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Kazakhstan US Consulate Reviews
Average Rating: 3.8
/ 5
52 Review(s)
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| Kazakhstan |  Review #32947 on February 12, 2024: |
JaneStaark
Rating: 
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Hey everyone!
Here is my review from the General Consulate in Almaty.
But let start with the call from the Consulate. I’ve got a call on Jan 12 that they received our case and were ready to sent me e-mail with instructions (apparently they don’t send anything though the actual mail anymore). so they asked for my email address and I told them, but I think something went wrong and they somehow put it wrong so I didn’t get anything. I started to panic that I might miss something in the process without this email. so I tried to call them and send them emails describing my situation and they just sent me to their website for info..anyway. I filled DS-160 and paid fee later on that weekend. and there were only one date and time available. it was Feb. 8. As soon as I got an interview date I sent email to the IMC clinic for the appointment for medical exam. They put me on Feb. 5th. Btw they replied really fast within an hour.
When the time came I was all ready and prepared all the papers that I needed. Medical exam went smooth and fast. Everybody were so polite and professional. I was done in 2 hours (including the time to go to other clinic for X ray) They said to pick up my envelope on the next day from 2 to 5 pm. I got my sealed envelope with no issues on the next day.
The night before the interview was really stressful. A lot of thoughts so I slept bad. I rent an apartment right across the street from the Consulate. My appointment was at 7:45 so I got there around 7:30. I got though security around 7:50. So don’t worry if you late a little because it was a lot of people on the same time as mine. We all had kinda the same types of visas (immigrant parents, k-1,2,3 and spouses)
The Consulate is on the top floor, so security escorted us there. Then manager helped us one by one to prepare our documents in the right order. Then I went to the first window and they asked for my passport, 2 photographs, police records and birth certificate (we were never married before so no need for the divorce papers or something) but this lady did asked me about I-134 so I handed her the whole package with form, tax returns, bank statements and some other papers that my fiancé sent me earlier. I got a ticket, sit back and waited to be called by the consul.
In about 30 minutes wait my number showed up on the screen. I went to the window. The consul is a man. He was very polite and asked me to put my fingers on the scanner. After the fingerprints were done he asked he how did I met my fiancé. I told him our story, he smiled and asked when it was. I said a year that we met so he asked how we keep it touch all these time. I said that we chat and facetime every day and that he visited me this summer. He smiled and said that my visa is approved. no more proof of our relationship were needed. But just in case I prepared everything: screenshots of our chat and calls, photos, plane tickets and cute little notes.
I spent there around 2 hours in total, but actual interview took me 2 minutes. All went smooth and fast. I really want to add how polite and funny are all the security there. They all tried to make jokes and complements just to make you feel more relaxed.
Visa was issued the next day. I got an email with the link for a payment (I didn’t expect it would be issued the next day, so I had a flight on that morning to my hometown and just ordered the delivery) Be aware that the cost for delivery now is 15$ and they don’t deliver to another countries. Got my passport on Feb. 12.
Very good experience with no issues.
Hope my recent experience would help somebody and feel free to message me if you have questions
| | | Kazakhstan | Review #32347 on August 7, 2023: |
FS1907
Rating: 
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
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| | | Review #31801 on February 13, 2023: |
FJinSD
Rating:
· 2 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Almaty consular review
*As a preface - please note that these observations are from the one and only set of interactions we had with the U. S. Consulate in Almaty. They can be taken as advice or counsel at your discretion. Do your own research – be prepared as directed by official documents and communications and you can’t go wrong.
**If you want to read only about the experience at the consulate in Almaty – skip ahead to the end of the report
Overview – if you’re interested in our timeline – look for yourself – I won’t duplicate all of it here – just the points that are salient to the report.
Suffice it to say that we began the CR-1/2 process at what looks to be the absolute worst time re: processing. In other words, processing seems to be happening more quickly but now for anyone who has been at this for a while – there is really no way to predict how quickly or slowly a case may progress.
If nothing else – this is an exercise in learning to be patient. Believe it – we ranted and raved about the inane and absurd inefficiency of this system but in the end – it’s the system that you MUST work within.
From the time we first began the process (USCIS stage) to the actual date we received the travel documents (visa) was:
653 days
This can also be converted to one of these units:
• 56,419,200 seconds
• 940,320 minutes
• 15,672 hours
• 653 days
• 93 weeks and 2 days
• 178.90% of a common year (365 days)
To shed a little bit of perspective – our case was submitted in April of 2021 to the USCIS and was not transferred to the NVC until March of 2022. We were deemed “DQ†in late September of 2022.
