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| Haiti |  Review on August 25, 2015: |
lesAugustin
Rating:  | Review Topic: General Review
Our initial impression of the embassy was a favorable one. We were let in right away and did not have to wait more than an hour and a half for the interview. We were asked a few questions by the consular officer, who was very personable and considerate. She put us right at ease. We were thrilled to be approved.
When two weeks went by without notice that the visa was ready, we began to suspect that there was a problem. Someone from the embassy attempted to contact us twice by phone but did not leave a voice message or a call back number. When I attempted to contact the embassy, I was told it was impossible for me to speak with anyone in the consular section. I was told to call the embassy call center, which is absolutely useless. No one would give us any information. We finally decided to email and heard back within two business days. A terse message relayed that Markenson needed to come back with his passport. But we had left our passport at the embassy for visa processing! After a flurry of plaintive emails, we finally were told what the problem was: the consular officer had forgotten to have Markenson swear he was telling the truth. We had to make the 2.5 hour trip back to Port-au-Prince and this time were made to wait for over two and a half hours for what ultimately took thirty seconds. The employees that we interacted with before speaking to the officer were cold, rude, and uncommunicative. Given the expense and effort required by each visit to the embassy, the very least they could do is treat people politely and with empathy.
My biggest criticism is, therefore, the lack of communication. There needs to be a more efficient system in place to relay messages to individuals. Not to have this in place demonstrates a lack of respect and empathy for applicants and their families, for whom this is already a very stressful process. Perhaps naively, I expected more from my government. I hope in the future that they take steps to make this a more humane and less Kafka-esque process.
Also, a few helpful tips/comments:
*I was allowed to participate in the interview with Markenson. In fact, this embassy seems to encourage that. In every case we saw that morning, the consular officer asked that the petitioner come up to the window with the applicant.
*Make sure you email them for the packet with the appt time and other important information. Had we waited for it to arrive by mail, we would never have had enough time to prepare. And, the packet sent to Markenson's home address didn't get there until after the interview!
*Make sure you bring as much supporting documentation as possible because you don't know what else they will ask for.
*In Haiti, you MUST bring an extrait des archives in addition to the original of the birth and marriage certificate. They will not accept the certificates alone.
*Make sure you bring the results of your medical exam but do not open the sealed envelope. The consular officer will do that in front of you. We saw a few people run into problems for that.
*Do not wait for the embassy to contact you. Throughout this whole process, you are your only advocate. Even though it's a pain, staying in constant contact and asking for updates is the only way to stay a little bit ahead of the game.
(updated on August 25, 2015)
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #17648