To be or NOT be at the K-1 Visa Interview

[TBoneTX 45,319]

Also, I did not even notice what consulate the OP would be dealing with, so I apologize about that.

(It was in the subheading of her thread's title.) Apology accepted, but this shines a light on one of the most overlooked points in the immigration process: So much of everything is consulate-specific. London is not Manila, Manila is not Santo Domingo, Santa Domingo is not Guayaquil, and Guayaquil is not Lagos.

The patterns of treatment of USCs at the Guayaquil consulate have continued rather consistently for years. "Ed Hall" above has nailed it, and Jim just above is correct that consular employees should not be believed when it comes to official or unspoken policy.

If I remember, I had a lengthy PM session with the OP some time ago on exactly what to expect and do.

Anyone who wants to shudder at the practices at Guayaquil need to visit the Embassy/Consulate forum and read the thread "US Consulate in Guayaquil, Ecuador" in full, paying attention to the worst of the stories.

[GringoD 33]

Equador is not particularly POLITICALLY friendly towards the USA, in these past several years, being aligned more with the likes of Chavez socialistic movement.

The unfortunate things that are written here, about the consulate in Equador, do not surprise me.

Also a past colombian love was held at the border of Col/Equador FOR TWO WEEKS for no good reason other than harrassment, a few years back.

Edited October 27, 2011 by GringoD

[Roy&katy 1]

'

Hi folks, just trying to get a pulse here. I've heard mixed messages. I have heard some say that you NEED to be at the consulate interview or others state not necessary. I just called the Ecuadorian consulate and they told me I do not need to be there. I will call again tomorrow to ensure I get the same answers.. And curious to others experience. Kindly share

Let me say you surely need to be there. First off, They CAN NOT keep you out of the consulate, it is your right as a citizen to go into a consulate when you feel the need. Second, the person you are "asking" when you call the consulate is not the person who grants visas and is lying if they told you not to be present. My fiance went for her interview and IMMEDIATELY when the interview started, the counselor officer said "where is your fiance?!" DENIED.come back for joint interview. I don't know the rules at all the consulates, but I can tell you for sure what they do in the South American Hell, some refer to as the Guayaquil Consulate.

You sound like you have your mind made up not to go. Do what you want. We have warned you. There are numerous other posts with the same denials for fiance not present. No, the consulate is not going to say, yes bring your fiance and we will surely approve this visa. They can and will simply deny the visa with a "no established proof of relationship to petitioner." But i can tell you that they are thinking, this is the most important day in someones life and you chose not to be there. The burden of proof lies with the applicant and petitioner, not the consulate.

Final thoughts are Why would you not want to be with your fiance on this day. Its an all day, long lines, stressful process and I had no idea what it was like until I stood in line like a heard of cows, holding evidence for hours in a freezing waiting room. It is a miserable experience and I don't wish it on my worst enemy.

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY CALLING THE CONSULATE! Buy you tickets and go support your person that you want to spend the rest of your life with.

[Ben and Jill 37]

(It was in the subheading of her thread's title.) Apology accepted, but this shines a light on one of the most overlooked points in the immigration process: So much of everything is consulate-specific. London is not Manila, Manila is not Santo Domingo, Santa Domingo is not Guayaquil, and Guayaquil is not Lagos.

The patterns of treatment of USCs at the Guayaquil consulate have continued rather consistently for years. "Ed Hall" above has nailed it, and Jim just above is correct that consular employees should not be believed when it comes to official or unspoken policy.

If I remember, I had a lengthy PM session with the OP some time ago on exactly what to expect and do.

Anyone who wants to shudder at the practices at Guayaquil need to visit the Embassy/Consulate forum and read the thread "US Consulate in Guayaquil, Ecuador" in full, paying attention to the worst of the stories.

The name of the Consulate was also in the first paragraph...it just didn't "hit me" that it was Guayaquil...so I understand fully. My answer was "generalizing" and I wasn't focusing on Ecuador, my bad. I realize how awful that consulate is, so I'm glad you accept my apology Have a great day.

[Ed Hall 7]

Boy am I envious of all the excellent advice you have received here regarding the importance of being there for the interview. Had I known at the time, it could have saved us a bunch of head ache and heart ache. Trust us, do whatever you have to do to be there because it's just to risky to not go.

Edited October 27, 2011 by Ed Hall

[sjvr 0]

Oh my.. Oh my.. Thank you for all for the responses. I'm definitely in a quandary.. My current employment is on contract and while not impossible to take time off definitely will take some extra pushes.. I will keep reading on with those who dealt with Ecua Consulate ..although those from Tbone and Edhall got a knot in my throat and trying to see how much last minute flights are..

that's the other thing.. how is one to plan for the flight.. we are still getting our packet 4 together and won't really know exact date until his call to make the appointment.

Well either way thank YOU ALL for your thoughts.

[sjvr 0]

Come again.. they denied your fiance her visa without you there?

'

Let me say you surely need to be there. First off, They CAN NOT keep you out of the consulate, it is your right as a citizen to go into a consulate when you feel the need. Second, the person you are "asking" when you call the consulate is not the person who grants visas and is lying if they told you not to be present. My fiance went for her interview and IMMEDIATELY when the interview started, the counselor officer said "where is your fiance?!" DENIED.come back for joint interview. I don't know the rules at all the consulates, but I can tell you for sure what they do in the South American Hell, some refer to as the Guayaquil Consulate.

