Consulate requiring Petitioner present at the interview (K1)

[enatal 4]

Rio de Janeiro's consulate started to require the petitioner's presence at the interview out of nowhere and without following any patterns whatsoever. What they do is to send the beneficiary home with a green envelope in hand requiring that they reschedule the interview to have the petitioner with them. They do this randomly, some people they don't even interview, some they do a lot of questions and don't even ask to look at any evidences and just hand the envelope without saying the reason.
This has never happened before and just started around a month ago.

Have anyone here know what is this all about?? Does any other embassy/consulate in the world started doing that as well?

[Tony23 11]

There is no large age difference right. .?

[dwinge 34]

Rio de Janeiro's consulate started to require the petitioner's presence at the interview out of nowhere and without following any patterns whatsoever. What they do is to send the beneficiary home with a green envelope in hand requiring that they reschedule the interview to have the petitioner with them. They do this randomly, some people they don't even interview, some they do a lot of questions and don't even ask to look at any evidences and just hand the envelope without saying the reason.

This has never happened before and just started around a month ago.

Have anyone here know what is this all about?? Does any other embassy/consulate in the world started doing that as well?

From the embassy website:

"On the day of the interview, the beneficiary (applicant) must appear in person at the U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro at 7:15am. The petitioner's presence at the interview is always encouraged."

http://brazil.usembassy.gov/interview.html

[enatal 4]

There is no large age difference right. .?

No, there were a lot of different cases, and no apparent reason for that. There was this girl that was in a 2 year relationship with her fiancé, they travelled to see each other, had TONS of evidence, and she had to cry and show the evidence herself cause the consul didn't even ask for it.

From the embassy website:

"On the day of the interview, the beneficiary (applicant) must appear in person at the U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro at 7:15am. The petitioner's presence at the interview is always encouraged."

http://brazil.usembassy.gov/interview.html

What amazes me is that they have never done that, they just started, like one month ago and it's not one or two people, it's like for 90% of the interviews!

[del-11-03-13-3 11]

Oh God, I really hope this isn't true or my fiancé doesn't have it happen to him. I'm just finishing a trip to Brazil to see him one last time before the interview and I only have 1 vacation day left from work. (((

[pheobued 0]

Oh God, I really hope this isn't true or my fiancé doesn't have it happen to him. I'm just finishing a trip to Brazil to see him one last time before the interview and I only have 1 vacation day left from work. (((

Yeah we (OP is my fiance) are in the same situation...not to mention the expense of having to go down there again... But I have my senators office looking into it and they have been super super SUPER helpful so far so once I find something out I will let everyone know... I have a feeling they will just give the typical response of "its not required but highly recommended." Pretty crazy they want us to travel 5000 miles for a 15 min interview...

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

I know a few other South American US embassies require the petitioner to be present, but have done so for a while.

[TBoneTX 43,058]

I know a few other South American US embassies require the petitioner to be present, but have done so for a while.

Si, man (sigh, man).

It sounds as though a new Section Chief of the Immigrant Visa Unit has been transferred in, and that new policies and procedures have been implemented without notice. I've posted cautions about this.

Given the OP's report of the recent patterns, I highly recommend that every Rio petitioner move heaven and earth to be there for the beneficiary's interview. Failure to be present could very well result in much more time, expense, and heartache later. Ask any of us who were hosed in Guayaquil.

[del-11-03-13-3 11]

Where is this information coming from? What can be done to confirm this before the interview? I'm sick with worry over this and have over a month before my fiancé's interview. As the USC can I email the embassy and ask if I have to be present? Would contacting a Senator or Congressman help? My recently finished vacation to Brazil to be with my fiancé was planned and taken around the fact that I didn't have to travel there for the interview. It would be very difficult to attend the interview but probably not impossible, but its still not something I want to do unless its necessary. Help!

[enatal 4]

Where is this information coming from? What can be done to confirm this before the interview? I'm sick with worry over this and have over a month before my fiancé's interview. As the USC can I email the embassy and ask if I have to be present? Would contacting a Senator or Congressman help? My recently finished vacation to Brazil to be with my fiancé was planned and taken around the fact that I didn't have to travel there for the interview. It would be very difficult to attend the interview but probably not impossible, but its still not something I want to do unless its necessary. Help!

This happened with 3 people from a group of Brazilian K1 I'm part of. For all we know they're doing this randomly, we couldn't find any pattern between them to justify the resquest. The embassy website says that the petitioner's presence is not required but it's always encouraged. Someone in hte same group had their congresman to call and they said that the petitions from k1 had increased lately and they're trying to make people to give up. What scares me the most is that we never heard of this happening before and only in august they've already done this several times. I have the feeling that if you email the embassy, they'll tell you the same as written on the website. So maybe ask for your congresman to do it for you maybe? We already asked ours and we're waiting for a response. I have a strong feeling that they will keep doing that without following a pattern just to make our lives harder.

[del-11-03-13-3 11]

This happened with 3 people from a group of Brazilian K1 I'm part of. For all we know they're doing this randomly, we couldn't find any pattern between them to justify the resquest. The embassy website says that the petitioner's presence is not required but it's always encouraged. Someone in hte same group had their congresman to call and they said that the petitions from k1 had increased lately and they're trying to make people to give up. What scares me the most is that we never heard of this happening before and only in august they've already done this several times. I have the feeling that if you email the embassy, they'll tell you the same as written on the website. So maybe ask for your congresman to do it for you maybe? We already asked ours and we're waiting for a response. I have a strong feeling that they will keep doing that without following a pattern just to make our lives harder.

Do you know how quick the rescheduled interview could be? Is it another +50 days?

[enatal 4]

Do you know how quick the rescheduled interview could be? Is it another +50 days?

One of the people who had the interview last week, send a request saying that her fiance could be here sept 17th. They accepted. So not so bad i guess. Don't know if this is a rule or an exeption though.

[keithokeplinger 0]

This happened to me, too. My fiance brought all the requested materials to the Rio Consulate, yet the interviewer requested additional material: confirmation of the change is status (while in the US) and my presence. This is definitely an imposition, but not sure I want to fight it.

[RhettVoe 281]

your congressman cannot order the embassy to forgo their procedures...if they want the petitioner present, they can insist (or your case will sit in somebody's inbox until you do show up)....remember, Congress is in the Legislative branch of our government, while the State Dept is in the Executive branch...and no one from one branch can tell someone in another branch what to do.