Do I need to be at the k1 interview too?

[seanandkarina 2]

Hello all,

This site is pretty amazing and helpful, just wanted to start out by saying that. I'm sure that there is a thread already related to my post, I'm still trying to figure this website out, so please forgive me as I'm sure that this is a double post.

I sent off our petition for the k1 just a couple of days ago, and many reviews that I have been reading on this site when the interview takes place both people are present at the interview. My fiancee is in Russia and she will be going to Moscow when the time comes, and I just want to plan ahead. I would like to go to the interview with her as I feel like it would make a good impression, how ever it is obviously very expensive, especially taking into consideration that living here in Hawaii, adds about an additional $600 to flight costs.

But after reading the Moscow reviews in particular I noticed that the trend seems to be that petitioner and beneficiary both were present for the interview. I am aware of the fact that only the beneficiary is required to appear for the interview.

So my question now is how important is it that I am there? If it's something that I will be going to I need to start making plans now in order to get there.

Thanks in advance for the guidance!!!

Sean

[TBoneTX 45,284]

*** Country-specific thread is moved from the K-1 Process forum to the Russia/Ukraine/Belarus regional subforum. ***

[NinaJimTeaghan 4]

I went to Thailand for my fiance' and she was from the Philippines but I was not even allowed into the US embassy even being a VET so if that tells you anything you probably won't be alowed in but for moral support it is good for your fiance'. Goodluck and hope things go well.

[vbtwo 54]

Not really that important in Russia if you have good evidence of relationship. Moscow is a pretty easy consulate for K1 visas.

[Dashinka 24,493]

Moscow does allow the fiancé into the consulate for the K1 interview (at least in Spring 2014), but the interview will be just the petitioner and IO. In our case I decided to go, and when they interviewed Katya I was only a few feet away and since they did it in English (Katya's request) I was able to hear everything. The IO did not ask me for any information and the interview lasted about five minutes with verbal approval. At the time, there were four or five other women interviewing for a K1 without their fiance present and all were approved. My understanding is that the Moscow consulate is fairly easy given no criminal or medical issues.

Good Luck!

[seanandkarina 2]

Awesome, thank you guys so much for your help! Definitely makes me feel a lot better especially knowing that Moscow has a reputation for being fairly easy going. Now just got to buckle down for the NOA1 and NOA2.

[Sarah456 0]

Good Luck!

[seanandkarina 2]

Thank you!

[MrMonk 0]

We just did our interview yesterday (I am standing on Moscow city streets as I write this) and I was at the interview and was able to participate. Interviewer was very pleasant and interview literally took 5 minutes. Very simple. If you go it will help, but if not it will still be easy for her (nice if you are able to be there for moral support though).

[seanandkarina 2]

MrMonk, thank you!! Since your experience was so recent would you mind telling me a little bit more about what all happened? My fiancee is very nervous of course and she is reading all over the Russian forums and the internet and it is just making her worse, and even more confused. It seems to me like right now her greatest concern is about scheduling the interview and all, they are sending the packet out through the mail and having the beneficiary schedule the interview on line now correct? And I'm sure the basic questions were asked at the interview? And I've read a lot about Moscow that sometimes they check over the whole petition and supporting documents and sometimes they don't, what was your experience? Also my final question, I've read both that they take the beneficiaries passport and then issue the visa and then mail the passport back, but I've also read some people say that they left the embassy with the visa the same day, what was your experience?

I'm sorry to ask you so many questions, it would just be nice to hear the story of some one who literally just went through the whole process!

Thank you so much in advance!!!!

[anfisanava 1]

I had my interview on April 8 and got 221g and still in administrative processing. I had tons of proof of relationship and we met 5 times with my fiancé. I wish he was at the interview with me. It would have been much easier and I'm sure I would have gotten approved right away. Although consular officer seemed to be flirting with me, so maybe that's why he didn't approve me right away ? If your fiancée is older or have kids she'll probably get approved easily. But if she's young and pretty like me then you better be with her at the interview. Good luck!

[MrMonk 0]

We had some "issues" with address due to registration and her moving. So we never actually got anything in the mail and I am not sure if anything actually does come in the mail. Her friend (whose address we used) never got any mail for us. That being said, as soon as we got the iv email saying that we can schedule appt- we did. We stetup all of my travel, her medical appt for 2 days earlier, hotel, her travel and our travel to the Caucuses for after. The young lady that interviewed us had already read our file when she came in, asked usa a few questions and that was it. Tonight my fiance checked and her visa is now "ready" and to check back in 2 business days for more updates. We waited in the many lines for 3hrs or so, no usc VIP treatment for us. Personally if I were you I would go with her.

[seanandkarina 2]

Thank you all so much! This has all been so helpful to me. And MrMonk how long after the interview have you given your selves before you will travel to the US together? Two, three weeks?

And what about you anfisanava? Have you also already planned your travel dates to the US? And yes she is young, we are both young.

I can't tell you all how much I appreciate all of your help you've given to me! It seems like I need to plan to go back to Russia for this, which is truly what I want! Luckily after tax season money is not an issue now. It's just going to be trying to convince my work that after the one month they have already let me have off that I will need more time off now. Lucky for me, good help is hard to find here on Kauai and they truly need me which is why I got the month off to begin with, unlucky for me, the job is a well paying job and if I loose it I probably wont be able to easily walk into another position of equal or comparable pay. Hawaii isn't exactly a cheap place either.

I definitely think that the best thing to do for the visa, and for our relationship is to go. But also having the job is pretty darn important for the relationship and for the visa. Luckily I have time to think, and me and my fiancee still have the time to decide what's best to do, but regardless this decision will not be an easy one.

My adventurous punk rock self says it's only a job, there will always be more, but in this situation with the need of that income I don't think it's so terribly simple especially taking into consideration the need of the job and the income after the K1 for her green card too. Luckily I will have a co-sponsor, but even still.

And more too, she's only ever flown twice in her life thus far, and coming in to LAX or JFK isn't particularly easy to do, especially when you're English isn't exactly perfect. Customs is stressful for me as an American, I can't imagine going through it as a foreigner. Especially LAX.

Sorry, thinking a lot out loud. I have an issue, I really love to type and I use every excuse that I can to type a little bit more.

[anfisanava 1]

So as I said I had interview on April 8 and first we bought tickets for April 28 but our case is STILL under administrative processing so we not buying new tickets until I have my visa in hand. How old are you and your fiancée, if that's ok to ask?

[seanandkarina 2]

Oh wow STILL under administrative processing? I'm sorry! The wait must be annoying for both of you!

And of course, I am 23 and she is 25. And what about you?