All, my Brazilian fiancé and I just successfully completed the K1 interview in Rio (on Jan. 7, 2020), so I have some definitive information on scheduling the medical exams, the ASC fingerprinting, and the visa interview. Here's what we learned (in no particular order):
Once you have received notice from NVC that your packet has been sent to the consulate and your CEAC status changes to "READY" (go to this website: https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/ and under IMMIGRANT, click on
"Check My Visa Application Status", enter your RDJ number from NVC and check your status) , do NOT wait for the consulate to email you with instructions for an interview -- the email may never come (neither my fiance' nor I received an email, and the consulate would never answer my 4 emailed status requests -- so I just scheduled it). Instead, immediately complete and submit your DS-160, and then go to the visa appointment website (https://ais.usvisa-info.com/) and pay the fee and schedule the ASC fingerprinting and the visa interview. NOTE: You may need to use Chrome to schedule the interview -- I was unable to complete the visa/passport delivery address form using Internet Explorer, but it worked fine when I switched to Chrome.
If you are doing your medical work in Rio, here is the shortest schedule/number of days in Rio you can do. First, K1 visa interviews are only done on Tuesdays. The medical analysis (xray, blood, urine) require a minimum of 2 business days to be reported to the doctor. So plan to do all the medical work on Thursday (Thurs-Fri-Mon = 2 business days). NOTE that only the xray actually requires an appointment (and an order from the doctor), the blood and urine are done at the same place on a walk-in basis. Schedule your ASC fingerprinting and photographing on Friday or Monday. Schedule your medical exam on Monday. The doctor will give you a slip of paper confirming you completed the medical exam and then he will electronically transmit your results to the consulate and they will be available for your interview on Tuesday.
So to summarize a proven minimum schedule:
Thursday: Xray, blood, urine
Friday or Monday: ASC fingerprinting and photographing
Monday: Medical exam
Tuesday: Visa interview
Plan to stay in the Ipanema Beach or San Conrado Beach area, both of which are very close to the Leblon neighborhood (far southwest of downtown), which is where everything is located except the actual consulate. All medical analysis, medical exam, and ASC fingerprinting are in Leblon. The consulate is in downtown (far Northeast of Leblon). About a $25 cab ride from the San Conrado Beach area to the consulate. What I'm saying is this: don't try to stay close to the consulate -- that's not where you'll be spending most of your time.
Time needed: xray took about 20 minutes. Blood and urine (same lab), took about 10 minutes. ASC fingerprinting and photographing took about 25 minutes. Medical exam took 25 minutes (mostly in waiting room, 10 minutes for actual exam). Interview took about 3 hours in total.
Medical exam: make sure you bring either (1) the interview email from the embassy (which we never got) or (2) the printed interview scheduling and payment receipt page that shows your RDJ number. The medical secretary will demand to see proof of the consulate issuing your RDJ number.
The medical exam doctor is extremely friendly and helpful and speaks excellent English. His secretary is, well . . . . a little difficult. Make sure you have all the items they request on their sheet, including the 6 tiny photographs, and proof of your RDJ number.
The medical exam office only accepts Brazilian Reis R$ 750-- no credit cards or dollars. The xray, and blood/urine labs accept credit cards.
Good luck,
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thank you for the great informative post. I am going to schedule an interview soon in Rio and you answered a lot of my questions.
I have a couple more questions if you can help.
1. Did you choose to ship your visa and package to your fiance's address or pick it up at the consulate in Rio? Either way, how long did it take to receive it?
2. How did you schedule with the ASC, the lab, and the doctor? did you just call them and schedule or schedule online or walk in?
Firm Answers: Brazil Rio K1 Medical Exam and Interview Scheduling
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Hi Mark,
Thank you for the great informative post. I am going to schedule an interview soon in Rio and you answered a lot of my questions.
I have a couple more questions if you can help.
1. Did you choose to ship your visa and package to your fiance's address or pick it up at the consulate in Rio? Either way, how long did it take to receive it?
2. How did you schedule with the ASC, the lab, and the doctor? did you just call them and schedule or schedule online or walk in?