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|  Review on June 20, 2017: |
forena99
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Hello,
My biggest recommendation for a visa interview at the US Embassy in Havana is to GET THERE EARLY and PREPARE your paperwork. We arrived at 6:15 am, began being processed by 6:45 am and were out of the embassy by 8:45 am. My appointment said 10:30am on the appointment confirmation online, but we were done and out way before then. They have a LOT of people to process, so the more you are prepared, have cover letters for everything, have your papers organized in order and in sections, the easier you are to work with, the fewer questions they will have and the quicker you will be let out, that's my impression. The workers at the embassy are super efficient and stick to their strict process of how to ensure everyone gets the service required, so the fewer questions you ask them and the more you just do what they say, the happier they are and the quicker everyone gets processed. I'm not kidding. There were people who would try to cut the line or try to ask their special questions or stand in the street and the embassy workers, just stopped talking and stopped processing people and just waited for everyone to be quiet and stand where they are supposed to etc, before continuing to process people. Don't mistake me, the embassy workers are very calm, polite and methodical people. But don't try to get special attention from them the morning of your interview. Just be prepared and get there early and you will be fine.
I highly recommend a cover letter in front of each section or packet explaining the content. I also added a statement in front of each evidence where I thought it was helpful to explain, such as 10 months of phone bills. This really helped the consulate officer I think, but it took me a LONG time to get everything in shape for the interview. So, this does take time, but is appreciated in the end.
I had my papers organized into 3 sections or packets:
Packet A - All Beneficiary's documents (X-ray was NOT needed), included appt confirmation page, DS-160, Noa1, Noa2, NVC letter, and all his documents: birth certificate, single certificate, background check, medical exam, etc.
Packet B - Affidavit of Support (included payment stubs, taxes with W-2s, employment verification letter).
Packet C - Updated Fiancee Letter of Intention to Marry from petitioner (not needed), Confirmation of Appointment to Marry at Court House, and Evidence of Continuing Relationship (included photos with captions, updated copy of my passport to recent trip in Dec 2016, boarding passes, phone bill statements, imo msgs, credit card bills and hand written letter.) They didn't need my birth certificate (or at least never asked for it, but I have a valid passport).
Each packet was in a separate clear bendable folder/envelope. What I learned was, at first they just want to see Packet A & B, so those can go in the same folder. Then later, after you enter the Embassy, they will ask you for Packet C.
We arrived at the Anti-Imperialist Park (the triangle park) at 6:15 am. There were already a bunch of people there. Ladies in normal clothes (not the peach uniform) were telling us where the bathrooms were and were asking us if we had all our photos, etc. These are NOT embassy workers and I think they are looking for people who may need more recent photos so they can help them out in some way for a little money, I'm not sure. Just another way of earning income in Cuba! But they seem to be giving correct information. They were saying things like there are no cans, glass, or phones allowed inside and they were asking everyone who arrived if they had current photos of themselves. If you change the color of your hair or shave a beard or are wearing glasses or otherwise look different than your photos, the embassy will not accept them. The ladies in the peach uniforms ARE embassy workers and they are very serious, and they are on a tight schedule. By about 6:45 one of the embassy workers welcomed us and started separating us into lines by visa type. Temporary and Permanent visas were rounded up to one side and the names called one by one. Do not stand in the street, do not ask them questions, do not try to cut the line, or they will stop reading the list of names and everyone else will have to wait for you to fix whatever you are doing. As they call your name, go across the street and stand in a line (in the order you were called). I never left my fiance's side, when his name was called, I went with him. We told every embassy worker we spoke to that I was the fiance and that we needed a pass. That's what they told us to do, ha ha.
Everyone in the line (whose name was called plus their fiance's) walks to the entrance of the embassy, and they ask for your documents: Packet A (Beneficiary's papers, including passport but NOT the carnet) and Packet B (Affidavit of Support). They don't specifically ask for the Affidavit of Support but I asked them when do I submit it when they came to pick up the beneficiary papers and they said, "Yes, we do need that now, but not the Continuing Evidence. We'll get that later". We also did NOT need to bring the X-ray from the Medical Exam. She also asks that you put everything (Beneficiary's papers and Affidavit of Support) into one folder. And she reminded us his photos needed to be recent. My fiance decided to grow a beard so he had to get new photos a couple months before the interview to reflect the way he looked the day of the interview. You can't have any glasses in the photo, though. If you have a US Passport you can enter the building, otherwise family members have to wait outside until you can get them a pass. Then they check your bags. No cans, glass or phones.
Once through the security, we sat in a sitting room "Linea de Salida Definitiva" waiting for them to call our names. After 15 min or so, they called his name and we went upstairs to the room with the teller windows. She couldn't find our DS-160 online. She had been given the wrong number. We used the DS-160 confirmation page to straighten it out, so she finally found it. Phew! Then, the lady asked for our Continuing Evidence. She took out papers we didn't need, like my updated Fiancee Letter of Intent to Marry, the payment receipt for the fee of the visa and the DS-160 confirmation page with the digital photo on it. She also returned our clear folder to us. She then took my passport to give me a pass to enter the interview with my fiance. Then she took my fiance's fingerprints.
Then we went to the 'Sala de Entrevista'. They have to open the door for you, so you have to wait outside until they open the door. They checked our bags again, reminded us no smoking inside and let us in to the room. By this time it was 8:08 am. Somebody tells you exactly where to sit, because the temporary visas sit in a different area than the permanent visas and they can keep track of you visually that way. Everyone's interviews happen while you sit and wait for your name to be called. Sometimes you can hear the questions from the teller windows and the answers of the interviewees. There are bathrooms in this room. When our named was called, we just stand while the consular officer asked my fiance questions. He asked my fiance about 5 questions and asked me about 3 questions. Our Consular Officer was pleasant, courteous, calm and methodical with his questions.
All in all, we were treated with respect throughout the process and the process was efficient. It does help to be as prepared as possible, and, yes, we were approved. Yay!
Thanks,
Forena
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #21995