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Last 5 Reviews
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| Ankara, Turkey |  Review #34000 on May 13, 2026: |
Qezelxan
Rating: 
| Review Topic: K1 Visa
I arrived at the consulate at 7:40 AM and was inside by 8:00 AM. After the security check, I went in and a document was attached to my passport. Everyone was polite and there were no issues at all. I waited about an hour and a half for the pre-interview.
At Window 15, they asked me for my police clearance certificate, full population registry record, letter of intent to marry, evidence file, and employment letter. I chose to do the interview in English. About half an hour later, I attended the final interview at Window 21.
Questions:
When did you meet?
How did you get engaged?
Where did you last meet?
Have you ever been married?
Has your fiancée ever been married?
Where does your fiancée work?
Where do you work?
After reviewing all the documents, the officer said, “Everything looks good,” and kept my passport. At the end, she asked whether my social media accounts were public, and I said they were and that I had listed all of them on the DS-160. She told me I would receive my passport by June.
| | | Ghana | Review #33995 on May 12, 2026: |
Hawa B
Rating: 
| Review Topic: General Review
Well it wasn’t bad, just that I was asked a lot of questions and some were personal lol. CO told me I would have gotten my visa if I had its transcripts, I only went with federal tax returns. It’s very strict and some questions are repeated to see if you’ll have the same answers
| | | Manila, Philippines | Review #33994 on April 30, 2026: |
hamorflic247
Rating:
| Review Topic: General Review
Apparently they're not used to seeing same-sex couples at this embassy. The Filipino consulate staff can be especially nosy about it — sometimes it's curiosity, sometimes it's something else. You'll also likely get the strictest American interviewer they have. That said, the experience and the result are two very different things. They grilled him hard, but they were fair about it.
On timing — we started St. Luke's medical in late February and the earliest interview slot available was April 14th. That's roughly six weeks out. If you get something sooner, great, but plan for a long wait. Start the medical as early as you possibly can and don't assume you'll get a quick appointment. They're busy and they don't mess around with their schedule.
Expect to be questioned about things you wouldn't even think would matter. His interview was roughly three hours total between waiting and actual interview time. You're going to see a large crowd when you arrive.
We got a 221(g) at the interview — medical and I-864 related, nothing about the relationship itself, which tells you something. We submitted everything between Friday and Monday. It was satisfied by Tuesday. That turnaround was faster than expected, and honestly I think nagging St. Luke's to release the medical helped push it through. Don't be shy about following up with them if you're waiting on results.
For the 221(g) document submission — you can go back to the VAC (where biometrics were done) and they'll mail everything to the embassy for free. Don't overthink that part.
A few things worth knowing before you get to this stage:
— If you're the petitioner and you've been living in the Philippines for six months or more, expect to prove domicile. Bring proof that you intend to return to the US — a plane ticket works. They get suspicious.
— Double and triple check household size and income on your financial documents. Then check again.
— Fill out BOTH the I-134 and the I-864. They can and will request the more strict, legally binding version (I-864). Give them too much rather than not enough. Between the two forms that's roughly 45+ pages but it's worth it.
— For income documentation, IRS transcripts are preferred. If you don't have those, show a W-2 and your federal tax return together.
— This is technically a non-immigrant visa, but plenty of systems — including the CEAC portal and the US visa scheduling site — classify it as an immigrant visa. Don't let that confuse you when you're checking status.
This process took us fourteen months. Any speed you see along the way is a win. Good luck.
| | | Korea | Review #33993 on April 28, 2026: |
mcdoodles
Rating: 
| Review Topic: K1 Visa
Incredibly no-nonsense atmosphere, anyone that was obviously confused or looking around were immediately directed to where they should be.
They allow you to bring your AirPods in and it's kept with your phone at the gate but no other electronics.
When lining up outside, they don't care what time your interview is set for, they kind of let in whoever is in line first.
Go at least 30 minutes before your interview time to be processed faster.
K1 visa interviews are conducted at the immigration visa line and there is no order in which people are called up to interview, it was pretty random.
As of April 28, 2026 (when I had my interview), all K1 visas are given the blue letter 221g and are told to wait for further administrative processing.
The officer did not elaborate on how soon we will hear back on a decision for the petition.
| | | London, United Kingdom | Review #33992 on April 27, 2026: |
dode93
Rating: 
| Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
For the interview I was maybe asked around 5 questions very bluntly and then told that my joint sponsor did not make enough money to meet the financial requirement. I was caught off guard by this as I know my sponsor makes more than enough so was not prepared to argue my case on this issue, and did not memorise the ins and outs of US tax laws and paperwork. After I left and looked over my sponsors tax documents again, I realized that the officer most likely only read the amount stated on the W2 and not the Form 1040 that we had also submitted. If he had checked this he would have realized that we easily met the financial requirement, but the 1040 was never mentioned.
Also, the documents had already been accepted on CEAC so I'm not sure why they waited until the interview to tell me that his income would be a problem. If they'd told me at any point before the interview then I could have come prepared with an explanation. In any case I am not sure why they would ask for a Form 1040 if they do not read it. So as a result of this I was given my passport and other original documents back and a green 221(g) asking for his tax transcript or another W2. The instructions are vague and I don't really know where to go from here.
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