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|  Review on April 10, 2013: |
Mary Therese
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
My interview date was just last Monday..April 8, 2013
My scheduled appointment time is 7:30AM. I woke up at 4:30 am...prepared..had some breakfast and by 6:20AM I was on my way to the embassy. I wore a dark blue A-line skirt, light blue long sleeved blouse and a flat shoes (in my experience this was helpful because you have to get in a queue and stand inside until there is an available chair)
When i got there, as expected, the line was already long...K1 visa is given same priority as Immigrant Visa so you have to get on queue at the leftmost one. At the pre-entrance the ladies in blue poloshirt will look for your passport, appointment confirmation, and forms DS 156.157,156k (with their appropriate number of copies). If they see its complete they will place the barcode sticker prepared with your name on it at the back of your passport then proceed to entrance. In the entrance they will be the strict security check. I know you probably know this already but again.. don't bring ANY electronics with you, you would really be denied entry. I knew that one already, but unfortunately the bag i was carrying had 3 flashdrives in them and they said i had to get rid of them first, and i asked where can I drop these off? and they only said somebody you know outside or anywhere...i felt lost for a moment because i got through the long line already and a walk to the hotel and back again would be too time consuming! I almost considered burying my flashdrives...lol! But luckily there were 'businesswomen' just in front outside knowing such incidences will take place...they will keep your things for you and give you a numbercard with their name to claim it. You have to pay 150php upon claiming. I know it wasnt such a risk...'Ate Inday' didnt look like she would try to gain something from copying flashdrive contents...
So i got back at the pre-entrance again..i showed one of the ladies in blue that i had the barcode already so she let me in. I finally got through first security check and got in.
Inside you will be directed to the counters which gives the priority number. In that counter they will get the 3 forms 156,157,156k , check your passport and will return it with a ziplock sort of cellophane. You will be taught to place your passport inside the ziplock,with passport opened in the photo and details part. After that you will be directed to take a seat at the open waiting area. Now as you are a K1 visa holder, you will be advised to take a seat at the farther half of the rows. Unless you get to befriend somebody who will help you watch out for your number on the electronic number boards (or something like that), starting from this point until the last phase, you have to pay close attention to the number boards because numbers are called RANDOMLY.
It is very easy to spot fellow K1 visa applicants so most likely (like me) you will befriend them. It is by the way helpful to stick together because I and my fellow K1 visa applicants scheduled for that day looked out for each other's numbers, shared our most recent window experience (you will be called 4 times in 4 different windows) and looked out for each's chair or belongings when we need a quick cr break. Soon one of the blue-shirt girls called out all others who weren't called and instructed us to get in the interview building.
So when you get inside you will have the second security check where your bag will be checked again and you will go through body scan again. The interview building was big. There were so many windows (1-75). But the windows have their categories. There inside you will see the electronic number boards again.
I was a bit concerned at first because it seemed all K1 applicants have been called for first of the 4 windows already but it has been such a long wait for me already and my number hasn't been called even once. However...as soon as my number got called...everything became successive and i even surpassed many who were called first.
Again...pay close attention to the number boards all the time while you are back waiting.
First window - Finger Scan.
The nice filipino lady just asked for my name and birthdate and instructed me to perform the digital finger scan.After that you will be asked to take a seat and wait for your number to be flashed again. If you have skin allergies esp. affecting your fingerpads...THIS IS NOT a good time to have it. A fellow K1 applicant whom i befriended was allergic to detergent so she had a bad scaling on her fingerpads which made the finger scan so difficult that she was told to take a seat again and they will just call her back.
So, after a loong wait i got through the finger scan..and again as i have mentioned, after that stage..it was successive for me...
Just perhaps 15-20 mins waiting time i got called for my second window. The filipino pre-consul preliminary interview. It was window 38 and she was a middle aged nice filipina. On that window she asked for the NBI clearance, NSO birth cert, CENOMAR, BPI receipt for visa fee, and also she already asked for the Affidavit of Support Form 134 and my fiance's ITR (1040) and my passport. She made her preliminary interview and these were her questions:
1. Name of my fiance
2. How did we meet and when was this
3. Do i have any job
3. What is my age - What is my fiance's age - And so how much age gap is that (im 26, my fiance is 48)
4. Asked about our civil statuses (we are both single and never been married)
5. Asked if he had children (he has none) - asked if i had any children (none too)
6. When did my fiance come and visit and how many times
She also asked why was the 1040 the 2011 version and when i explained that he wasn't finished yet as it wasn't his due for filing she said 'ok'
Then she told me to take a seat again and wait for my number.
