Cuba To Do List btwn receiving Case Number and Interview

[Lmap 0]

Hi - I have my NOA2 and I am awaiting to be assigned a case number. Once that happens I am not clear on the exact sequence of events specific to Cuba between receiving a case number and going to the interview. So far this is what I understand:

#1) Obtain Case Number

#2) Fiance beneficiary in Cuba is notified via mail

#3) Fiance beneficiary can go pick up packet3

#4) Fiance beneficiary must have Passport

#5) With Passport and packet3 filled out fiance beneficiary can apply for an interview date

#6) Interview date is assigned

#7) Fiance needs to prepare official medical exam, DS-156 form, proof on on-going relationship and proof of petitioner's ability to support them

#8) Go to interview

Am I missing anything significant here? Is there a page where all this is listed specifically in reference to Cuba?

Thanks.

[c12h22oh 11]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU THE ONE ! read this one

In immigrant visa cases, the applicant or petitioner will receive Packet 3 forms and instructions from the National Visa Center (NVC). In K-1 fiancee and K-3 visa cases, Packet 3 is available from the U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh website. The documents and forms in Packet 3 must be completed and/or obtained before a visa interview can take place.

Receipt of an I-797 Notice of Approval from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) does not indicate that the case is pending with the U.S. Embassy. It takes 2-6 weeks on average for approved cases to arrive at the Embassy. If the applicant or petitioner has not received an appointment letter from the Embassy after 6 weeks from the date you sent us the package 3, you may send an email to us regarding the status.

Please do not send any of the documents below to the Embassy unless you have been specifically instructed to do so by NVC. Any Immigrant visa documents sent to the U.S. Embassy for a case which is not pending at the Embassy will be destroyed. The Embassy does not have storage facilities for these documents.

Packet 3 for “K” Visa Applicants

• Visa Instructions for Fiance(e) (PDF: 270 KB)
• DS-156K: Nonimmigrant Fiance(e) Visa Application (PDF: 57 KB)
• Medical Examination Instructions
• DS-157: Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application (PDF: 253 KB)
• Instructions for Affidavit of Support (PDF: 67 KB)
• I-134: Affidavit of Support (PDF: 47 KB)
• DS-230: Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration (PDF: 181 KB)
• Photograph Requirements for Immigrant Visa Applicant

Once you have all the necessary documents, you should return the following materials to the IV Unit of the U.S. Embassy by mail to notify us that you are ready to schedule an interview. After we receive these materials, we will contact you with your interview date. Note that these documents cannot be emailed or faxed to the Embassy; the Embassy will accept them by mail only.

• Signed checklist
• DS-230 Part I
• I-134: Affudavit of Support

Edited September 13, 2013 by c12h22oh

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

Cuban embassy website > http://havana.usint.gov/family_based_immigrants.html

[c12h22oh 11]

Filing a Petition

The immigrant visa process begins when an American citizen or Legal Permanent Resident files a petition with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) of the Department of Homeland Security. American citizens may file petitions for their fiancé(e), children, spouses, parents, and siblings. Legal Permanent Residents may file petitions for their unmarried children and spouses.

For additional information regarding the petition process, please follow the USCIS links below.

• How Do I Bring My Child, Son or Daughter to Live in the United States?
• How Do I Bring My Spouse (Husband or Wife) to Live in the United States?
• How Do I Bring My Fiancé(e) to the United States?
• How Do I Bring My Parents to Live in the United States?
• How Do I Bring a Sibling to Live in the United States?

Once the Petition is Approved

Approved petitions are forwarded to the Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, by USCIS. The petition undergoes additional processing at NVC, including payment of the fees, completion of the affidavit of support, and collection of most documents. IMPORTANT: Please note that USCIS published a new version of Form I-864 Affidavit of Support on March 22, 2013. As of June 23, 2013, the older version of the form is no longer accepted for new Affidavits submitted. Affidavits submitted on the old form BEFORE June 23, 2013 do NOT need to be resubmitted.

Once NVC has received all of the required documents and fees from the petitioner and the priority date has become current, the file is forwarded to the U.S. Interests Section. The applicant or petitioner can check the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin to determine if the petition is current.

If the petition is current (the priority date is earlier than the cutoff date in the bulletin), the applicant should begin gathering the documents listed below, which are required for the consular interview.

