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| Manila, Philippines |  Review on August 19, 2016: |
GregC2015
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
We completed our interview on March 29, 2016 at Manila, Philippines consulate. Overall, I thought it was an exciting experience. We were not worried at all and went into the place nervous/exited, but happy and confident. Approved.
We started that day by waking up at 3 am, quickly dressing and arriving at the embassy at around 4 am. I thought for sure that we would be one of the first to arrive. LOL, I forgot that this is the Philippines! Always a long line everywhere, no matter what time you show up. There were probably already 50-100 people there waiting when we were dropped off by the cab. Since we stayed at Hotel H2O for two days so we could be close to the embassy, the cab ride was very short and we only took it so we would not be sweaty when we had our interview.
After a couple of hours we were called to line up according to our visa. We had one of the earlier times scheduled so we made sure that we found our way near the front of the k1 visa line. This happened at 6 am, the sun was just starting to come up. We walked to the front of the embassy, where there were lanes set up to organize people. We made our way through the first lane, handed our paperwork to the orange shirt people, they inspected it, handed the paperwork back to us and we went to the second waiting line.
When it was our turn we walked thru the first door and this is where the metal detectors were. We made our way through that, walked out the door after the metal detectors, which was back outside in a courtyard. (I'm sorry, my memory is fading. We had our interview in March and I am writing this in August) I believe that we walked to another window, handed in some paperwork, and then found our way inside the interview area.
We walked into the interview chamber area, I don't know what else to call it. It had quite a few interview booths where you speak to the interviewer that is behind a window. The first window interview was with a Filipino woman and she asked about our relationship, names, birth date, etc. We handed in the medical packet to her. This interview was really quick. I showed up with my fiance so this seemed to make things go so much easier. We were at the first window for no more than 5 minutes. It was quick.
The second window was just to swear everyone in and take fingerprints. After the fingerprints, we sat down for a while. Even though up to this point we had an extremely easy time with everything, it was still a little overwhelming just being there. And I was not the one being interviewed! So nerve wracking! So anyway, we sat for some time and chit chatted with the others that were sitting with us, then we were called up for the main interview.
The third interview was with an American that was very friendly. He had a very good personality and it seemed that he really liked his job. Either that or he was well trained. Plus getting an early time slot probably helped. He asked Joy just some basic questions like my name, birth date, address and how many times I visited the Philippines. He also asked her what my favorite location of the Philippines was and he asked her if I had tried balut. Then, and I thought this was funny, he asked Joy if she knew what a Hoosier was, of course she did not and he said, "well, congratulations, you are about to become one, approved!" This interview was also no more than 5 minutes. It was so easy, but nerve wracking. We were both nervous, but confident.
We tried to smile and laugh the whole time there. We just tried to be playful to each other, hold hands and things. I believe that this made a big difference to both the interviewers and to our confidence. Please, make sure you go with your fiance to the interview. You are doing them a big favor by doing so. Don't worry about the cost of traveling there just for the interview, it is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Go with her/him to the interview, have a great time with it because it goes fast. Everything goes so fast! When you are waiting for NOA2 it seems like a forever wait, but really it is not.
I stayed in the Philippines for a total of two and a half weeks, four days before the interview and two weeks after. Had the time of my life there. Traveled around Metro Manila, Cebu and Mindanao to visit her family. I cannot wait to go back there and maybe even live there one day.
Well, this is all. Good luck to all that are having their interviews soon, and don't worry, be confident!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #20237