Along the way we had cases with ID numbers detailing us to Moscow, Warsaw and finally Almaty.
The assignment to Warsaw from Moscow was done by the state department in June of 2022 with no action on our side. We submitted a request for transfer to Almaty was made in September of 2022 when it became abundantly clear that having an interview in Warsaw was untenable. We requested relief from three agencies. The consulates in Warsaw and Almaty and the NVC. The consulate in Warsaw said in so many words – ‘go for it’. The consulate in Almaty said ‘no’ and in no uncertain terms. Frankly speaking we thought that was the end of it…
However – the infamously slow to respond NVC took our request under review and granted the transfer to Almaty almost six weeks after it was denied by the consulate directly. The notice came in late October 2022.
From that time we fully expected to be waiting for at least four to six months based on observations of processing times and previous numbers of monthly approvals (available on the State Department website but usually reported 45-60 days after the end of the reporting month).
We received the interview appointment letter from the consulate on the 6th of December, 2022 approximately six weeks after the case was received. The interview was scheduled for January 31st @0745 a.m.
The body of the letter looked like this: (PAY ATTENTION TO THIS LETTER – EVERY SINGLE LINE OF IT)
(below is the body of the letter. The review was written in HTML but posting here allows only plain text - there for I iquoted the part intended for attention of the reader)
"The National Visa Center (NVC) completed its processing of your immigrant visa application and forwarded it to the U.S. Embassy/Consulate General, where an immigrant visa interview has been scheduled. Appointment information is located at the bottom of this email.
Important Information:
You submitted forms and supporting documents to the NVC in electronic form. You must present the original forms and documents for review by the consular officer during your interview.
Please promptly read and follow all Interview Preparation Instructions located on the Department of State's web site at: https://nvc.state.gov/prep.
Important information regarding the required medical appointment is also listed on this site. Failure to promptly follow all instructions provided on this site will result in your immigrant visa being refused at the initial interview.
You should present this letter upon arrival at the Embassy/Consulate General.
Only family members listed below in the "Additional Applicants" section who are intending to immigrate at this time must appear at the Embassy/Consulate General on the appointment date.
What To Do if You Cannot Keep the Appointment:
To determine the proper procedure for rescheduling your interview appointment, please go to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate interview preparation instructions, select your interview location from the list and follow your Embassy/Consulate General's instructions listed under "Contact Information" on the right.
Reminders:
• Read and follow all interview instructions located at https://nvc.state.gov/prep.
• Bring this letter to your medical examination because the panel physician may need to review it before performing the examination.
• If a sponsor filed an I-864 (Affidavit of Support) AND provided the NVC with proof of an IRS Federal Income Tax Extension in lieu of a Federal Income Tax Return, you must upload this to CEAC or bring the sponsor's most recent Federal Income Tax Return to the visa interview.
• Failure to present all necessary documents to the Consular Officer will result in your immigrant visa being refused at the initial interview.
Questions:
The National Visa Center has completed its processing of this case and any further inquiries should be addressed to the U.S. Embassy, Consulate General, or Diplomatic Mission listed below. When communicating with the Embassy/Consulate General by e-mail, letter, or fax, always refer to your name and case number exactly as they appear."
The reason that this is emphasized is that during the time my wife was waiting for her interview – a person arrived without one simple document. They were REFUSED on the spot and advised to return at a future date. More on this later.
Summary of the events leading up to the interview:
Although it is not required – I traveled to Almaty be with my wife/step-daughter. My wife was born in Kazakhstan although is a Russian citizen. He mother still lives in Kazakhstan (but not Almaty). In any case – we decided to have some family time before the interview, so I arrived on week prior. It will be necessary for the interviewee to be there at least a few days early because of the requirements and limited scheduling of the medical exam. You will learn more about the pre-interview medical by reading the ‘preparation’ document linked above.
