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Kenya US Consulate Reviews
Average Rating: 3.4
/ 5
110 Review(s)
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|  Review #10262 on August 25, 2012: |
G & Oxy
Rating: 
· 11 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
We are so excited to be done with this stage. My experience was a pleasant one
Medicals:
Day 1 – After a brief counseling and once you have signed a consent form, your medical/vaccination history will be taken to enable them determine the requisite vaccinations. On vaccinations, the doctor/nurse at IOM will determine the ones you'll need based on your age, gender, country and any prior vaccinations. If you have any vaccination record/letter, bring it with you.
Medical examination costs $138 or Kshs 11,476 exclusive of vaccination fee. The lady recommended 4 vaccines for me. MMR (Measles Mumps Rubella) - $26 or Kshs 2,162, Influenza ($28 or Kshs 2,328), Varicella ($54 or Kshs 4,491) and Dultravax ($32 or Kshs 2,661). The total costs for medical examination plus vaccinations = Kshs 23,119 (approximately $280). Once payment is made at their cash office, you will be called to the laboratory for a blood test. You will then be taken (in batches in IOM van) to the nearby ‘The Nairobi Hospital’ for an x-ray. After the x-ray, you are free to leave. You may ask the IOM driver to drive you back to IOM or you can find your way home/to the hotel from The Nairobi Hospital. Day 2 appointment is at 7.30am.
Day 2 - A nurse will take your detailed medical history/information and perform the usual body weight and height measurements, heart beat rate/blood pressure and eye test. The doctor will then do a body exam and he’ll let you know the outcome of your medicals. You will then be given your x-ray – they confirmed that you do not have to carry this for your visa interview. It must be carried as hand luggage as it may be required at POE. You will thereafter have the prescribed vaccinations and a Vaccination Documentation Worksheet issued to you.
Your medical results will be sent by IOM to the Embassy. I inquired how long it takes for the results to get to the Embassy and they confirmed that it may take at least between 24 hours to 3 days or more in some cases.
Interview
We were scheduled for Wednesday, August 22 at 7.15am. Although my fiancé was in the country, we decided that he would not accompany me to the Embassy but he would be on stand-by in case something came up. I did not want to get worried about him being outside the gate in the event that he was not allowed to accompany me inside. It really helped that he was just a stone throw away. My fiancé’s presence and support really boosted my confidence
I went through all security checks and eventually picked a number inside the consul area. You must have your Appointment confirmation email and passport to pass through all the security checks. There were not so many people inside so I was lucky to find a seat inside the consulate area as it was freezing outside. The people who came in after me had to wait outside for their numbers to be called out through the intercom. My number was called to Window 5 where a pleasant lady asked for the following documents, one by one: Two DS 156, two DS 156K, two DS 230 Part 1 only, 3 passport pics, Affidavit of Support (without any supporting evidence), original and a copy of my birth certificate, police certificate. She confirmed to me that she did not require our I-134 supporting documents, letter of continued support/updated letter of intent or any additional documents. We were well prepared just in case and we even had an extra copy of everything including our petition to USCIS. Ensure that your police certificate has a fingerprints report from the police attached to it. Another interviewee who did not have her fingerprint report was told to send the fingerprints form by DHL.
I was then called to Window 1 for fingerprinting. At 10.15am, my number was called and i went to Window 10 (a male consul officer – very nice and friendly). The CO returned and on top of my folders and binder, was Robert Allen's Crazy Laws Lawsuits which I was reading prior to being called to the window. The CO was so pleasant, he saw the book and asked which book it was and then he told me he was also reading something on law - Mediocre/medieval law. We had something in common – we were both reading crazy legal stuff! He asked what kind of work i did and i told him i'm a lawyer, then he laughed and jokingly said 'ummmh, yours will be tricky because I cannot tell when to believe a lawyer...' I took an oath and confirmed to him that '...we lawyers understand the consequence of any statements made on oath and the dire consequence for any misrepresentation....so he better believe me.' I guess I was asked very simple questions because my fiancé had neatly arranged and frontloaded everything with our petition.
1. When did you meet your fiance?
2. Where does your fiancé work?
3. How old are you? Your fiancé?
4. How many times has he visited you? Thrice...in fact he is currently in the country!! He actually believed a lawyer without asking me for any evidence of my fiance’s presence!!
He asked to see our photos.
