 Submit New Consulate Review
Submit New Local CIS Office Review
Statistics: Country || Local CIS Office
Greece US Consulate Reviews
Average Rating: 4.6
/ 5
33 Review(s)
|
| Athens, Greece |  Review #22702 on October 19, 2017: |
John25
Rating: 
· 1 person found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Exceptional service! The consular was very helpful the first time around that we had to file our petition. Now, second time we go through the process, and again, the first contact with the embassy was very helpful!
| | | Athens, Greece | Review #22317 on August 11, 2017: |
lcfreshful
Rating: 
· 1 person found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
According to my Fiancee, her experience was the following.
She arrived at the consulate roughly an hour before her interview to prevent the possibility of being late. From what she explained, it was very similar to how the Department of Motor Vehicles operated in the U.S. You'd obtain a number, stand around, and wait for your number to appear upon a screen before a specific window where someone would assist you.
There was a moment where there was a group of people (including my Fiancee) whom had not been called by number. The faculty simply told everyone to stand in line to simply keep the process going. As my Fiancee finally made it to her turn, she spoke with the associate about her meeting with a CO. The associate apparently couldn't find her name on a list at first.
With a bit of insisting, the associate double checked and thankfully found it, to our delight.
Afterwards; She was brought to another window where a female associate was asking questions about her travels here and there and how did we visit each other. My Fiancee didn't really understand the concept of what it means to be under the Visa Waiver Program. So when the lady asked about what visa she had in order to get into the U.S., she immediately became a bit confused. To my Fiancee's observation, the woman became quite rude to her about this. Interrogating her a bit aggressively. Finally it was made clear that she used the VWP and allowed her to continue with the actual interview with the CO.
The CO was actually a very calm, cool, and relaxed fellow. She was respectful to him and he was respectful back. He asked her simple questions such as:
How did you meet?
How long were you together?
When did we visit each other?
How many brothers and sisters (I had)?
Etc.
He even complimented her (us) on having all of the proper documentation. Even stating that "Most people often are missing something, but you have everything perfectly in order."
According to my Fiancee, he didn't even ask for the 2x2 photograph of herself, the copy of the ds 160, confirmation page of interview scheduling, or any of the various amounts of proof of our relationship. He simply asked those questions, complimented us, then told us that the Visa was approved. Unfortunately she'll have to wait up to 10-15 days before she'll get her passport and visa back; however, that's not really too much of a big deal.
Overall; my Fiancee said it was a pleasant experience despite being so stressed about it for days prior. It literally only lasted no more than 20-30 minutes.
| | | Athens, Greece | Review #21573 on March 23, 2017: |
rin_ren
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
#March 23 2017#
My appointment was on 8:30, I went in at 8:30 and I had to go in to a little room to talk to a Greek Consular and hand over documents like:
*Receipt
*Birth Certificate
*2x Photos
*Passport
She asked me some simple and short questions and then she told me to go wait at the waiting room for my interview with the American Consular. I waited for not more than 10 minutes, then my number was called. The Consular was a really polite woman, she put me under an OATH. The questions she asked me were:
*Where is your fiance now?
*How and where did you meet?
*When did you meet?
*When was the first time you met in person?
*How did the relationship go after you met in person?
*Have you ever been in the US? (answer was no) But you tried to go (I had applied for a tourist visa before and got denied because I had relationship with ny fiance)
*Has he met your family?
*What attracted you to answer to your fiance on the app?
*What is that you like about him?
*What is his occupation?
*What are you planning on doing in the US and what are the plans for the wedding?
*What is your fiance going to do in the US when he gets back?
*How long have you been living together in Greece?
*How can he supports staying here if he's unemployed?
And after answering all the questions she said '' Okay everything is fine we will issued your visa after you email us an US address and US phone number ''.
I got a 221(g) because we had to submit a US phone number cause my fiance no longer has one lol.
| | | Athens, Greece | Review #18914 on February 10, 2016: |
Marrienne
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: Direct Consular Filing
** Update 15th June 2016 ** Scroll to the end
We are doing DCF in Athens, Greece. I am Greek and live in Athens, my husband the USC who has been living here (LPR) since 2013.