I was starting to get more nervous because i know the final interview is coming (the US consul)
Just a perhaps another 15-20 minutes of waiting and my number got flashed already!
This is it! US consul time!
3rd - window US consul
I was assigned at window 63 and my consul was St.Peter...yeah just kidding
Well he was an old wise man perhaps in his early 70's. He had white hair and white full beard. He wasn't intimidating but formal.
He first made me swear that i was telling the truth to the govt. of America etc...and briefly explained about my rights in case of domestic violence (he also explained in was SOP)
Then he started his interview, and his questions were: (i notice some similarities from filipina interviewer)
1. Name of my fiance
2. How did we meet - When was this
3. He also pointed out that he sees in the form that i was denied of a visa (it was a tourist visa in 2009) and he asked what was that for.
4. Then he asked also about our civil statuses, then ff. up if we had any children.
Like the filipina interviewer he was a bit surprised that my fiancee has never had any kids even if he was single & never been married so he ff. up with "do you two have any plans in having any children?"
so I answered "we really hope we could have kids very soon'
(my fiancee has vowed to have kids ONLY after he gets married)
5. He then asked when did my fiance visit - did he come alone? - for how long? - where did we go? -> from this follow-up question i mentioned that we went to a mountain resort for a Lenten Retreat since he was here during Lent Season.
So from that he made a ff. up questions
He said 'oh he was here during Lent...so what is your religion? are you Iglesia ni Cristo or Catholic?
When I answered Catholic he then ff. up with "How about him?" (I said 'Catholic too sir')
Then he asked an out of the blue question:
"So how does he make you laugh" - i thought the question was funny and cute itself so while i was answering ti i was smiling...
I said 'he has a unique humor sir that he makes me laugh everyday'
and he ff. up with "Like what is an example?"
So i gave an example of a recent topic that we joke around for sometime now and he said
"And that's funny for you?" (his expression was not sarcastic but sincerely curious)
so i answered 'it is for us sir' and gave a specific example.
He then nodded and looked at my files with him.
He then took out the pictures we sent to USCIS for the petition package.
He picked out a picture after a fast scan (he seemed like he already knew which to pick out)
He picked out a picture of me and my fiance with an old foreign guy. He asked pointing at him "Who's this?"
I said it was Father R_ _ _ _ _ r, we visited a seminary when he was here (and since i have already previously mentioned about the Lent season he had no ff. up questions with that)
He then picked out another picture it was a a nicely taken one of just the two of us inside the hotel room he was staying during his visit
and he asked "who took this photo?" so i answered with a smile that 'it was automatic function'
and he smiled and said 'oh automatic'
he then said 'Well we are through but my computer is taking some time, why dont you take a seat again, im sure you dont mind another 3-4 minute wait'.
So i just said 'thank you sir' (smiling again) (just maintain the sincere polite smiles guys)
All in all it wasnt that long it even seemed kind of quick
So i took a seat again not sure what is next and if i was approved or not. I had no idea what to look out for, if i was going to be called to that window again? Should i look out for my number at the electronic number board again? I was sitting there doing 3 things:
1. Listening if window 63 consul calls me again
2. Looking out if my number (6168) appears again
3. Listening if I would be one of the names called at the 4 windows on the far right as they also call people in groups
Then I noticed another of the k1 applicants were called on window 63...so St. Peter the consul was interviewing someone else again...where then would i be this time? (I also noticed window 63 does take some time in his interview with the person next to me, i guess he's one of those thorough type)
So...after a while my name was among the names called to to go to window 73. It was among the 4 last windows on the far right.
There were 2 other people before me and one behind me. I got nervous because it seems the other 2 in front of me had some missing documents that they are asked to submit. So they are not done yet because they are asked to submit something. Then it was my turn. the guy asked for my name and birthdate...He looked at my files, then looked at the computer...he gave back my appointment confirmation and said:
"Ok na, pasa na to...hintayin mo na lang...pwede ka nang umuwi" (all ok now,you passed, you just have to wait for it...you can now go home)
and I was a bit shocked so i got a 'duh' moment and asked "oh..i will just wait for the visa to arrive? i can go home now?'
so the filipino guy in window 73 said again "oo pwede ka na umuwi" (yes you can now go home)
so i smiled and said 'thank you'
I looked for my fellow k1 applicants and bid them goodbye and GOD BLESS and got out of there with a big smile and praises to GOD. I was done by 11:15AM
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #11796