You sound like you have your mind made up not to go. Do what you want. We have warned you. There are numerous other posts with the same denials for fiance not present. No, the consulate is not going to say, yes bring your fiance and we will surely approve this visa. They can and will simply deny the visa with a "no established proof of relationship to petitioner." But i can tell you that they are thinking, this is the most important day in someones life and you chose not to be there. The burden of proof lies with the applicant and petitioner, not the consulate.

Final thoughts are Why would you not want to be with your fiance on this day. Its an all day, long lines, stressful process and I had no idea what it was like until I stood in line like a heard of cows, holding evidence for hours in a freezing waiting room. It is a miserable experience and I don't wish it on my worst enemy.

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY CALLING THE CONSULATE! Buy you tickets and go support your person that you want to spend the rest of your life with.

[sjvr 0]

Thank you!

This is a consulate specific question. You will have better luck in receiving correct answers if you target your questions for members with Ecuatorian beneficiaries who have successfully completed the process. Check with these members directly. Best wishes!

[Ed Hall 7]

Oh my.. Oh my.. Thank you for all for the responses. I'm definitely in a quandary.. My current employment is on contract and while not impossible to take time off definitely will take some extra pushes.. I will keep reading on with those who dealt with Ecua Consulate ..although those from Tbone and Edhall got a knot in my throat and trying to see how much last minute flights are..

that's the other thing.. how is one to plan for the flight.. we are still getting our packet 4 together and won't really know exact date until his call to make the appointment.

Well either way thank YOU ALL for your thoughts.

The cost of a last minute flight no matter how much it costs will be cheap compared trying to correct a denied visa. In that case, you'll be making multiple trips and possibly be spending lots of money on lawyer costs. How do I know? I experienced this first hand. The whole experience almost put me into bankruptcy.

[MalaysianGirl 26]

I know this is consulate-specific, so don't listen to me in that sense, but I think that for any beneficiary going for an interview, it would help tremendously for the petitioner to be there with him/her at the interview. I know that my nerves would be MUCH calmed down if I had moral and physical support!

[I+H 11]

You don't have to go, but you can go and personally, I would go, I did go

Some think that being at the interview helps, I personally do. I think it helps to establish the on going relationship and shows that this is so important to you that you chose to be there. Having a husband from a MENA country, I honestly think that my presence at his interview made a huge difference.

The choice is yours, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Best of luck!

[Misha & Ira 113]

(It was in the subheading of her thread's title.) Apology accepted, but this shines a light on one of the most overlooked points in the immigration process: So much of everything is consulate-specific. London is not Manila, Manila is not Santo Domingo, Santa Domingo is not Guayaquil, and Guayaquil is not Lagos.

The patterns of treatment of USCs at the Guayaquil consulate have continued rather consistently for years. "Ed Hall" above has nailed it, and Jim just above is correct that consular employees should not be believed when it comes to official or unspoken policy.

If I remember, I had a lengthy PM session with the OP some time ago on exactly what to expect and do.

Anyone who wants to shudder at the practices at Guayaquil need to visit the Embassy/Consulate forum and read the thread "US Consulate in Guayaquil, Ecuador" in full, paying attention to the worst of the stories.

This is good advice...

[sjvr 0]

Don't mean to pry.. but is there somewhere I can read about what happened to you?

This is stressing me out.. I just read on the Ecuadorian Embassy review two females beneficiaries that got approved without their fiance present. I wonder if they would be any different with my man being the beneficiary and I the petitioner.

Goes without saying, If I need to go, I will go- rain, hail or snow, I will. I was just trying to be practical in that, if I didn't need to be there. Whatever that amount spent could be better spent on holding things down for his arrival, the time for him to get a job, etc.

I recall being in Ecua and going to the consulate to just ask for k-1 info. They were complete a-holes and totally gave us the runaround and truth be told. I was irate not making the situation any better, as I demanded someone to give me a straight forward answer, whereas he was more calm and finally he got us seen. I almost thought best to have not me there as we expect certain treatment which unfortunately is not standard.

Nonetheless, dammit looks like i have to run and get my passport as it recently expired, and look to ensure I can go back in, as last time I overstayed my welcome and they told me I couldn't go back in for at least.. I think it was 9 months.. (need to confirm that) if that's the case, I'm in the clear.

UGH!!! I will be sure to keep everyone posted.

The cost of a last minute flight no matter how much it costs will be cheap compared trying to correct a denied visa. In that case, you'll be making multiple trips and possibly be spending lots of money on lawyer costs. How do I know? I experienced this first hand. The whole experience almost put me into bankruptcy.

[bigdog 376]

I would go and be prepared if need be, have a nice trip. I think more people here are more knowledgeable than government people about the process.

[Ed Hall 7]

Don't mean to pry.. but is there somewhere I can read about what happened to you?

No, because it would literally take a book to write down what happened to us. We had what should have been the most straight forward case and it turned out to be an absolute nightmare. Even my lawyer was perplexed on why things turned out like they did. Fortunately, ours did finally go through but I can name a couple where he is living in the U.S. and she is living in Ecuador and it's been over 4 years. Please do yourself a favor and don't take chances with this dangerous and unpredictable consulate. There were times where I was seriously thinking about moving permanently to Ecuador because of the games this crimininalistic consulate was playing on us. What's the point of being an American citizen if you can't spend your life with whom you love? That's what it came down to. Anyways, I'll repeat it again, don't take chances with this dangerous and unpredictable consulate.