Any experience with interviews in Auckland?

[Sammy.NZ 45]

Thanks so much for the info @EKT ! It's very appreciated. I'd be lost without the people on this forum truly.

 

& good luck to all with interviews coming up, we can't wait  to hear how it goes!  😀

[kg_nz 19]

Hey guys! My husband had his CR-1 interview today and he was APPROVED!! 🙌  Such a relief... we'll finally be reunited after over 3 months!

 

What to expect: his wait time at the consulate was over an hour - there were several others in front of him (must have been all the others originally scheduled for August 18). The interview itself was relatively short, they just asked about how we met, when and where we got married, his relationship to our joint sponsor, where he intended to live, etc.

 

He asked when he could expect to have his passport returned and they said they were mailing them all this Friday so he'd have it early next week, so I assume that will be the routine for the coming weeks as well.

 

And yes, he met the infamous B! 😆 She's the one that went over his documents and made sure everything was in order.

 

I'll report back again when he actually has green card in hand next week. Good luck everyone! The end is near!

Edited December 7, 2021 by kg_nz

[rycilla 14]

2 minutes ago, kg_nz said:

Hey guys! My husband had his CR-1 interview today and he was APPROVED!! 🙌  Such a relief... we'll finally be reunited after over 3 months!

 

What to expect: his wait time at the consulate was over an hour - there were several others in front of him (must have been all the others originally scheduled for August 18). The interview itself was relatively short, they just asked about how we met, when and where we got married, his relationship to our joint sponsor, where he intended to live, etc.

 

He asked when he could expect to have his passport returned and they said they were mailing them all this Friday so he'd have it early next week, so I assume that will be the routine for the coming weeks as well.

 

And yes, he met the infamous B! 😆 She's the one that went over his documents and made sure everything was in order.

 

I'll report back again when he actually has green card in hand next week. Good luck everyone! The end is near!

Congrats @kg_nz!!!!! 

I am 99% sure I was in line behind your husband and had a feeling it was him but didn’t say anything because I was nervous. 
 

I found out last Thursday, I didn’t tell a soul that I got an interview and it was purely because I was afraid of jinxing it, everything I have said it the past has gone wrong so kept quiet. Didn’t tell any friends or family 🥺

B was actually so lovely 😂😳

 

They asked me:

- when was the last time you saw your partner

- what does he do for work

- what do you do for work 

- what was the date of your wedding 

- did I have any other visa besides the J1 

 

hoping the visa comes quickly! 

[ztiberiusd 38]

28 minutes ago, kg_nz said:

Hey guys! My husband had his CR-1 interview today and he was APPROVED!! 🙌  Such a relief... we'll finally be reunited after over 3 months!

 

What to expect: his wait time at the consulate was over an hour - there were several others in front of him (must have been all the others originally scheduled for August 18). The interview itself was relatively short, they just asked about how we met, when and where we got married, his relationship to our joint sponsor, where he intended to live, etc.

 

He asked when he could expect to have his passport returned and they said they were mailing them all this Friday so he'd have it early next week, so I assume that will be the routine for the coming weeks as well.

 

And yes, he met the infamous B! 😆 She's the one that went over his documents and made sure everything was in order.

 

I'll report back again when he actually has green card in hand next week. Good luck everyone! The end is near!

 

7 minutes ago, rycilla said:

Congrats @kg_nz!!!!! 

I am 99% sure I was in line behind your husband and had a feeling it was him but didn’t say anything because I was nervous. 
 

I found out last Thursday, I didn’t tell a soul that I got an interview and it was purely because I was afraid of jinxing it, everything I have said it the past has gone wrong so kept quiet. Didn’t tell any friends or family 🥺

B was actually so lovely 😂😳

 

They asked me:

- when was the last time you saw your partner

- what does he do for work

- what do you do for work 

- what was the date of your wedding 

- did I have any other visa besides the J1 

 

hoping the visa comes quickly! 

Congratulations to you both!! That's fantastic. I hope my wife's interview goes as smoothly when the time comes. Thanks very much for the updates and congrats again! 

[kg_nz 19]

10 minutes ago, rycilla said:

Congrats @kg_nz!!!!! 

I am 99% sure I was in line behind your husband and had a feeling it was him but didn’t say anything because I was nervous. 
 

