davidnyc

K1 VISA INTERVIEW - LONDON – 17TH AUGUST 2009

Hello everyone,

I travelled down to London on Sunday night so I could attend my Embassy interview on Monday morning. I realise that these ‘Interview Descriptions’ have been place on this site previously; but I wanted to share my experience, and hopefully it may allay any fears or concerns people have, who are due to attend the interview in the near future.

I had left the night before, and travelled by coach overnight from Liverpool. I arrived in London at around 06:20hrs, I was knackered, but excited, as I was about to attend what we have been waiting for all this time, The Embassy Interview. I had previously attended for the medical on the 5th August, during which; it was found I had raised BP, so with me I had the letter from the Doctor enclosing the Management Plan to hand into Knightsbridge Doctors. Unfortunately, I had not managed to get the missing piece of paperwork back to them before the actual interview. I decided I would walk across to see them after I had completed my time at the Embassy.

I walked from Victoria Coach Station, down towards Buckingham Palace, and up Park Lane onto Oxford Street. I wanted to stretch my legs instead of the easy option of catching a tube. This walk took me about 40 mins, and I arrived on Oxford Street and went for a breakfast at McDonald’s. I had previously bought myself an expandable folder on ebay to hold all the paperwork I had with me. It was just the job, a filing cabinet under your arm.

My appointment was at 0900hrs. So I decided to sit in Grosvenor Square, to relax before I joined the queue. It’s a peaceful, place, people walking their dogs, or just sitting reading. I tagged onto the end of the queue at around 0825hrs. We moved along rapidly. There was a queue for American Citizen Services which was to the left of the Visa queue. They checked my invitation letter, and passport, and then directed me to an assistant who was standing to the right, who checked the passport again. I then moved into the security booth, where the contents of my pockets were scanned, as you would at the airport, so no big deal there. Although I didn’t have to take my belt or shoes off.

If any of you reading this has not watched the Embassy video on you tube, here is the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzZOvF1EEXE

It gives you a good idea what all this looks like. I walked round to the side of the Embassy and up some steps. I went into the building and again showed my letter and passport. I was given several sticky labels on sheets, with a number on them. Mine was I859.

I passed into the main room, which consisted of a counter on your left where the DX courier staff were taking payments and details from successful applicants so they could arrange the delivery of their passports and visas. I think DX are a new addition to the process. I turned and sat down with all the other people in the room. There must have been several hundred. In the centre of the room, there are 8 monitors, four faces towards one end for people sitting in the near side of the room, and four faces away, for people on the other side of the room. Only 4 of these were switched on.

I read somewhere it had reminded someone of waiting in Argos for your number to be called so you could move forward to collect your item. It was very much like this. I kept expecting someone to shout ‘House’ when the numbers were being called. The numbering system consists of a letter and
Three numbers, on the screens you may see I234, N323 or maybe E177. A clear American female voice rattles through the numbers as they appear on the screens. Having said that, the odd male voice came over the speakers which was an actual person, and was hard to hear what was being said at times. The main room comprises of windows 1 through 11. These windows are where you hand the required paperwork in and they take fingerprints.

I had been in the building since around 0840hrs. And it was now about 0915hrs. I thought I was doing pretty well time wise. I was called to window 1 and approached to see a small Chinese woman in front of me. She seemed very irritable, and I was struggling to understand or hear her. I was thinking to myself “This is going to take some time”. She started by asking me if I had been for the medical and I told that I had, but still needed to hand some missing paperwork into the doctors.

She asked for a copy of my I797, and letter from the NVC, the one’s that show the case has been approved by the USCIS etc. Luckily I had taken several copies of these with me. She then vanished for about 10 mins, and came back with another lady, who I assumed must have been a supervisor or similar. They discussed something, in my case probably the fact that they had no medical paperwork from the Knightsbridge Doctors. The Chinese lady came back and I had my fingerprints taken, left hand, right hand and the thumbs. I think she must have got out of bed on the wrong side that day.

Now the paperwork she asked for was quite interesting, as there was no request for additional evidence of relationship, or fiancée bank and pay statements, or the letter from her bank. She only wanted one copy of the I-134, my police certificate, long birth certificate, divorce paperwork, and my fiancées U.S. tax return. She already had the DS-156, DS-156k and DS-230 Part I as I had returned that to them before the interview. She asked me when I planned to fly back to the U.S.


She asked me to go around the corner to the cashier so I could pay for the visa it was £79.00 ($1.65 = 1 Pound), I paid in GBP. I returned with two receipts, one I kept and the other I handed back to this lady. I was them directed to sit back down, and wait for my call to a window for the actual interview. This time I sat on the other side of the room as it was right near window 1. Time moved on, and it must have been 40 minutes or so, and my number was once again called. This time window 15, the interview windows run from 12 through 25, and are around the side near the toilets and cashier.

