DV 2013 Hungarian Selected Meeting Point
- Thread starter Juicee
- Start date
OK, so here is the deal 
Our interview date was for 9 AM, we arrived to the Embassy around 8:15.
You can only enter through security and the guard told us that we can only be allowed in max 15 minutes before our interview time, so we had to take a walk around, and come back at 8:45.
We arrived back on time, we were put through security by twos, first the girls, then the boys. You are going through security like in an airport security, but you have to leave every electronic device behind (phones, car keys etc.).
You are let into the main waiting lobby, which looks like a bank lobby, with electronic numbering system and windows with numbers. You have to take a number from the ticketing device, then wait for your number to appear. We sat down and waited, it was a bit funny, because we were the only ones, only one other visitor to be seen during the whole process.
After 5-10 minutes, our number was shown, and we had to go to a window, where they were asking for all our documents, passports, birth certificates, police papers, bank statements, affidavit of support, and only my grammar school diploma (no college diploma was asked, nor anything from my wife). They collected all the documents, and made copies of some of them (only remember the police papers). They took the fingerprints from the adults. They asked if we have an address to send eventually the green card, so I wrote the address on the paper that was originally sent to the KCC. They asked if we know some basic facts about the DV visa (they can't refund the fee, we have to leave for the US in 6 months etc. everything we knew, except that they told, that if we want, and needed, they can postpone the issuance of visa by some time (wasn't specified), but we didn't ask for this possibility). They explained that we will be called to another window to pay the fee, so we should again sit down and wait. After waiting some, our number was called again, so I went and paid the 1320 dollars. The cashier was quite chatty, she asked if we go as a family, how many times we played the lottery (wow, win for first time), where do we plan to settle (wow, I am from California too), this was all unofficial. Then I got the receipt for the money, but were told that the official receipt will be given by the consular, who will call us next, until then, sit down and wait.
After some time, we were called to another window, where the consular was waiting.
The interview was in English. I spoke, my wife was only asked once, I helped with some interpreting.
She asked us to sign the papers that we sent to KCC (what you are not supposed to sign, when you send), that you are not a terrorist, child trafficker blah, blah, blah. The parents signed for the kids. Then we were asked to take scan our fingertips again, adults only. This was for the criminal records, I believe. Then we were asked to raise our hands and swear that everything we submitted is true.
The interview was the following (not sure of the order, can't remember exactly):
Q: - The person who gave the affidavit of support is your cousin, right?
A: - Yes.
Q: - When did you last meet her?
A: - In 2011, blah, blah, blah.
Q: - Is she a US citizen?
A: - Yes.
Q: - How did she become a US citizen?
A: - Answered what I remembered.
Q: - (this question I just remembered) Have you any other relatives who live in the US?
A: - Answer.
Q: - Have you been to the US?
A: - No.
Q: - Then, why do you want to immigrate?
A: - Answered why.
Q: - What do you do for a living here?
A: - Blah, blah, blah.
Q: - How much do you earn a year here?
A: - Blah, blah, blah.
Q: - What company are you working for?
A: - Answer.
Q: - What do you plan to work in the US?
A: - Answer blah, blah, blah.
Q: - Where do you plan to work (geographically)?
A: - Answer.
Q: - Does your company you are planning to work for has an office in the town you plan to live?
A: - Blah, blah, blah.
Q: - If no office, how do you plan to achieve this?
A: - Blah, blah, blah.
Q: - How much money are you planning to bring to the US?
A: - Blah, blah, blah.
Q: - (To my wife) : Madam, what are you planning to do in the US?
A: - Answer.
Q: - Do your kids speak English?
A: - Answer.
Q: - If you get the visa, when do you plan to move to the US?
A: - Answer.
Q: - Do you have a house in Hungary?
A: - Answer.
Q: - Do you plan to sell your house?
A: - Answer.
At last: Congratulations, hereby I approve your application for the visa.
Then she gave us the receipt for the money we paid.
She said to wait for another call to the first window, where we get back our documents, and further instructions.
The whole process didn't take more than 10 minutes.
