Richelle Thalgott

Hooray!!!!! The day has come and gone and I have recieved my K-1!!! I'm soooooo
excited about this. This group has been great. Thanks to everyone. I just thought I
would post my experience. It was so easy I was almost disappointed(well, not really).

I got to Vancouver at 10:00am on the day of my interview(just yesterday). I flew in
from Saskatchewan. My interview was scheduled for 2:00pm. I hopped on the Airporter,
the easiest way to get downtown from the airport and much cheaper than a taxi, 18.00
both ways. I was staying at the YMCA so I stopped in there to check-in to my room and
drop off my stuff. Then I headed out to find the consulate. It was very simple(even
though I turned the wrong way on
W. Pender at first). It took me about 15 mins to walk to the consulate, and in the
rain, no less.

Well, I got there much too early. I went up to the 20th floor at 12:45pm and the lady
at the security desk told I was too early and I could come back at
1:30pm. So I went downstairs and spent a nerve-racking 45 mins at Starbucks. Back
upstairs at 1:30pm. They searched my purse, which I had completly emptied besides
my daytimer and I went through the metal detector and was told to go through this
door and have a seat in the waiting area.

There were 3 of us there for our K-1s. I was 2nd in line. When my name was called I
went up to the window with all my stuff. The lady was super friendly and that put me
at ease right away. She had a checklist of things in front of her and as she asked
for things, I handed them over. She made a copy of my birth certificate even though I
told her that it was already a copy. She gave me back my copy. I had to go to another
window down the hall to pay my $45. No problem. When she had all my stuff she told me
to have a seat and the interviewer would be with me soon.

While waiting the 3 of us had a good chat-how we met our fiances, where we'll be
living, etc. The 1st lady was called up and then, to our surprise, both I and the
other lady there were called up together! We both went to the window looking a little
bit confused. Our interviewer told us that she had looked over our files, everything
was in order, she didn't have any questions for either of us, and our visas were
approved!!! Then we were told to have a seat for about 30 mins while the paperwork
was completed.

After about half an hour, all 3 of us were called up again and handed our passports.
We told to inspect the visa that had been placed in there to make sure there were no
errors(I had already pointed one out to them earlier-they had my last name spelled
wrong on their checklist). Then we were handed a brown envelope(aka the Mysterious
Brown Envelope) and told NOT to open it and to hand it over at our point of entry,
wherever that may be. We were then told that any further questions should be
forwarded to the immigration officer at out POE.

And that was it. I didn't even have to show them any proof of our relationship which
is too bad b/c I had lots!! It was so easy. I worried for nothing. I think my fiance
was more worried than I was!! The first thing I did was call him to share in our
news. It's so hard being so far away still...

Anyway, that's how it went. Glad that part is over. It's too bad that as soon as you
get over one obstacle there's still a bunch more. *sigh* At least the rest of them
can be shared my fiance and I... Tonya