nonimmigrant or immigrant?

[mlc63 0]

in dominican republic, the consulate has the immigrant division working on k-1 visas, which is really is a nonimmigrant type of visa....which is probably why they are so backlogged. in DR, it is taking like 14 months to get an interview for k-1, where the nonimmigrant ones(like tourist visas) are taking like 3 or 4 months. Does anyone have any idea why they are doing this?

[john_and_marlene 162]

It's not peculiar to your location. K1 visas are handled by the immigrant visa section.

Edited March 13, 2006 by john_and_marlene

[meddykomp 0]

This is just a guess ... but seems possible that they take more time to be more careful about people who are moving to the US than people who are just going to visit for a short period of time.

[aussiewench 9]

I concur with john_and_marlene. K visas whilst they are non-immigrant visas are treated in many ways like an immigrant visa and as such are issued by the consulate as opposed to the Embassy.

[zyggy 9]

I concur with john_and_marlene. K visas whilst they are non-immigrant visas are treated in many ways like an immigrant visa and as such are issued by the consulate as opposed to the Embassy.

Since the end result of a K1 visa is the adjustment of status to a permanent resident, K visas are treated as immigrant visas for processing and are therefore processed by Immigrant Visa Units in Consulates.

Aussiewench...

Both Embassies and Consulates provide consular services. However, the Immigrant Visa Post may be located at the embassy or at a consulate in a country. No country has more than 1 immigrant visa post. For instance, Moscow is an embassy and also the site of the immigrant visa post.. But the immigrant visa post for China is at the consulate in Guangzhou.

The only consulate that does not have an immigrant visa post that processes K visas is the Consulate in Vancouver, Canada.

Edited March 13, 2006 by zyggy

[Yodrak 7]

zyggy,

I think it's more appropriate to say that the consular section of an embassy provides the consular services. It's not like the consular services are provided by adding to the responsibilities of embassy sections that also perform other embassy functions. The consular services sections are pretty much stand-alone, even though they may be co-located with an embassy. (Except, perhaps, at the smallest of embassies?)

Yodrak

I concur with john_and_marlene. K visas whilst they are non-immigrant visas are treated in many ways like an immigrant visa and as such are issued by the consulate as opposed to the Embassy.

Since the end result of a K1 visa is the adjustment of status to a permanent resident, K visas are treated as immigrant visas for processing and are therefore processed by Immigrant Visa Units in Consulates.

Aussiewench...

Both Embassies and Consulates provide consular services. However, the Immigrant Visa Post may be located at the embassy or at a consulate in a country. No country has more than 1 immigrant visa post. For instance, Moscow is an embassy and also the site of the immigrant visa post.. But the immigrant visa post for China is at the consulate in Guangzhou.

The only consulate that does not have an immigrant visa post that processes K visas is the Consulate in Vancouver, Canada.

[scy 0]

zyggy,

I think it's more appropriate to say that the consular section of an embassy provides the consular services. It's not like the consular services are provided by adding to the responsibilities of embassy sections that also perform other embassy functions. The consular services sections are pretty much stand-alone, even though they may be co-located with an embassy. (Except, perhaps, at the smallest of embassies?)

Yodrak

Yodrak,

I'm confused. Is a consular section the same as a consulate? I ask because in some of your posts, you mentioned that "Be aware also that despite what the source you quoted says, visas are issued by consulates, not embassies,"

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...wtopic=5224&hl=

So if I read this right, a consular section within an embassy is called a "consulate"?

So what is your opinion of where visas are issued? Consulates, embassies, or consular sections within consulates and embassies?

[Yodrak 7]

scy,

Simply stated (perhaps too simply)

- An embassy performs services government to government.

- A consulate performs services for individuals. I have not looked at all US embassy web sites, but every one that I have looked at has a clearly defined section headed Consular Services or similar, and the Consular Services section is subdivided into 2 areas, American Citizen Services and Visa Services.

Here's my understanding:

- A country will only have one embassy in another country, it may have one or more consulates.

- A consulate that is co-located with an embassy it will usually be referred to as the consular section, consular department, or consular office of the embassy, but it still performs the same well-defined services and is still headed by a Consul or Consul General as is a stand-alone consulate.

- Not all consulates provide a full range of consular services, and it's not always the consulate that is co-located with the embassy that provides the fullest range of consular services.

- I don't know if a Consul or Consul General reports directly to the Ambassador in the country where they are posted or if they report directly to the Consular Affair Bureau domestically and indirectly to the Ambassador.

I don't think I've ever seen visa services listed as something other than a consular function.

Yodrak

zyggy,

I think it's more appropriate to say that the consular section of an embassy provides the consular services. It's not like the consular services are provided by adding to the responsibilities of embassy sections that also perform other embassy functions. The consular services sections are pretty much stand-alone, even though they may be co-located with an embassy. (Except, perhaps, at the smallest of embassies?)

Yodrak

Yodrak,

I'm confused. Is a consular section the same as a consulate? I ask because in some of your posts, you mentioned that "Be aware also that despite what the source you quoted says, visas are issued by consulates, not embassies,"

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...wtopic=5224&hl=

So if I read this right, a consular section within an embassy is called a "consulate"?