MEDICAL EXAM:
The exam itself was thorough and straightforward. Here were some things to keep in mind and/or did not happen as expected. 1) schedule early. They don’t do exams every day of the week. 2) the results take a few days to complete. 3) all results are transmitted electronically to the consulate. 4) the x-ray required for applicants aged 16 and up are done at a clinic that is about a 25 minute taxi ride away from the medical clinic. 4) PAY HEED IF YOU HAVE AN APPLICANT UNDER AGE 16 – there is a requirement for a TB blood test – and this is NOT mentioned in the instructions. We learned about this only by ‘accident’ when my wife was speaking to the clinic re: scheduling. The TB test is done at a separate and distant lab and takes three days to process unless you pay for ‘expedited’ results. If we’d not arrived as early as we did this may have been an issue. 5) you will see a requirement for numerous passport photos for the medical. Some documents say four – other say five. We needed only one. Nevertheless, they’re cheap and I recommend that you be prepared but in ALL the process (including the consulate) we only needed one of the dozen or so that we had with us.
The civil surgeon (staff doctor) was very friendly and accommodating. She was educated in the USA – speaks fluently in Russian, Kazakh and English languages.
THE INTERVIEW:
In the days prior to the interview – we reviewed EACH AND EVERY document – checked for copies and went over some expected questions. Believe it or not – we discovered that one certified translation had been overlooked when gathering our documents – and thankfully we were able to get a notarized translation done overnight. To be clear – the translation had been submitted via the CEAC but was not in hand.
We arranged all documents in the order that we expected to present them. First were the invitation letters, the DS-260 confirmation page, etc.
The interview was scheduled for 0745. The consulate is in a large high rise building and shares space with other official agencies of other governments. They advised the applicants to be at least 20 minutes early. The only persons allowed inside the consulate are those named on the invitation letter – so if you’re tagging along – make plans to do something else for a while. The applicants cannot bring anything other than the documents inside the secure area of the building. If they have phones, etc. they must be surrendered at the entrance. There are accommodations for this but in our case, I just kept them with me.
We had a plan to meet at a certain time/place if they were done in less than two hours. If two hours or more we planned to meet in the coffee shop that is adjacent to the entrance to the consulate.
Once they passed through the security screening, they were escorted personally by a security guard to an upper floor. At the point they were told to wait to be called by what is essentially a clerk. The clerk will check all the documents at that point. I cannot emphasize enough that it’s necessary to have exactly what is listed on the checklist. One person – as mentioned earlier – did NOT have the letter instructing the consulate on what to do with the applicant’s passport/visa and other documents after the interview. In case you didn’t know – they keep the applicant’s passport (and in our case – the police certificates) and return them generally withing 48 hours no matter what the disposition of the petition.
Prior to the interview you will be instructed to arrange for delivery via a courier service. Once that is done – you will receive an email with a barcode for EACH applicant – detailing what you want to have done with the passport, etc. The person in question did not have that in hand and was dismissed from the process immediately.
While on the subject of the courier service – this was one of the most frustrating and disorganized parts of the entire process.
The instructions and guidance are quite poorly written to say the least. It’s apparent that they were written with the assumption that MOST of the applicants would be Kazakh citizens – with a few exceptions regarding people residing in Uzbekistan and/or Russia. This process almost derailed our entire post interview plans and has the potential to be a nightmare scenario for someone in a similar situation to ours. More later…
Once the documents were checked they were told to have a seat and wait. This is an open area, and all applicants are in the same room. Now – think bank lobby – like old school bank lobby. The consular officer is behind a glass partition. All communications are done through a speaker system and documents are passed though a slot in the bottom of the partition. Once they were called by the consular officer (a younger man – early thirties – very polite and professional) they were sworn in and biometrics were taken (only for applicants 16 and older).
The questions were straightforward – to include the typical Y/N factual based questions and the expected ‘tell me about’ questions. He asked about how we met – a few questions about me, her education, plans for living in the USA, etc. There were no ‘gotcha’ type of questions, no questions regarding the I-864 despite having received that inane message from an NVC drone questioning the possibility of needing a co-sponsor. Apparently the NVC uses some algorithm that looks at W-2’s almost exclusively. I don’t get W-2’s. In any case prior to the interview I’d submitted 3 years of tax returns – a year’s worth of bank statements – 1099’s etc. Apparently, it was the equivalent of bringing the heavy artillery – not a mention of finances.
The consular officer closed the interview by saying “congratulations I am going to approve your petitions today†– gave them some handouts re: life in the USA and some legal protections that they would be afforded and that was that.
There was no time to sit down after the interview. A security guard escorted them to the entrance – retrieved the small ID sticker they’d been given and wished them a good day. From the time they walked in to the time they walked out was an hour and fifty minutes.