He then told me that I was approved and handed me a green letter/slip with instructions on how to collect my visa from DHL in a week. The interview took less than 10 minutes.
| | | Review #10224 on August 18, 2012: |
darulaloom2006
Rating:
· 1 person found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
i am a usc and my wife will be going for her interview to the us consulate in nairobi. wanted to know helpful tips or questions she should be prepared for
| | | Review #10185 on August 15, 2012: |
greenmandarin
Rating: 
· 5 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
***updated with more information for Mauritians  ***
**ALSO PLEASE NOTE THIS IS FOR AN IR-1 VISA**Please do NOT PM me with questions on how to pay the MRV fee, all our fees were paid with NVC.
The US Embassy in Mauritius does not issue IR-1 or K-1 visas. The interview needs to be done in Kenya. This *is* annoying and frustrating, however it\'s just how it is.
The medical exam needs to be done in Nairobi, and takes 2 days to complete. It\'s a good idea to allow the IOM a day or 2 to get the results back to the Embassy. The Nairobi Embassy website lists the vaccinations that are needed, and it\'s a good idea to try to get them done in Mauritius prior to going. Basic vaccines can be done at a local hospital, Yellow Fever, and varicella need to be done at the Air Mauritius clinic in Port Louis. If you have a vaccination record, please ensure that it is stamped by a medical officer. My husband\'s vaccination record had been destroyed and reissued and the stamp was missing. The IOM will handle your medical forms and deliver them to the embassy.
Once you have an interview date you can register on the CSC site and you need to register for DHL. They list the locations and you can find them on Google maps so you know what is closest to your hotel.
My husband\'s interview was August 7, 2012. He arrived at the embassy at 630am and went inside and got his number and handed in the AOS forms(i864 and i864a). He waited until 11am for his interview.
The guy asked him:
what year was your wife born?
what is your son\\\'s birthday?
why did you wait so long to petition? we waited almost 5 years because of the birth of our son, we wanted him to know his family here and know some of the culture.
why did you wait so long to move? (yes, they asked him the same question twice) (same answer given...lol)
what does your mother think of you moving? my husband said 50/50 she\'s sad but knows the US has more options for us.
Then he said he was approved and had him do the oath and sign the papers. Asked him about the Indians in Mauritius (my husband was born in India.)
He said he couldn\\\'t expedite the Visa but he should have it in 2-3 days, they will send out an email with the waybill number needed to pick up the Visa from DHL. All in all it was pretty painless, it was just a long wait time in the embassy.
We received the email on Friday (Aug 10) evening with the waybill number. DHL will not hand over passports on Saturday/Sunday.
My husband stayed at Progressive Park (http://www.progressiveparkhotel.co.ke/) the location was very nice, across the street from a large shopping center, safe location, breakfast included in the rate. laundry service available, restaurants nearby that deliver (my husband and I are vegetarians so this was important...Indian food delivered at his door was nice) The hotel also will pick you up and drop you off at the airport depending on your length of stay.
Air Mauritius operates flights to/from Nairobi on Monday and Saturdays ONLY. There is usually availability for standby if needed on the return and changes are generally permitted on the airline tickets. (please check the fare rules prior to purchase).
My husband planned to stay for 3 weeks. He arrived on 30 July, did the medical exam 31 Jul and 01 August. Interview on 7 August, and hoping to pick up visa and come home on 13 August.)
We paid all our fees for the visa (except the medical exam) with NVC. However, for the K-1 visa the fee needs to be paid either by mobile or at the bank. There isn\'t a way around this, unless you know someone in Nairobi to pay it for you.
My husband had copies of all the documents I filed with NVC, as well as my passport and our son\'s passport to show that we are present in Mauritius (incase they asked how we communicated, he could show them that we live together. I explained this in all my paperwork as well.) He had 8 passport photos he brought with him, 2 for the medical and extra for the Embassy however they didn\'t take any of them at the Embassy. He also brought in the AOS papers because we got an RFE on the joint sponsor\'s form.
Overall, his experience was positive. (Other than the long wait time at the embassy and the poor flight schedule.)
(updated on August 10, 2012)
| | | Review #9864 on June 19, 2012: |
Lonelywithouthim
Rating: 
· 1 person found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Hello all, here is how the interview went: this is from what my fiancé told me, the appt. Was for 6:30 am and he arrived at 6:00 am. He waited for 3-4 hours before he was seen. He was interviewed by a guy (he thought was the guy was fair). After asking looking at all the documents that were required, they found some information that needed clarifying. He was told they need to investigate further and that the case will be in AP. They requested some more information plus to bring back all the documents he had with him (proof of relationship) and told him they will contact him in two weeks. The information was provided within two weeks but they said an appointment must be made to bring in the information.