So what is your opinion of where visas are issued? Consulates, embassies, or consular sections within consulates and embassies?

[Saddle Bronc 124]

K-1 itself is a non-immigrant visa per-se, but the beneficiary is seeking immigrant status (so it is an intermediate step).

[scy 0]

I do not believe a Consulate General of the US performs only services for individuals. A consulate performs all fuctions of an embassy, but on a more limited basis. For example, consulate general Sydney has political and economic sections that maintain contact with NSW and Queensland governments. These are not services for individuals, rather they are for governments.

http://canberra.usembassy.gov/sydney/consulate.html

It is commonly noted on VJ that "embassies do not issue visas, consulates issue visas". I believe that this statement is incorrect. It is more correct to say, consular sections within embassies and consulates issue visa.

scy,

Simply stated (perhaps too simply)

- An embassy performs services government to government.

- A consulate performs services for individuals. I have not looked at all US embassy web sites, but every one that I have looked at has a clearly defined section headed Consular Services or similar, and the Consular Services section is subdivided into 2 areas, American Citizen Services and Visa Services.

Here's my understanding:

- A country will only have one embassy in another country, it may have one or more consulates.

- A consulate that is co-located with an embassy it will usually be referred to as the consular section, consular department, or consular office of the embassy, but it still performs the same well-defined services and is still headed by a Consul or Consul General as is a stand-alone consulate.

- Not all consulates provide a full range of consular services, and it's not always the consulate that is co-located with the embassy that provides the fullest range of consular services.

- I don't know if a Consul or Consul General reports directly to the Ambassador in the country where they are posted or if they report directly to the Consular Affair Bureau domestically and indirectly to the Ambassador.

I don't think I've ever seen visa services listed as something other than a consular function.

Yodrak

zyggy,

I think it's more appropriate to say that the consular section of an embassy provides the consular services. It's not like the consular services are provided by adding to the responsibilities of embassy sections that also perform other embassy functions. The consular services sections are pretty much stand-alone, even though they may be co-located with an embassy. (Except, perhaps, at the smallest of embassies?)

Yodrak

Yodrak,

I'm confused. Is a consular section the same as a consulate? I ask because in some of your posts, you mentioned that "Be aware also that despite what the source you quoted says, visas are issued by consulates, not embassies,"

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...wtopic=5224&hl=

So if I read this right, a consular section within an embassy is called a "consulate"?

So what is your opinion of where visas are issued? Consulates, embassies, or consular sections within consulates and embassies?

Edited March 13, 2006 by scy

[aussiewench 9]

lol I was just trying to keep it simple

[Yodrak 7]

scy,

Good information, and it seems I am over-simplified in my thinking of consulate v embassy and have some adjustments to make.

I can agree with your closing statement as to who issues visas.

Yodrak

I do not believe a Consulate General of the US performs only services for individuals. A consulate performs all fuctions of an embassy, but on a more limited basis. For example, consulate general Sydney has political and economic sections that maintain contact with NSW and Queensland governments. These are not services for individuals, rather they are for governments.

http://canberra.usembassy.gov/sydney/consulate.html

It is commonly noted on VJ that "embassies do not issue visas, consulates issue visas". I believe that this statement is incorrect. It is more correct to say, consular sections within embassies and consulates issue visa.

scy,

Simply stated (perhaps too simply)

- An embassy performs services government to government.

- A consulate performs services for individuals. I have not looked at all US embassy web sites, but every one that I have looked at has a clearly defined section headed Consular Services or similar, and the Consular Services section is subdivided into 2 areas, American Citizen Services and Visa Services.

Here's my understanding:

- A country will only have one embassy in another country, it may have one or more consulates.

- A consulate that is co-located with an embassy it will usually be referred to as the consular section, consular department, or consular office of the embassy, but it still performs the same well-defined services and is still headed by a Consul or Consul General as is a stand-alone consulate.

- Not all consulates provide a full range of consular services, and it's not always the consulate that is co-located with the embassy that provides the fullest range of consular services.

- I don't know if a Consul or Consul General reports directly to the Ambassador in the country where they are posted or if they report directly to the Consular Affair Bureau domestically and indirectly to the Ambassador.

I don't think I've ever seen visa services listed as something other than a consular function.

Yodrak

zyggy,

I think it's more appropriate to say that the consular section of an embassy provides the consular services. It's not like the consular services are provided by adding to the responsibilities of embassy sections that also perform other embassy functions. The consular services sections are pretty much stand-alone, even though they may be co-located with an embassy. (Except, perhaps, at the smallest of embassies?)

Yodrak

Yodrak,

I'm confused. Is a consular section the same as a consulate? I ask because in some of your posts, you mentioned that "Be aware also that despite what the source you quoted says, visas are issued by consulates, not embassies,"

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...wtopic=5224&hl=

So if I read this right, a consular section within an embassy is called a "consulate"?

So what is your opinion of where visas are issued? Consulates, embassies, or consular sections within consulates and embassies?