Applicants that are not documentarily ready will not be issued an immigrant visa. All documents presented must be original. Each applicant must present the following documents: (Documents marked with a * must be brought by the applicant to the interview. All other documents will be provided to NVC before the interview.)

1. Valid passport and photocopy of pages where issuance and expiration dates as well as the passport number appear.*
2. IMPORTANT: All cases received at the National Visa Center on or after September 1, 2013, must complete the new DS-260: Online Immigrant Visa Application instead of the DS-230. See Online DS-260 guidance for more information about filling out this form. Cases already received by the National Visa Center by August 31, 2013 may continue to use the paper-based DS-230. Please note: Cuban Family Reunification Parole (CFRP) program cases cannot use the DS-260. These cases must still use the DS-230. However, if the immigrant visa case that forms the basis of the CFRP case becomes current, the applicant must then submit the DS-260.
   
   Please note that K visas will also need to bring forms DS-156, DS-157 (PDF 28 KB), and DS-156K (PDF 29 KB) at the time of their interview.
3. Photos, (2) color photos on white background of the beneficiary facing the camera and measuring 50 mm x 50 mm taken within the last six months.
4. Birth certificate.
5. Current marriage certificate, if married, and divorce and/or death certificates showing the end of all prior marriages. For F4 and IR5 cases, the petitioner’s birth certificate.
6. Criminal Records from Cuba, and also from any other country where the beneficiary has lived for more than one year since age 16.*
7. Medical examination.* Beneficiaries need to check the list of hospitals where they can have their medical examination. On the day of their medical appointment, they should bring this list along with the letter from the National Visa Center indicating their case number.
8. Affidavit of Support, form I-864 must be completed by the petitioner and sent to the National Visa Center. IMPORTANT: Please note that USCIS published a new version of Form I-864 Affidavit of Support on March 22, 2013. As of June 23, 2013, the older version of the form is no longer accepted for new Affidavits submitted. Affidavits previously submitted on the old form do NOT need to be resubmitted.
9. Please note that K visas do not require form I-864, but should bring proof of the petitioner’s economic solvency, which may include the I-134 Affidavit of Support.
10. Relationship evidence in K-1, K-3, IR-1, CR-1, and F2A spouse cases. This may include photos taken of the family during the marriage, letters, phone records, joint bills, or any other evidence that demonstrates that the relationship is bona fide.
11. IV processing fee. If the petitioner did not pay the IV processing fee at the National Visa Center, the applicant will need to pay the corresponding fee at the time of the consular interview. Note that NVC generally will not schedule a visa interview until this fee is paid.

Please refer to the fee chart for K-visa processing. K applicants need to pay this fee at the time of their interview at the U.S. Interests Section.

The National Visa Center schedules immigrant visa interview appointments for USINT Havana. The petitioner will receive a letter with the date of the beneficiary's interview appointment. In K1 fiancé cases and certain immigrant visa cases that are scheduled at post, applicants will receive instructions regarding scheduling their appointment.

The Visa Interview

On the day of their interview, applicants should arrive at the park located near the U.S. Interests Section at Calzada and K streets at 7:00 a.m. with the original documentation listed above. Only the applicant will be admitted to the U.S. Interests Section, except when the applicant is a minor or is disabled and requires assistance; also, in some IR1 and K1 cases, the petitioner will also be admitted.

Once all of the paperwork has been collected and any remaining fees have been paid, the applicant will be interviewed by a Consular Officer. If there is documentation missing, the Consular Officer will provide a letter explaining what is missing. This letter serves as the applicant’s pass to return to the U.S. Interests Section to present the missing information. If a case is missing documentation the applicant has a maximum of one year to return with the requested documentation. After one year, the case automatically closes. Note: Diversity visa cases close automatically on Sept. 30, or when no more visas are available.

Some cases are subject to additional administrative processing. If so, the officer will indicate this on the letter. This additional administrative processing can take several weeks or up to a year or more to complete. It is impossible to determine how long a particular case will take to bring to conclusion. In these cases, the applicant will be contacted by telephone or telegram to continue the visa process once the administrative processing is complete.

If the applicant is ineligible for the visa category, the Consular Officer will give the applicant a written explanation of the section of the law under which the visa is being refused, and the next steps – if any – in connection with the case.

