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| Vancouver, Canada |  Review on November 7, 2014: |
cbdealy
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
(I'm writing this about 3 months later, because I forgot to do the review right away!)
The whole thing went fairly smoothly, even with one mistake on our part. My wife (then fiancé) didn't have her LONG FORM birth certificate; she only had the small one. The lady who was handling our case at the window was very nice about it, and although it resulted in an RFE-like delay, we did not have to come back to interview again, (huge relief.)
The medical exam was fine, and Dr. Cheema was very nice. He asked the usual questions; my wife has had some issues with anxiety in the past and he made an effort to assure her that anxiety is perfectly normal these days. She was able to take a bus up the street to the X-ray and labs, which the receptionist was kind enough to give detailed directions for. The exam was quick, 20 minutes even counting getting an immunization. It's helpful to bring your healthcare card for the bloodwork and X-rays.
I arrived in Vancouver to accompany my wife to the interview. We found parking down the street at the Community Center at the waterfront, which seemed too good to be true given the price, location, and emptiness of the lot, but it worked out. I was nervous that they wouldn't let me into the building, but I said I was the fiancé and they said of course I was welcome inside. The environment was intimidating, and the security was thorough, and there was quite a bit of standing in line and waiting, but the staff was actually much nicer than I expected. No one was rude to us the entire time we were there. We presented our documents, were told about our birth certificate mistake and how it would be handled, and then sat down to wait for the interview. We had to wait for maybe 30-45 minutes, but was interesting to overhear others' cases in the meantime. (The chairs are surprisingly close to the windows!) When it was time for my wife to interview, we both approached the counter and I was asked to sit down. The interviewer said, "she'll be fine." I did overhear much of the conversation, and it was very standard questions. I got the idea that the evidence we had already presented was convincing enough, because they didn't ask to see any additional proof of ongoing relationship, though we had brought lots. Visa approved. Then we left. It was a bummer to have to wait an extra 2-3 weeks due to having the wrong birth certificate, but now that some time has passed I don't look back on the experience with any negativity. It all worked out just fine.
I do remember how nervous we were at the time, even though everything ended up going so well. I guess you never know, but if you take anything away from this review, (besides needing the right birth certificate!) just remember that all the people involved with this process are just people, and they are actually very nice. Hang in there, it'll all be worth it. We've been so happy starting our lives together. Good luck. 
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #15557