[john_and_marlene 162]

I'm so glad I kept my reply short and accurate

[zyggy 9]

I do not believe a Consulate General of the US performs only services for individuals. A consulate performs all fuctions of an embassy, but on a more limited basis. For example, consulate general Sydney has political and economic sections that maintain contact with NSW and Queensland governments. These are not services for individuals, rather they are for governments.

http://canberra.usembassy.gov/sydney/consulate.html

It is commonly noted on VJ that "embassies do not issue visas, consulates issue visas". I believe that this statement is incorrect. It is more correct to say, consular sections within embassies and consulates issue visa.

scy,

Simply stated (perhaps too simply)

- An embassy performs services government to government.

- A consulate performs services for individuals. I have not looked at all US embassy web sites, but every one that I have looked at has a clearly defined section headed Consular Services or similar, and the Consular Services section is subdivided into 2 areas, American Citizen Services and Visa Services.

Here's my understanding:

- A country will only have one embassy in another country, it may have one or more consulates.

- A consulate that is co-located with an embassy it will usually be referred to as the consular section, consular department, or consular office of the embassy, but it still performs the same well-defined services and is still headed by a Consul or Consul General as is a stand-alone consulate.

- Not all consulates provide a full range of consular services, and it's not always the consulate that is co-located with the embassy that provides the fullest range of consular services.

- I don't know if a Consul or Consul General reports directly to the Ambassador in the country where they are posted or if they report directly to the Consular Affair Bureau domestically and indirectly to the Ambassador.

I don't think I've ever seen visa services listed as something other than a consular function.

Yodrak

zyggy,

I think it's more appropriate to say that the consular section of an embassy provides the consular services. It's not like the consular services are provided by adding to the responsibilities of embassy sections that also perform other embassy functions. The consular services sections are pretty much stand-alone, even though they may be co-located with an embassy. (Except, perhaps, at the smallest of embassies?)

Yodrak

Yodrak,

I'm confused. Is a consular section the same as a consulate? I ask because in some of your posts, you mentioned that "Be aware also that despite what the source you quoted says, visas are issued by consulates, not embassies,"

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...wtopic=5224&hl=

So if I read this right, a consular section within an embassy is called a "consulate"?

So what is your opinion of where visas are issued? Consulates, embassies, or consular sections within consulates and embassies?

A consulate general does have some economic, cultural and political sections in addition to issuing visas and providing services to US Citizens... However, a consulate only issues visas and provides services to US Citizens. However, it's relatively difficult to just find a plain old US Consulate anymore.

[scy 0]

I do not believe a Consulate General of the US performs only services for individuals. A consulate performs all fuctions of an embassy, but on a more limited basis. For example, consulate general Sydney has political and economic sections that maintain contact with NSW and Queensland governments. These are not services for individuals, rather they are for governments.

http://canberra.usembassy.gov/sydney/consulate.html

It is commonly noted on VJ that "embassies do not issue visas, consulates issue visas". I believe that this statement is incorrect. It is more correct to say, consular sections within embassies and consulates issue visa.

scy,

Simply stated (perhaps too simply)

- An embassy performs services government to government.

- A consulate performs services for individuals. I have not looked at all US embassy web sites, but every one that I have looked at has a clearly defined section headed Consular Services or similar, and the Consular Services section is subdivided into 2 areas, American Citizen Services and Visa Services.

Here's my understanding:

- A country will only have one embassy in another country, it may have one or more consulates.

- A consulate that is co-located with an embassy it will usually be referred to as the consular section, consular department, or consular office of the embassy, but it still performs the same well-defined services and is still headed by a Consul or Consul General as is a stand-alone consulate.

- Not all consulates provide a full range of consular services, and it's not always the consulate that is co-located with the embassy that provides the fullest range of consular services.

- I don't know if a Consul or Consul General reports directly to the Ambassador in the country where they are posted or if they report directly to the Consular Affair Bureau domestically and indirectly to the Ambassador.

I don't think I've ever seen visa services listed as something other than a consular function.

Yodrak

zyggy,

I think it's more appropriate to say that the consular section of an embassy provides the consular services. It's not like the consular services are provided by adding to the responsibilities of embassy sections that also perform other embassy functions. The consular services sections are pretty much stand-alone, even though they may be co-located with an embassy. (Except, perhaps, at the smallest of embassies?)

Yodrak

Yodrak,

I'm confused. Is a consular section the same as a consulate? I ask because in some of your posts, you mentioned that "Be aware also that despite what the source you quoted says, visas are issued by consulates, not embassies,"

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...wtopic=5224&hl=

So if I read this right, a consular section within an embassy is called a "consulate"?

So what is your opinion of where visas are issued? Consulates, embassies, or consular sections within consulates and embassies?

A consulate general does have some economic, cultural and political sections in addition to issuing visas and providing services to US Citizens... However, a consulate only issues visas and provides services to US Citizens. However, it's relatively difficult to just find a plain old US Consulate anymore.

So a consulate is not the same as a consulate general? Is there even a US consulate that isn't called a consulate general?

Edited March 13, 2006 by scy