If the application is approved, the applicant will receive a pass to return to pick up the visa in one week.

Cases in which Additional Documents are Requested

Applicants whose case is pending additional documents should return with those documents as soon as possible. Please arrive at the park located on Calzada and K streets at 10:00am, Monday thru Thursday. At that time, SEPSA personnel will make an announcement, “entregar los documentos” or those submitting documents. SEPSA will verify the applicant’s pass/documents and direct them towards the U.S. Interests Section (USINT) building. Once the applicant reaches the entrance to the building, he/she will be greeted by a consular employee who will collect the pending documents.

Visa Validity

Immigrant visas are valid for a maximum of six (6) months from the date of issuance, and in many cases this period may be shorter. Immigrant visas cannot be renewed. Under limited circumstances, it is sometimes possible to replace an immigrant visa when the applicant’s failure to travel was beyond their control. Waiting for a family member to receive a visa or parole is not considered beyond an applicant’s control.

Requesting Parole for Other Family Members

Immigrant visa applicants who are over 21 years of age may request parole for certain Cuban family members (please note that certain categories of visas, such as IR2 or returning residents, are not eligible to request parole regardless of age). On the morning of the interview, the applicant should advise the document checker that he or she would like to request parole for a family member(s) not included in the petition. Prior to the interview, the applicant will need to complete a parole request sheet. Following the interview, the applicant will have no further opportunity to request parole. Final decisions regarding parole requests are made by an USCIS official. Applicants are given the outcome of their parole requests six to eight weeks after receiving the visa.

Fees

Family-based Immigrant Visas Fees Type of Visa Fee Immigrant Visa $230 Fiancé Visas (K) $240

Attorneys and Family Members

The U.S. Interests Section (USINT) appreciates the contributions that attorneys and family members may make to the expeditious processing of immigrant visa applications, especially in ensuring that all required documentation is in order and properly prepared prior to the interview. However, USINT does not permit attorneys or family members, with the exception of those assisting minors and the physically disabled or petitioners in IR1, CR1, and K1 cases, to accompany immigrant visa applicants to their interviews or to participate in the interviews.

Additional Information

For additional, prerecorded information regarding immigrant visa processing, please contact the Information Unit at (53)(7) 839-4101. For issues not answered by the telephone information, you may send an email to havanaconsularinfo@state.gov.

[Lmap 0]

Thanks for all the info! I really appreciate it.

[Peace&Love 26]

I hope to hear more on the topic from Cuban members. I'm in the same step as us you and what I understood from reading some posts that you will have to call the US interest office in Havana on be half and make the appointment. Once you get your letter from NVC saying your case is sent to Havana, you give it 1-2 weeks before calling to make appointment.

[pepper44 18]

are all these documents needed for the 3rd packet ?? I have not heard of some of these nor have I read from other posts (recent months) that any of these were required but the new ds 160 for and the i-134.

I know about the medical exam but why ds-157, ds-230 and a ds-156 ??

• Visa Instructions for Fiance(e) (PDF: 270 KB)
• DS-156K: Nonimmigrant Fiance(e) Visa Application (PDF: 57 KB)
• Medical Examination Instructions
• DS-157: Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application (PDF: 253 KB)
• Instructions for Affidavit of Support (PDF: 67 KB)
• I-134: Affidavit of Support (PDF: 47 KB)
• DS-230: Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration (PDF: 181 KB)
• Photograph Requirements for Immigrant Visa Applicant

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

The info posted by the other person in this thread was a copy and paste from the Cuban Embassy site I linked to above. The forms needed are no longer the same, They changed in October. You should always go directly to a source and read the most current instructions for everything. The DS-160 replaced all the other DS forms for a K-1. Follow the link to read the current checklist instructions for a K-1 going through Cuba.

Cuban embassy website > http://havana.usint.gov/family_based_immigrants.html

[Y&R 0]

Hello! My fiancé is in Cuba and he JUST went to the embassy last week to pick up packet 3. They instructed him to fill out the DS-160 which is an online form. Someone in Havana with a computer and internet helped him fill it out. Where he lives he doesn't have access to either of these. Then he got a paper with a list of all the things he needs to take with him to the interview:

DS-160

Affidavit of support

Copy of his passport page that has his picture (front and back)

2 Visa style photographs

2 passport style photographs

Birth certificate

Certificate of marriage status (certifies that he is single)

Criminal record

Medical exam results

A fee of $240 CUC to cover the visa

Evidence of our genuine relationship

Also, the medical exam is $405

I called the embassy about 2 days ago and they told me that they hadn't received some documents yet for him, so I should call back to schedule the interview in about a week.

