Consulate Review: Guangzhou, China
Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
June 3, 2010 |
| Embassy Review : |
Based on the information of my wife, her experience of the consulate is as follows. The night before her interview (yesterday) she did not sleep and consequently was the second person in line at 5:30 am or so. She waited for quite some time until interviewees were allowed inside at 7:15 or so. It seems as though once inside everyone went through multiple security checks. they then had to swear an oath for the interview. It seems there was then some sort of pre-check where local (non-consular) officials checked over everyone's paperwork to make sure all was in order. My wife gives a bad impression of these people. (She also said many were thinking that these local people were going to interview them for visas! it seems this was a fond hope for many) Having been disabused of this notion, they entered into the interview room. From what my wife told me, people of all immigrant visa types are interviewed there (brothers sisters, etc. in addition to spouses). The wife sat in the front so as to better study the six americans who were giving the visa interviews seated like bank tellers behind thick glass. It seems there were two white women, a black woman, a black man, a white man and an (infamous) asian man. She seemed to sense a lot of fear about this asian interviewer, who seemed to give a disproportionately high number of white and blue slips. This also got many of the interviewees talking in the waiting room. After waiting for two plus hours, chatting with other interviewees, my wife's number was called and she was interviewed by a middle aged white woman, whom my wife found pleasant. Based on what i've read elsewhere, my wife's interview seemed somewhat long, upwards of fifteen minutes. (my guess is that it is due to her being an ethnic minority from 'restive' xinjiang). She was asked many typical questions about my family (my mother's name, how many brothers and sisters), how we met, what my job is, how we communicate, if we had pictures to show etc. My wife went out of her way to mention unique circumstances for our case (the communication blackout in xinjiang) and generally acted naturally which I feel helped her a lot. Her interviewer consulted with another interviewer before stamping forms and congratulating her on receiving a visa! From what she told me, it seems many people being interviewed are somewhat superstitious and highly susceptible to rumors floating around about the process. And unfortunately my wife seemed to see quite a few white and blue slips handed out, although as a percentage she couldn't say. But in any event my wife was successful! after getting her pink sheet, she proceeded to fill out the paperwork for where to mail her visa (it is supposed to arrive within 7 business days). This cost 60 yuan. So overall, there are many necessary evils to undergo at the consulate, but given the numbers involved this is not surprising. If you are ready for your interview there is no need to worry. |
| Rating : |
Good |
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