The 2nd appt/interview was in march 13, 2012. I made a point to take off and join him in Nairobi for the interview. It was the worst, I wasn't permitted to go in and he it was 4-5 hours before he came out. When he finally did make it all the way in, a lady came up to him and asked if he brought the extra info they requested, he said yes and handed it to her. She gave him a number and told him to wait for his turn. He reminded her she didn't collect the other doc. Proof of relationship and she said keep it with you. Another lady,( a petite blond with horrible personality) called him by his name not number and when he went, she handed him a REJECT letter. She also told him, he was only using me to get to the U.S. The rejection was based on the relationship not Bona-Fide.
We were so devastated And when we got home/hotel we wrote an email to the Consulate in detail of what took place and requested a better explanation for the REJECTION. They never looked or kept the documents that included, pictures, phone records, airline tickets and dv of our engagement. After the email, the case was placed on AP again. We are still waiting......
| | | Review #9850 on June 16, 2012: |
mzeewakazi
Rating: 
· 2 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Ok, so let me share our experience through this journey. I received notification on 5/4/12 that NVC was done with our case and transmitting documents to Nairobi and Visa interview scheduled for 6/4/12 at 6:30am. Called my wife and shared the news, right away we started preparing. Thanks to VJ we learned alot from here. I requested 1 week off from 6/1 so i could travel and attend interview with my wife. Bought ticket on Egypt air a few days later leaving JFK on 6/1 and arriving in Nairobi 6/3 4am. We gathered all possible questions from VJ from all consulates around the world and I drilled my wife on them for the next three weeks. My wife gathered all evidence on her end like boarding passes for Kisumu, Mombasa, Malindi during our holidays, hotel receipts, amboseli receipts, chat logs for 4 years, emails, cards, and pictures. We had so many pictures over 5000 spaning 4 years. We did a small civil wedding at the AG's office in Kisumu that only my wifes sisters attended, this was in Ausust 2011, this was because i wanted to file for her right away and not wait for Dec 2011 when we did a huge garden wedding at Safari Park Hotel that 250 guests attended. My wife had pictures from both ceremonies, the Safari Park was quite huge and the album enormous. I told her to pick only the best pictures and put them in an envelope, the ones that shows our families together and friends. So she had 5 envelopes 1. First meeting in 2009, 2. vacation and safari pictures, 3. Engagement pictures from 2010 we had a nice cartered for event at the marble arch with family and friends, 4. AG's civil wedding in Kisumu, 5. Big wedding celebration at Safari Park Hotel dec of 2011. Before I left for Kenya I made sure I had ordered my call records from T-Mobile for the past 3 years, T-Mobile said they would give me actual bills for every month for the past three years at a charge of $5 per bill, I agreed. The bills arrived and they were quite a huge and heavy amount, now the next task was to go over each bill and highlight the calls and texts to and from my wife, quite a task that took a whole week. 6/1 arrive and I left for Kenya, this was my 6th time going there in 3 years so i was used to it, had a 10 hour stop over in Egypt and i did not waste it coz I visited the pyramids, was quite nice. I arrived in Kenya on 6/3 at 4:00am to the arms of my loving wife. We spent the day on Sunday preparing for the interview. Monday morning we left our place at 5:00am and the drive to the embassy is only 10 mins coz we were staying in Ridgeways next to Runda. We got to the embassy at 5:10am and there were only 4 people lined up waiting, we joined the waiting line. At 6:00am the guard came and asked us to form 2 lines for males and females. At 6:30 they started letting people in, one had to have an appoitment letter which I did not have, I told the guard im going in for American Citizens Services and he told me I need an appoitment for that too but he let me through, at the second check point I was not allowed in because I did not have an appoitment. US citizens can now only walk trough on Wednesdays from 8am-1pm, so I gave my wife my passport coz it had all the stamps and visas for amount of time Ive been to Kenya. I kissed her goodluck and sat at the benches out there. 2 hours later my wife emerged from the embassy smilling and I knew that is a good sign. She told me the man that interviewed her was nice and patient and waited for her to answer questions before he asked the next. She was the 1st person to be interviewed that morning, The CO asker her the following
1. How did u meet your husband
2. Where does he work
3. What kind of work does he do
4. Where does he live
5. What is his cellphone number
6. Do you have any evidence- My wife handed him our engagement pictures, AG's wedding pictures and Safari Park wedding pictures, he looked through them and said "i believe you", then he said "congratulations you are approved", he handed her a form with instruction on how to register for DHL courier service, he then said your Visa will be ready in 1 to 2 weeks. I was so happy, we went to artcafe in village market and had breakfast as we registered for courier service. You have to be very prepared and have all your paperwork right, all the questions my wife was asked we had reharsed several times before, she was confident. Now shopping for cheap tickets.
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