My fiance's packet is arriving in Cuba, how does he get his papers?

[sclkny 0]

Hi there,

I placed this post earlier in the consulate section, and I was told I would have a better response rate here. Ok, so here goes...The visa service center recently notified me that my packet was being sent to the embassy in Havana, Cuba. I checked the DHL website and I got the tracking number to my fiance's packet. It should arrive to the embassy within the next day or two. My fiance lives in Santiago de Cuba and the consulate is in Havana. Will my fiance's packet be mailed to his house or does he have to pick up the packet in person? If he has to pick up the packet in person, do I have to make an appointment for him to pick up the packet? Anyone know the best number to call to make his appointment for pickup? I saw a couple of 1-800 numbers on the U.S. Interest Section Website in Havana but I have no idea on which one to call.

I am also traveling there in February. I want him to wait until we do the packet together to make sure everything is correct. Do we mail the papers back to the embassy once we are finished, or is it better to turn the paperwork in person? I am afraid of things getting lost in Cuba. Those who have used the mail system, have you used DHL to send the paperwork back to the embassy?

Any info from those who have done this before would be greatly appreciated.

[EdwinandMary 0]

Call the U.S. interest section in Cuba to set up the appointment to pick up the forms. I had posted the number in your previous post. I suggest picking up the package at Havana, I know that Santiago de Cuba is a day away from Havana by car, but I don't trust the mail service there. You do have to make appointment for him to pick up the package, and tell them that you want to set up the interview date at the same time. They should give you an 800 number based out of Mexico, there is a fee to pay for a pin number, but I can't remember how much it was, you can pay it with a credit card over the phone. I suggest that he start filling out the papers immediately, there trips to the office of immigration, and a medical appointment to set up. Therefore, start as soon as he gets the forms. Once they are done, you do not mail them to the U.S interest section, you take them with you on the interview date. Good Luck, Edwin&Mary

Edited January 28, 2009 by EdwinandMary

[k1lover 0]

Everything Edwin&mary posted is correct except from my experience your fiance gets a TELEGRAM and it will say when to go pick up the packet. the appointment is not for picking up a packet JUST FOR the interview..so try not to make the same mistake I made of not having all the info when calling to make an appointment: your fiance(e) has to have their passport ALREADY issued to him before you make the appointment because you will need to provide the person to whom you speak to their passport number, issue date, expiration date and you need to know his/her info (which you have already filled into his G325 form) good luck!

[K-9 Visa 11]

I received a letter from the National Visa Center, dated December 31, 2008, saying "Your fiancé will soon receive a packet with instructions from the consular section on how to apply for the K1 visa at that post..." A month later she hadn't received anything, so I called, faxed, and e-mailed the U.S. Interest Section in Havana. The calls and faxes weren't answered, but two days later I received an e-mail response from <HavanaConsularInfo@state.gov>. The e-mail said:

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The U.S. interests Section is not sending packets of forms and instructions to applicants in Cuba. If you provide us a phone number in Cuba for Ms. Martinez Abreu, we can attempt to contact her and schedule a packet pick up appointment on her behalf. Once you are in Cuba, you may come to our offices and pick up Ms. Martinez Abreu's packet of instructions. This packet of forms is available online by visiting the link http://havana.usinterestsection.gov/family...immigrants.html

Once she has gathered the required documentation, she should ask a family member or associate in the United States to contact our Visa Information and Appointment Scheduling Service at 1-866-374-1769, Monday through Friday, from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. to schedule an interview appointment on her behalf. The person calling on behalf of the applicant in Cuba will need to pay a fee of $11 USD to speak to the operators.

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I will pick up the packet on Friday when I'm in Havana. (If anyone else need a information packet picked up and sent to their fiancé, let me know.) I paid the $11 and got an interview appointment for April 7.

Last month I downloaded all the forms, filled them out as much as I could, and sent everything to her by DHL. I'll help her fill out the forms again next week. Then I'll fly down again to hold her hand through the interview on April 7.

What happens after that? The U.S. Interest Section website (http://havana.usinterestsection.gov/family_based_immigrants.html) says:

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If the application is approved, the applicant may receive a visa the next working day. However, all Cuban nationals between the ages of 16 and 80 (inclusive) are subject to additional, U.S.-based administrative processing that can often delay approval for 2-3 months after a Consular Officer has determined that the applicant is eligible to receive a visa. Delays vary from a few weeks to many months.

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Those of you who have gone through the process, how long did this additional processing take?

And what about Cuba's Exit Visa? She received her passport last month. I read that the Exit Visa requirements changed last year. What are the new requirements? She's gotten permission from her school district to leave her job. Is she still required to pay 400 CUC for the (fake) medical exam, and give up all of her possessions? She lives with her parents, do they also take away the gifts I've given to her family?

[k1lover 0]

You should haven't wasted money sending her the documents through DHL if you were going to be there..but oh well. next take more copies of the form and if you are not sure if you have everything or not then just pass by the embassy show your passport, walk inside and ask for the "packet"....you should have her go to her local immigration office and ask them what letter doe she need form her job so that she can get a head start (TRUST ME, my fiancee did a three-day run around getting signatures for her work-release letter and turns out she had the wrong one, there two letter one is indefinate and is definate exit) I'm not sure about clearing vivienda (they call it something like that) since she lives with her parents...yes you pay the 400-450 for fake medical PLUS 150 for carta blanca. YOU MIGHT also want to leave her enough money to buy her plane ticket (300-400 for MIAMI or 600-700 to JFK) my fiancee is supposed to have everything ready to apply for her exit permit this Friday..I will give you more info then, if I forget and you still need it just send me a message.

[K-9 Visa 11]

I went to the embassy in Havana and picked up her K-1 forms. No problems, no lines, just a lot of time going through security (one Cuban security checkpoint outside and two American security checkpoints inside). I was surprised that everyone who worked there was Cuban, and some didn't speak English. Somehow I expected to find Americans in the American embassy! :-)