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| Sydney, Australia |  Review on March 5, 2018: |
Jeto
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Some tips to smooth the process leading up to your interview:
After NOA2, you're able to fill out your DS-160 at any stage.
Once you get your NVC number, get your medical and police check sorted. I actually was able to do my medical 2 months before receiving my NVC number, the panel physician was able to hold onto my medical results until I called back with that number SYD____ number.
Once the CEAC site says 'Ready', be proactive and email the consulate with the required information they need to book your interview. If you wait, you can potentially miss an interview spot, or they may take some days to contact you.
Before you reach out, complete and submit your DS-160, have medical and police certificates ready, and pay for your interview via the website.
I skipped receiving packet 3 & 4 and went straight to locking in an interview date that was only 7 days after my CEAC status had changed to 'Ready'.
(Consulate received on the 20th Feb, Interview date 27th Feb. I actually waited until the 21st to send an email with the required info. They replied on the 23rd and notified me of an interview date only 4 days away).
My email consisted of this:
Hi,
As my case shows ‘ready’ on the CEAC site, I’ve pre-emptively sent this email with the information required to proceed with the packet 4 and or scheduling of the interview.
1) Name: ________________
2) Case number: SYD____________
3) Email address: ________________
4) DS-160 confirmation number: ________________
5) MRV Fee receipt number: ________________ (Receipt copy also attached)
I currently have all required documents (and copies printed) ready for the interview:
• Document cover sheet & checklist
• Copy of Receipt of MRV fee
• Birth Certificate (original) + copy
• I-129f application (copy)
• Approved NOA2 (copy)
• Two 5cmx5cm USA sized Passport photos
• Australian Police certificate (original) + copy
• Canadian police certificate (original) + copy
• Medical results
• Evidence of ongoing relationship
• DS-160 confirmation page
• Curriculum Vitae
• I-134 (original) + copy
• IMBRA pamphlet
Please let me know if I’ve missed anything.
I am available to undertake the interview asap.
Obviously remove items which are not applicable to your situation!
The Consulate:
I found myself entering the building from King st. You'll need to find an elevator to take you up to the Lobby (level 8), and from there work your way up to level 10 for consulate 'check-in'.
You'll be asked to switch off your mobile phone in front of the security personnel before you may enter and hand over your documents to the ladies at the counter. They will grab everything they need and put them in a plastic sleeve.
I had printed off everything they'd asked for plus a few additional items which weren't required. (Relationship evidence, NOA2, and I-129F we not needed). As long as you bring the items in the K1 required documents and cover sheet checklist, you're in for a smooth ride.
Triple check you have the correct documents well in advanced before the interview, namely the police certificate, as they will not give you an approval until the national police check from the AFP is sighted. I did see someone get a conditional approval upon the arrival of the police certificate.
They will ask you if you've lived in another country so I would suggest getting that police certificate sorted well before your NOA2. My Canadian police certificate took 6 weeks total, from sending it to receiving it back. (I didn't express post it to Canada and it took nearly 30 days to reach the digital fingerprint company).
Make sure you have two 2x2" passport photos also. (One document only mentioned needing one photo, this is incorrect)
A lot of people in the forums seemed stressed about sponsor forms and needing co-sponsor forms, but I found this wasn't a big issue for us.
A little backstory on why the co-sponsor was something we stressed about. We both quit our careers in June 2017 and went travelling the world whilst this visa process played out. By the time our interview had rolled around, we'd both been unemployed for 9 months. Her income in the eyes of the USA was zero. I explained our situation hoping we wouldn't need to introduce a co-sponsor document, and they were totally fine with it. We did supply her (the petitioner's) latest Australian tax return, bank statement, and more recent (3 years ago) tax statement. (She is the US citizen and had been living in Australia on a 457). I'm not sure how far they went with looking at the documents and supporting evidence on the I-134, but it seemed like the least important document of the day.
As others have mentioned, after you have your documents sorted in the plastic sleeve, you go through a metal detector and have your items x-ray'd.
There is a whole wall full of pigeon holes where you can leave your backpack/purses. I left my day backpack at the hotel as I was told they couldn't hold them, but they can.
You'll get your collection number and wait to be called for the elevator ride up to level 59.
Pro tip: Be the last to hop in the elevator so you're the first one off, allowing you to grab the first ticket once you enter the waiting/interview area.
From here you'll have free range to listen to everyone else's cases. A little awkward, but when you're up there you don't notice or care about anyone over hearing you because you're in the zone!
Your first ticket call will be to drop off the plastic sleeve, the second is the actual interview.
I was asked only a handful of questions by a very friendly chap:
- Have you read the IMBRA and understood it?
- When did we meet?
- How did we meet?
- Have I been married?
- Do I have kids?
- Have I lived anywhere other than Australia?
- When did we last see each other?
After these quick questions I received the "your visa is approved" line.
A total interview time of about 2 minutes!
They should pass back your original police certificate/s and birth certificate, and if you didn't bring a copy, maybe your original I-134.
My interview time was 8:50 am. I switched my phone off at 8:20 am and was back on king street at 9:20 am.
I was able to check my CEAC status online and the next day it had changed to 'Administrative Processing'. The following day, 'Issued'!
I received an email and text notification 2 days after the interview saying my passport had been collected by Toll.
I live in regional Queensland, in Cairns, and have just received my passport. Interview Tuesday --> Passport Monday. A total of 6 days after my interview.
The staff were friendly, the process was quick, all in all a good experience.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #23359