US Embassy in Havana Closing?

[Malonya Kelly 1]

It should work out fine. The documents need to be translated, and you have to have the original Spanish copy with it. Any American Embassy can perform the interview. The tricky part is finding a Country that Cubans can travel to with just their passport.

[Malonya Kelly 1]

My fiance and I have decided that he'll travel to Guyana for the K1 Visa Process. I called the Language Institute in Guyana @ 011-592-231-7303, and they said they will be able to provide the interpreter for the immigration interview. I need to request the interpreter via email at cecilyd@languageinstitute.co.gy.

[EmilySF 6]

On 10/23/2017 at 5:02 PM, Malonya Kelly said:

My fiance and I have decided that he'll travel to Guyana for the K1 Visa Process. I called the Language Institute in Guyana @ 011-592-231-7303, and they said they will be able to provide the interpreter for the immigration interview. I need to request the interpreter via email at cecilyd@languageinstitute.co.gy.

Did you confirm your ability to interview in Guyana? I'm getting antsy and get anywhere with NVC ...

 

Thanks for all the info!

[Malonya Kelly 1]

Yes, EmilySF, I called the American Embassy in Guyana directly and they confirmed that my Fiancé will be able to interview there. He just needs to bring his own interpreter. Any American Embassy can conduct the interview. It's just a matter of getting into the country where the Embassy is located. We are choosing Guyana, because it avoids the issue of having to get approved for a visa in advance. Guyana grants Cubans the visa upon arrival. Kind of how it is for Americans traveling to Europe.

[SazKap 75]

12 hours ago, Malonya Kelly said:

Yes, EmilySF, I called the American Embassy in Guyana directly and they confirmed that my Fiancé will be able to interview there. He just needs to bring his own interpreter. Any American Embassy can conduct the interview. It's just a matter of getting into the country where the Embassy is located. We are choosing Guyana, because it avoids the issue of having to get approved for a visa in advance. Guyana grants Cubans the visa upon arrival. Kind of how it is for Americans traveling to Europe.

Hiya - Have you already gotten information about how to schedule your medical exam in Guyana? Are you planning to send your fiance there twice? Or will you do the medical right before your interview?  

I'm currently trying to do the same for Trinidad & Tobago but am considering switching to Guyana given that they seem to be far more receptive than T&T...

[Dayr123 4]

On 10/31/2017 at 1:48 PM, Malonya Kelly said:

Yes, EmilySF, I called the American Embassy in Guyana directly and they confirmed that my Fiancé will be able to interview there. He just needs to bring his own interpreter. Any American Embassy can conduct the interview. It's just a matter of getting into the country where the Embassy is located. We are choosing Guyana, because it avoids the issue of having to get approved for a visa in advance. Guyana grants Cubans the visa upon arrival. Kind of how it is for Americans traveling to Europe.

 

Hello Malonya, quick question is there flight from Cuba to Guyana??? 

 

do you already book the interview there???

 

thanks

[Malonya Kelly 1]

There are flights to Guyana. A lot of my Fiancé's friends travel there regularly to see friends. I have not booked the flight there yet. My fiancé will book the flight from Cuba

[Dayr123 4]

12 hours ago, Malonya Kelly said:

There are flights to Guyana. A lot of my Fiancé's friends travel there regularly to see friends. I have not booked the flight there yet. My fiancé will book the flight from Cuba

ok thanks for the response

 

did you already book interview ???

[Malonya Kelly 1]

Omg! Guys! Look what the American Embassy in Guyana sent to me today. This is F_ _ _ _ _ _ crazy. Now I'll be forced to go to F_ _ing Colombia:

 

Dear Ms. Kelly,

 

There has been a change in the policy regarding third-country nationals being interviewed in Guyana. Only applicants who are proficient in English and can carry on a conversation in English will be offered consideration of being interviewed in Guyana.

 

We regret that the use of an interpreter for these relationship type cases will not be acceptable. You may wish to consider being interviewed in Bogota or another Spanish speaking country.  

 

Sincerely,

 

Visa Inquiries Unit

US Embassy, Georgetown

Tel: 592-225-8732 (Call Center – Non-Immigrant and General Visa Questions)

Fax: 592-227-0221

Website: http://georgetown.usembassy.gov

 

 

 

Privacy/PII

This email is UNCLASSIFIED.

[Dayr123 4]

7 hours ago, Malonya Kelly said:

Omg! Guys! Look what the American Embassy in Guyana sent to me today. This is F_ _ _ _ _ _ crazy. Now I'll be forced to go to F_ _ing Colombia:

 

Dear Ms. Kelly,

 

There has been a change in the policy regarding third-country nationals being interviewed in Guyana. Only applicants who are proficient in English and can carry on a conversation in English will be offered consideration of being interviewed in Guyana.

 

We regret that the use of an interpreter for these relationship type cases will not be acceptable. You may wish to consider being interviewed in Bogota or another Spanish speaking country.  