I approached the window and saw that the consular officer who was to interview me was the American lady I had seen earlier talking to the Chinese lady. She was very pleasant and asked how I was. I took the oath to say that everything I said was the truth, and signed the form, at the bottom, as well as writing my fiancées name in capitals. She then began asking me some questions. In my case I was asked how we met, when we first met in person, how I proposed, when we intend to get married, who will be attending the ceremony; when I will be travelling back over to the U.S. pretty much standard stuff. I enjoyed the chat we had, and could have spent more time there really. She ended by saying that she will grant me the visa, as soon as the medical paperwork is received by the Embassy and is acceptable. I thanked her, and went over to the desk where DX were taking payments for the return of the passport, which would contain the visa stuck inside it. I paid my £14.20 and got my receipt; then left the building.

I made my way quickly across to the Knightsbridge Doctors, about 10 minutes walk, and handed in the Management Plan. They told me that the doctor would review it and if it was ok they would send it over to the Embassy on Tuesday, along with the rest of medical paperwork.

I’ve prattled on for long enough, I hope that this will be of help to anyone who has the interview on the horizon. I was there for approximately 2 hours in the Embassy, and that was quick I thought. Enjoy the experience.

Regards,

David

ian-mstm

And that's what it's all about! What a great write up. Congratulations!

Ian

YouWantFriesWithThat

Hi again David,

Thanks for taking the time to post that, I found it very interesting and hepful

I'm glad it all went well for you

My medical is very soon, followed by my interview a week later and I am likely to be in exactly the same situation as you regarding my BP at my medical i.e. it is likely to be high as I'm only half way through a treatment plan to get it down.

So, can I ask you this please, as I have been worrying myself silly over it: what exactly did the Knightsbridge doctor say about your raised BP? Did he / she say that you had to provide evidence that your BP was under complete control or that you were under a treatment plan for it? It's an important difference to know for me because it could mean for me a time difference of quite a few weeks if they actually want evidence of normal BP as opposed to showing that you are receiving treatment for it.

Thanks David, any info from your experience about dealing with your high BP at Knightsbridge will be gladly welcomed by me (and I'm sure others in the future!) and will probably help my BP in the process

PS I've read about that Chinese lady in other posts; it seems most days she gets out of bed on the wrong side.......!!!!

davidnyc

Hi Again,

The way I see it is if you are already under a 'Management Plan' to reduce your BP, then take evidence to the Medical with you, such as a letter from the Doctor, explaining what is being done about it. In my case I didn't realise I had raised BP, so that's why I'm having to do things back to front in a way. When you lay down and the Doctor takes the BP and pulse, it will obviously show up, but at least you can hand the paperwork to them, and it should save time.

I had several blood tests as well as part of my course of treatment, and I supplied the results for them at the same time, all were clear thankfully.

Dr Cronje, the lady who carried out my medical, phoned this morning, to say that she had received the 'Management Plan' I had handed in whilst in London Yesterday, and it was fine. All I'm left to do is fax through the copy of the ECG I had last week, then they will send the medical paperwork over to the Embassy and the visa will be issued.

So I'm pleased I can finally see the light at the end of tunnel, at least on the U.K. side anyway.

David

EJ3

Congratulations to you!

davidnyc

Cheers, thanks

meauxna

Awesome write up, David, we love them! Congratulations on your successful big day!

helwardman

I got interviewed by the Chinese woman (sounds like the same one).......I had a hard time understanding her.

MandyNi

Good to hear everything seems to be going in the right direction and you will soon have that elusive visa! I'll be going through this probably around Dec/Jan.

One thing I was wondering, now I haven't yet read the whole wiki and information on the Packet 3 paperwork, but I thought the fiance take return wasn't needed to the AOS stage? Am I wrong?

Mandy

Noorah101

Hi Mandy,

Tax returns will again be necessary for the AOS stage. Part of the AOS paperwork includes form I-864, Affidavit of Support, which requires a backup document of the Sponsor's most recent tax return at that time.

Rene

meauxna

I read it the other way 'round.

The tax returns are part of the evidence of financial support for the K-1 visa interview, with form I-134.

Noorah101

You're right, I misread her post. I read "not needed at the AOS stage".

Yes, tax returns are needed as backup to the I-134 affidavit of support, at the Interview stage.

Rene

MandyNi

Wow, ok, so I need to make sure M. takes his tax information to CA with him! Thanks, I had thought it was just the form at this time but I haven't read through all the info in detail.

Sorry so can I just make sure I get this right, I don't need to send them with the forms to the Embassy but I need to have them for further information when I go for interview?

Noorah101

That's correct.

Rene

meauxna

Evidence Which May Be Presented to Meet the Public Charge Provisions of the Law

They are not required, but are a good idea (easiest way for most people too).