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Sweden US Consulate Reviews
Average Rating: 4.5
/ 5
145 Review(s)
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| Sweden |  Review #10789 on November 2, 2012: |
rarasantiago
Rating: 
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Husband arrived to embassy at 8:20 am for his 9:00 appointment. Once inside he went to the “infamous” Window G. He got quite a scare from them when they asked for my 2011 tax return (he took a binder with copies of everything we sent during the process: I-130, AOS package and IV package) and medical exam (he had copies of the vaccination record from doctor). He was told to have a seat and wait. So he sat there going over in his mind how much longer he’d have to wait in Denmark until copies of the medical were re-sent and processed in Stockholm .
He was called up for the interview. Fortunately, by interview time they had found the medical exam file and said they didn't need the tax returns. But he offered the copies he had anyways.
The woman at the window started with what seem like odd questions: What's something your wife would like to change about herself? If I asked her what would she say? How do you share your domestic responsibilities with your wife? How do you think you'll adjust to life in the US? Followed by the typical where did you meet, get married, where are her parents from/living, etc. The interview was quick. When it was done she said “Congratulations, your visa is approved.” She also told him that after he entered the US he shouldn’t leave the country until he receives the green card. And that if he wanted to leave the country for an extended period of time up to 12 months he’d have to apply for an extended leave.
Except for the paperwork scare he said it was a pretty quick and easy experience and was out by 10:30. And echoing what others have mentioned, he said he should’ve brought something to read.
| | | Sweden | Review #10525 on September 30, 2012: |
Mr. Borkström
Rating:
· 2 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
If memory serves me right, the embassy website says they open at 8: AM. My appointment was at 9:00 AM. I got off the bus at maybe 8:30. The bus stop was right across the street from the US embassy, so that was very convenient. There was a security checkpoint and I was asked to wait outside (it was raining, of course) and stand in line. There were two lines and I obviously went to stand in the wrong one.On the plus side, next to me was an older couple, turned out they were from El Salvador and had lived in Sweden for 25ish years. They were very chatty, so that was nice. Behind me there was a whole bunch of middle aged guys, the members of an orchestra as it turned out.
After a while I noticed I was in the wrong line, though, so I went over to the correct line. There was one person ahead of me in the much shorter immigrant visa applicants line. When it was my turn, a security guard took my passport, ask me to wait behind the line right outside the entrance and show him the soles of my shoes. I was let in and a second guard took over. It was funny cause I thought he sounded Australian. "Just like at the airport" he said. I scanned all my belongings and turned in all electronic devices (cell phone, iPod, memory card for the camera etc). I was then asked to proceed outside, follow the yellow line and into the main building and a waiting room. I got a receipt so I could get my stuff back once I was done.
I got in the main building and the waiting room. It was probably around 9:25 when I got in. Another security guard told me (in Swedish) to go to Window F. Another Swedish guy asked to see my passport, looked at a list and then asked me to go to Window G (for immigrant visas). A third Swedish guy took my passport, looked through my documents (forms and such) and gave me a large envelope to write my address on and put the stamps on it. When we were done he asked me to sit down and wait and they would call my name later.
It was hard to tell how quickly time passed cause there was no clock, only a television set and a vending machine. I passed the time by starring at the vending machine and eaves dropping on the old dudes in the orchestra. After an unknown period of time had passed, a speaker voice told me to go to Window something-or-other (I forget). It was an American woman, probably in her early 40's or so. She started looking through all the papers and forms that my wife and I have sent in the the US authorities since we started this process back in November. I had to swear an oath that all the information I had given and was about to give was true. I left my finger prints in a little scanner they had. She then started asking me questions. How long have you known your wife? Where did you meet? When was she born? Has she lived her whole life in Pittsburgh? Have you ever applied for an immigrant visa before? What are her parents' names? Have you met her parents? Do you have children? Has she been to Sweden? Oh you got married here in Sweden? Why did you decide to get married in Sweden? Were her children there for the marriage? They were not? Why not? Did any of your friends and family attend? There may have been more questions but those are the ones I can remember for now.
