US Consulate in Guayaquil, Ecuador

[comanda 4]

I want to post a review of our interview that took place Feb 12, but when I try to do it through the embassy reviews, the page tells me I need to register. As far as I know I AM registered, so I will just post this here, since I know there are a few people with upcoming interviews in Guayaquil.

Our interview was scheduled for 8:30am on Tues Feb 12. We both arrived in Guayaquil on Sun Feb 10 (I by plane, Johnny by bus). Monday we stopped by the clinic where he had his medical exam done a couple of weeks ago in order to pick up the sealed envelope with his results and his x-ray. We also had to go to the police department to pick up his police record (don´t even get me started as to why this wasn´t done before!!! Let´s just say that the laid-back nature of Ecuadorians translates over to getting their papers ready for their US visa interview... at least for my fiance it does!). We are staying in a hotel called ´hotel velez´a couple of blocks away from the consulate. There are tons of hotels in the area, but this one fit nicely in our budget ($11 a night).

Tuesday morning we woke up early, assuming we needed to be in line at the consulate early (not sure why except that i got this impression from reading about other people´s interviews - not necessarily specifically about the consulate in Guayaquil). Johnny´s interview appt was 8:30am, and we probably got in line around 6:30am. There was absolutely no reason to do this. They started checking people in around 7am, but told us we were too early for our interview time and to come back around 8:20. We went down the street to the cafeteria at the Hotel Oro Verde and had some breakfast before going back to the line around 8:10, at which point they let us check in. They took Johnny´s folder with all his required documents and passport, pics, receipt for paying, etc, and then we had to wait until 8:30 to actually go in. They searched my purse and took my gum and my water and threw them away. We went back to a waiting room and waited to be called.

The first time we were called to a window was by a younger woman, very nice, who was looking through his papers, and told us we had to leave and fill out his DS-156 on a computer, print it out, and attach one of his passport photos to it. He was never told this previously. She gave us a yellow sheet that would let us back into the consulate Luckily, there´s a cybercafe across from the consulate, where we got that done quickly and came back to the consulate. At this point it´s around 9:30am. We waited to get called up by the woman again (although we were confused about how she would know we were back, but she did), and she took the document we had printed. Then we sat down, waited more, got called up for finger prints, sat down and waited more... By the time the IO called us up I think it was close to noon.

He called us up, had us both raise our right hands and swear, and told me he would ask Johnny questions in Spanish and me in English, but that if I didn´t understand anything to let him know. He was very nice. He first asked Johnny to describe how we met. He asked me some specific questions about the circumstances that I was studying in Ecuador, but nothing difficult at all. He asked me a little about my financial documents, but nothing hard. He asked Johnny where he would be living in the USA (Madison WI) and advised him that it would be very cold. ASked us both if we had been previously married or had any children. Asked JOhnny if he had been to the US before. Asked Johnny his profession here in Ecuador. Asked if we had pictures. We pulled out about 15 pictures to show him. Asked me how many times I had been back to visit since the summer we met (2 not including this time). And I believe that´s all the questions he asked. He gave us back a bunch of documents from our I-129 petition and from what I had submitted with the affidavit of support (didn´t keep any of my pay stubs, but I had also submitted tax transcripts from 2004, 2005, 2006, letter from employer, W2 from 2007, and a copy of my taxes I submitted this year.) He then said he was going to approve the visa, and he started explaining where DHL was to go pay to have it delivered. I interrupted him, said I was leaving to go back to the US on Saturday, and would there be any way for us to come back to the consulate to pick up the visa instead of sending it so that we could fly back together. He said that would be no problem, and we are to go back at 3pm today to pick it up (he apologized that we couldn´t pick it up the same day but they have to do some sort of checks overnight in Washington). So that´s in about an hour here - hopefully there are no issues picking it up.

