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|  Review on March 8, 2011: |
blessedblessed
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
When looking at the MENA forum here on VJ, it's plain to see that discussions on the Consulate in Casablanca is a major discussion point!! Before Abdelhay had his interview yesterday (3/7), I read every thread I could find on the subject. I don't think, however, that it actually helped the approval of Abdelhay's visa. We definitely reviewed detailed information such as my graduation date from high school, the places I have lived, where Indiana is on the map and what states are around it...but Abdelhay was only questioned for about 5 minutes and few questions were addressed! That being said, I will now begin to describe Abdelhay's experience at the Consulate.
--He arrived 5 minutes before his 9 o'clock appointment. The only thing he brought with him was the (Avatar-covered! ha!) binder full of the required forms and evidence. (I still haven't figured out what it means to "front load" evidence, but Abdelhay organized everything with tabs and plastic sheets. In addition to all of the required I-134 forms, we included the following in the evidence he took: mine and my co-sponsor's [my mom] 2010 tax return papers, our transcripts from 2008 and 2009, letters from our employers, bank account information [account start dates, current balance, 2010 deposit history], skype call history, yahoo messenger chat/call history, facebook emails, emails from my family to him, the blog i created when i studied in Morocco for 7 months, screenshots of my university's study abroad page where I am mentioned, and evidence of Abdelhay's freelance work.)
--He sat for about 30 minutes before he was called to a window and questioned by a man who took the financial paperwork. He asked Abdelhay how he and I met and was surprised that I had spent 7 months there studying. He asked if I was fluent in Arabic since that's what I studied. He asked Abdelhay how he learned to speak English so well, even though they were conversing in darija. Abdelhay said that it seemed like the guy spent more time looking at the evidence showing Abdelhay's freelance work (he does freelance 3d animation work), and asked how he learned how to do animation. He looked at my financial paperwork, and asked if there was any more info--Abdelhay said yes, and mentioned my mom's information since she's our co-sponsor. Abdelhay asked a few times if he wanted to see additional evidence, and the guy said "no, no, save that for the next person you speak with. They'll take a look at it!"
--The blonde lady called Abdelhay after about an hour. He said he was really nervous at first, but that she was really nice and smiling and seemed genuinely interested to hear about our story. After this, Abdelhay relaxed. The "interview" lasted for about 5 minutes and she asked: how we met, what i studied in school, how he learned english so well, what we have in common, what he loves about me, what he planned on doing here in the US. She asked again, "She studied in Morocco for 7 months!?" Abdelhay said she didn't look at any evidence. She told him that his request for a visa was approved and that they would call him when his visa is ready. He asked if he should call me and tell me the good news, and she said "absolutely, yes!"
I don't think that we were approved because of any of the evidence provided in the interview. Some facts about our relationship:
-Met in August 2009 on Facebook through mutual friends
-Met in person January 2010
-I studied/lived in Morocco for 7.5 months
-I have a BA degree in Arabic & MENA Cultures (whatever that's worth!)
-He's 26 and I just turned 28
-I'd like to think that he and I are equally attractive and educated
I hope that helps anyone looking for a detailed account/experience. Please feel free to ask any additional questions as I'm sure I've left a detail or two out!
Jessica
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #7237