USCIS office in Honduras received instructions to start process I-130's

[captainButch 0]

We just receive this email this morning from the Nicaraguan Embassy in Managua, it looks for us the log jam has busted and I-130 will start moving. Somehow I can't believe our Embassy will the only ones receiving instructions, for sure others will be getting something as well and perhaps those of us who were caught in the Adam Walsh debacle will start getting our lives back

Dear Ervin and Legia,

I am happy to inform you that as of March 7, 2006 USCIS office in Tegucigalpa has received the instructions they were waiting for and have started processing I-130 cases. We still do not know exactly when they will get the cases back to us, but this is a very good start. Please email them at uscistgu.inquiries@dhs.gov or call at

1 (800) 375-5283 to ask about the status of your case. We understand the inconvenience all this waiting is causing families, but rest assured that we are doing all we can for our clients.

Best,

Johanna Merejo

Immigrant Visa Chief

[meauxna 15]

Wooo!

Looks like confirmation that your file made it to Tegus, too!

[captainButch 0]

Wooo!

Looks like confirmation that your file made it to Tegus, too!

Meauxna

you something, I think I'm going to go ahead and buy our airline tickets to leave at the end of May. That old saying "leap and the net will appear" I'm taking a leap of faith on this and I hope everything will work out. I just can't wait to get the final OK and then scramble to get everything done. There are deadlines in place and I am going to just move forward like the visa has already been granted. I just hope the universe is with us on this. Something will come up, it always does.

Butch

[meauxna 15]

Well, you know the saying.. It will either work out or, it won't. There's a feloow posting from Japan who is pretty upset about his preplanning at the moment, but I think a lot more like you do I guess.

That pesky universe. It does always seem to turn up the right things at the right time! Easier to change a plane ticket or two at the last minute than start everything from a cold stop with one week to get out of Dodge. I'll think Good Thoughts for you

[Fofire 0]

Wel Nicaragua isnt the only one starting to accept. When I talked to Vienna they told me that they were gonna start accepting petitions from within their complete jurisdiction and not just Austria. Furthermore they said that they (Vienna USCIS) will be discussing with the embassies more this week asking them how they want to proceed (ie. if they will accept petitions and then forward it on to Vienna or if petitioners have to mail it directly to Vienna). So i guess DCF is coming back on a country per country basis.

Regardless only the first step would be done in Vienna and the rest will be done at Ur closest embassy.

Fofire

Well, you know the saying.. It will either work out or, it won't. There's a feloow posting from Japan who is pretty upset about his preplanning at the moment, but I think a lot more like you do I guess.

That pesky universe. It does always seem to turn up the right things at the right time! Easier to change a plane ticket or two at the last minute than start everything from a cold stop with one week to get out of Dodge. I'll think Good Thoughts for you

[zyggy 9]

Yep.. it looks like DCF is back for those USC's who are resident abroad... what appears to be dead is DCF for those USC's who were not-resident abroad, but could file as a tourist overseas in some select locations...

[captainButch 0]

Yep.. it looks like DCF is back for those USC's who are resident abroad... what appears to be dead is DCF for those USC's who were not-resident abroad, but could file as a tourist overseas in some select locations...

I think DCF is back as well, and the residence requirement could be an issue. I heard something about you have to have been a resident before you got married. For me, getting residency was simple, I got mine after we were married. We didn't need it when we filed, but I thought it would be good to have.To get residency on your own is a long and drawn out process and takes a long time to do. But as is the case, some embassies might stipulate you must have been a resident prior to marriage, and others won't make that distinction. You'll really have to do your homework and know before hand what are the requirements for your particular Embassy. All Embassies are not created equal.

I really feel for that fellow in Japan, again it's the Embassies that make all the difference. That Embassy has it backwards, they feel USC must serve them, However, the only reason they exist in the first place is to serve the USC. They have lost sight of that and something needs to be done about that embassy. All I have ever hear about that Embassy is bad.

