Interview

[Ed Hall 7]

From all the responses so far, I think I need a immigration lawyer who is well versed in the K1 process Ecuador and knows how to grease the skids. Does anyone know of such?

[TBoneTX 45,329]

From all the responses so far, I think I need a immigration lawyer who is well versed in the K1 process Ecuador and knows how to grease the skids. Does anyone know of such?

Some posters on here may recommend Laurel Scott (?), but avoid her in this instance.

I heartily and utterly recommend the law firm that supported me: Tindall & Foster -- http://www.tindallfoster.com -- largest Immigration Law firm in Houston. Their e-mail consultation rates are VERY reasonable, and you will get far more than you paid for. In your initial description of the situation, be as exhaustively complete as possible. Request J.J. Slater (a sharp junior associate) and/or Mark Cross (a more senior fellow who had recent years of experience himself as a vice-consul in Venezuela). They are both very freshly familiar with my own case and with the monkeyshines at that rogue consulate. They may tell you (at first) that there is little that they can do until the consulate says yea or nay to the visa, BUT (this is from me, now) it could be worth its weight in gold for you to keep them up to speed so that they can pull the trigger immediately in case the visa is refused. I consider the firm's e-mail consultation fee to be one of the biggest bargains on earth.

[sunzetgirl 0]

Another question......

Luckily, I am able to retrieve all the Instant Messages. I have over 100 IM's saved and I'm busy copying each one and printing them out. How many of them should I print out? The Embassy is asking specifically for emails so would IM's be an appropriate substitute?

I just had my interview this morning, and got approved. The amount of proof for the bonafide relationship differs per consulate, I was interviewed at the Manila US embassy, one of the most strict as it is a high fraud consulate. I printed out at least 15 yahoo conversations, more or less 20 emails and I did just fine. I dont think you need to print out each and every chat conversations you have, just print screen the chatlogs showing all that you have accumulated throughout your relationship. Thats what I did. But of course if you think you would be safer if you printout each and every chat conversation, you can do that too. It is better safe than sorry. Goodluck.

[TBoneTX 45,329]

I printed out at least 15 yahoo conversations, more or less 20 emails and I did just fine. I dont think you need to print out each and every chat conversations you have, just print screen the chatlogs showing all that you have accumulated throughout your relationship. Thats what I did. But of course if you think you would be safer if you printout each and every chat conversation, you can do that too. It is better safe than sorry. Goodluck.

Yes, Manila is a high-fraud post, but it's also high-volume, meaning that the "cream" of the consular crop is stationed there. Guayaquil is a different animal altogether. Absolutely nothing should be left to chance.

Ed (and others either in the same boat now or who are compiling their initial I-129F filing -- which, once past USCIS, will end up at a high-fraud post): I neglected to mention a very valuable action: Collect one-page testimonial letters from your people and hers. These letters (from your people) should be from relatives, friends, and colleagues who are familiar with your relationship and can attest to its duration and validity. If they saw you together, they should state where, when, and the occasion. Do nothing but remind these letter-writers of the correct spelling of your fiancee's name and the date when your relationship began. As a must, they should include their relationship to you, and complete contact information. Then, let them write the letters in their own words.

Because of my dire situation, I ended up compiling 15 letters from my people and 3 from my fiancee's. Attorneys advised me to limit the number from her people, because too many could lend the impression to the consulate that the writers are jockeying for favors (such as piggybacking on a visa) from your fiancee. We did well with formal statements from her primary relatives that were entitled "certificado," and said simply that the writer saw us together (with dates & details) and attested to the validity of the relationship. No need to notarize anything. Include full contact information, of course, and there's no need to translate these from Spanish when they're going straight to the consulate. (If you're including them in your I-129F filing to USCIS, then include translations.)

You'll be surprised how quickly and warmly people will respond to your request for letters!

I just had my interview this morning, and got approved.

Completely forgot my manners: CONGRATULATIONS, si man!

[Fred N Emilia 0]

yup my SO will be interviewing in the embassy in Manila too, I made sure I hade loads of evidence (Years worth) better be prepared...