Then we waited again, now happily.
We were called again to the first window, where we got back our birth certificates and my grammar school diploma, and were explained that we will get back our passports in 1-2 days, they asked for a telephone number to notify. I asked if we have to pick up the passports ourselves in the Embassy, and they answered yes. They also gave a small piece of paper with availability of the Embassy.
Then I couldn't ask more question, because the fire alarm went off!
We had to leave urgently, the guard asked us so.
So we promptly left for the security post, where we got our pieces of hardware back and could leave.
The whole process took only about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
OK, maybe I forgot something, but in a nutshell, that was all.
All in all, everybody was very kind and very helpful, the process was efficient.
Hope you will have the same great experience.
Good luck to you all!
Any questions? Post them.
Our interview date was for 9 AM, we arrived to the Embassy around 8:15.
You can only enter through security and the guard told us that we can only be allowed in max 15 minutes before our interview time, so we had to take a walk around, and come back at 8:45.
We arrived back on time, we were put through security by twos, first the girls, then the boys. You are going through security like in an airport security, but you have to leave every electronic device behind (phones, car keys etc.).
You are let into the main waiting lobby, which looks like a bank lobby, with electronic numbering system and windows with numbers. You have to take a number from the ticketing device, then wait for your number to appear. We sat down and waited, it was a bit funny, because we were the only ones, only one other visitor to be seen during the whole process.
After 5-10 minutes, our number was shown, and we had to go to a window, where they were asking for all our documents, passports, birth certificates, police papers, bank statements, affidavit of support, and only my grammar school diploma (no college diploma was asked, nor anything from my wife). They collected all the documents, and made copies of some of them (only remember the police papers). They took the fingerprints from the adults. They asked if we have an address to send eventually the green card, so I wrote the address on the paper that was originally sent to the KCC. They asked if we know some basic facts about the DV visa (they can't refund the fee, we have to leave for the US in 6 months etc. everything we knew, except that they told, that if we want, and needed, they can postpone the issuance of visa by some time (wasn't specified), but we didn't ask for this possibility). They explained that we will be called to another window to pay the fee, so we should again sit down and wait. After waiting some, our number was called again, so I went and paid the 1320 dollars. The cashier was quite chatty, she asked if we go as a family, how many times we played the lottery (wow, win for first time), where do we plan to settle (wow, I am from California too), this was all unofficial. Then I got the receipt for the money, but were told that the official receipt will be given by the consular, who will call us next, until then, sit down and wait.
After some time, we were called to another window, where the consular was waiting.
The interview was in English. I spoke, my wife was only asked once, I helped with some interpreting.
She asked us to sign the papers that we sent to KCC (what you are not supposed to sign, when you send), that you are not a terrorist, child trafficker blah, blah, blah. The parents signed for the kids. Then we were asked to take scan our fingertips again, adults only. This was for the criminal records, I believe. Then we were asked to raise our hands and swear that everything we submitted is true.
The interview was the following (not sure of the order, can't remember exactly):
Q: - The person who gave the affidavit of support is your cousin, right?
A: - Yes.
Q: - When did you last meet her?
A: - In 2011, blah, blah, blah.
Q: - Is she a US citizen?
A: - Yes.
Q: - How did she become a US citizen?
A: - Answered what I remembered.
Q: - (this question I just remembered) Have you any other relatives who live in the US?
A: - Answer.
Q: - Have you been to the US?
A: - No.
Q: - Then, why do you want to immigrate?
A: - Answered why.
Q: - What do you do for a living here?
A: - Blah, blah, blah.
Q: - How much do you earn a year here?
A: - Blah, blah, blah.
Q: - What company are you working for?
A: - Answer.
Q: - What do you plan to work in the US?
A: - Answer blah, blah, blah.
Q: - Where do you plan to work (geographically)?
A: - Answer.
Q: - Does your company you are planning to work for has an office in the town you plan to live?
A: - Blah, blah, blah.
Q: - If no office, how do you plan to achieve this?
A: - Blah, blah, blah.