The whole thing didn't take very long. I'd say between five and ten minutes. At that point, she said: "Your visa application has been approved. Congratulations. You will have your passport back in the mail within two weeks." It felt like it came at an unexpected time. I was stunned. Everything turned hazy. I started tearing up. I wasn't sure I heard her right, I almost wanted to go back and ask her "Approved? Are you sure?" But I thought to myself that she wouldn't have congratulated me if she'd denied the application. So I gathered all my things, went back outside, claimed my electronics at the guard station and went on my merry way. I was outside again by maybe 10:10 in the morning.
After giving it some serious thought, I decided to rate my experience at the embassy a 5. The reason why I had to think it over is because it took an unusually long time for me to get an interview date after the NVC had completed our case. My wife called the NVC and was told the NVC completed our case on July 2nd, 2012. We had to wait until September 17 before we got an interview date. Waiting for 2 months and 15 days when our case was complete was very depressing. Once we got the interview date everything went very quickly and smoothly, but it's still very hard to gloss over the long wait. They even re-scheduled my interview: it was originally scheduled for October 9, but "due to unforeseen circumstances" I was told they needed to re-schedule and I was asked if I wanted a new date before October 5 or after October 12. So, like I said, after that everything has gone very quickly and very smoothly (I completed the medical examination by the panel physician in Stockholm on September 21).
With all that said, I give the embassy a 5 because that long wait doesn't have anything to do with my experience at the interview. But if I'd written this review at a different time, I may have given the embassy a 4. But oh well. All's well that ends well.
| | | Sweden | Review #10190 on August 15, 2012: |
HHKfrank
Rating: 
· 1 person found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
I cannot give the Stockholm embassy has high of marks as everyone else. There is a big age difference between my fiancée and me, and since our relationship does not fit into the American norm, my fiancée was treated differently. First, even though she arrived early, her wait was well over an hour. Second, she was asked a lot of questions about our relationship, most of which were based on provincial American morals. The interviewer’s commentary on our relationship was also inappropriate. Last, even though we had copies of the divorce settlement from my previous marriage, the embassy demanded certified (true) copies from the court.
The good news is that the embassy said that the visa would be issued within two weeks of them receiving the paperwork, which we did, so the delay was about one week.
My advice, if your relationship is even slightly outside of the American norm, have originals of all your paperwork and expect a lot of personal (inappropriate) questions/commentary.
| | | Sweden | Review #10057 on July 22, 2012: |
RyLu
Rating:
· 2 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
My interview was scheduled for 8.30am. I showed up before 8 and there was a line outside already. Around 8.20 one of the security guards asked if there was anyone there who was applying for an immigrant visa, and I was the only one apparently. (By that time the line had gotten waaay longer behind me..)
Anyways, he took me straight to the front and another security guard asked to see my passport and wanted to see the bottom part of my shoes. In the gate they looked thru my bag but only kept my phone. He told me to go to Window G inside the building.
When I got inside the place was full of young swedes.. But window G was empty so I walked up there. It took a while before a Swedish lady came and talked to me. She took my passport and asked me to make some small changes in one form, and asked for stamps. But I didn't bring any since I never got info about that. She didn't say anymore about it and asked me to write my name on a big brown envelope. After that she said I could sit down and wait til they called my name again. About 25 minutes later I was called to Window E. There an American lady did the "interview". I had to swear everything I said was true and give my fingerprints. She asked a bunch of questions while she looked thru all the papers from my application. She had me sign the second part of a form and told me that I was approved, and that my passport would be sent to me in about 10 days!
At 9.05 I was out of the embassy 
I got my passport in the mail 3 days later
| | | Sweden | Review #9936 on June 30, 2012: |
Frabby_Fox
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
The whole process was VERY smooth and simple. In total I didn't spend more than 45 minutes inside the embassy. I was prepared for an interrogation-like, sit-down interview but I was only asked a few questions about how we met and how we've been keeping in contact since. The questions were asked quite informally through the window, so i didn't even realize that it was the actual interview. I though she was just making conversation. Also they didn't even need to see the proof of relationship i had assembled.
After the visit to the embassy i celebrated with a nice cup of coffee in Kungsträdgården and then, only 2 days later the my passport and visa package showed up in the mail.
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