No AOS within 90 days for K1

[TBoneTX 45,305]

This is great news.  Often, we have to take risks if we want to be successful.  Absolutely thrilled for you, and your self-quarantine will be over before you know it.

[EmptySeats 49]

Someone mentioned in a now closed thread that this would be good to put in someone's adventure book. Sneaking out on a 2:30am flight to beat an executive order, having the wrong paperwork because of the embassy, still being let in. Then we drove to NJ from Philadelphia both wearing masks, unable to touch. Got food in the heart of Philadelphia on empty ghost-town streets.

 

Then consider that our interview was March 2, in Guayaquil, a couple of days after they announced the first case. We were in the "don't touch your face phase" of corona, but not mask all the time, yet. Ten days later the embassy was closed. If our interview was a little later we'd be in serious limbo right now. Guayaquil is a hot zone. Add to that that the embassy cancelled our appointment once, because they couldn't find our i-129f (they lost it) and administratively cancelled it a second time the day before the interview, with us both in Guayaquil. They fixed it on their own, that time. Probably because we had an email paper trail of them telling us to schedule the interview.

 

I'm a writer by profession so someday I ought to right about this.

 

 

[Just Paul 4,595]

10 minutes ago, EmptySeats said:

Got food in the heart of Philadelphia on empty ghost-town streets.

Better be a Gino's

 

Glad it worked out so far!

[DelilahBrz 48]

19 hours ago, EmptySeats said:

Here's what happened, copied from the main COVID thread so that I can tie up the ends of the story here:

 

To update everyone, we took TBone's advice and she entered this morning in Fort Lauderdale no problem. Well, there was a problem because the Guayaquil Embassy lost our i-129f and she could't show it (but should show her email from them showing that they lost it). They eventually let her in. Thanks for all your advice everyone.

 

While it's great she made it - denial would have been a real disaster - it's still heartbreaking that she had to up and leave in these circumstances, unplanned. The original plan was for her to move in May, and travel the country to see people for the second half of April (or even all of April) after quitting her job. Then in early April we booked a one way for June 7, even if being able to leave her region of Ecuador was still likely impossible before then - it would allow for that chance, maybe, and would give her a date in advance to prepare so such a huge life changing move. But with the EO, our hand got forced here.

 

Her first two weeks here, she'll be totally quarantined and we'll have masks on when around each other. We'll eventually call the city clerk to marry us at his desk. He wears gloves, a mask, and a baseball cap to work. We'll have masks on. Strange times. I'm definitely bringing this local photographer who has been posting COVID pictures on social media.

 

Hoping the best for everyone else. Thanks for your help, all.

This is wonderful news! 
No one said this journey would be easy! I’m so glad your fiancé made it in the states. 
What a cool story. 

[TBoneTX 45,305]

10 hours ago, EmptySeats said:

I ought to right about this.

You're write about that!  

Could write a book myself about how the Guayaquil consulate hosed us and others.

[jenimaye 0]

@EmptySeats

Hello!

My fiance is trying to fly out from Quito onTame tonight. How did you get permission from the police to travel? He is worried his dad will get in trouble driving him. My fiances paperwork was also lost on the way to guayaquil. What did they ask her when going through customs? I am so nervous! Please, any help is appreciated. 

Edited May 3, 2020 by jenimaye

[EmptySeats 49]

2 hours ago, jenimaye said:

@EmptySeats

Hello!

My fiance is trying to fly out from Quito onTame tonight. How did you get permission from the police to travel? He is worried his dad will get in trouble driving him. My fiances paperwork was also lost on the way to guayaquil. What did they ask her when going through customs? I am so nervous! Please, any help is appreciated. 

My fiance spent a lot of time on the police website to get permission. I think it almost didn't happen. One police officer gave them a little trouble (her friend drove her) but as soon as she mentioned trying to beat Trump's executive order, they said go and had a lot of sympathy. They were like "that guy's crazy" lol.

 

In customs they made an issue about the lack of paperwork, but she was adamant that the embassy admitted they lost it, and she was ready to show the email where they said "we lost your paperwork" - though they didn't actually look at it. I think just being willing to pull it up was enough. So they let her through after around 15 minutes in what would have been 3 minutes or so. They had to discuss it.

 

Being that there are no flights back to Ecuador, I don't think they'd want to hold people for missing a form if they have their visa - but that's just my logic, I'm not customs. I did post about it in the Executive order thread where @TBoneTX encouraged us to do it, explaining that you can talk to customs and explain things - there is room to advocate for oneself. My fiance speaks very good English. But keep in mind that when we decided to do this, we didn't know that she didn't have her paperwork - that she needed the i-129f that the consulate lost (when they lost it they said we didn't need it anyway). So your decision is actually a different one in that you know ahead of time.

 

It's really a shame that Guayaquil is "losing" all these peoples' paperwork.