Q: - How much money are you planning to bring to the US?
A: - Blah, blah, blah.
Q: - (To my wife) : Madam, what are you planning to do in the US?
A: - Answer.
Q: - Do your kids speak English?
A: - Answer.
Q: - If you get the visa, when do you plan to move to the US?
A: - Answer.
Q: - Do you have a house in Hungary?
A: - Answer.
Q: - Do you plan to sell your house?
A: - Answer.
At last: Congratulations, hereby I approve your application for the visa.
Then she gave us the receipt for the money we paid.
She said to wait for another call to the first window, where we get back our documents, and further instructions.
The whole process didn't take more than 10 minutes.
Then we waited again, now happily.
We were called again to the first window, where we got back our birth certificates and my grammar school diploma, and were explained that we will get back our passports in 1-2 days, they asked for a telephone number to notify. I asked if we have to pick up the passports ourselves in the Embassy, and they answered yes. They also gave a small piece of paper with availability of the Embassy.
Then I couldn't ask more question, because the fire alarm went off!
We had to leave urgently, the guard asked us so.
So we promptly left for the security post, where we got our pieces of hardware back and could leave.
The whole process took only about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
OK, maybe I forgot something, but in a nutshell, that was all.
All in all, everybody was very kind and very helpful, the process was efficient.
Hope you will have the same great experience.
Good luck to you all!
Any questions? Post them.
Last edited by a moderator:
Clearwater70
Registered Users (C)
Wow! That's what I meant: a quite detailed report. Thank you so much - and I am glad with you! What a relief to be after a successful interview! Btw. we tried the lottery for the very first time, too
My question could seem to be a bit personal because I am interested in whether you plan to sell your house/flat or not? I don't know which would be the better answer? We think that we tell them the truth that we won't sell it. It could be a "good" answer, because they will see that we haven't burned the bridge behind, that there is a possibility for the family to move back to Hungary if things didn't go well in the States. And it's important because we will move there with 3 kids...
But it could look else, too: it could be the "wrong"answer... because they could think that we are not enough dedicated to move to the USA... So I don't know. One thing is sure: everybody told me is that best you tell the truth!
My question could seem to be a bit personal because I am interested in whether you plan to sell your house/flat or not? I don't know which would be the better answer? We think that we tell them the truth that we won't sell it. It could be a "good" answer, because they will see that we haven't burned the bridge behind, that there is a possibility for the family to move back to Hungary if things didn't go well in the States. And it's important because we will move there with 3 kids...
But it could look else, too: it could be the "wrong"answer... because they could think that we are not enough dedicated to move to the USA... So I don't know. One thing is sure: everybody told me is that best you tell the truth!
Clearwater70
Registered Users (C)
(Guys, how did you put the data about your Green Card below your messages? I mean this part:
CN : 2013EU...
Entered DV-2013 :
1st NL : etc... )
CN : 2013EU...
Entered DV-2013 :
1st NL : etc... )
There is one thing that I do not understand, why can't they give back the passports after the interview, it takes one or two days to print the immigration visa? Hzss12 would you ask them is it possible to wait for them after the interview, we do not want to leave them there if it is not necessary...Thanks in advance and congrats for you!
Wow! That's what I meant: a quite detailed report. Thank you so much - and I am glad with you! What a relief to be after a successful interview! Btw. we tried the lottery for the very first time, too
My question could seem to be a bit personal because I am interested in whether you plan to sell your house/flat or not? I don't know which would be the better answer? We think that we tell them the truth that we won't sell it. It could be a "good" answer, because they will see that we haven't burned the bridge behind, that there is a possibility for the family to move back to Hungary if things didn't go well in the States. And it's important because we will move there with 3 kids...
But it could look else, too: it could be the "wrong"answer... because they could think that we are not enough dedicated to move to the USA... So I don't know. One thing is sure: everybody told me is that best you tell the truth!
I am glad you liked the summary!
Well, no secret there, we won't be selling our house just yet, we will rather try to rent it out.
