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Finland US Consulate Reviews
Average Rating: 4.3
/ 5
53 Review(s)
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| Finland |  Review #31116 on June 8, 2022: |
Em&Jen
Rating: 
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: General Review
Everyone were extremely friendly, and I had really good interview experience 
I had trouble at the gate to get a permission to carry a tampon with me. I was quite embarrassed I had to explain I cannot really decide as a woman when I need one or decide to have a break from period for important meeting. I understand the safety is important and no objects are allowed to be carried along other than the documents, but carrying a tampon is not something a woman can choose or not. Maybe they could have hygiene products in the bathroom inside the consulate to solve the issue?
I was grateful to get an appointment even extremely limited availability, so it was okay to wait 3 hours for my turn. But would be nice to have water at the waiting area, it is quite long time to be without eating or drinking.
Interview questions
-When did you meet?
-Where did you meet?
-Are you planning on marrying your fiance in US
-What is your fiance doing for a living?
-Is he planning on staying in that career path?
-Have you been married before?
-When did you get divorced?
-Do you have wedding plans?
-Do you have a wedding date?
Everyone at the Embassy were polite, nice and professional
| | | Finland | Review #30903 on March 26, 2022: |
Evelina
Rating: 
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: General Review
Rating only
| | | Finland | Review #30516 on December 16, 2021: |
Saana
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: F-2A Visa
I had had my medical exam at Eira Hospital exactly two weeks before the interview date and I had been told to pop in before my interview to pick up two envelopes before my interview: one to take to the embassy and one to keep with me for when I enter the US. Normally with my visa type, the medical exam results get transferred to the embassy electronically but I had had a chest X-ray done a week before the green card medical exam for an unrelated reason so my process went a bit differently and I ended up with a physical results package which I needed to take to the embassy (Dr. Anna Back was lovely and had informed someone at the embassy to make sure everything goes smoothly). The hospital is an easy walking distance from the embassy so I went there about an hour before my interview. Before that, I had also picked up a return envelope from the Posti in Kasarmitori to take with me to the embassy. I had stayed in Helsinki overnight which I think was a good decision so that I didn't need to travel in the morning.
In the interview invitation email, my appointment had been scheduled for 1:30 P.M. but I had emailed the embassy to confirm my appointment (which the instructions said you needed to do but wasn't actually necessary) and they had told me to come at 12:30 instead. I got to the embassy about 20 minutes before my appointment and I'm glad that I didn't get there any earlier because once you let the officers at the gate know that you're there, you need to wait outside, and it was a really cold day. There was one family of three before me who got to go to the airport-style security check before me. I only had my documents (including passport), a photo album and a few necessities (phone and power bank, wallet, lip balm, hand cream, hand sanitizer, tissues, and a snack) with me in a canvas bag. I turned off my phone and left everything but the documents, photo album and my coat with the guards.
I was guided to another building where I took a number ticket before sitting down in a waiting area. Only the family of three was there with me and I was glad I had my coat because the room was really cold (or maybe I was just really nervous). First I was called in just to hand in all my documents (passport, one photo, DS-260 confirmation page, English birth certificate from DVV, the medical exam envelope, criminal record certificates, copy of my husband's green card, his latest tax return and W-2s, I-864 Affidavit of Support, and our California marriage certificate). I had taken copies of everything but only originals were needed. The documents person was the person the doctor had been in contact with, and he spoke Finnish, as had everyone else up until this point.
After waiting a little longer, watching CNN news, I was called in again, this time for the interview. The interviewer was the first and only English-speaking American I had come into contact with that day. I had prepared for all sorts of personal questions but I was only asked:
- when we got married (she was looking at our marriage certificate)
- if I lived in the Helsinki area
- if I've ever lived anywhere else but Finland and the UK (these are the countries I had criminal record certificates for)
- if my husband is a LPR and not a citizen yet (looking at his green card copy)
- if we've been living apart this whole time
- when I'm planning to go to the US
The whole thing was very casual, I replied quite briefly because it felt like she wasn't expecting any long stories, and she wasn't interested in looking at my photo album in which I had collected photos of us in different places and with different people throughout our relationship pre- and post-marriage. She said that everything looked good and I had to confirm that this meant that this was it. I gave her the return envelope and she said I would be getting the passport with the visa and all my documents in the post in 1-2 weeks.
The experience was very positive, everyone was very friendly and it took a bit over an hour. There was no reason to be as nervous as I was. :D
| | | Finland | Review #29799 on July 1, 2021: |
Kaljukotka
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: General Review
I decided to grab my medical envelope on my way to the embassy as the hospital was only 3 tram stops away from the embassy. When I arrived at the embassy I wasn’t sure if I had arrived at the correct entrance so I approached the security window where they gave me directions to head back to the way I had came from. For some reason both Google Maps and Apple Maps directed me to the other side. The correct entrance is the consular side so if you see the sea behind you, you are at the wrong entrance.
Then I proceeded to wait until it was 5 minutes to my appointment. I approach the security window where I was asked to give my passport. I was also asked to turn off my phone and keep waiting outside until they call me in my by name. Soon a guard let me in and I was instructed to put everything in a plastic bin for the x-ray machine similar to the ones on airport security checkpoints. I only had my phone, wallet, keys and the appointment documents. I brought everything in a plastic bag as they don’t allow you to bring big bags. I even left my bluetooth headphones home as they don’t allow you to bring in any electronics.
They took a while to calibrate the security machines and scan my belongings. I was instructed to walk through a metal detector. Then they handed me everything else but my phone and instructed me to go forward to the waiting area. There I took a number and waited for around 10 minutes before I was called to a service desk. The man took at least my birth certificate, police records, I-129F packet, Affidavit of Support, passport pictures, DS-160, return envelope for my passport and medical. They didn’t take a look at the other documents really. I was then instructed to go back to the waiting area and they would call me again for the interview. This time I waited maybe 15-20 minutes. The whole time I was the only person there.
When I got called to the desk for an interview, a nice lady asked me to take the oath and then she took my fingerprints. She then proceeded to ask questions like, where did my fiancé and I meet, which university was it, what did he do between his graduation and employment, asked me to openly tell about our shared trip, whether he had bought a house, if we would live there just the two of us, about his employmen, when was I planning to leave, if we had wedding plans already etc. She then said that she was going to approve the visa and gave me the Rights and Protections pamphlet explaining what it was. She said that currently the visa processing time is 2-3 weeks and told me that they would send me an email once the passport was ready to be sent but if I didn’t hear from them by the 19th I should send them an inquiry.
The whole process in the embassy took about an hour. People were nice and polite.
| | | Finland | Review #29741 on June 17, 2021: |
nonne
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
The whole thing was fast, about an hour in and out. Two people before me. Just make sure not to carry anything extra, like bags or backpacks. Just whatever you need for the interview. You can take the number 3 tram from the central railways station.
Very kind and professional lady interviewed me. I was pretty nervous but she put me at ease. All in all, a positive experience.
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