I feel very lucky, I have nothing but praise for the Nicaraguan Embassy, they go out of their way to make it as easy for us as they can, they are not out to jam you up. They are very understanding and aware of the current situation and they are trying to do whatever they can to be helpful. Most importantly, they will answer questions, for free.

CaptainButch

[captainButch 0]

We just receive this email this morning from the Nicaraguan Embassy in Managua, it looks for us the log jam has busted and I-130 will start moving. Somehow I can't believe our Embassy will the only ones receiving instructions, for sure others will be getting something as well and perhaps those of us who were caught in the Adam Walsh debacle will start getting our lives back

Dear Ervin and Legia,

I am happy to inform you that as of March 7, 2006 USCIS office in Tegucigalpa has received the instructions they were waiting for and have started processing I-130 cases. We still do not know exactly when they will get the cases back to us, but this is a very good start. Please email them at uscistgu.inquiries@dhs.gov or call at

1 (800) 375-5283 to ask about the status of your case. We understand the inconvenience all this waiting is causing families, but rest assured that we are doing all we can for our clients.

Best,

Johanna Merejo

Immigrant Visa Chief

I just received an update from our Embassy here in Nicaragua. the CIS office in Hondras is processing the I-130's a lot faster than i imagined.

Dear Mr. Armstrong.

I am glad to help and thank so much for your kind words. They do mean a lot to me.

Our office had already scheduled over half the pending I-130 cases. Although your personal file has not arrived from DHS yet, I am confident it will be here in the following weeks. We will be sure to call and schedule an appointment as soon as it gets here. We are truly sorry for this inconvenience.

Regarding a personal meeting with me, I would be glad to meet you any day of the week between 1 and 3pm. Please let me know when you are able to come to the Consulate. If you cant make it during those times I would be happy to call you at the number you provide. Please let me know what works best.

Regards,

Johanna Merejo

I really have to hand it to our local Embassy here in Nicaragua, they are doing one hell of a good job. At the rate they are going I do expect to hear about a interview date very shortly. I am going to go there next week to thank them personally for all their help and understanding. I thought it was great she offer to call me at home and save me a trip, but I need to go to Managua anyway.

[meauxna 15]

mmmm...honey.

Great job, Cap'n. You have a new friend in Managua. Nice, huh?

[captainButch 0]

mmmm...honey.

Great job, Cap'n. You have a new friend in Managua. Nice, huh?

Menauxna

You were right, you do get a lot further with dealing with the folks at the Embassy if you use a little honey. It didn't cost me anything to show a little kindness and understanding. I told them this:

"I want you to know how much I really appreciate your concern and help with this matter. I know, like us, the Adam Walsh Act came to you as a surprise and I can appreciate the difficulties in enacting a new policy with little or no guidance. I just want you to know I think you are going a great job. What I like most about you and your staff is that they treat us like human beings, who, like you, have feelings, families and hopes for the future"

I think if you show understanding and kindness in your dealings with other people, it will come back to you. Like you said, it's better to have an ally at the Embassy then a brick wall of indifference. However, I can appreciate that all Embassies are not created equal. If the tone of an Embassy office is adversarial and confrontational, then everything, even the smallest detail is a uphill battle for getting a petition through. I really feel for those people, this whole process is ruff enough without having to deal with a Embassy full of people with bad attitudes.

CaptainButch

[captainButch 0]

I just got back from the US Nicaraguan Embassy in Managua today. I spoke with the Immigrant Visa Chief in her office, very nice lady from New Jersey. She was very candid and honest with her responses. For me, it was the first time I ever went to the Embassy and was treated in the way I thought you'd be treated when you went to an Embassy. Going in, sitting down in an office and discussing your problems with another USC who worked there. Previously it was much like going to a foreign bank and talking to a teller who wasn't an USC, but spoke good English and was for the most part was knowledgeable. But they're not from your culture, and it kind of hard to connect. Not that that's bad, it's just you know how you get these ideas in your mind of how you think something should be before you actually experience it? Well, such was the case, and this was the first time it went like I had thought it suppose to be.