My impression about the whole interview was, that they were looking for clues on the following areas:
1. How prepared you are for your move? Have you got concrete plans, place to live, what to do for a living?
2. How can you finance it all?
Generally, the more prepared you seem to be, and the more concrete answers you can provide, that make sense the better it is.
Also, I saw on the wall on the waiting area, some advice for the visa applicants (any visas), that states, that you should be as prepared and as clear as possible about your goals and plans about traveling or moving to the US.
And of course, the general rule of thumb is, always be honest about your answers. Going into lies is thin ice, where you can get caught with some more questions, and it badly affects how you are perceived.
Click Private Messages (on the top), then on the left My Settings, My Profile, Edit Signature.
Just copy one of ours, and edit it.
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We were not offered this option, so I didn't ask about it, and we had to leave anyway urgently, due to the fire alarm.
When they call me, or when I pick them up, I will try to remember to ask if it would have been possible to wait for the visa issuance.
If I forget, you may as well ask it, because they are pretty open to questions during the whole process
Clearwater70
Registered Users (C)
Thanks for the advises.
We have a couple of relatives overall in the States (uncles, cousins, friends) but we are not sure where to start. USA is too big I could close my eyes and just pin anywhere on the map...
But as you advise it would be better to find out something more accurate we have 10 more days to find out. Actually last year after my husband was selected I have been in the States and was looking around with my uncle for job in my profession. And I already could have start to work in September! Pity that at that moment I was only a GC selected and not a holder...
We have a couple of relatives overall in the States (uncles, cousins, friends) but we are not sure where to start. USA is too big
I could close my eyes and just pin anywhere on the map...But as you advise it would be better to find out something more accurate
we have 10 more days to find out. Actually last year after my husband was selected I have been in the States and was looking around with my uncle for job in my profession. And I already could have start to work in September! Pity that at that moment I was only a GC selected and not a holder...Yesterday, I got back our passports, so I am holding my visa in my warm little hands!
Not to tease you.
We also got 4 brown envelopes, that we will have give to the immigration officer upon entering the US. By the way it contains all your documentation that you sent to KCC, affidavit of support, medical records and police records. You can see that, as one of the corners of the envelope is cut off. But it is stamped, where it was closed, so it is not to be opened by you. You have to take it with you in your hand luggage on your flight, and give it to the immigration officer at the first airport, where you arrive to the US.
We also got instructions how to pay the 165 USD each for the green card, and also a summary about the SSN.
By the way, the issuance of the green card takes 4-6 weeks, the SSN takes less.
If you haven't got your green card yet for some time, you can use your visa as a substitute for the green card for traveling, and proving your identity for one year from issuance.
That is all I remember now, so happy!
Good luck all, wish you the same happy feeling!
One more tip: you would want to use the site: http://www.valutacentrum.hu/ for the best exchange rate on the USD in Budapest, because although you can pay in HUF in the Embassy, but I found that the exchange rate was much better at the exchange offices in town, than in the Embassy (I saved close to 8000 HUF with this, on 4 visas). Good Luck!
Not to tease you.
We also got 4 brown envelopes, that we will have give to the immigration officer upon entering the US. By the way it contains all your documentation that you sent to KCC, affidavit of support, medical records and police records. You can see that, as one of the corners of the envelope is cut off. But it is stamped, where it was closed, so it is not to be opened by you. You have to take it with you in your hand luggage on your flight, and give it to the immigration officer at the first airport, where you arrive to the US.
We also got instructions how to pay the 165 USD each for the green card, and also a summary about the SSN.
By the way, the issuance of the green card takes 4-6 weeks, the SSN takes less.
If you haven't got your green card yet for some time, you can use your visa as a substitute for the green card for traveling, and proving your identity for one year from issuance.
That is all I remember now, so happy!
Good luck all, wish you the same happy feeling!
One more tip: you would want to use the site: http://www.valutacentrum.hu/ for the best exchange rate on the USD in Budapest, because although you can pay in HUF in the Embassy, but I found that the exchange rate was much better at the exchange offices in town, than in the Embassy (I saved close to 8000 HUF with this, on 4 visas). Good Luck!
