Phone Number: |
Desde El Salvador: VISAS US (Telefonica) US$15.00 (dura 8 minutos); 900-6011 (US$2.10 el minuto; se carga a factura del telefono)
Desde Estados Unidos:
866-730-2089 (cargo a tarjeta Visa o Mastercard)
This is a company the embassy has outsourced customer service to. They do not have a clue and depend on a once a month update from the embassy. Be prepared for misinformation and disappointment.
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E-Mail: |
congensansal@state.gov
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Address: |
Embajada de Los Estados Unidos
Sección Consular
Final Boulevard Santa Elena
Antiguo Cuscatlán, La Libertad
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Working Hours: |
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Best Contact Method: |
congensansal@state.gov
Usually respond within 1-3 days.
Fax number:
503-278-5522 |
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Approx Waiting Time for Interview After Consulate Recieves
NVC Package: |
Usually, Packet 3 or 4 by physical mail never arrives or takes forever. About a week after approval of I-129F (NOA2), contact NVC to see if your petition has arrived to the embassy. As soon as it has arrived, email the embassy and request Packet 3 by email (give them your case number in the subject line, you can get that from NVC). This is much faster then physical mail, and often Packet 3 will never arrive by physical mail. As soon as you have completed packet 3 and mailed 2 copies of ds-156 back to the ebmassy (via Cargo Expreso), email the embassy again and they will send you Packet 4 via email. |
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Issues Packet 3? |
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Packet 3 Contains: |
1.Cover Letter (Basic Fiance Info)
2.Checklist and Instructions (Instrucciones para visa de prometido K1)
3.DS-156 (online)
4.DS-156 supplement (attached)
5.DS-156K (online)
6.DS-157 (If applicable: hombres mayores de 16 años)
7.DS-230 part 1 (attached)
8.I-134 (not included, to be fill by US fiancé(e)
7.Address of authorized Doctors and Labs
Es un sobre con 20 paginas + 1 pagina con los datos
http://sansalvador.usembassy.gov/consular/docs/package-K1.pdf - K1 packet |
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Issues Packet 4? |
Yes |
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Packet 4 Contents (if known): |
Packet 4 is just a letter with instructions on how to schedule the interview. It also gives you a link to the Packet 4 forms on the ebmassy website. But the link states ¨For all visas EXCEPT K1 and K3¨ so if you are applying for the K1 or K3 visa, you shouldn´t need any of those forms.
Packet 4 may never arrive by physical mail to the foreign fiance. The best way to receive it is by emailing the embassy as soon as you have sent them 2 copies of DS-156 via Cargo Expreso.
The Packet 3 letter states that you must wait to receive Packet 4 before scheduling the medical exam, but really Packet 4 offered nothing more than was already in Packet 3. In fact, it is a link to a website that has one of the exact same letters that was provided in Packet 3. Still...probably worth it to send in the DS-156 copies as instructed in Packet 3 and wait until getting the email with Packet 4 info prior to scheduling the exam (which is what we did) |
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Forms to Consulate? |
ONLY send 2 copies of DS-156 as soon as you get packet 3. The rest you bring with you to the interview.
Enviar DS-156 de Packet 3 "Doble Via" a la embajada por Cargo Expreso. |
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Other Forms (if any)? |
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Direct Consular Filing Offered? |
Yes |
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If DCF Allowed: For all or only US citizen lawfully resident in country?
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All |
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Can fiance(e)/spouse attend interview? |
No |
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Visa fee payment "same day" or "in advance"? |
Advance |
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Did embassy schedule interview or could you walk-in? |
Embassy Scheduled |
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Visa issued same day? |
No |
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If not what's the waiting period? |
Consular official says one week, but that is not true. It usually takes 4 to 6 weeks. Do not make any travel arrangements based on what the embassy says. Wait until you have visa and passport returned by embassy. |
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Is the Medical exam same day as interview? |
Prior to Interview |
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Cost of Medical Exam? |
Someone else wrote $109 (below), but my fiance paid $200 as of April 2010.
$109.00 (US) Total
Medical exam US$ 40.00 (llevar cover page + 1 foto tamaño cedula + pasaporte)
X-rays US$ 23.00 (llevar cover page)
HIV + Sifilis US$ 46.00 (llevar cover page)
(otros examenes pudieran necesitarse dependiendo de la opinion del medico)
AVISAR si esta embarazada |
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List of doctors? |
I suggest going to Dr. Salvador Beltrán Montes
Centro de Especialidades Médicas, 4a Avenida Norte 3-8 Frente a Policlinica Casa de Salud. Santa Tecla 2228-1184
appointment is needed but it's usually for the next day and once you see the doctor it's very fast, unlike the other doctor's offices. He then sends you to get the x-rays and blood tests at:
Laboratorios Clinicos Max Bloch, tel 225-5233
Dr. Víctor Esquivel, tel 2225-6412
Horario: 08:00-12:00 am y 2:00-5:00 pm lunes a viernes
both offices are in the same building, so, it's very convenient.
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How many Passport Photo's Required for the medical? |
1 |
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How many Passport Photo's Required at the interview? |
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Estimated waiting time at the consulate on the day of interview? |
Applicants are assigned interviews by time groups. Interviews start at 7:30am folowed by interviews every half hour after that. Waiting time from the time you enter the consulate is approx 5 hours.
There are two appointment lines in the waiting area outside the consulate. One is for residency applicants, the other for tourist visas. K-1 applicants should use the Residency line. |
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Vaccination requirements? |
NO son necesarios para la visa K1; pero SI se requieren para AOS (adjustment of Status: para residencia); llevar los comprobantes de las vacunas |
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Cheap and good hotels near the Consulate? |
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Additional Info? |
The Visa Information Center number 866-730-2089, is frustrating so be prepared. They can also reschedule your appointment once you have one and can update your Fiance/e's info. It costs approx $7 USD for this call. Es el mismo lugar mencionado arriba
American Citizen Services at the Embassy in El Salvador can also be contacted via Email or fax, but they will be of no help. They will refer you to the Visa Service Center, an outsourced company in Mexico that does not have a clue. Be prepared for misinformation. Aunque la mayor parte del tiempo lo que hacen es remitir al Centro de Informacion de Visas.
DCF: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=138834 |
