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Macedonia US Consulate Reviews
Average Rating: 3.7
/ 5
29 Review(s)
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|  Review #11550 on March 1, 2013: |
indiana_sweetie
Rating: 
· 1 person found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
My husband is from Kosovo but the embassy in Skopje processes the visa applicants from Kosovo. My husband arrived early for his 8 am appointment. Then he nervously waited 4 hours before they interviewed him. The CO, a lady, asked many questions, some regarding our ages, because I am 29 years older. She also asked why he didn't want kids (because I can't have more children). The CO snapped these questions at him, maybe hoping to make him nervous. My husband kept cool and answered the truth with confidence.
Thanks to the advice from the VJ community my hubby was well prepared for a tough grilling because of our red flag (age). My husband speaks English but is more comfortable speaking Albanian, so he answered with an interpreter. Then the CO repeated some of the questions but worded them differently. Again my husband answered without wavering. She was not able to shake him up, so finally she said it was a good interview.
But we had two issues. One is the date of my second visit. Hubby had asked me what day I flew to him in 2012. I gave him the date I left Chicago, but the date the lady was looking at is the one stamped in my passport, the following day. Because of time zones, when I fly to Europe I leave on one day and arrive the next. When I fly home the whole trip is the same day. So she told him, "Your wife needs to show us proof of the dates of her trip because the dates don't match." She would not let my husband present any proof that he had with him. I guess once they write up a Refusal Worksheet it's a done deal. The evidence needs to be presented at a later date.
Then she said we need a co-sponsor because (she erroneously claimed) that I would loose my social security income because I remarried (not true, the USA law says I keep it because I remarried after age 60). The mood of the CO had gone from aggressive to helpful. Apparently she was satisfied with our mountain of chats, emails, photos and my husband's answers. Now she was helping my husband, explaining what I need to do. She was explaining, tell you wife to do this and that, and then call to make an appointment. She said my husband did not need another interview, the interview was good, only to bring the documents they requested. She said if the documents are accepted then his visa will be ready in about 3 hours.
Now, because my husband lives in Kosovo, we already knew they would give his passport back so he could travel home, and he would return when the visa was ready to be issued, in 3 business days. The CO gave my husband an OF-194 form with the details of the documents needed. Then she gave him back the mountain of chats and emails, so that answered my question about how they put everything into the brown envelope, I guess they just give some back.
Some of the other questions she asked were, did you pay your wife to marry you? Did your wife pay you to marry her? (no on both) Did you give your wife gifts (yes, he named them). Did your wife give you gifts (yes, he named them). All the dates and places that were important in our relationship, things like that.
All during the questioning the CO kept her eyes on my husband's eyes and face and hands. Bottom line, if you have red flags, front load and practice dates and names to perfection. Be confident. Be ready for a grilling. The CO was tough, but professional. People are being put into AP at the Macedonia embassy and needing to return. Everyone present that day were either sent away or returning with more evidence.
| | | Review #11519 on February 21, 2013: |
Milan&Pam
Rating: 
· 3 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
K-1 INTERVIEW - SKOPJE:
Unfortunately we did not have the same great experience everyone else did at the US Embassy in Skopje. My fiancee's interview was scheduled for November 15th. He arrived at 8:00 am and was in-processed by someone at the front door. He was told to take a seat in a room with around 40 other people waiting for various VISA approvals. He waited FOUR HOURS before being called. The interview was NOT private. He was asked to go to a glass window. The interviewer was on one side and he was on the other. He said he could tell by the look on the lady's face that she already assumed he was there for marriage fraud. She was not the least bit friendly throughout the entire interview. They began the interview through the glass window with all 40 people other in the room. My fiancee is quite shy and was already nervous, so trying answer such personal and intimate questions in that type of environment was rather uncomfortable for him. He answered all questions directly, but without elaboration. We had dozens of photos, pages of emails, Skype etc. I had actually just left Macedonia where I had been living with him for four months. Again…had dozen of pictures to prove it. Regardless of all of that, he was denied based of "lack of evidence". The lady questioned why we didn't have any phone records. He explained that we talk on Skype (as the Skype printouts showed) and that, up until 3 weeks before, I had been living in Macedonia. We had the plane tickets to prove it. She still denied him! Even my attorney was shocked. He said that he has had clients with much less evidence that didn't have any problems. My fiancee was given a date to return in two weeks and told to bring more evidence.
