3 days and counting

[Son of Clyde]

I spoke to her today and the connection was quite good.

During our conversation I mentioned things the interviewer might mention and the fact they might ask her if she wants to conduct her interview in Russian or English.

She seems to be one step ahead of me and said she would be well prepared. The good thing is that she has a lady friend also filing for a K-1 and they are working on everything together. They will have their interviews on the same day and plan to fly to the United States on the same flight.

The only downside is that I will need to meet her at JFK instead of Dulles.

Hopefully she will arrive about 3 weeks from her interview.

[Turboguy]

You are getting close son of Clyde.   It is great that she has someone to work with in getting ready for the interview and that they can fly over together.

So how are you holding up.   Sleeping well?    One month from this moment I will be have been pacing up and down in front of the embassy for about an hour chewing my fingernails down to the palm of my hand, probably taking up smoking again after 6 years of being a non smoker and thinking about getting drunk at 8 something in the morning.   If she gets turned down, i will go on a long drunk and I rarely drink at all.

Good luck.  I am sure she will do fine.

 

[Jet]

[user=130]Son of Clyde[/user] wrote:

The only downside is that I will need to meet her at JFK instead of Dulles.

 

Don't think of this as a downside Clyde! Most likely, she  will have a much smoother, more pleasurable immigration experience at JFK than she would at Dulles. My wife has gone through both airports and she MUCH prefers JFK to the inept monkeys at Dulles. I was with her at JFK and they are highly efficient and polite (took about 15 minutes to process her papers). She also got the work Auth stamp allowing us to get her SS card with a minimum of BS a week and a half later. In contrast, Dulles took 2 hrs 45 min, were downright rude, caused her to miss her connection, and gave her a bunch of BAD information concerning future travel.

A short trip from DC area to NYC area is well worth it IMHO

Good Luck to you both!

Son of Clyde,

  Been away from list some time.  Is good to hear that your lady has interview date.

  Relax, and enjoy the good feelings..

 Personally, my fiancee has interview in Moscow on September 1.  I will go to her home in September.  We have some business to complete in her city..   She will probably travel here in late October or November...

  Ron

[Son of Clyde]

The interview was a breeze.

They asked her two questions before issuing her visa.

1) They asked her if she knew my mother's name

2) They asked her how her sister was adjusting to life in the United States

The interviewer then wished her a safe journey.

[Todd]

Congrats!  Our interview experience was quite similar.  2 questions....If you like, Kate will be going through JFK on July 20th, I can write you if she has any problems or finds anything confusing.

 

Todd

[Goombah]

Todd -

Please do post her experience!

Kevin

[catzenmouse]

Don't think of this as a downside Clyde! Most likely, she  will have a much smoother, more pleasurable immigration experience at JFK than she would at Dulles. My wife has gone through both airports and she MUCH prefers JFK to the inept monkeys at Dulles. I was with her at JFK and they are highly efficient and polite (took about 15 minutes to process her papers). She also got the work Auth stamp allowing us to get her SS card with a minimum of BS a week and a half later. In contrast, Dulles took 2 hrs 45 min, were downright rude, caused her to miss her connection, and gave her a bunch of BAD information concerning future travel.

A short trip from DC area to NYC area is well worth it IMHO

Good Luck to you both!

Elena had a terrible experience at JFK. They were very rude to her. Shuffled her off to a side room with no explaination as to why because one of the professionals didn't stamp her visa, took her medical paperwork (which we have had to recreate at considerable expense to us), and after finding out that it was their mistake sent her on her way without telling her where to go to catch her flight to Dulles (everyone else from the flight was already gone) or even a hint of an apology. The immigration people in Dulles were waiting for the flight to come in through them and had no idea that the passengers were being run through immigration in NYC. The flight actually came in through a get on the other side of the airport while I and about 100 others were waiting at the immigration gate. It was also about 4 hours late due to the fiasco in NYC. I'm glad that others have had a good experience with NYC but I for one will never have anything to do with them.

Ken

 

[Son of Clyde]

Todd,

Please post your experience with JFK.

I'm driving to JFK to meet her. Will probably leave at 6am to get there in plenty of time for her 3:10pm arrival.

 

[ConnerVT]

The experience that Ken wrote about is one of the reasons I'm a strong proponent of traveling with your fiancee/wife from her country to the US.  It seems that all people are much more likely to act responsively to another American, especially if courteous and well spoken, than to a foreign immigrant.

Of course, besides giving well needed support to your loved one, there is also the well needed luggage handling component! 

[Turboguy]

Son of Clyde,  I will bet you plan to leave at 6 am, then to be safe you will make it 5 am,  then just to be extra save 4 am.   You will end up having breakfast at jfk at 8am waiting for her.    It won't be long now. 

Connor, or anyone.   I had always noticed two lines when I came in.  One for US citizens and one for non us.   My understanding is that there is a third one for immigrants that I never noticed and that it is the one my gal will need.   My question is, am I allowed to go with her or do I have to send her alone and go through the US citizen line?

 

[ConnerVT]

If I remember correctly, we all were directed to the US citizen line.  Forgive me for not being sure, but traveling on a 10 hour flight with a 5 y.o. in tow will do that to you. 

There are usually people directing people to the different lines when you arrive down in 'The Dungeon' (as a refer to JFK's arrival hall).  Stop and ask one of them to make sure.

[Jet]

  I had always noticed two lines when I came in.  One for US citizens and one for non us.   My understanding is that there is a third one for immigrants that I never noticed and that it is the one my gal will need.   My question is, am I allowed to go with her or do I have to send her alone and go through the US citizen line?

 

You can go with her. The intending immigrant lines are the last two on the far end as you walk in, but like Connor said just explain to the "cattle herder" that you are a citizen and she is travelling on a K visa and you'd like to go through the line together. They don't mind this request at all, and when you get to the counter they will want to see your passport first, then her package and passport/visa. They will then take her to a room in the center of the wall behind all the lanes and maybe suggest you go fetch the bags (around the corner) while they process her. When we finally left, we went up to the customs inspector and I told him "hey, all these bags are mine and my fiancee's. Some of my stuff is in her bags and some of her's is in mine, but we don't have anything bad - just a few bottles of liquor and a few cartons of smokes" His reply was "Welcome to America, go right on through!"

[Turboguy]

Thanks Conner and Jet.  I guess I shold just worry about the interview but it is nice to ask questions while you can.  I really appreicate the input and I am glad I can go with her in that line.