I found out last Thursday, I didn’t tell a soul that I got an interview and it was purely because I was afraid of jinxing it, everything I have said it the past has gone wrong so kept quiet. Didn’t tell any friends or family 🥺

 

Ahhhhh congrats to you too!! 🎉 I don't even blame you for keeping it a secret -- all these immigration hiccups and the pandemic have made me so jaded, I expect everything to go wrong. I bet you're so relieved!!

If he was a really tall guy (probably wearing glasses) it was most likely my husband. 😅

[EKT 116]

This is awesome news!!! So good to hear things are finally moving and you will get to see your husband soon @kg_nz! That’s awesome they’re churning the visas out so quickly. 
 

@rycilla Wow, congrats! Is your husband already in the States too? 

[Vamp.nz 23]

Congrats everyone that got interviews. Hoping I actually get a response from the embassy this week like they promised but not holding my breath 🙄 so I can books my kids and my interviews - Two years and Four months since I have seen/been kept separated from my fiancé.. and this whole bloody process extended by the pandemic has seriously affected my health.  
I’m so seriously jaded about the whole system now. I don’t trust much  that’s said any longer as the empathy doesn’t exist. 
 

[EKT 116]

1 hour ago, Vamp.nz said:

Congrats everyone that got interviews. Hoping I actually get a response from the embassy this week like they promised but not holding my breath 🙄 so I can books my kids and my interviews - Two years and Four months since I have seen/been kept separated from my fiancé.. and this whole bloody process extended by the pandemic has seriously affected my health.  
I’m so seriously jaded about the whole system now. I don’t trust much  that’s said any longer as the empathy doesn’t exist. 
 

Wowza, was your petition filed over 2 years ago? I haven’t heard of NZers having such a long wait for K-1s. The timeframes for the first stage are like a cruel lottery. Our I-130 was approved way quicker than we expected at the end of March and then it has been NVC and lockdown delays that have slowed us down since then. Fingers crossed you get your interviews scheduled soon! 

[MelanieR18 29]

@kg_nz and @rycilla congratulations to you both! What a great day. Thank you so much for taking the time to update us  

I'm SO happy that things are moving along now after all this time! 

[rycilla 14]

7 hours ago, kg_nz said:

Ahhhhh congrats to you too!! 🎉 I don't even blame you for keeping it a secret -- all these immigration hiccups and the pandemic have made me so jaded, I expect everything to go wrong. I bet you're so relieved!!

If he was a really tall guy (probably wearing glasses) it was most likely my husband. 😅

@kg_nzOmg lol yes that was definitely him!!! I did give him a nod on his way out because I was stoked for him getting approved, but still nervous for mine HAHA

@EKT He's is actually in New Zealand at the moment so I got really lucky T_T it's definitely being handled by what was received first in the consulate. 

Hoping for some good news for you soon @Vamp.nz can only imagine what youre going through 🥺 totally understand why you feel that way. 

[EKT 116]

27 minutes ago, rycilla said:

@EKT He's is actually in New Zealand at the moment so I got really lucky T_T it's definitely being handled by what was received first in the consulate. 
 

Oh, that’s so funny they asked when you last saw him! 

[EKT 116]

Also, I just double checked that my husband knows our wedding date 😆

[rycilla 14]

9 minutes ago, EKT said:

Oh, that’s so funny they asked when you last saw him! 

@EKT I know right! I was like ... uh this morning? he dropped me off hahhaha

AND LOL at checking that your husband knows your wedding date.

@kg_nz do you know which facility your husband is using for pre-departure test? I'm worried at how difficult it's going to be now that the US changed their testing time frame to 24 hours instead of 72!

[Vamp.nz 23]

We are going to use Rako testing. They do the spit test and it comes back fast. Fully accepted. I won’t subject my kids to a nasal brain scrape. 
they have two options on timeframe but all feedback have been positive. 
https://www.rakoscience.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5NGb8ObT9AIVmx0rCh3LUAbdEAAYASAAEgJFZ_D_BwE

[kg_nz 19]

10 hours ago, rycilla said:

@kg_nz do you know which facility your husband is using for pre-departure test? I'm worried at how difficult it's going to be now that the US changed their testing time frame to 24 hours instead of 72!

He's using Rako Science! I had this exact same concern when they announced that last week, but Rako assured us they can do it. The rule is actually one day rather than exactly 24 hours, as in you can get it at any time the day before your flight. I asked the American Expats in New Zealand group on Facebook and lots of people had successfully used Rako the day before their US flight with no issues.