Edited May 3, 2020 by EmptySeats

[EmptySeats 49]

Just talked to my fiance who says to BRING COPIES OF THE LOST PAPERWORK if you have it. She had it while entering. It's one thing to not have the officially stamped i-129f, but it's another thing not to even have a copy. Since we made a copy of everything before the interview (knowing that they lost it), she had a copy to show them.

 

Also, she did show them a printed copy of the actual email showing they lost it. I was mistaken. She said she'd show them the email on her phone if they wanted to see it directly, but they didn't.

 

Once they saw the email proving it was Guayaquil's fault, they went to their supervisor to try to figure it out.

 

I don't know how easy it will be to print everything today since we are after the 2pm curfew but if there is any way I'd REALLY recommend printing out what they lost.

Edited May 3, 2020 by EmptySeats

[EmptySeats 49]

Directly from my fiance (we are texting since she is still in quarantine):

 

"Tell them to get a salvoconducto for him and his dad. And in both to write the situation, that he needs to get to the airport and his dad (father's name) is driving him. On his dad's, to write I'm driving my son because this and this. And to have a copy of the parking ticket from the airport (to show proof of the time) and just in case a copy of the fiancés passport and his salvoconducto."

[jenimaye 0]

16 minutes ago, EmptySeats said:

My fiance spent a lot of time on the police website to get permission. I think it almost didn't happen. One police officer gave them a little trouble (her friend drove her) but as soon as she mentioned trying to beat Trump's executive order, they said go and had a lot of sympathy. They were like "that guy's crazy" lol.

 

In customs they made an issue about the lack of paperwork, but she was adamant that the embassy admitted they lost it, and she was ready to show the email where they said "we lost your paperwork" - though they didn't actually look at it. I think just being willing to pull it up was enough. So they let her through after around 15 minutes in what would have been 3 minutes or so. They had to discuss it.

 

Being that there are no flights back to Ecuador, I don't think they'd want to hold people for missing a form if they have their visa - but that's just my logic, I'm not customs. I did post about it in the Executive order thread where @TBoneTX encouraged us to do it, explaining that you can talk to customs and explain things - there is room to advocate for oneself. My fiance speaks very good English. But keep in mind that when we decided to do this, we didn't know that she didn't have her paperwork - that she needed the i-129f that the consulate lost (when they lost it they said we didn't need it anyway). So your decision is actually a different one in that you know ahead of time.

 

It's really a shame that Guayaquil is "losing" all these peoples' paperwork.

Oh ok we have gotten so much conflicting information about if k1 visas are allowed to enter. The U.S. Embassy in Guayaquil sent us an email saying they were not under the proclamation but ultimately it is the decisión of the CBP. When we booked the flight and up until you just wrote that, I actually had no Idea the i129 form was needed. We were told they would proceed with the case without it. 

Did you fiancé fly with tame? My fiancé doesn’t speak the best English, but in hoping they will still let him in. 

[jenimaye 0]

2 minutes ago, EmptySeats said:

Directly from my fiance (we are texting since she is still in quarantine):

 

"Tell them to get a salvoconducto for him and his dad. And in both to write the situation, that he needs to get to the airport and his dad (father's name) is driving him. On his dad's, to write I'm driving my son because this and this. And to have a copy of the parking ticket from the airport (to show proof of the time) and just in case a copy of the fiancés passport and his salvoconducto."

Oh no! I don’t think we have a copy of the i129 form. I didn’t have an extra copy of it when they lost it. I am freaking out a little bit. He is having a taxi drive him. He said he tried to get a salvoconducto but it was only for medical reasons. 

[EmptySeats 49]

4 minutes ago, jenimaye said:

Oh ok we have gotten so much conflicting information about if k1 visas are allowed to enter. The U.S. Embassy in Guayaquil sent us an email saying they were not under the proclamation but ultimately it is the decisión of the CBP. When we booked the flight and up until you just wrote that, I actually had no Idea the i129 form was needed. We were told they would proceed with the case without it. 

Did you fiancé fly with tame? My fiancé doesn’t speak the best English, but in hoping they will still let him in. 

Yup, she flew TAME to Fort Lauderdale and said she has the impression that they basically all spoke Spanish.

[EmptySeats 49]

5 minutes ago, jenimaye said:

Oh no! I don’t think we have a copy of the i129 form. I didn’t have an extra copy of it when they lost it. I am freaking out a little bit. He is having a taxi drive him. He said he tried to get a salvoconducto but it was only for medical reasons. 

From fiance: "He needs to say "yes it's a medical reason" because there aren't any other options (facepalm), then he has to write the name of the airport in the space of the treating doctor and the time of the appointment will be his departing flight. The salvoconducto page has a space to write the reason of your "medical" outing and that's where you write that you're going to the airport. Also, bring any copies of any documents they could've shown the consulate. Just in case."

[EmptySeats 49]

@jenimaye make sure to let us know what you decide and how it goes!

 

It's not only unacceptable that the consulate is losing peoples' paperwork like this - but telling us we don't need it. That's almost worse.

Edited May 4, 2020 by EmptySeats