I had brought lots more evidence of our relationship with us to the interview, but they never asked to look at anything except the pictures. I had emails, phone logs, plane tickets, passport stamps, etc etc. Better to be overprepared than underprepared though I imagine.

Anyway, I hope this proves useful for someone. And I hope that it´s not too long for those who probably don´t need to know these details!

Good luck to everyone in the visa process... we´ve been waiting since the beginning of June last year - and I can´t believe we are finally to this point and that everything went smoothly for the most part. You will all be in our shoes soon...

[TE AMO ECUADOR 0]

Enjoyed reading your review of the Interview process in Ecuador. My wife has hers on June 19. I am not going to be able to be there due to work committments, but will return to Ecuador first of July and hopefully be able to return to the states with my wife. If you can think of anything else that was said or done that you left out, by all means let me know.

Andy y Fer

[Arlington 5]

Enjoyed reading your review of the Interview process in Ecuador. My wife has hers on June 19. I am not going to be able to be there due to work committments, but will return to Ecuador first of July and hopefully be able to return to the states with my wife. If you can think of anything else that was said or done that you left out, by all means let me know.

Andy y Fer

Please do let us know how it goes. I am also wondering about whether to attend with her. I can only make so many trips and I think she would rather have me fly with her to Miami. I doubt I could do both.

Have you seen these example questions:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...p;page=exampleq

[TBoneTX 45,090]

Arlington said:

TE AMO ECUADOR said:

Enjoyed reading your review of the Interview process in Ecuador. My wife has hers on June 19. I am not going to be able to be there due to work committments, but will return to Ecuador first of July and hopefully be able to return to the states with my wife. If you can think of anything else that was said or done that you left out, by all means let me know.

Andy y Fer

Please do let us know how it goes. I am also wondering about whether to attend with her. I can only make so many trips and I think she would rather have me fly with her to Miami. I doubt I could do both.

Have you seen these example questions:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...p;page=exampleq

Guys, you'd sure as heck better consider going to her initial interview. Two of us USCs (me and Roy of Roy&katy) have been ordered to attend a joint "marriage" re-interview. My fiancee, who went alone, was originally interviewed on April 29 and was given approximately 3 minutes and the "bum's rush." She had copious "proof of relationship" with her, and it was not even looked at. The CO said, "More proof, and bring your fiance!" Note the answer to FAQ #8 on the Consulate's website specifically says quite the opposite: "Only the applicant will be allowed in the interview." Bologna.

I learned after the fact that this unpublished "requirement" for the U.S. citizen to be there is becoming increasingly common at Latin American consulates. I recommend NOT risking the success of the first interview. Furthermore, if you still decide not to attend it, I recommend against buying your fiancee a plane ticket to the U.S. anytime soon after that first interview date, because she may not be able to use it (no visa).

Our joint interview is June 30. Anyone who is interviewing earlier, for God's sake post in this thread an exhaustively detailed description of your experiences. We need to stick together on this and communicate both frequently and closely.

 

How could things have changed so much since April 2?

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/93756-approved-aprilmayjune-filers-waiting-for-nvc/?page=68&tab=comments#comment-1719219

Edited January 24, 2018 by TBoneTX

[Arlington 5]

Enjoyed reading your review of the Interview process in Ecuador. My wife has hers on June 19. I am not going to be able to be there due to work committments, but will return to Ecuador first of July and hopefully be able to return to the states with my wife. If you can think of anything else that was said or done that you left out, by all means let me know.

Andy y Fer

Please do let us know how it goes. I am also wondering about whether to attend with her. I can only make so many trips and I think she would rather have me fly with her to Miami. I doubt I could do both.

Have you seen these example questions:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...p;page=exampleq

Guys, you'd sure as heck better consider going to her initial interview. Two of us USCs (me and Roy of Roy&katy) have been ordered to attend a joint "marriage" re-interview. My fiancee, who went alone, was originally interviewed on April 29 and was given approximately 3 minutes and the "bum's rush." She had copious "proof of relationship" with her, and it was not even looked at. The CO said, "More proof, and bring your fiance!" Note the answer to FAQ #8 on the Consulate's website specifically says quite the opposite: "Only the applicant will be allowed in the interview." Bologna.

