All visa applications in mainland China are processed at the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou. Many people fail their visa interviews because they are not clear about the process. Today, WorldWay has compiled the essential process for U.S. immigrant visa interviews at the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou for everyone, and we hope your interview goes smoothly.
U.S. immigrant visa interview process at the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou:
1. Arrive at the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou thirty minutes before your scheduled appointment. Many applicants believe they must arrive at the consulate entrance as early as possible to queue on the day of the interview, but in reality, all applicants have a scheduled appointment time, so there is no need to wait at the consulate entrance for a long time before the interview.
2. When entering the consulate, do not bring any prohibited items, such as weapons of any kind, mobile phones, or personal bags. You will need to present your passport and appointment letter to the security staff and then pass through security screening. Security screening generally takes 5 to 15 minutes.
3. After passing security, please walk through the courtyard to enter the consulate building, then take the elevator to the third floor to the waiting hall. First, you need to go to Window 1 to get a number, then sit in Area A to wait for your number to be called and to submit your documents. The electronic screen will indicate which window to go to, so please pay attention to the electronic screen display while waiting. When your number is called, please go to the corresponding window to submit the required documents to the staff.
4. Prepare for the visa interview. After submitting your documents, please go to Area B to wait for the visa interview. Similarly, please pay attention to the electronic screen display while waiting. Usually, the waiting time from submitting documents to the interview is 20 to 40 minutes. When your number is called, please go to the corresponding window for your interview with the consular officer.
5. The formal visa interview. Do not be nervous at this time; take a deep breath! Consular officers are also ordinary people! Generally, the officer will spend a few minutes talking to the applicant about their immigrant visa application. In fact, the face-to-face conversation with the officer is often a simple process, and the officer will conduct the interview in Mandarin. The officer will first greet the applicant and then begin the interview. During the interview, the officer will have you provide fingerprints and take an oath. One of the most important things to remember is that you have taken an oath, so you must answer questions truthfully. If you do not understand a question, do not worry; you can ask the officer to repeat it. The officer wants to ensure that all applicants have the opportunity to answer questions fully and honestly.
6. After the visa interview, the officer will tell you whether your visa application has been approved. If approved, the officer will give you a notice explaining how and when to collect your visa package. After the interview, the consulate will retain your passport and affix the visa inside it after it has been printed.
7. If your application is refused, the officer will explain the reason for the refusal and what to do next. You will also receive a refusal explanation letter in both Chinese and English. Once the officer tells you that your visa has been approved or refused, your visa interview is over.
Below is the real-life process of a lady's immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou. We hope it is helpful to everyone.
Appointment time: 8:15
I arrived at the consulate entrance at 7:30. There are many fences at the entrance, and there are two lines on the left and right; one is for tourist visas, and the other is for immigrant visas. Facing the consulate, the right side (near Exit B1) is for tourist visas, and the left side is for immigrant visas. I queued in the wrong line when I arrived, but fortunately, many agency ladies on-site reminded me, and I got in the right line!
Let me talk about those ladies here. Actually, you don't need to worry too much. I had a friend who had experience with a tourist visa just before I went. Because the consulate does not allow items other than documents to be brought inside, including mobile phones, bags, electronic devices, belts, food, etc., it is best to bring a large plastic bag to put all your things in. Also, bring an extra coat, especially since it is very easy to have heavy rain in Guangzhou from February to August (it rained very heavily on the day I went). Then pay 20-30 yuan to those ladies to store your bags. They are from nearby agencies and will give you a card. They will wait for everyone at the consulate entrance. If you have any questions you don't understand, you can also ask the ladies; they are quite nice. You don't need to go too early; they won't let you in even if you go. About 30 minutes before the appointment time is fine.
Entering the consulate
1) First, pass the security guard. Please clip your passport, appointment letter, and interview letter (collectively referred to as the "3 Treasures" below) with your passport to make it convenient for the guard to check (being fast is what really matters).
2) Wait for security screening. Keep the 3 Treasures in your hand and wait for the staff to arrange for you. When it is your turn, the staff will stick a barcode on your passport.
3) Enter the security check, put all items into the bag, then place them on the tray, and just walk through yourself.
