|
|
| London, United Kingdom |  Review on March 3, 2011: |
Emler
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
i took the train down the night before - good job as all the trains were running late, the timetables were all over the place! I was coming from Devon, so wanted to give myself plenty of time.
My appointment was at 9am, I was staying at The Cumberland (got a great deal on lastminute.com) which is right next to marble arch - literally. So i was only 5-10 mins walk away from the Embassy.
I checked out of the hotel at 07:45am and walked to Goulds pharmacy to drop off my bag/electricals - they will store everythingfor you there for £3, so i gave them my overnight bag as well as my electricals - so payed £6. This meant i just had to take my paperwork with me and my wallet. I already had my American passport pictures that i had got from them the night before - £10 for 6.
I got to the line for the consolate at 8am, after about 10 mins you get to the first person who asks to look at your appointment letter, your MRV fee payment recipt, and your passport - they will not let you in if you do not have all 3 of these things. If you have them they let you through to the next line, where they check your pasport and letters again, then you go to another line (they were all fairly short) which is right outside the entrance. They let 4 people in at a time to go through security which is just like what you would find at an airport. When they have x-rayed your belongings and you have walked through the metal detector, they let you in. It was now 08:30am, so it wasnt too bad 
You walk round to the right of the building, just follow the signs, which leads to the reception desk. Here they ask for your letters again and they give you your number (which will be an I number) and tell you to look for that number being called on the boards in the waiting room.
The waiting room was quite long, lots of seating around boards showing the numbers being called and the desk no. they are being called too - they are also announced audably but keep an eye on the boards, as i noticed they missed some! There are 11 desks within the waiting room - desks 12 - 25 were down the corredor just next to were desk 11 is.
You will see and hear lots of N numbers being called, before you are! I waited for 55 mins before i was called to desk 14. The guy there was very friendly and asked for my original birth certificate with a copy, my passport (which he hung on to), my police record original - they did not want a copy with it - and they did keep it! He also asked for the I-134 that my fiance had filled in with his last tax return, and last couple of pay slips. I said i had alot of evidence if they needed more, but he stated that it wasnt too important for the K1 visa, and what i had given him would be fine. He then took my figerprints, and stated that my paperwork was all in order -(one relief there! )and that i would get my original birth certificate back at the interview. He gave me a CD with my chest x-ray on, he said i should have that with me when i fly to America, and the pink form to fill in so that they had details of where i wanted my passport posted back too - which i did at the desk as i had forgotten my pen lol. He then said that i should go back to the waiting room to be called for my interview. That part took about 15 mins.
I went back to the waiting room and waited another 30 mins before i was called again, this time to window 16. This time it was an American guy who asked how i was doing and was very friendly. He had me do my figerpirnts again to verify i was who i said i was, then had me hold up right had and sware everything i said was the truth.
He then had me sign the forms and asked me about where I had met Phillip and when i was thinking fo going to America. Whether we had booked the wedding yet etc. Very informal. He then told me that that he was happy to inform me that my application had been approved!! He told me where to go to arrange for my passport to send back to me, and that when it came, there would be a big brown envelope with 'do not open' written on it - he said that is what i need to take with me when i go to America, as they will want to see it at port of entry. He told me, whatever i do, do not open it, it has to be sealed for them to accept it - and that if i opened it, it would have to be sent back to the embassy to re-seal it, which would cause considerable deplays. And that was it! I payed the £14 by debit card for my visa to be sent back, and i was out of the embassy by 10:50am!
It is true what everyone says here, it really was nothing to worry about, and all in all, not a bad experience .
(updated on March 2, 2011)
(updated on March 2, 2011)
(updated on March 2, 2011)
(updated on March 2, 2011)
| |
|
Consulate / USCIS Member Review #7216