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| Sydney, Australia |  Review on October 16, 2018: |
Keeley
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Overall our experience at the consulate was positive, just slow!
When you arrive at the MLC building, it can be tricky to find the consulate if you haven't been there before. Make your way to the Tower Lobby and then take the lifts to Level 10. There are then signs pointing you to the US Consulate entrance.
My husband (immigrant) and I (US Citizen petitioner) attended together. If you want the petitioner to accompany you, you must email the Consulate BEFORE your interview so they can add you to the appointment. Before being allowed through the Consulate entrance, we had to show the woman at the door that our phones were powered off.
Then was document check-in. We had all of our documents organized in an accordion style folder with everything in the same order as the Document Cover Sheet sent to us by the Consulate. There were two women at a reception desk who were collecting the required documents from people as they arrived and putting them in a clear plastic document folder. They only collected the items listed on the document cover sheet. We had brought quite a bit of extra documentation with us, and we were able to take the rest of that up with us.
Next was security. This was very similar to security at a US airport, except the security personnel were friendlier. All your belongings go through an x-ray scanner and you walk through a metal detector. They kept our bags (my purse and a small backpack), phones, and keys but let us take up to the Consulate with us:
1) Our required documents in the clear plastic folder
2) Jackets
3) Extra documents in the accordion folder
4) Wallets
5) Books (we expected to be waiting)
You cannot take any electronics with you to the consulate, so best to leave them at home. They have complimentary storage for small items only, but they are just small cubby holes at security.
Next, you have a seat and wait to be directed to the lifts by a security officer. We waited about 5 minutes then got on a lift with another couple and went up to level 59 where the actual Consulate is. Right when you walk in to the Consulate, there is a ticket machine where you press the "Visa" button and take a number. Then you sit and wait for your number to be called. There were about 30-40 people there during the three hours we spent at the Consulate. Based on the ticket numbers, I would hazard a guess that they were doing about 40 immigrant visa interviews that day. There were also other people there for passports and various other US Citizen services. You can hear everything that is going on because the room is set up a bit like a small bank. The chairs in the waiting area face a row of windows where the consular officers speak to you through a microphone. It was pretty quiet in there, so we couldn't avoid overhearing many of the interviews.
My only real complaints are that there are no bathrooms, no clocks, and it was hot as hell in there. It feels a bit like purgatory while you're waiting!
We waited about 30 minutes, then our number was called. We went up to a window, my husband had his fingerprints scanned and we handed over our documents. We were told to have a seat and our same number would be called again.
We waited another 30-45 minutes and our number was called again at the same window. The officer gave us back most of the documents we had handed over but kept back my husband's birth certificate, his police certificates, and our marriage certificate. The officer told us to have a seat again and that the next time our number was called it would be interview time.
We waited about an hour and then our number was called. Questions asked included:
1) When did you get married?
2) When did you meet?
3) How did the relationship develop?
4) Why are you moving to the United States?
5) Where will you be living when you get there?
6) Have you ever visited the United States other than under the Visa Waiver Program?
7) Who is your joint sponsor?
8) What will you do for work in the US?
9) Does your work require any special type of certification?
10) What will your wife do for work in the US?
11) Have you been married before?
12) Do you have any kids other than the one on the way?
Then the officer told us everything was in order and our visa was approved and we'd receive my husband's passport within a week.
We didn't hear anyone get denied, but we heard several people get told they were missing documentation. Common issues we overheard from others:
1) US Citizens living in Australia hadn't filed US tax returns - evidence of the returns were required before visa could be approved
2) Certified copy of marriage certificate by Justice of the Peace or Notary Public was not sufficient, original would be required before visa could be approved
3) Federal police certficiate required, not state
We arrived at 9:45am (our appointment was at 10:30am) and left just before 1pm, hungry, in need of the bathroom, but pleased!
My key tips for success are:
- Research everything! Going in prepared made us feel much more confident about our chances for success and the issues we overheard above are easily avoidable.
- Don't drink too much water before you go - there are no bathrooms and you will likely be there a while!
- Take a book or magazine to keep you entertained.
- Allow more time than you think you'll need to find the place, get through security and wait for the interview to happen.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #24840