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| Honduras |  Review on September 3, 2012: |
KayaEel
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
August 2, 2010 - When we arrived at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, for our scheduled interview, there were two separate lines of people outside, one for immigrant visa’s, and another for non-immigrant visa’s. Just ask the folks already in line which line is which, and it may also be helpful to ask a few folks at the front of the line and the security officer on duty. Bring insect repellant, because you will need it while waiting outside as the mosquitos are relentless and have been known to carry Malaria and Dengue fever.
Appointments are set for 7:30am, but the doors opened just prior to 7am. Security checked for Appointment letters and identification, as people in the lines were let inside and processed as they were in line. In other words, people were processed on a first-come first- served basis, instead of following a pre-set list like U.S. Embassy/Consulates in other countries. We arrived at 6:40am, and we were still in the first group of immigrant visa’s to be processed that morning.
As you go through security, cell phones, electronics, cords, and any type of food/snacks are checked in bins at the door. You are allowed to bring in drinks. Snacks and drinks are also available for sale in the waiting area. The Consulate’s website says that backpacks will not be allowed inside, but they are, along with briefcases, sacks, and other types of bags to carry folders with documents. Everything is searched and this includes walking through a metal detector, but the process is quick. Most of the Consulate employees who did not work behind a window spoke only Spanish.
After security processing, you are provided a consecutively numbered slip of paper and asked to wait in the large room to the right. Immigrant visa processing occurred on the left-hand side of the waiting area during our visit, so sit in the chairs on the left-hand side. After a couple of hours, our number was called for the first time, and it was our turn at the window. My husband, stepson, and I all went to the window together, where the very nice Consulate employee spoke perfect English and Spanish. She asked for various documents, including the sealed medical results, evidence of our relationship, and my (petitioner’s) original divorce decree from the court. Even though we had them, she did not want copies of the English translations of our Honduran documents.
By the way, we placed our evidence of bona fide marriage in 1-1/2 inch binders, and we were able to slide these binders through the slot under the window by opening them in the middle of the pages to make it flatter, and turning it sideways (landscape). This tip came from the nice lady working the window. Our wedding album also fit this way. She spoke to us in English sometimes, and in Spanish sometimes. She then asked my husband a few questions about how and when we met, how soon we started dating after meeting, how many times I (USC) visited him since meeting, how long we’ve been married, etc. We were then asked to sit back in the waiting area.
Within approx. 30 minutes, we were called up again, but to a different window behind a smoky glass door where my husband’s fingerprints were taken. They did not request a copy of my step-son’s fingerprints, who was only 13 years old at the time. Then, we were asked to sit back in the waiting area again.
Within another hour, we were called back to the first window where our original documents and extra copies (any duplicates) were returned to us. Then, we were asked to sit back in the waiting area again.
After another hour (around 11:35am), we were called back again to the window behind the smoky glass door. We introduced ourselves, and all three of us were sworn in by the Consular officer. My husband and step-son were asked to sign part II of their respective DS-230 forms. The Consular officer began asking my husband some of the same questions that he was asked earlier. Then, she continued asking other questions addressing them to the person that she wanted to answer, either my husband, my step-son, or myself. She seemed very friendly and made it seem like a conversation. Some of the questions could have tripped us up if we didn’t truly know each other as well as we do, and spent so much time together. Some questions that I can remember included:
How did we meet?
When did we meet?
How many times have I (USC) visited Honduras since meeting?
Did he buy me an engagement ring?
Where did we get married?
How long have we been married?
To my step-son: Do you know this lady? Am I a nice Mom?
After the questions, the Consular officer said that she still needed a couple of items in order to approve our visa’s, including my husband’s divorce decree from the court in forma literal and proof of my husband’s ongoing relationship between my husband and his biological son (my step-son). Thanks to VJ members, we were prepared, and had some old photographs of my husband with his son over several years beginning when he was less than 3 years old. For the divorce decree from the court in forma literal, we only had a photocopy. However, we did have an original of the Divorce Sentencia (Inscription) and we had it Authenticated (Honduran for Notarized). We also had originals of several other documents which included marginal notes regarding the divorce, including my husband’s updated birth certificate, his ex-wife’s birth certificate, and their marriage certificate (all in forma literal). After she spent some time reading some of these, the Consular officer accepted our information.
Finally, we were approved!! We were given a colored slip of paper and told to return at 4pm that same day to pickup our visa’s. Based on input from security, we came back at 3:30pm, and we were first in line. They started letting people back in at about 3:50pm; back through security, check your cell phone, and sit in the waiting area. At 4 o’clock, they made an announcement in both English and Spanish about reviewing your visa for accuracy and not opening the sealed envelope when you receive it. Then, they began calling people’s names to come to the first set of windows to pickup the passports and sealed envelopes. Our information was accurate, but the envelopes did not appear to be sealed very well with one corner being completely open. As we know from being on VJ, this is normal. We were leaving the U.S. Embassy, with VISA stamped Honduran passports, by 4:30pm.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #10310