POST INTERVIEW:
As alluded to earlier – the biggest SNAFU in the entire process was dealing with “USTRAVELDOCSâ€. It’s necessary to create an account first – and then step through the courier delivery process. That was NOT made clear by the consulate. The problem is that they are generally so familiar with process that they assume you will be too.
As it happens, I’d created an account months earlier (like 10 months) when it seemed that we’d have our interview in Warsaw. Once I finally got logged in to the account – it crosslinks at some point – it showed that I was a Polish citizen trying to emigrate to the USA. Needless to say – that took a while to correct but the staff at traveldocs were very accommodating and helpful.
Once I FINALLY got logged in – it seemed that the best (and only) option was to have the passports/visas/etc. couriered to the DHL office in Almaty. It is clearly listed as one of the recommendations for delivery if you are in Almaty. So – that was the choice. You will register and receive a confirmation document with the recipient’s name and a barcode.
AGAIN – PAY HEED! You MUST have this document at the time of the interview.
So far – so good. The challenge came in the days following the interview. We fully expected to receive notification from the consulate that the documents had been submitted for delivery but we didn’t. Instead, we got this cryptic message from a company by the name of VFS Global. Apparently, they handle all similar documents for all the diplomatic missions in Almaty. The message contained a link to pay for the courier service. No problem – I’ll pay by card.
Credit card didn’t work. Tried another – didn’t work. Tried another browser – didn’t work. Tried wife’s credit card (Russian bank) didn’t work.
FWIW – VFS Global has NO storefront, no contact phone and no email contact information available to the public. We tried contacting them through the published numbers and ended up talking to the receptionist at the Swiss embassy. DHL was of no help either. They do not act as the courier – only as a registered secure recipient.
So – the only way we were able to pay for the courier fee is to have the wife’s mother (a citizen of Kazakhstan) use HER bank card. If she’d not been there for us I honestly have no idea of how we’d have gotten those documents.
As an aside – we never got any messaging regarding the location or disposition of the documents. The only way we found out they were at DHL is by calling them. Additionally the clerk at DHL didn’t want to release them to us because they’d not received information from whoever is supposed to authorize their release. Thankfully we had copies of the receipts – and other identification that allowed us to collect them at the time.
By now – you’re probably wondering what else can be written about this experience. There’s plenty of information that you’ll just have to learn along the way – this is just a missive regarding our experience and a few things that may 1) help you prepare for the process and 2) help you avoid the mistakes/pitfalls that are waiting for anyone going through the process.
If it helps just one person along the way I’ll know that I was able to pay forward at least some of the benefit I’ve received from being a member of this group who are on the collective “Visa Journey.
Luck favors the prepared.
FIN
| | | Review #31384 on August 30, 2022: |
Zhaoli
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: General Review
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| | | Kazakhstan | Review #30701 on February 2, 2022: |
aurelius22
Rating:
· 2 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
On January 27, 2022, I had my K-1 visa interview at the U.S. Consulate in Almaty, Kazakhstan. My visa was approved.
I decided to write a long and detailed review since there aren’t many detailed reviews of the Consulate General in Almaty especially during these unprecedented times. I hope this is informative and soothing to those who are as anxious before their interview as I was. This review will be split into a few parts below. Please skip to the part that interests you.
1. NOA2 to NVC to Consulate
2. Scheduling a K-1 appointment
3. Medical exam appointment
4. Interview canceled by the Consulate
5. Interview rescheduled by the Consulate
6. Interview day
7. CDC proof of vaccination requirement
8. Visa received
1. NOA2 to the NVC to the Consulate
On October 1, 2021 my USCIS status updated to “your I-129F petition was approved.†In a week, we received the physical copy of NOA2. The approval date on the NOA2 was September 30, 2021.
We did not hear from the NVC at all for seven weeks after our approval at which point I started to feel nervous. I decided to call the NVC to find out my case number. There is absolutely no point in emailing them or filling out their query form on their website. The only way to get through fast is to call. It took me hours to get connected to someone at the NVC. However, I successfully got to someone within a minute of my call when I called during the last operating hour late at night and requested a NON-IMMIGRANT line for the first time because the IMMIGRANT line was always busy. The operator confirmed that they had my case and told me my case number. They did not send me a “welcome letter.†The wait at the NVC took almost 8 weeks from the date of approval on my NOA2.