Last edited by a moderator:
Yesterday, I got back our passports, so I am holding my visa in my warm little hands!
Not to tease you.
Congratulations!
When do you plan to go to the US?Now Clearwater is the next, and short after that Juicee comes!
Question to all of you:
I am very interested in it, that those, who were selected, had photo taken for your registration at a professional photographer, or it was taken by you?
Lidia
Oh yes, the interview date is so close, we are exicted about it
For example: igazolvanykep.com, puskasfoto.hu
We were close to the Blaha Lujza square, but I do not remember the name of the photographer
If I were you I choose on of the professionals, that is the best, I heard from a winner that their photos were not enoguh good and they had to take a new one before the interview, so if the pictures are wrong you do not need to worry, you can take a new one later....
Good luck for the dv 2014!!!
For example: igazolvanykep.com, puskasfoto.hu
We were close to the Blaha Lujza square, but I do not remember the name of the photographer
If I were you I choose on of the professionals, that is the best, I heard from a winner that their photos were not enoguh good and they had to take a new one before the interview, so if the pictures are wrong you do not need to worry, you can take a new one later....
Good luck for the dv 2014!!!
Clearwater70
Registered Users (C)
Hi, Lidia,
for the registration we made the photos by ourselves. But we were not content with them but I managed to find a man on the internet who lives in the States and helps for anybody FOR FREE to correct the photos. His name is Csaba Gerencser and this is his e-mail address: zk@csgcon.com. He makes it just in the registration period (for this is his "hobby") so please don't write him earlier. But he will help for sure!
After we were selected we had to send photos printed out to Kentucky. These photos were made with professional photographer. But watch out! Not all of them who claim that they can make USA Visa/compatible photos can really do it! We had quite a lot problem with it. They say that the measures will be good for the US Visa and then when you go home and check the size of the photo you can easy find out that they made it in wrong size... I mean they were smaller with millimeters in one or in other side. So we went back and complained and they made it again for free. This time they cut them out more accurate
for the registration we made the photos by ourselves. But we were not content with them but I managed to find a man on the internet who lives in the States and helps for anybody FOR FREE to correct the photos. His name is Csaba Gerencser and this is his e-mail address: zk@csgcon.com. He makes it just in the registration period (for this is his "hobby") so please don't write him earlier. But he will help for sure!
After we were selected we had to send photos printed out to Kentucky. These photos were made with professional photographer. But watch out! Not all of them who claim that they can make USA Visa/compatible photos can really do it! We had quite a lot problem with it. They say that the measures will be good for the US Visa and then when you go home and check the size of the photo you can easy find out that they made it in wrong size... I mean they were smaller with millimeters in one or in other side. So we went back and complained and they made it again for free. This time they cut them out more accurate
Yes, we used professional, just not take chances.
It's better if you can lay your heads in rest, and not to worry about it, when there are so many other things to worry about.
And also, you will need a set of photoes for the medical examination, so you will be able to use them there as well.
It's better if you can lay your heads in rest, and not to worry about it, when there are so many other things to worry about.
And also, you will need a set of photoes for the medical examination, so you will be able to use them there as well.
It depends, how fast I can find work, if fast, I will go ahead, I hope I can start in May, but for sure, all of us will go by the end of June, as airfare starts costing 50% more after the end of June (holiday season).Congratulations!
Clearwater70
Registered Users (C)
Did you tell the same to the consul at the interview? We have a similar schedule plan: after the interview we will start to search for job via internet. And if we could have more serious offers then me and my husband will fly to the USA. But we plan to come back for the summer and enter the USA with the kids at the second half of August - when the flight tickets getting cheaper
Does anybody have any information about what if my husband can not understand what the consul tells him? Can the consul speak Hungarian? Is there any translator? Can I help him during the interview?
The main problem is that he thinks that his English is not enough good and he is afraid to be refused because of the lack of excellence in English. He has self-confidence problems although he can speak English but not as good as I do. Does the language ability have any influence on the process or not?
Thanx for any advice...