I want to make a few notes on translations: In the US Embassy Athens website, it states that documents not in Greek or English should be translated. This is repeated in form DS-2001.
** This is NOT true ** You need to translate ALL Greek documents and they will ONLY accept the translation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (10 Arionos str, Thissio).
In order for THEM to accept your original copies, you MUST have an Apostille (Sfragida tis Hagis) on each. The US Embassy does not require one BUT the Ministry will NOT accept them at all without it.
They are actually quite rude and the waiting time is VERY long.
Their translations are of very poor quality. Syntax and grammar is terrible and some sentences don't even make sense. Loads of spelling errors as well!! Corrections are free but take 2 working days.
They also almost always overcharge you saying that a 6 page document will actually end up being a 7 page document. Check to see if your translation was indeed an extra page, mine weren't and it took me an hour of fighting and two managers to get my money back!
Horrible experience all around I'm afraid. However since they are the ONLY ones the Embassy accepts, you MUST go through them.
You can obtain Apostilles for birth certificates and simple documents like that from the ground floor for free, but if you are submitting a divorce decree for instance or any other judicial paperwork, you need to go to the Court (Protodikio Euelpidon) and each Apostille is 13 Euros.
The Embassy themselves are very nice so far!! Very eager to help, they all speak fluent Greek and English.
I will update you on the next steps as I take them!!
** Update 1st May 2016 **
We submitted three I-130 petitions, one for me and one for each of my 10 year old sons on the 28th January 2016.
6 days later we get a call they are about to approve them but it seems there is something wrong with my husband's divorce translation. After a little back and forth, we have to re-translate the divorce as a paragraph (non-essential) was missing.
Fast forward a little and on February 26th we get a RFE. Turns out the divorce paper we turned in, didn't have the words "absolute and final" on it. Problem was my husband got divorced in Germany. We finally submitted the correct document on March 24th and FINALLY got our I-130s approved on the 5th April 2016.
My husband is very ill with a chronic life threatening condition that we cannot treat in Greece so we several times asked them how to expedite the case as he is getting worse and worse by the day. We got no response to that but we were assigned our case numbers on the 28th April 2016 and we were able to fill out DS-260 online on the same day.
Don't forget to send them the confirmation pages and also print them out and include them in your file just in case!!!
The info on the Embassy website is a little out of date. You no longer can use DHL for free like you could. YOU need to either hand deliver OR ship your package of papers to them yourself. You will be notified of this change when you get your Packet 3 information.
And this is where we are now. We are about to return the package 3 documents to them. Good news is with pck 3 you do NOT need to translate things as long as they are either in Greek or English.
Will update you as we move further along!!
(updated on May 1, 2016)
We returned the pck 3 docus to them and they kept asking for an I-864a, which our joint sponsor was reluctant to give but after about a month, we did get them what they wanted and they immediately gave us the medical info.
Medical:
After reading reviews here, I picked Iaso and Dr. Doumazos. He is a very jovial fellow, made us all feel very welcome.
He checked all our vaccinations and we were all up to date.
One note: I have had Chickenpox as a child and Rubella so I was not vaccinated for these. I was asked to bring a blood test that proves I have antibodies to Chickenpox, Rubella, Measles and Mumps (I did).
If you do not, you get the MMR again and the Chickenpox vax.
The vaccines necessary are: MMR, Chickenpox, TdaP (tetanus and diptheria). If your medical is in the winter and early Spring, a flu shot is also needed.
Pay attention to the size of photographs required for the medical. They should be 3x4cm (tiny!).
You pay CASH ONLY to the doctor but the X-ray and blood lab do accept debit and credit cards.
Interview:
Originally our interview was scheduled for the 28th June. Just follow the instructions in the relevant email they will send you to sign up for DHL and their Yatri scheduling system.
Note: If you are a family of more than 2, their system will not book you an interview, you need to talk to a representative.