I learned after the fact that this unpublished "requirement" for the U.S. citizen to be there is becoming increasingly common at Latin American consulates. I recommend NOT risking the success of the first interview. Furthermore, if you still decide not to attend it, I recommend against buying your fiancee a plane ticket to the U.S. anytime soon after that first interview date, because she may not be able to use it (no visa).

Our joint interview is June 30. Anyone who is interviewing earlier, for God's sake post in this thread an exhaustively detailed description of your experiences. We need to stick together on this and communicate both frequently and closely.

We will be CR-1, but I take your point. Thanks for the heads-up. That would be my 7th visit in 2 years. That hopefully would count for something.

[TBoneTX 45,090]

We will be CR-1, but I take your point. Thanks for the heads-up. That would be my 7th visit in 2 years. That hopefully would count for something.

Ah -- I see, si man. I looked at your fotos, and you make a smashingly lovely couple.

As if I'm not getting smacked around enough, I learned just today that Continental is (at best) going to "seasonal service" regarding their Houston-GYE nonstops. This means that any future flights will likely connect with COPA in Panama City... at $200 or $300 more per ticket. If we get the visa, this will affect her parents' trip to be here for the wedding... and all because of the Consul's failure to issue the visa when it should have been issued.

[TE AMO ECUADOR 0]

Thanks for the insite. I am CR-! also and have made 6 trips to see my wife in the past 2 years, so hopefully that will be enough because there was absolutely no way I could get there for the interview. She is on the plane to the coast now and the interview is tomorrow morning. Like most here, she is armed with documents and photos out the wazoo, including te dead to her home she owns in Quito, letters from her employer, ect. Thye will most likely not ask for those things, but she wanted to e able to show them that she has asstes and land and property in Ecuador and the only reason she wants to come to the USA is to e with me. Will post as soon as I hear anything tomorrow

Andy y Fer

[TBoneTX 45,090]

Will post as soon as I hear anything tomorrow

Please do, man, especially COMPLETE details of her treatment at the consulate.

[TE AMO ECUADOR 0]

Bad News Guys

My wife's visa was denied because I was not present with her at the interview for a "MATRIMONIAL" interview. Same as the other poster exactly. She presented 2 documents to the officer, they said where is your husband and she said not here because you said he could not be present, and they said, come back september 11 with your husband, chao !!!

They did not look at all the proof she had with her, emails, phone docs, an album of photos, airline tickets, ect. And then they gave her a disapproved letter and in this letter which she emailed me , it says, and I quote

" YOU DID NOT SHOW SUFFICIENT EVEDENCE THAT YOUR MARRIAGE IS LEGIT. YOU DID NOT HAVE EMAILS, PHOTOS, PHONE RECORDS TO SHOW ANY EVENDENCE OF A REAL MARRIAGE"

Can you see the smoke pouring off the page???

She had all that and more. What a bunch of fregin incompatent boobs if I ever saw any. Well, I called the embassy and spoke to them, explained that I talked to the NVC and to the Consulate when my wife was assigend the interview date and they told me that ABSOLUTLEY, I could not come to the interview, and now they say where is your husband ? GDBOFI !!

I explained that I would not be able to attend the september interview because I was going to be in a trade show for my company, but will be in ecuador in the end of June until July 4 and that I would be most happy to attend an interview , just as I wanted to in the first place. Of course they give me the"I WE CANNOT BE SURE, WE NEED TO TALK TO THE CONSULATE OFFICIAL, WE WILL CALL YOU, YEH, BLAH BLAH BLAH

Bottom line is I am going to have to try to go in September and most liley they will find a reason to not give us the visa then, MORE DOCUMENTATION, GO BACK AND COME IN OCTOBER

Bunch of absolute morans if I ever saw any.