Anyway, what she told me was totally disheartening. No, I can't get a tourist visa for my wife. I even told her about pushing the Tourist Visa date to the end of May and that in all likelihood we wouldn't need it anyway. We'd get our Immigration Visa before then, we only wanted it as a back up so we can start moving forward with our lives, now, today. I also told her about the other person from VJ who was in basically the same situation as we were and they were able get one from their Embassy. She was in total agreement that we'd be crazy not to return to finish the Immigration procedure if we got one, and she said she would if she could. But she didn't know how they were able to do it, or, under what circumstances, but for us, it wasn't legal. I didn't push the issue. I could see it wouldn't do any good to do so, so I dropped it. It was worth a shot.

Then I asked her about our local CIS office in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. How were they are handling the processing? Were they going by dates? Starting with July and working toward January? Or, the other way around? Just how are they doing it? What kind of order are they following? With that, I could at least get an idea when we might get ours re-approved so we could plan on something.

What she told me was really scary. She said she looked into that, to see if there was any kind of order they were following on processing the I-130's they sent them. USCIS in Tegucigalpa, Honduras is not following any order at all, it's all random. She even checked to see if they were alphabetizing the petitions, they are not. What she told me was they sent in a total of 60 petitions, and last week they got 20 of them back, 20 in one week, not bad.

Does this mean they do 20 more this week? We might get ours this week, or next week for sure? She didn't know, it's all random. This shouldn't have been a surprise to me at all, I have been down here long enough to know the way things are done in Central America. Our logic is different from the logic here. You can't come down here and expect things to run the same way they do in the States. The think that tripped me up, I thought I was dealing with American logic at the CIS office. Dummy me. Who knows, maybe they'll skip a week or two.

Excuse me, I'm checking out, I'm going to go nuts for awhile.

I can't blame the Embassy, they have 4 people working there. 4 people! A McDonalds in Anytown USA has a larger work force then our Embassy does. Those poor souls at my Embassy are doing the best they can and it's surprising to see just how good of a job they are doing despite the lack of support they are receiving. The problem is not with them, it's higher up the food chain. Just remember what we are going through when the Elections come up and who is really the blame for all of this. Don't get me going on this, especially after I read about the IMBRA the other day. The Adam Walsh Act and the IMBRA? What is going on? Our liberties are being stripped away under a guise of protection and a morality is being shoved down our throats that I do not subscribe to. These new laws seem right on the surface, but the milk ain't right, something stinks. I have been out of the States far too long. And i need to educate myself a little more on IMBRA, but from what I've seen of it and along with a few of the "add on's" with the Adam Walsh Act, the milk ain't right.

However, on the bright side, there are only 40 petitions left, and ours is one of them. All in all, not bad odds. I still believe it's going to be sooner than later for us to get our visa. One last thing, before we left, she asked how much we had left to do on the visa? I told her, we're done, all the paperwork was completed and it was approved. In that case she said, when you petition does get here, you can pickup your visa the next day. Like I said, the Embassy is doing the best they can.

CaptainButch

[meauxna 15]

Excellent report, butch, even if it wasn't all the news you wanted. It reminded me very much of my own Embassy experiences--I will never forget the feeling I had the first time I walked into that complex.. it really DID feel like a little piece of the US (which was very welcome at that time!)

I wonder if the Chief would throw an email at Managua for you next week, since she's your NewBestFriend?

And, the info she gave you about the B visa, while not strictly correct, IS the final word for her office. You can't appeal higher than her without making a mess, so I guess we have your answer for this time. Fingers x'd that it won't even be an issue.

You be sure and let me know if you need a caretaker while you're up here taking care of bidness now, won't you? I'm available unless I can talk the Tico fella out of his mountain paradise for a bit. You two really gave me the ganas of wanting to get back down that way!