On November 23, 2021 the NVC sent my case to the Consulate in Almaty. They notified me by email. In three days, my ceac status changed to “ready†as the consulate received the e-copy of my case. On December 7, 2021, I received a call from the consulate notifying me that my physical case arrived that day. The consulate emailed me the P4 packet on the same day. The packet was nothing extraordinary. It included an IMBRA pamphlet, document checklist and K-1 instructions. I will warn you that my K-1 interview checklist from the consulate did not list I-134 or any financial documents, but they asked for it during the interview. So even if your checklist does not mention the affidavit of support and tax returns, do not forget to bring it.
2. Scheduling an appointment
1) filled out the DS-160
2) created an account on ustraveldocs
3) paid the interview fee $265 online
4) the system notified me that I needed to wait for the consular section to open access to their appointment schedule, so that I could pick an appointment date. The calendar wasn’t publicly available.
5) received an email the next day saying I could log back in and schedule my appointment. There was only one date available for the whole of 2022, which makes me think they chose it for me. My initial appointment was for January 6, 2022. The process was relatively easy.
FYI, as I’m writing this on February 2, 2022 the first available appointment date on ustraveldocs for Kazakhstan is April 26. Maybe the calendar is now available to everyone.
3. Medical appointment
I scheduled my medical for December 27 by calling the IMC clinic. It was easy. I did the medical more than a week before my interview because of all the New Years holidays. The medical exam envelope was ready the next day.
The medical exam: I was scheduled for 8 am. I did a basic checkup (i.e the nurse measured my blood pressure, height, weight and checked my eyesight) and then I was told to see the panel physician. He reviewed my childhood vaccination records and asked me whether I have any chronic illnesses, whether I smoke and similar health related questions. He did a basic physical exam and told me to get 3 additional vaccines. I returned to the nurse and got vaccinated, submitted my urine for a gonorrhea test and blood for a syphilis test (I am f24 and these STI tests are required for my age group).
I was told to go to a different hospital to get an X-ray. I did my X-ray and had to wait a few hours to get my result in a sealed envelope that I needed to bring back to IMC. This was the last step of the medical and I was told to return the next day. The whole process took me 4-5 hours. The wait for the chest X-ray result was long and frustrating.
I returned to IMC the next day at 4 pm and picked up my sealed medical envelope. I was also given a copy of my vaccination records in English (for AOS in the US, it included my childhood records and the shots I got at IMC), X-ray and a CD. The IMC employees were kind and sweet. I have no complaints.
4. Interview canceled by the Consulate due to civil unrest and violence
On January 4, 2022 (2 days before my interview) peaceful protests took place all over Kazakhstan including Almaty.
On January 5, 2022 (1 day before my interview) the protests turned violent and Almaty was under attack by looters and criminals who took advantage of the protests in the city. At 4 pm we received an email that our appointment was canceled without a rescheduled date and time.
In the next few days, the situation worsened and the consulate shut down. The US Consulate in Almaty was evacuating non-essential staff and their family members due to unrest and violence. Consular services were canceled “indefinitely.†Visa processing was to be “severely impacted†for the foreseeable future according to the embassy website.
5. Interview rescheduled
Luckily, the situation improved and stabilized shortly after. The consulate reopened on January 18 and I received an email with a new interview date and time. My interview was rescheduled for January 27, 08:00.
6. Interview day
My USC fiancé and I arrived at the consulate together. We decided to come only 15 minutes before our scheduled time because we did not want to freeze outside. We have previously emailed the consulate for permission to be at the waiting room together and they granted it, so upon entrance, I was asked to show the email proof that my fiancé could enter with me. We did the usual airport like security check and we were in.
They kept our phones, keys, and other items in a box downstairs. We were only allowed to bring our documents and folders.
The security staff were wonderful and polite. They escorted us to the 17th floor. They were especially courteous with my USC fiancé lol.
On the 17th floor we were given a number and were told to wait to submit our documents to a young woman from window 2. There were 3 people in front of us. We waited approximately 30 minutes to be called up by the young woman and she was nice and pleasant.
She asked me to submit: passport, delivery address registration (called “appointment confirmationâ€), birth certificate, police certificates (3 countries), 1 photo, medical envelope and I-134 (I also gave her everything I had: 2020 tax return 1040, 1099s, bank statements, investments and savings documents etc.)