4) After security, walk straight out and turn right.
5) Enter the consulate again, and there will be staff to guide you to the third floor.
6) After arriving on the third floor, the first thing is to take a number. The staff will arrange for you. The 3 Treasures must be taken out.
7) After taking a number, wait in Area A. Pay attention to the green TV screen. When there is sound, you must check if it is your turn. There is no verbal calling of numbers inside.
Entering Area A
1) Area A is actually the window for submitting documents. The people submitting documents inside all look Chinese. At this time, you will see a large folder containing all your documents. My U.S. lawyer had already submitted 90% of my documents, so I only needed to supplement some. The documents are detailed in the "Prepare Documents" section above. I supplemented the notarized certificate of no criminal record and tax returns; I had everything else ready.
2) Note that although this is not the interviewer, they will also ask you questions from time to time to test you, so be careful. They asked me what my husband's name was, who applied for my husband to go over, etc.
3) After the documents are submitted, you will be given a domestic violence guidance brochure, and the number slip will be pasted directly on it. Then go to Area B to wait.
Entering Area B
1) Area B is where the interviewer interviews you (I was silly at the time, thinking it was for fingerprinting, and there was a third window, but it turned out they were together, and I walked over very easily, but it was lucky to have that mindset, as I was more relaxed).
2) A white woman interviewed me. First, I politely said hello. I saw she was in a good mood. Then I did the fingerprinting. One hand didn't scan well, and she said very apologetically: "I know it's hard, it's really hard, you need to press a bit harder."
3) Oath: Read it once with her. I just watched her and read it once. I think eye contact is very important at this time. I felt my eye contact was very sincere, and I could also see it from her eyes, haha.
4) Then the questions started. I forgot the order of the questions. She was looking at my materials while asking.
Officer: Did you know each other before or after he went to the U.S.?
Me: Before. We knew each other when we were working part-time in college.
Officer: Smiles
Officer: How do you usually keep in touch?
Me: QQ and phone. I brought them with me (I reached out to take out the file).
Officer: No, no, I don't look at those records.
Me: Oh, oh.
Officer: How often do you contact each other, once a day or once a week?
Me: Basically every day.
Officer: Smiles
Officer: Do you have a baby yet?
Me: Not yet.
Officer: Do you want one?
Me: Yes.
Officer: How many does your husband want?
Me: Two.
Officer: And you?
Me: Also two (and then I smiled too).
Officer: Smiles
Officer: Has he come back to see you after he went over?
Me: Yes, three times, once every year, but not this year.
Officer: Smiles, you can go see him this year, no need to come back.
Me: I really hope so too.
Officer: Have you been to the U.S.?
Me: No.
Officer: What is his job now?
Me: He is ***+*** this year.
Then she was looking at my birth certificate.
Officer: Are you from Guangzhou?
Me: Yes, I was born here.
Officer: Smiles
Me: My husband is too.
At this moment, I suddenly felt it was strange; he had already immigrated, so I immediately added that he was born in Guangzhou.
Officer: Smiles
I was really scared to death because the whole conversation felt like chatting with a friend, so I blurted it out. During this time, she would write on the green paper, look at the computer, and look at the documents. Actually, the atmosphere was quite good. Then she closed my folder, took a rubber band to tie my passport together, and said to me: "Congratulations, you passed." She gave me a white slip (a collection notice). If you have any questions after reading this slip, go to Window 23 for consultation.
I clearly heard it, but I still repeated it.
Me: I passed??
Officer: Yes, you passed!
Me: Really? Thank you so much, thank you so much!!
I had seen that I should be given a red slip for payment, so I asked again if I didn't need to pay. The interviewer wasn't sure, so she checked again. While I was saying my husband should have paid, she checked and told me very firmly that it had been paid. Then I said thank you again and left.
The entire visa interview process did not require me to provide further proof of relationship documents. After submitting the basic documents, the whole process was just a conversation. Although I spent over 1,000 to get notarizations, resumes, and photos, I still think it was worth it. Everyone's visa interview process is different, but you should still prepare what needs to be prepared. You've waited so long. Good luck!