The second interview was scheduled at 11:00 am this time. We had hoped this was a good sign. For this interview, he brought 470 pages of emails and Skype conversations and about 10 more photos. He also brought three affidavits from friends and family stating that they knew we were in love and had a legitimate relationship. I also wrote a personal letter that was approved by my attorney. He handed everything to the man at the desk and was called up almost immediately. This time he got a really nice man who looked through all the new documentation and said "You are good. Leave your passport and come back tomorrow at 4 pm". Not one question was asked.
He retrieved his passport and VISA the next day.
My fiancee said during the waiting time of the first interview, he spoke with some of the other that were waiting. Almost ALL of them were there for the second and third time trying to get VISA's. My attorney and I both agree that it is probably a standard procedure with them to maybe just deny everyone the first time. We were with out a doubt totally prepared for this interview but it wasn't enough. I would suggest that anyone interviewing here be OVER PREPARED with evidence…and hope you get someone that is having a good day.
| | | Frankfurt, Germany | Review #10292 on August 31, 2012: |
Ana&Devin
Rating: 
· 2 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
The interview on August 22nd 2012 went pretty smooth. My first hint for you: don\'t make yourself crazy with reading forums just the night before the interview! I completely freaked out, and printed out last minute documents that nobody cared about the next day! Important thing for me was to get there in time. I had my interview at 08:30 am, was there at 8, entered immediately, people were very nice and understanding. The guy at the gate just asks you what kind of a visa you need, and then I explained it\'s the K1, he just made me sign something, took a look at my passport, and the visa payment confirmation (because I told him that that\'s what the website said we should bring, and not because he was eager to check all my documents), then he gave me a number and within 2 min I was in the counter area. Got called up immediately, first counter was kind of a preliminary one where they asked me if I had the stamps and stuff. Nothing special. Second counter is where they explained what to do when at airport in the US, documents I need etc. So at this point the person was already speaking with me as if I already had the visa. Then he told me that I am about to be called up by the consul, and have the interview. At this point I was already very very nervous, also because I only slept for an hour the night before due to the early train times to Frankfurt. So I waited half an hour and was called up to another counter. I have to admit, I was very disappointed to know that I cannot even shake hands with the consul, but talk to him about most private matters through a thick window glass while everybody around me can hear what I\'m saying. I got really nervous, hands were shaking, and stuff, and felt very uncomfortable with telling my private love story to a complete stranger while the people behind me were trying to eavesdrop on our conversation.... The consul was a really nice young guy, trying to make me feel as less uncomfortable as possible. The questions revolved around: So, what is your story? How did you meet? How did he propose? What is he studying? Then I had to identify the persons on the photographs we submitted as proof of relationship. The rest is all in context, things you say while telling the story, and he wants you to tel him more about it. At the end, we even ended up talking about hip-hop due to one t-shirt I was wearing on the photos :D. So that was it. Ca. 1,5 hours that passed really fast, and I was out of the consulate, driving back home early. Visa is to this date still not here, I am waiting for mail today. Hopefully today or tomorrow, since my flight is on this sunday..
Good luck to everyone, and don\'t make the mistake to be as nervous as I was - it\'s completely unnecessary!!!! People there are really nice from the beginning to the end, help you, talk you through things, and understand your awkward position behind the counter. Be relaxed, don\'t panic, you\'ve got aaaaall the documents already sent in. Everything\'s gonna be fine 
(updated on August 31, 2012)
| | | Review #8123 on August 15, 2011: |
T & N
Rating:
· 2 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
One word - easy and professional! For all of you who will be going to the US embassy in Skopje, first let me tell you that you have nothing to be afraid of.
With our embassy, all the forms will arrive in your mailbox together, and simply fill them in, do the medical exam at Remedika and wait for that special day.
When that special day arrives - dont freak out, cause there is honestly nothing scary in the whole process. Go there (at the embassy) 15 min prior to your scheduled date and wait until they call your name (they have a list and usually it goes alphabetically). Inside, its the normal security check up - turn off ur cell and hand it over to the guard, (together with any other el. devices u may have).
Then you go to the other building and there when you enter, they show you where to stand, where a guy does a preliminary check up on all your documents. He looks if they are all filled in, and if they are not - dont worry, he fills them in for you or he gives you time and space to do it urself. He will look into the DS 230 part one, DS 156/156k/157, birth certificate, police certificate, court certificate and I - 134 with supporting evidence. Also, dont forget the two passport size photos you must carry with you for the interview.