I'd love to know when you called for the interview and when it was given to you. I don't know anyone that has ever done this with Cuba before so any info anyone can give me helps. I appreciate it!

Hope I helped!

[Quitinav 1]

Hello! My fiancé is in Cuba and he JUST went to the embassy last week to pick up packet 3. They instructed him to fill out the DS-160 which is an online form. Someone in Havana with a computer and internet helped him fill it out. Where he lives he doesn't have access to either of these. Then he got a paper with a list of all the things he needs to take with him to the interview:

DS-160

Affidavit of support

Copy of his passport page that has his picture (front and back)

2 Visa style photographs

2 passport style photographs

Birth certificate

Certificate of marriage status (certifies that he is single)

Criminal record

Medical exam results

A fee of $240 CUC to cover the visa

Evidence of our genuine relationship

Also, the medical exam is $405

I called the embassy about 2 days ago and they told me that they hadn't received some documents yet for him, so I should call back to schedule the interview in about a week.

I'd love to know when you called for the interview and when it was given to you. I don't know anyone that has ever done this with Cuba before so any info anyone can give me helps. I appreciate it!

Hope I helped!

Thanks, that was very helpful! The NVC just sent our case to Havana yesterday, so I'm not sure when it will arrive. I actually leave on Friday to visit my fiance for two weeks, so maybe it will get there while I'm there too!

I have a few questions, if you guys don't mind - how did you know they had received your case? Did you have to go pick up the packet, or did they mail it to you? And does he actually need the packet, or can I download the documents and take them to him? My fiance lives in Holguin, so it's not easy for him to get to Havana. Also, what are the actual documents that you need to complete and turn in before you can even schedule the interview?

Thanks for all of your help!!

[TBoneTX 45,088]

*** Thread moved from K-1 Process forum to the Caribbean regional subforum -- country-specific information. ***

[pepper44 18]

Hello! My fiancé is in Cuba and he JUST went to the embassy last week to pick up packet 3. They instructed him to fill out the DS-160 which is an online form. Someone in Havana with a computer and internet helped him fill it out. Where he lives he doesn't have access to either of these. Then he got a paper with a list of all the things he needs to take with him to the interview:

DS-160

Affidavit of support

Copy of his passport page that has his picture (front and back)

2 Visa style photographs

2 passport style photographs

Birth certificate

Certificate of marriage status (certifies that he is single)

Criminal record

Medical exam results

A fee of $240 CUC to cover the visa

Evidence of our genuine relationship

Also, the medical exam is $405

I called the embassy about 2 days ago and they told me that they hadn't received some documents yet for him, so I should call back to schedule the interview in about a week.

I'd love to know when you called for the interview and when it was given to you. I don't know anyone that has ever done this with Cuba before so any info anyone can give me helps. I appreciate it!

Hope I helped!

When you say certificate of marriage.. what if the cuban is not nor has never been married? What is an acceptable document for that?

Also since you recently went through this did you have to fill out only one DS-160 or did you have to fill out all the others that I have seen posted not only here but other sites as well.. exampe ds-156, ds-157 and so no so forth...

[Y&R 0]

You only have to fill out The DS-160, and an appropriate document for that is a certificate of his single status, which he can get from wherever he got his birth certificate from.

[pepper44 18]

Do you know if this document cost money? Also if he needs to request his birth certificate do you know how long that takes? Sorry for the questions. I speak to my finance only once every two weeks due to costs on both our ends and computers are limited in cuba.

What is the document that needs his original signature?

There is also a form that needs to be filled out online by him and a photo uploaded. Im concerned about this and not sure he will be able to upload a photo of himself on a computer.

All these stupid documents needed are driving me nuts. It would be simple if Cubans could actually just come to america and stay like most other countries..

my luck to to love someone from a country with restrictions to it.

[Y&R 0]

Do you have an email or something where we can talk more? Maybe Facebook. There's a lot of info I can give you.