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| Barbados |  Review on January 13, 2026: |
Janelle03
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
I interviewed at the US embassy in Barbados today; my appointment was for 7:30 a.m., but by that time there was already a long line of people. They separated us into regular visa applications and green card applications and for some reason processed the regular visas first - that line was allowed into the building first. There were multiple security checkpoints and you could not bring your bag, cellphone or smart watch into the building. They did provide small lockers but they could not fit aa handbag so I had to return my personal effects to my car.
The area where you are required to wait to process the green card applications, there are only chairs and they ask you to pull out certain documents from your pack and place into a plastic folder. I found this quite difficult to do without a desk.
When I arrived I was at the end of the line, but I was one of the first ones called to the booth to do my fingerprints and check my basic documents. There seemed to be no benefit to arriving significantly earlier than your appointment time.
One major issue to me was that all questioning was done in one room with both regular visa applicants and green card applicants at different booths and everyone could clearly hear everyone's business. For instance, I heard one green card applicant get turned away for not having the original divorce decree for his wife. I shoudn't know that.
I also thought the interview would take place in an isolated room but nope. It took place at another booth right out in front of everyone. The questions I was asked were quite probing, mostly how did you meet, how long did you know each other, how many times have you met in person, etc. She asked me about wedding photos but for some reason my attorney did not include them in my pack. I did tell her we submitted them with our initial application.
One other potential issue was she asked for his W-2s. That was the first time I had heard that request since we began our application process; I gave her the tax forms I had but she repeated that she wanted W-2s. I told her we were never asked for those and she said "yesssss"? like yes you would have been. At that point she stepped away from her desk for a few minutes and came back and we continued the interview, she asked a few more questions. She took the photos I did have.
She was an Asian lady btw, and from local gossip and reading another interview experience here, she has a reputation for being quite strict.
I think I handled the questioning reasonably.
At the end, she told me my visa was "tentatively approved" and said I would receive it in a few days.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #33894