Once he does the check up, he returns the documents and the passport, and he tells you to sit and wait for ur name to be called out. After a while they call you out to hand over the documents which were checked, and a guy there (he was macedonian) goes over every form, attaches your photos and tells you to go and do the payment of the fee - k1 = 350$, and return again at the same counter. He looked at all the documents i handed and after he was done, he said "i need you to show me some proof of ur relationship", and i handed out our pictures and our emails.
He took them all in and told me to wait, until i am called once more. They called me in for finger prints and after that, back to waiting again.
When i was called for the last time, it was by the interviewer and it was an older lady. She was very pleasant and very calm. She first gave me a form to sign and then she asked routine questions:
-where have you met your fiance(e)?
-when did you first meet in person?
-how long did he stay?
-have you been to the us?
-did you meet while u were there?
-any family in the US?
-what does your fiance work?
and that was it .... she didnt re-ask anything or added anything, she just wanted straight and simple answers, without long stories, and i honestly loved it the way she was handling the interview.
After that, she told me im approved :-)
So there you go ... after all the stress and sleepless nights, i had only to answer 5-6 simple questions, without anyone questioning why or what or who or when....
ITs simple, its not scary at all, so for the future applicants --dont be afraid, make sure you bring the necessary documents and you will simply fly through.
PS: Other applicants said that they didnt take in their supporting affidavit evidence, pictures and emails.... well, they took everything i gave, and they didnt give anything back so, i guess it depends :-)
I hope this will help to ease the stress, and lower the fear.
For the applicants from Kosovo -- dont be afraid cause they have a person who speaks Albanian and he/she will help to those who dont know macedonian or english.
Cheer up - its an easy one!!!
| | | Review #7851 on June 30, 2011: |
bubpce
Rating:
· 1 person found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
One word - easy and professional! For all of you who will be going to the US embassy in Skopje, first let me tell you that you have nothing to be afraid of.
With our embassy, all the forms will arrive in your mailbox together, and simply fill them in, do the medical exam at Remedika and wait for that special day.
When that special day arrives - dont freak out, cause there is honestly nothing scary in the whole process. Go there (at the embassy) 15 min prior to your scheduled date and wait until they call your name (they have a list and usually it goes alphabetically). Inside, its the normal security check up - turn off ur cell and hand it over to the guard, (together with any other el. devices u may have).
Then you go to the other building and there when you enter, they show you where to stand, where a guy does a preliminary check up on all your documents. He looks if they are all filled in, and if they are not - dont worry, he fills them in for you or he gives you time and space to do it urself. He will look into the DS 230 part one, DS 156/156k/157, birth certificate, police certificate, court certificate and I - 134 with supporting evidence. Also, dont forget the two passport size photos you must carry with you for the interview.
Once he does the check up, he returns the documents and the passport, and he tells you to sit and wait for ur name to be called out. After a while they call you out to hand over the documents which were checked, and a guy there (he was macedonian) goes over every form, attaches your photos and tells you to go and do the payment of the fee - k1 = 350$, and return again at the same counter. He looked at all the documents i handed and after he was done, he said "i need you to show me some proof of ur relationship", and i handed out our pictures and our emails.
He took them all in and told me to wait, until i am called once more. They called me in for finger prints and after that, back to waiting again.
When i was called for the last time, it was by the interviewer and it was an older lady. She was very pleasant and very calm. She first gave me a form to sign and then she asked routine questions:
-where have you met your fiance(e)?
-when did you first meet in person?
-how long did he stay?
-have you been to the us?
-did you meet while u were there?
-any family in the US?
-what does your fiance work?
and that was it .... she didnt re-ask anything or added anything, she just wanted straight and simple answers, without long stories, and i honestly loved it the way she was handling the interview.
After that, she told me im approved :-)
So there you go ... after all the stress and sleepless nights, i had only to answer 5-6 simple questions, without anyone questioning why or what or who or when....
ITs simple, its not scary at all, so for the future applicants --dont be afraid, make sure you bring the necessary documents and you will simply fly through.
PS: Other applicants said that they didnt take in their supporting affidavit evidence, pictures and emails.... well, they took everything i gave, and they didnt give anything back so, i guess it depends :-)
I hope this will help to ease the stress, and lower the fear.
For the applicants from Kosovo -- dont be afraid cause they have a person who speaks Albanian and he/she will help to those who dont know macedonian or english.
Cheer up - its an easy one!!!
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