I filed a complaint directly with the consulate per the email address the lady on the phone gave me and I worte my Congressman and Senator, but of course, that will produce nada. Maybe I will just show up at them embassy in July and see if they will see us. Anybody got any experience with that ?

Guys, whatever you do, go with your lady to her Interview regardless of what the petehtic morans say.

Andy y Fer

[TBoneTX 45,090]

They did not look at all the proof she had with her, emails, phone docs, an album of photos, airline tickets, ect. And then they gave her a disapproved letter and in this letter which she emailed me , it says, and I quote

" YOU DID NOT SHOW SUFFICIENT EVEDENCE THAT YOUR MARRIAGE IS LEGIT. YOU DID NOT HAVE EMAILS, PHOTOS, PHONE RECORDS TO SHOW ANY EVENDENCE OF A REAL MARRIAGE"

Dude -- you & I need to talk -- I'll PM you. I was just beginning to calm down about my situation, and now this. We'll be in Ecuador at the same time (my non-interview will be June 30), and maybe we can meet up, or at least coordinate an approach to counteract this lawlessness.

[TE AMO ECUADOR 0]

great talking with you on the phone and we both have to stick together being that our interviews are 2 days apart in Ecuador.

Guys

It took me several phone calls and some demands on the part of the embassy that you have to purchase a PIN, but they gave me the direct number of US Citizen Affairs at the Consulate in Gauyaquil and I spoke to a lady there and about half way into my story, she said let me put you in touch directly with an officer in the IV section. So, I spoke with a pleasent gentleman of Latino decent and explained that I could not for job reasons come to an interview in September but that I would be in Ecuador June 27-July 5 and would like to come to the Consulate for the "MATRIMONIAL INTERVIEW"
He siad wait a moment, came back and asked if I could come July 2 at 2pm . BINGO !
So, I will post about the Interview and the results aftetr the interview.Wish us Luck

Andy and Fer

Edited October 10, 2016 by TBoneTX

[Arlington 5]

Exxxxccccellent! I'll be there to see my honey from July 3-8th!!

[TBoneTX 45,090]

The Guayaquil VJ victims, in order:

Roy & Katy, this week (Wed.? Thurs?) - K-1

T-Bone & C. (Mon., June 30) - K-1

Andy y Fer (Wed., July 2) - CR-1 (or K-3? forgot to look first)

Arlington

I will try to post at least the highlights (lowlights?) of my experience, which will likely differ from what will be inflicted upon the K-3/CR-1 guys. Roy promised to "do his best" to let us know what happened with him.

"We who are about to get scrood salute you, si man."

Edited January 24, 2018 by TBoneTX

[TE AMO ECUADOR 0]

My Congressmans office just called me and I spoke to a woman who has delt with Immigration issues for my Congressman for 24 years and has never , ever heard of a Matrimonional Interview being requested for an I-130 Application if all documents were in order from the USCIS/NVC. This was most interesting to her since she just returned from an Immigration Conf. and again, never has she heard of this happening. Also she said that Ecuador ranked low on the Fraud Scale for Immigration Visas. This Consulate really has a bug up there ### for some reason. T-Bone, could be like I said on the phone " THE EMBASSADOR IS A WOMAN" and does not like to see men marrying outside of America, who knows.The next week or so will be very interesting.

Andy and Fer

[TE AMO ECUADOR 0]

4 couples having to come back and have a Matrimonial Interview and all in the next week. This is not a coincidence, there must be something up that has caused the Consulate to really put the brakes on giving out visas. This is just not normal in most Embassy's nor seems to has had a history of this in the past at this particular Consulate.This is not the Embassy in Bogota where they process maybe 100 Cr-1 and K-1 visas a week. This is Ecuador and the number is at least less then half that. Something must be going on and unfortunatley our cases are a victim of bad timing.

Andy and Fer