Hi list,
Irina and I had our interview date on March 4, 2002. We were successful in obtaining the visa. This is a description of the embassy and interview.
The embassy entrance is located on a main street -- about 8 lanes of traffic. The metro station is a couple of blocks away from the embassy so you might want to look at the location on a map to get a general feel on which way to exit the metro and which way to walk from the metro.
The actual embassy entrance is pretty obvious as there is a guard booth and fencing to provide for orderly line formation. We arrived at about 8:10 am and there were about 15 people in line. Irina knew the procedure and went to about the middle of the line. The people in back of us did not have interview invitations. The invitation was a pink piece of paper that is included as the cover letter in the packet that is sent by the embassy to the fiancee applicant. Despite what the embassy says about not needing the packet, this pink invitation letter is critical to get into the embassy easier. Have this pink sheet of paper out and make sure the guard sees it. If you are accompanying your fiancee, have your US passport out too and wave it around (this is one place where you want to be recognized as a US citizen). The guards will pull your fiancee to the proper place in line if they see the invite letter. The guards will then check the invite letter against her passport and admit her (and you) to the embassy. Sometimes you have to wait outside for a while people are being cleared in the next security step.
Unfortunately after waiting in line for about 10 minutes, Irina suddenly realized that we had forgotten the X-ray from the medical examination. It was back at the Ukraina Hotel. We flagged a gypsy cab, raced to the hotel, and returned to the embassy at about 8:40. We got in line again and waited about 5 minutes. We then were admitted to the embassy. You go through a set of iron gates, then to another set of gates and are buzzed through them. A guard checks your carry items. You then walked through a short (20 feet) construction area to a new building. You were then buzzed into that building and your carry items and coats were immediately security checked. You then walked through a standard metal detector doorway. The guards doing the handbag check took a nail file from Irina and my camera and gave us a pickup check for the items when we were leaving.
You then walk a short distance through some hallways to the waiting room. As soon as we entered the waiting room Irina turned in her pink invitation letter to one of the interview windows. We then could take a seat and wait our turn to be called. The waiting room is about 15 by 20 feet and the cashiers window is at one end. On the other end is a large open doorway leading to a small (15 by 6 foot) room that has the 5 interview windows. The interview windows are typical counter/glass variety. Each is numbered. There are restrooms in the hallway outside of the interview room but I saw no drinking fountains. I didn't ask about them though either.
In the waiting room there is seating for about 25 people. It was nearly full when we were there. We sat down and waited about 10 minutes. Irina's name was then called (in Russian) over a loud speaker and she was told to go to a specific interview window. We walked up to the window and the clerk had a checklist for items that she wanted from us. The clerk went quickly down the check list as Irina was well organized and easily handed the items in. Irina handed the clerk original birth and divorce papers as well as copies plus all the other papers that are on the required list that is on the embassy web page as well as the list in the packet (both lists are the same -- the packet list has the advantage of being in Russian -- the embassy web page I believe has the option of being displayed in Russian as well though). After the clerk completed the checklist, she gave us a white payment slip and asked us to pay the cashiers and then have a seat. All of this was done in Russian.
We paid the cashier -- $45. We sat down. We waited about 40 minutes this time. While sitting there we talked with other applicants. It was my evaluation that about half the people there were Russian families who were immigrating to the US. Another half were US parents applying for adoption visas for Russian children. I think there were only about 4 fiancee visa applicants. One other couple looked to be successful. Two Russian women fiancee visa applicants were turned away because their police certifications were not complete or in order.
Again Irina's name was called on the loudspeaker and we reported to Window No. 5. The male clerk (an American) handed back the originals of the birth and divorce papers. He then asked whether I was the petitioner (which I was). He then politely asked me to sit down. There was a chair right by the interview and I asked whether I could sit there. He said that he preferred me to sit in the waiting room and if there were any questions, I would be called. (I am not a very agressive person but I sensed the clerk was a reasonable person so I followed his request. I am sure some AM would give the clerk a story about travelling 6000 miles and wanting to go through this with their fiancee. I don't know if that song and dance would have worked and whether the AM would be allowed to stand at the window. Each clerk may be different also.)
I went into the waiting room and sat down. I then walked over to a position where I could see Irina at the window. About that time (5-7 minutes total) Irina turned, smiled and indicated that we were successful. (Another applicant's, John Federico, finacee took about 2 minutes for her interview.)
Interview questions:
(Background -- Irina came to the US on a K-1 visa in 2000. The relationship did not work out and she returned to Russia within the 90 day period.)
1. Why do you want to immigrate? (Irina answered she did not want to immigrate, she wanted marriage and family. This question, asked in different ways, came back several times.
2. Why do you want to try another American man?
3. What is your education?
4. Do you have a diploma?
5. What is your job?
6. What is your salary?
7. You salary is good for your city, so your life in Russia is pretty good, why do you want to immigrate?
8. Do you have relatives in Russia?
9. Do you have children?
10. You have tried to immigrate to the US before and it didn't work out, why try again?
11. With your previous experience with an AM, why try again?
12. Why did your fiance look for a RW not an AW?
13. Where did you meet?
14. Do you plan to work in the US?
Irina found that she had to be assertive in her answers. However, I believe most Russians can be assertive fairly easily.
We then left the embassy with instructions to return at 4 pm to pick up the visa.
We returned to the embassy and stood at the same gate and line as in the morning. The guards had a list of people to admit. Irina's name was not on the list. Fortunately, for our sanity anyway, about 3 other people in line were in the same boat. The guards were efficient and went inside the embassy with our names to see what the problem was. They finally came out with the ok to admit us. We again went through the same security gates and procedures as before. We went to the waiting room. The morning session was well orgainized. The afternoon visa pickup session was chaos. Typical Russian line formation and rules. Anyway, Irina got up to a window, got the visa, and the sealed packet that goes to the POE INS. We stood in the waiting room area and carefully inspected the visa for any errors. We left the embassy hand in hand.
I have related the above without mentioning the obvious stress in the waiting and the jubilation in the success. Both were there in abundance.