[captainButch 0]

Excellent report, butch, even if it wasn't all the news you wanted. It reminded me very much of my own Embassy experiences--I will never forget the feeling I had the first time I walked into that complex.. it really DID feel like a little piece of the US (which was very welcome at that time!)

I wonder if the Chief would throw an email at Managua for you next week, since she's your NewBestFriend?

And, the info she gave you about the B visa, while not strictly correct, IS the final word for her office. You can't appeal higher than her without making a mess, so I guess we have your answer for this time. Fingers x'd that it won't even be an issue.

You be sure and let me know if you need a caretaker while you're up here taking care of bidness now, won't you? I'm available unless I can talk the Tico fella out of his mountain paradise for a bit. You two really gave me the ganas of wanting to get back down that way!

Yeah I get the same feeling every time I go to the Embassy a little piece of America. I've been there dozens of times in different countries. But this was the first time I didn't feel like I was at a bank talking to someone behind a window. Most of the other times I didn't even get to speak to USC. For me, this time, it was special, and the Embassy staff made me feel special.

You are right on target, reading my mind again. I was going to wait till the end of the month for my I-130 to get here from the CIS office in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. If it doesn't get here by then, I was going to ask the Chief to "pretty please" contact them and see if she couldn't get them to get a move on it. I think it would do wonders if she called and asked.

Sure, come on down anytime you want. I'm sure you and your spouse would love it here. If you are serious, let me know, I have some really great contact here who would be more than willing to help you out, I'm talking friends, not business people selling tourist packages. I'm sure you could move right in to my place after I leave. My place is a old Spanish colonial, built in the 1500's. It's been upgraded to gringo standards. A huge place, two stories with a patio in the kitchen and a water fountain. It comes completely furnished, just bring your toothbrush. Two bedrooms (you don't want a lot of bedrooms, visitors want to stay, not leave) three bathrooms, also, two patios, besides the one in the kitchen, banana trees, mango trees. All for just $500 a month, with free cable TV. Granada is a really laid back place to live, you'd love it here. I've never had a problem with petty crimes in the streets like a lot of other Central American cities. The parks, the crowded open air markets. Lake Nicaragua is within walking distance, (the largest lake in Central America), it even has fresh water sharks. I've never seen one but I heard they are there. They have nice open air clubs and restaurants on the shore, great place at night with the tropical breeze blowing off the lake onto the dance floor. As far as Costa Rica goes, one of the reasons I left was because the cost of living there was getting too high to live there. It's not the bargain it was, even just 5 years ago. Everything is priced as high as the States, and a lot of things are even higher. Food, electricity, everything. Even the rent is getting out of hand. Also the crime, I got tired of the Police shaking me down for money every time I walked down the street. The smart people are going to Costa Rica to see it, then they come here to buy. You get a lot more for you money. You can build a 3000 sq. ft. home, upscale deluxe, with a swimming pool for around $70,000. That's turn key with great appliances. I know everyone needed to get this done, from the architect to the trades people. people that I have used before and know personally who are not rip offs. And I have a friend who is building a upscale housing development just 5 minutes from town, he is doing it right and not crowding as many homes as he can into it, instead the lots are huge with plenty of green space. it's going to be a beautiful place to live in. But in all fairness, Costa Rica is a great place to do the tourist thing for a couple of weeks.

I know I'm going to miss it when I leave here, it's a exotic and different place to live. But we have to go to the States to take care of business. After 3 years, I was thinking about Panama, or, coming back here. Wherever we have to go in order to be happy is what we'll do.

Butch

[meauxna 15]

Sure, come on down anytime you want. I'm sure you and your spouse would love it here.

<siiigh>

It sounds like heaven, butch. It even passes the DAH's 'is there diving' question.. he was also quite enthused by your post. I wish we could just trade houses for a few years.. hey, I could rent this place out as the 'get your citizenship waiting house' and rotate in and out every three years.. woo hoo!

Ahhh, it's good to have a dream. (I'm keeping your email addy tho!)

[Niels Bohr 72]

GOOD LUCK!!!