One of my police certificates from a foreign country I lived in was issued in 2018, so it was over three years old at the time of the interview, but that certificate was issued a few days before my departure from said country and I never returned. This certificate was accepted.
All documents in Russian were translated into English by a private notary in Almaty.
She asked me:
What is your patronymic name?
In what city was your passport issued?
What city do you live in?
Have you been married before? Has your fiancé been married before?
I was told to sit down and wait for my interview. I waited for around 35 minutes to be called up for my interview at window 3.
The American consul who interviewed me was a woman. She was strict and serious, but polite. She almost seemed bored.
I am an extroverted person, so I expected a smiley and friendly face. I was hoping for a pleasant conversation with an easygoing officer based on dozens of interview reviews I read here on VJ, but that was not my case. Of course, it was my own fault. I don’t know why I thought it would be fun and pleasant. Manage your expectations! It’s an interview.
My interview went as follows:
CO: Good morning.
Me: Good morning!
*proceeds to ask me to raise my right hand and swear that everything in my application is true and asks me to submit my fingerprints*
CO: Where did you meet you fiancé?
Me: country X (short 1 word answer)
*CO stares at me, awkward silence and crickets*
Me: I’m sorry?
CO: Can you tell me more???
(To be fair, I was advised to be brief and concise by many people and not volunteer unsolicited information)
Me: Oh, I’m sorry! *proceed to tell her the whole story frantically because her tone made me nervous*
(I also pointed at my fiancé in the waiting room and he waved and smiled at her and she did not even bother to look at him and gave me an “IDGAF†look lol)
CO: What were you doing in country X?
Me: *tell her what I did*
CO: What was he doing in country X?
Me: He was working.
CO: What type of work??? *slightly annoyed*
Me: *his job title*
CO: You said you moved to Kazakhstan when?
Me: *tell her the date of arrival*
CO: Have you ever been married before?
Me: No
CO: Has your fiancé ever been married before?
Me: No
CO: Have you lived anywhere else except for your home country?
Me: *list the countries I lived in*
CO: *nods and types*
CO: Please review this (*hands me an IMBRA pamphlet and returns my birth certificate*). Your visa is approved.
Me: Thank you!
*internal screaming*
Throughout the whole interview she looked me straight in the eye and I returned her gaze confidently. She did not type as she spoke to me. She was watching me the whole time.
The interview was around 5 minutes. It ended abruptly. I expected many more questions especially because she did not look pleased nor convinced, but surprisingly she approved me quickly. My fiancé and I have a significant age gap too, but she did not mention that. She conducted interviews very quickly and my guess is she had a big workload that day. That might explain her straight-to-the-point style. A woman before me asked for her interview to be in Russian and the consul spoke Russian to her. So, you can choose whatever language you’re more comfortable with.
7. CDC proof of vaccination requirement
I asked her a question about the CDC proof of vaccination requirement for K-1 applicants to board a flight to the US since I do not have a WHO approved vaccine (Sputnik V). She told me I most likely won’t be granted an exemption since they are rare and issued to those who have medical emergencies. I asked her if it means I have to travel to a third country to get a new vaccine before traveling to the US. She said, “most probably.â€
8. Visa received
The next day (January 28, Friday) around 4 pm my ceac status went from “ready†to “administrative processingâ€. On Tuesday around 11 am, the status changed to “issued.†I chose to receive my passport via mail by DHL. I received an email that my envelope was ready for shipment and a payment was required in the afternoon. I paid $7.5 and my passport was delivered straight to my home the next day. I regret getting a premium delivery service. I should have just picked it up myself at the VFS office in Almaty lol. Seems like a waste of money and time. I could have picked up my passport as soon as it was ready. Instead I had to wait for the next day delivery. I don’t know what I was thinking.
Our NOA1 date was February 2, 2021 and we received our visa on February 2, 2022.
I’m happy with my experience with the US Consulte General in Almaty. They respond to emails within 2 business days, there was no harassment and the whole process was pretty straightforward. It’s a relatively small place and in no way as terrifying as you imagine. People are just following the bureaucratic process by the book. It almost feels like you’re at a bank because of the bank-like partitions between you and the consul. Everyone hears each other’s interviews.
Voila! I wish you all the luck with your visa journey. Patience is key. Make sure you’re well prepared and you tell the whole true story. You got this.
As for me, I’m gonna go give my four week’s notice at work and dream of our life together!
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