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| Dominican Republic |  Review on April 19, 2019: |
TGregorio
Rating:  | Review Topic: General Review
We arrived 15 minutes early for our 7:00 am appointment as requested, and was immediately moved into a shorter line, then proceeded through security.
After security we were seated in an outdoor waiting area for approximately 15 minutes and then directed into the consulate where we waited in line to give requested documents.
We were told to have a seat and await for our interview. This was probably the last most pleasant experience with the interview process on that day.
Our number was called and we were very excited that our ordeal would be over shortly and that we would be together soon.
The Consulate Officer (CO) began speaking and asked which language did we each prefer, and naturally, as I speak English much better than Spanish, I told him English, and my fianceé said Spanish.
We told the truth, so the consulate officer said that he would like to see additional evidence regarding how we communicated. I did not front load the petition with endless documentation of our conversation, but if that was a problem, I would have preferred a RFE during the petition process instead at the interview.
The CO also asked what I did for work, how/where did we meet, and how many trips that I've had to the DR before we decided to get engaged.
The CO asked my fiancee if I lived alone, and a few other basic questions. He asked to see her engagement ring, which is part of what I used to prove that we had a bonafide relationship.
My fiancee also has a 19 year old daughter that was included on the petition, but she later decided that she did not want to go to the U.S.
Although, we could not remove her from the petition, and did not prepare a DS-160 for her, the consulate asked my fiancee if the 19 year would like to accompany her at a later date, and my fianceé said yes.
The CO then said he needed her original birth certificate, marriage/divorce certificates if applicable.
The other evidence requested was for documents regarding her 14 year old daughter to prove that my fianceé was the sole parent of her daughter.
The final evidence requested was to see more photos of me with her family.
Upon completion of the interview that lasted only 15 minutes, the passports were returned to my fianceé and daughter, and we left the building with the infamous white paper.
I knew that we weren't denied, but I also knew that if this consulate had properly reviewed our case and prepared their letter for my fiancee on what documents to prepare for the interview, we could have easily brought all the evidence to the interview, and possibly been approved that same day. I should also mention that our petition was in a red folder (red flag perhaps) when the first person was checking for documents before the interview.
It appears to me that this embassy has become lazy and probably overworked with cases, and that they stopped sending out packets or interview letters tailored to each case.
At present, for couples, it is much easier for approval based upon the generic items required for the interview and is not geared towards the beneficiary with accompanying children to the U.S.
It is clear to me that this consulate knew before the interview that they would place my fianceé in AP. There is no doubt in my mind!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #26028