken and submitted by birth certificate, passport, affidavit of support, police check, deed poll (which made me worry as I’d changed my name after submitting my application to USCIS because of conflicting advice from the embassy). I also have my updated letter of intent to marry from my fiance. I was then asked to go to a different counter, pay, then come back. I was here given the courier form to fill out and asked to sit down again.
Listening anxiously, I waited for about another 40 to 50 minutes and was called to a window down the corridor, away from the waiting area. This surprised me, as I’d thought there would be separate interview rooms for applicants or some such - as it is, your ‘interview’ is conducted with you standing alongside other people being interview, the official behind glass in front of you. She was very friendly, apologising for the wait and smiling a lot. I raised my right and swore that was I was about to say would be the truth. She then asked me the following:
How did I meet my fiance? Wedding.
What was her relationship to the bride at whose wedding we met? (Cousin, actually, but the official didn’t bat an eyelid at that)
How quickly did we become a ‘couple’? Two months.
What does she do for a living? Teacher.
Where do we plan to live? (The official is from a city near to where we live and said how much she liked it) Where she lives now.
How long was my longest stay in the US? 8 weeks.
Have I ever been in trouble with immigration? No.
Have I ever been in immigration with the law? No.
She then smiled and said ‘those are the right answers!’ and told me I’d been successful. It sounds like a lot of questions, but most were very straight-forward, short answers with little elucidation needed. She didn’t ask about deed poll at all, and I’d actually provided far to much information in the affidavit of support.
She explained the courier service to me, I thanked her, went to their counter, paid for delivery, and left. I’d sat down inside the embassy (after about half an hour outside or more) at 9.05 and was outside by 11, and of those two hours I spent perhaps five minutes actually talking to someone.
All in all, it efficiently run and everyone I spoke to was very helpful and friendly. Even the armed police outside were cheerfully chatting with the builders who walked by. I also realised that some of the instructions we have to follow are slightly misleading. The vaccinations listed as required on the embassy website and itemised on the doctor’s information sheet don’t apply to everyone - they are determined by age and country of origin. Likewise, when the embassy asks you to bring in a passport photo, it needn’t bother. If you followed the instructions in packet three you will have already included them on the application form. The official I spoke to was pleasantly surprised I’d already done this. In addition to two dedicated computers assigned to completing missing application forms and documentation within the embassy itself, there is also a photo booth. Obviously, you shouldn’t depend on these - you should be as prepared as possible, and there’s always the chance they’ll be in use or broken - but should you realise on your way to embassy you haven’t brought something, it might be the end of the world.
I wasn’t asked to show additional proof of an ongoing relationship. I had a file two inches thick which included a copy of my I-129, more recent emails, our wedding invitation, engagement ring receipt, photos of us together since we’ve applied and copious documents supporting my change of name - I wasn’t asked for any of it. Excluding the affidavit, I only needed 6 pieces of paper.
It’s best to be prepared though.
|
| Rating : |
Very Good |
|
ver 5.0