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South Africa US Consulate Reviews
Average Rating: 4
/ 5
135 Review(s)
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| South Africa |  Review #1340 on March 3, 2007: |
Suz_SouthAfrica
Rating: 
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K3 Visa
My interview was scheduled at 10am on Tuesday, February 13, 2007. It was difficult to get an appointment set up, and I called them many times to get a date set up. There was a long line to get into the consulate so I would advise getting there at least an hour early.
I waited for over an hour while other people were interviewed. Later, the consular official announced that if there were any other people there for immigrant interviews, they should report to her window. I jumped up and went to the window and she said that she had been looking for me everywhere. I felt bad because I had been waiting there all the time.
The questions at my interview were simple to answer, mostly about the wedding preparations and ceremony and how I met my husband. I was interviewed by two different officials.
The heart-sinking moment came when the consular official said that because I had added my second name back in on my passport, the USCIS in the US would have to redo my name check before they could issue my visa. I was told that it could take anything from one day to fourteen days. My flight was booked for that Friday, so I had a nail-biting time between the interview and the flight, unsure whether to postpone my travel plans or not.
Luckily, on Friday morning, when I called the consular official, she said that the name check had come back! - although they weren't sure if they would be able to get round to printing it that day... It made me regret booking my flight before having the visa in hand. In the end, I got the visa 3 hours before the flight but the stress was very great.
On the whole though, this consulate was alright to go through.
| | | South Africa | Review #1292 on February 14, 2007: |
SheRob
Rating: 
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Hi VJ friends! The interview done in Joburg south africa went just fine, but i must say how important the role of VJ was in preparing for the questions asked and the fact that it put me into contact with another k1-south-african applicant who gave me invaluable tips like bring 60 rand to the embassy to pay for the courier service, if i didnt meet her i would not have brought enough money! I expected the interview to be quicker and grilled less, but i think it was because there were so few people at the embassy so she had time to do so. She asked how i felt about being a step mom, how i felt about my fiance being married before, what brand of beer he drinks, what his apartment looks like, where are the windows, is there a t.v, how many bedrooms, how did we meet, how do i feel about the age difference, how old is he, how old are his sons, how long did i live with him, why did i come to usa previously, does he still live where he lived when i stayed with him last, how did i find a job in chicago previously, do i intend to work when i come to usa, what was our main form of communication, how do my parents feel about my marriage to him, how often does he see his sons, what attracted me to him, how i met him online, why i chose the chatroom where i met him...thats all the questions i can remember...and its all completely doable if you know your fiance and are not lying about anything. So basically i would suggest looking at previous example questions on this site for both the k1 interview as well as the (Adjustment of status)AOS interview, because i got asked AOS-type questions at the k1-interview. Thanks VJ!
| | | South Africa | Review #1133 on December 20, 2006: |
nowthatimetu
Rating: 
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K3 Visa
Quite easy and short. I had all of our proof of relationship papers/photos etc and they did not ask for any of it, really just a few simple questions about when we got married and where and that was it, besides the required paper work ie birth cert, police clearance etc.
Lots of stress for no reason in the end, however I am quite sure if I did not bring it they would have asked for it, Murphys Law  
| | | Review #1011 on November 10, 2006: |
NaNaNaNaBooBoo
Rating: 
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Johannesburg Consulate
Pre-Interview:
No contact made by consulate. We initiated contact 3 weeks after NOA2, as we had not yet received packet #3. We received the name of our case manager over the phone, but each time we called to inquire, we were sent to a different case worker. In all we had four different case workers, very confusing. We physically picked up packet #3 five weeks after NOA2. Our original packet #3 arrived by South African Fast Mail, 7 weeks after NOA2. We received our interview date via phone (initiated by us) 3 days after we faxed the checklist & DS-230. Interview date was set for 3 weeks later.
Interview:
Our interview was at 10 am. Luckily we arrived one hour early, as there was a queue that took 54 minutes to get through just to get into the embassy. Interview letter was needed, and me and my fiance both received different tickets with numbers on them. The directions on the ticket advised us to enter through security, and then ring bell at window #7. Security kept everything from cell phones to car keys. We entered the room that had about 100 people in chairs waiting, and about 10 windows along one wall. We rang the bell of window #7 and a clerk took our numbers and interview letter and asked that we take a seat, they would call our names. After 1 hour, they called our names and our case manager was behind the window. We used a phone to communicate with him. He asked that I sit and wait. We had everything organized into separate envelopes. He asked my finace to remove everything from the envelopes and put into one pile and give him everything at once. The case worker sifted through the rubble I mean pile of evidence, and started saying things were missing. They weren't but he did not see them, so he sorted and resorted and found everything we needed. Unfortunately, two of the documents from my fiances country were apparently not acceptable as birth certificates and police clearances even though they were from my fiances' embassy and they said birth certificate and police clearance right on them with seals and all the appropriate information. He said that the interviewer would need to make the final decisions, and he asked that we return at 1pm. This process took 1 hour. We returned at 1pm, luckily no queue, as immigrants are from 8-12 and American citizens & Interview are from 1-4. We were issued new numbers again rang bell #7 and were asked to sit and they would call our names. There were 5 people/couples ahead of us, the same interviewer did DV's, K3's, & K1's. Our names were called at 3pm and we both went to the window. Same process communicating through the phones, one for each of us, and the woman was very friendly, she even spoke in French when my fiance did not undertand the oath portion of the forms. She asked him how & where we met, the date we vacationed together to as stated in our evidence, where was our daughter born, when was she born, do we have her birth certificate and her passport. We produced both and she said ok, everything is in order, unfortunately we are in pending status, as the birth certificate was not the original, it was a letter from the embassy, and therefore not acceptable. We received a green 221g letter and once we bring back the 221g letter and birth certificate to the consulate, they will issue the visa within 24 hours.
TIPS:
-Stay on top of your caseworker, they are very busy, and always on vacation
-As soon as case arrives at consulate you can pick up packet 3 in person, recommended if you can afford it. We had a friend in Jo'burg pick it up for us, as we live 18 hours away.
-Arrive 1 hour before appointment
-Bring a book, cards, or something to do(don't forget security takes your cell)
-Bring 65 rand cash, DHL service is available in the same room as interview
| | | South Africa | Review #230 on November 8, 2005: |
onwa
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
This was a great embassy to go through. We got an interview 10 days after faxing the checklist. South Africa police reports take some time, so start that early. We had a case worker assigned to our case and could call/email her dirctly with any questions. The visa was issued on the same day.
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