Two days after they booked our interviews, they called us to let us know, our interview is re-scheduled for the 15th!
We arrived 30 minutes early and we were told we shouldn't have come so early 
We were the only ones there.
My USC husband came with us.
Our sons (aged 10) were not fingerprinted BUT they had to appear in person. They were only asked if they were excited!!
They took our passports and went through all our files. They gave us back our originals and anything they didn't need (most of the file really!).
Then came a little issue, we had only one I-864a!!! Our joint sponsor had put all 3 names in ONE I-864a instead of one for EACH (total 3).
The first agent we spoke to, was a very polite Greek lady.
She asked me if I had applied for a Visa before.
Had I traveled to the US before?
When was my divorce final?
When was HIS divorce final?
Did the boys bio father agree with the move? (Note: I had a written consent with me and handed that to her)
Do I have any family in the US?
Then they told us to wait outside (she put all the passports in our files btw at this time)
The consul is a very sweet young woman, who basically asked us the same questions. I was fingerprinted there and swore everything I say is the truth.
She asked me when and how we met. I told her we met online.
Then asked me when we met in person for the first time.
If our baby is a boy or girl.
They did insist a little bit on the family in the US part. I do have a distant uncle I haven't seen in like, 30 something years.
They did ask my husband some questions. They asked him when his divorce became final (he got the year wrong!!) lol. I corrected him and he laughed and said he is terrible with dates and I chimed in "That is why you have me dear".
They asked him how many years he has been in Greece.
They asked the boys again if they are excited and who is who (they are twins). I was fingerprinted FOR them, as they are only 10. They made jokes with the consul.
They did not ask to see any relationship proof but I had family and wedding photos with me and also our wedding invitation.
They did give us a 221(g) for the missing I-864a's. When we were done, we were not told if we were approved or not. They just said they cannot guarantee the visas but the rest of our file "looks good".
We were put in AP until we got the papers. Two weeks after the interview we got "ISSUED" on all 3 cases.
Good luck to all those going through Athens, and you can PM me any time to ask me anything!!
(updated on June 30, 2016)
| | | Athens, Greece | Review #18837 on January 27, 2016: |
mdollan
Rating:
· 1 person found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Generally my experience with the American Embassy in Athens was very good. My interview was scheduled for 8.15am and I arrived there at least 45 minutes earlier just to be sure. There were already about 20 people waiting in lines. A polite and patient Greek police officer was right outside the building giving information and gathering the passports for the inside security. She kept saying to us that the arrival time should be at least 20 minutes prior to the interviews and not sooner (to avoid a long wait). When it was time, the officer allowed groups of 5 people at a time to enter the building. My turn was at least 45 minutes after my arrival. The whole procedure generally takes a long time so make sure you eat before you get there, because food is not allowed in the building. I first went through security and they asked if I had any electronic devices with me such as mobile phone. They also gave me my passport back. If you do have a mobile phone you must leave it with security until your interview is over. After I was done, I entered the main building where another police officer looked up my information and gave me a number. She told me to have a seat and pay attention to a board for when my number shows up and into which booth to enter. About 3 minutes after I sat down, my number was called and I entered a booth where 2 Greek agents asked only for my passport. I returned back to my seat and about 30 minutes later my number was called again and I went through an approximately 20 minute interview with two very pleasant, cheerful and professional Greek agents. I felt really comfortable because the whole interview was like a conversation, not interrogation and the questions asked were very simple and basic, and according to the information given in the petition. After that, I went back to my seat, and shortly after they called me to take my fingerprints. About 45 minutes later, my number was called one more time and I went through a second interview with an American agent this time who was more official and formal and who was basically asking the same questions as the other agents, for verification. I was answering the questions under oath and the interview lasted about 15 minutes. She let me know that everything looked fine and informed me about how I would receive my VISA, and generally what was going to happen next. I had my VISA 3 weeks later.
| | | Now Showing Records 11 to 15 (of 33 total) | |
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 Last
|
|