 

Sincerely,

 

Visa Inquiries Unit

US Embassy, Georgetown

Tel: 592-225-8732 (Call Center – Non-Immigrant and General Visa Questions)

Fax: 592-227-0221

Website: http://georgetown.usembassy.gov

 

 

 

Privacy/PII

This email is UNCLASSIFIED.

 

wow thats not good , I think the best way will be to wait on Bogota , and it may be the fastest way , I Email the embassy in Colombia 2 days ago And they only replied that they will contact us soon

 

[DiamondEyes490 126]

2 hours ago, Dayr123 said:

 

wow thats not good , I think the best way will be to wait on Bogota , and it may be the fastest way , I Email the embassy in Colombia 2 days ago And they only replied that they will contact us soon

 

I'm in agreement. Trying to get transferred to another embassy can add time for sure.

 

Also, not to sound cold, but a lot of more recently arrived Cubans who are sponsoring family are not well off. Now, do they not only have to pay the visa fee and get a flight to the US but they're looking at fees for the Colombian visa plus another flight! I wouldn't be surprised if some people need to delay their appointments to save the cash, so the wait may not be as bad as we'd expect.

[T-Bone 0]

46 minutes ago, DiamondEyes490 said:

I'm in agreement. Trying to get transferred to another embassy can add time for sure.

 

Also, not to sound cold, but a lot of more recently arrived Cubans who are sponsoring family are not well off. Now, do they not only have to pay the visa fee and get a flight to the US but they're looking at fees for the Colombian visa plus another flight! I wouldn't be surprised if some people need to delay their appointments to save the cash, so the wait may not be as bad as we'd expect.

Hi. I gotta say that I concur with DiamondEyes490, and will add that even those that are simply couples might have to change plans, save, or delay as well. This is the case for me and it will add about $3000 to $5000 more to the cost. I can deal with this cost increase (a little more overtime and/or more side jobs) but what troubles me is (A) my fiancee being able to get a visa for Colombia as a Cuban, and (B) coordinating all of this (getting the Columbian visa, getting airfare to/from Havana/Bogota, getting lodging, getting medical revision in Bogota) while scheduling the interview during the time staying there. Man oh man...

Edited November 7, 2017 by T-Bone

[DiamondEyes490 126]

1 hour ago, T-Bone said:

Hi. I gotta say that I concur with DiamondEyes490, and will add that even those that are simply couples might have to change plans, save, or delay as well. This is the case for me and it will add about $3000 to $5000 more to the cost. I can deal with this cost increase (a little more overtime and/or more side jobs) but what troubles me is (A) my fiancee being able to get a visa for Colombia as a Cuban, and (B) coordinating all of this (getting the Columbian visa, getting airfare to/from Havana/Bogota, getting lodging, getting medical revision in Bogota) while scheduling the interview during the time staying there. Man oh man...

Don't stress too much about (A). My lawyer keeps assuring me that when we've closed embassies in the past, the Dept of State has worked with the third country to ensure the visa process is streamlined. And with the power that the Cuban American community has electorally, the gov't isn't going to screw them over... 

 

Also, I went on the Colombian embassy website the other day, and as of December 15, they are moving from having a ridiculous number of visa categories (like 20) to just 3. Only one for travel there regardless of the purpose, so that should make the application easier to figure out at least.

 

As for (B), I hear ya. I'd love to bill the gov't for my non-optional Colombian vacation.

[T-Bone 0]

Anyone seen this checklist: https://co.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visas/fiancee-visa/the-interview/

 

Seems like they keep making things deliberately harder.

 

Also, anyone affected by the Trump Admin changes to US Citizens traveling to Cuba?

[EmilySF 6]

1 hour ago, T-Bone said:

Anyone seen this checklist: https://co.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visas/fiancee-visa/the-interview/

 

Seems like they keep making things deliberately harder.

 

Also, anyone affected by the Trump Admin changes to US Citizens traveling to Cuba?

I called the embassy in Trinidad and Tobago and they told me to email them my request to transfer our case. My fiance still has the issue of not being able to speak English, but maybe they're something there. That's my last chance, unless there's other spanish-speaking countries that don't require Cubans to have a visa ... ? 

 

Looks like we're all waiting for however long to receive notification of transfer to Bogota. 

 

I have a flight booked to Cuba on Sunday 11/19, but the Trump restrictions might make it weirder than before. I imagine we can still choose another one of the 11 approved reasons for travel on the form. I might travel under religion or research, I work in education and am in grad school.  That's my hope, flying on Delta, so I'll let you guys know what the new user experience is on flights. At this point, I just want to move to Havana and live with my dude eating pork and bananas until the gov't figures it out. 

 

This thread is legit keeping my hope alive, thanks guys! Maybe we should all get an airbnb in Bogota and wait it out together lol