K1 Visa Approved!

[sclkny 0]

Hi,

I traveled to Cuba for my fiance's interview and it was approved! I wanted to share with everyone the details of my experience. We had to be there for the appointment at 6:30 AM and we waited for our number to be called. Then we had to wait. We stood in a line in the hot sun for about a good four hours. Then we entered the consulate building and had to wait another two hours. We got to the window and we were tired and stressed but ready for the interview to begin. I had no idea what was in store for us. The interviewer asked if we would like to be spoken to in Spanish or English, and I stated "both". My brain was tired and I did not feel like thinking in Spanish. Wrong answer...the interviewer began drilling me. "How is it that you all communicate if you don't speak Spanish?" I replied that I did speak Spanish, I was just tired and nervous and couldn't really switch my brain up at that moment. The attack began. I was questioned about the validity of our e-mail correspondence since the Spanish was "perfect" and I stated that I used a translating program on-line to help me with words I did not know. I was informed that my e-mails were falsified, there was no way a Cuban could have access to e-mail. Then the attack continued as the interviewer interrogated me about our phone calls if I spoke to my fiance in Spanish or English and I said "Spanish", the interviewer called me a liar and said that my fiance said that we spoke in English. I then began to feel my face get hot and the tears started flowing. I exclaimed feverishly that our relationship was real, we speak on the phone, e-mail and I visit frequently and all of my proof was there for review. The interviewer stated that we looked good on paper, but in person everything seemed false. I started freaking out and talking loud and crying and I was told to get out of the interviewing area so my fiance could be asked some questions alone. My fiance answered the questions for the interviewer and I was called back after I calmed down. The interviewer asked me "why don't you think this is going very well?" I told her that I was just nervous and I didn't know I would be a hindrance to my fiance's interview, I came there to be a support for the interview. The interrogation lasted a good hour and I thought we were on the verge of not getting approved, it looked bleak because the interviewer did not like any of our answers. My last ditch plea was "I have a job, I am responsible, I make a good salary, I have a high level of education and I am good looking. Why on earth would I go through all of this trouble, and spend thousands of dollars on visits if this is not real? I can get anyone in my hometown if I wanted to, but I happen to travel a lot and I fell in love with someone while I was traveling. Why is that not hard to believe?" I then exclaimed "Look at me, look at him, this is real!" The tears poured from my eyes uncontrollably and I stared at the interviewer in disbelief, this was not going at all like I had anticipated. I felt like I was put on trial and I was innocent, but the entire time I was being called a liar. At the very end of the ordeal, the interviewer fumbled through our paperwork, sighed and stated "ok, I am going to give your fiance your visa, here is the information for pickup". I stood up feeling weak, and my fiance thanked the interviewer. We walked outside and I collapsed onto the ground in a pile of tears from the stress of the ordeal. It was very difficult, one of the most difficult experiences of my life, but I think that our sincerity pulled though and swayed the interviewer into our corner. It is so stressful when one person holds the whole key to your future in their hands, a simple yes or no can change everything. Now I can relax and start planning our wedding. My fiance will be here in a couple of weeks and we can start our lives together as husband and wife. This has not been an easy process, and I will remember that day the rest of my life. This was our visa journey, not the end but only the beginning.

[TimandJoyce 1]

That's wonderful the visa was approved. So sorry it was a stressful experience for you both. I hope that everything goes smooth for you from now on...

[It's me 1]

yeah!!!!!!!

[Tygrys 143]

congartulations !!!

[ECARM 0]

Thank God everything turned out good. Iwish you both lots of happiness congratulations

soon I'll be in your shoes.

[PrinceandPrincess 0]

Congratulations!

[TRELAWNY PARISH 10]

CONGRATS

[pRetTy_aNgeL 1]

Yay,congratulations!

[K-9 Visa 11]

Our K-1 visa was April 7, and was completely different. We arrived at 7:30am, stood in line outside several hours, went through the multiple layers of security (don't bring cameras, cellphones, etc.), and waited inside for more hours. The first call to a window was with a Cubana woman, she checked over our papers without any questions that I can remember. Around 12:30pm we were called to a different window and an American woman rechecked our papers. Her only question was "How did you meet?" and she added that she didn't care how I'd gotten to Cuba, on that trip or any other trip. I pointed out the page I'd added to the application answering that question (the Nolo book advises this rather than filling in the two-sentence space on the form). I also tried to give her my travel license, but she didn't look at it. She glanced at a few of our photos, said that everything looked good and the visa would be issued the following day. The "interview" took maybe 5 minutes.

It was a good thing the interview was short, because my fiancée had eaten almost nothing, and becomes emotional when she doesn't eat. I'd brought little cans of tuna salad with crackers and she'd eaten the crackers and refused to eat the tuna salad (her favorite). I'll guess that you and your fiancé didn't eat breakfast or anything else before the interview?

To prepare, I'd gone to the embassy in February to get her application forms. Don't believe the form letter from the U.S. visa processing center saying that the embassy will mail the application form to your fiancée. The embassy in Cuba doesn't, either you or your spouse has to go to the embassy to pick up the packet. We'd also prepared by going over the interview questions in the Nolo book, and we'd gone over the application papers many times, using the Nolo book. We both dressed up. I wore a suit and tie, she wore a dress and heels.

What surprised me was that we were the only couple there. I helped the guard find us on his lists of applicants, and there were maybe a dozen K-1 visas, out of hundreds of applications. It appeared that almost all applications were "family unifications," teenagers or old people joining their relations in Miami. No applicants looked like Americans, or looked like couples. I was apparently the only American who gone to Havana to support my fiancée in the interview. FYI, the American applicant isn't required be present at the interview. The Cuban applicants weren't dressed up, they looked like Cubans anywhere.

Maybe it was just luck that you were selected for the "enhanced interrogation techniques." :-) But maybe there were some red flags you didn't mention. What did you answer for the "where did you meet" question? If you say "at a resort, where he works as an entertainer" I'll point you to www.cubaamor.com to read why the interviewer was skeptical. If there a big difference in age or education? And I hope that American officials aren't racist, but are you different races?

My "how did you meet" answer was that my fiancée is a speech-language pathologist, we met at a speech-language pathology conference I was teaching in Trinidad, I'd made three trips to visit her, we shared many values (e.g., helping children with disabilities), and habits (e.g., neither of us drink alcohol or caffeine or smoke), etc. My essay made my fiancée sound like a saint (which she is) and that I'm a responsible citizen, etc. etc.