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| Honduras |  Review on November 25, 2013: |
Su&Hermes
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
I arrived on Tuesday, November 19, 2013 at the Tegucigalpa airport, and was greeted with flowers by my Fiance (it was FANTASTIC after not seeing each other for almost 5 months!!). We went to our hotel (The Aparthotel Guihajarro), and they said that the person in our hotel room was still there, so they sent us to their other hotel (The Minister Aparthotel), and we got the same rate (only $80/night for two of us) and it was a suite!! It was so nice and included a super nice breakfast, fitness room, etc.
The next day we went to the Embassy super early (around 6:15). There was already a really long line, even though the doors didn't open until 7. The line for the resident visa is on the right side, which was much shorter thankfully. A girl that worked at the embassy came by to check that we had our e-mail from the embassy saying when our appointment was. We did, and we were on the list. Then around 7 they started letting people into the embassy. We went through security (no cell phone or electronics are allowed in at all, so we left those at the hotel). Then we went to the waiting area. They lined us up and we went up to the window 4 one by one to turn in some of the paper work. Then we went to get the digital fingerprints taken. That was kind of a slow line... but it was okay. Then we sat down and waited for Hermes' name to be called. About 40 minutes later they called us to a window, and she took the rest of our paperwork; birth certificate (forma literal!), police record, I 160 with photo, my I 134 with evidence, photos of us together, etc. Then she asked how we met, and Hermes answered as she typed it into the computer. Then we went to pay at the cashier. We brought the receipt back to the window and she said we could take a seat and they would call us for the interview. So, we sat down, and about 45 minutes later they finally called us to go to a little room. We were both super nervous, but the lady was pretty nice. She asked how we met, and Hermes answered her again with a lot of details. Then she looked at his visa application and he had written that he knew about water treatment (with chemicals), and so he had to explain what that was, and that he learned about it for a job. Then she said that she'd be right back. So, she left for about 2 minutes, and we were super worried!!! When she came back she said 'Su visa es aprobada' (The visa has been approved), and I was so happy, I didn't know what to do!!! She gave us a pink ticket to come back the next day at 2:45 to get the actual visa. So, we left and went back to the hotel.
The next day we went to the embassy again (at around 1:45), and there was already a line. We waited, and at around 2:30 they started letting us in. Although only one person could go in to get the visa. Hermes let me go in because he didn't want me outside waiting alone. So, I went in to get the visa. I went through security again, and waited on the chairs. They started calling about people up to each window and giving them their visas. Then finally there were about 6 of us left and they said "Everyone else come to Window 1". So, we went up there, and they said that they had not gotten a response yet from Washington D.C. so they couldn't print the visa. So, it would be ready next week. I had already bought our plane tickets, so I stayed and talked with the guy and he said that I could come back in the morning to see if it was ready. So, he gave us different card to get into the embassy the next morning. We travelled up to Comayagua to spend the night with Hermes’ family because I hadn’t gotten to see them yet, and I didn’t want to spend another night in a hotel.
We took the bus the next morning, and got to Teguc. at around 7:30 and went straight to the embassy. They started letting people in around 8:45am. It was PACKED with people that were getting their tourist visas. So, we went and waited at the window and she started calling names again and there were a couple of us left and she asked our names. I was super worried at this point. So, I went up there and she was like ‘oh, yours is being printed right now, just sit and wait’. I was so happy!!!! I sat down and then they called me up again and I got his passport/visa and the giant manila envelope that they have to open at immigration in the united states. I literally ran outside to show Hermes (he waited outside with the cell phones that time). I was so happy!!!
The next day we got on our plane in Teguc. and took it to Miami, which apparently is where everyone in the entire world enters the U.S. There were about 400 people in front of us in the ‘Visitor’ line. After about 45 minutes of standing in line, and being moved around to different lines, we made it to an immigration person. He checked my paperwork, and then took Hermes’ fingerprints and photo. Then, he said okay, go over to the wall to wait. So, we got taken into the immigration room and after about 40 minutes got the okay to leave. We missed our flight to Minneapolis because the layover was only 1.5 hours…. So, we stayed overnight in Miami, flew to Chicago in the morning, and Minneapolis in the afternoon.
All in all a good experience because I finally have him here with me in Minnesota!!!!!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #13327