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| Juarez, Mexico |  Review on September 14, 2011: |
Ed & Luz
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
9/5 (monday) Arrived 6am at clinic with Luz and two kids. I drove my car to Cd Juarez, just seemed easier to get around city since we would be there all week. The coyotes outside the clinic are terrible, they actually flagged me down and had me stop my car as I was driving by, they ask if you are here for medical exam? and tell you you have to register first at the office across the street, they have ID badges and matching t shirts, do not listen to them, go directly to the guard at the gate of the clinic. Medical exam was straight forward I had to wait in an outside canopy waiting area while Luz and the kids stay in the clinic. We were finished by 10am, told to return at 2pm for Luz\\\'s results and kids return wednesday 11am to read tb test.
9/7 (wednesday) returned at 11am for tb reading took no more then 5 minutes told to return at 2pm for results, we drove to this Pollo asado place next to the S Mart, that we discovered on tuesday about 10 minutes away from consulate.
ASC appt at 1:40pm no problems took about 20 minutes due to large amount of people waiting. As soon as fingerprints were finished walked back to clinic to pickup results, pretty simple. If I would have known that the kids tests results would be finished by wednesday I would have scheduled the interview for thursday instead of friday, I was told to allow 3 days for kids medical but it only took 2 days, so thursday kids were in the pool all day. We stayed at La Teja a hotel close to downtown Juarez, it was recommended to me at $38/night. Not bad, staff was very friendly.
9/9 (friday) Interview at 7:15am, arrived at sala de espera they stamp your invitation letter and look at DS260 to see if you have sticker from ASC. Then Luz and kids walk to consulate entrance, they look at invitation letter, appt confirmation letter, DS260, and passports. I waited until 4pm for them to come out, I must have walked from the sala de espera to the consulate to the restrooms and across the street to the starbucks over 20 times, I knew something was wrong when they started closing the consulate. Finally they came out, with a yellow paper from the Fraud detection unit stating that I had to appear for an interview monday at 12pm. They told Luz that if I did not appear they would close the case and we would have to start over. So I had to call my work and explain to them that I would not be in on monday or tuesday and book the hotel for 2 more nights.
Luz explained that they were concerned with the kids birth certificates, they both are late registration but we already had all documents, hospital records, school records and sworn letters of family members and witnesses present during birth. (We had already been through all this with SRE in Mexico for passports which after almost 9 months mexico did issue them.) The officer looked at all documents but told Luz we had to come back on monday.
9/12 (monday) 12pm nice thing about the yellow fraud letter is that we did not have the wait in line, after securety check we went straight to window 64, they even told us not to sit down go straight to the window. I had brought my US passport just in case but they never asked for it. Wow the outside corridor to the actual consulate building is nice, lots of trees, very green landscaping, there was even a food both that sold sodas and tacos for the employees but anyone could buy something. At window 64 The officer (women) told Luz and the kids to go sit down and they would be called by name. I was told to go to room 74 so I found it and opened the door and sat down. The room looked like an interigation room with one chair I think there was a camera, can\\\'t remember and a glass window with a speaker just like those when you visit inmates at prison. Waited about 5 minutes and the same women appeared behind the glass, she asked me my name and said that the reason I was called is that we had been flagged for one inconsistant answer Luz had given. She was asked if I had ever had a bankruptcy before and she answered no, when I have had one in the past and I had told Luz about it. I told the officer this seemed strange because Luz did know this and would not answer incorrectly. She proceeded and asked me how we met, who else was there, why had I chosen the K1 visa and why did we want it, why if we had been together for almost 3 years we were not already married, did I know the kids real father, did we ever talk about him, when did we start dating, where did we go on first date, when did I propose, who was present, family members names, how good am I with the kids, I can\\\'t remember all of the questions but the one I most remember is \\\"if today I ban Luz from ever entering the US what will you do?\\\" I answered honestly, that I would look for work in Mexico or across the border and live in Mexico with Luz and the kids. Since I already spend most of the year there anyway looking after my grandfathers ranch. Everything I answered she wrote down and the interview was in spanish, I would have preferred English but oh well. After about 30 minutes she finally said that she was satisfied and there was no doubt in her mind that our relationship was real. Luz\\\'s visa is approved except for one thing..I held my breath..she said they need proof that Luz really is the mother of the kids, so they will need DNA tests. I have 90 days to arrange testing from the list of approved DNA testing labs in the USA, I have to call, arrange them to send 3 test kits to the consulate, the consulate will then set up an appointment for Luz and the kids to be tested, the consulate will then send the samples to the lab and as soon as results are in they will send out visas via DHL. Simple right? The worst part other then spending more money is having to return to Cd Juarez.
Oh and by the way Luz swears that no one ever asked her a question about my bankruptcy, it was never even mentioned to her. And of course she knew about it and would have answered yes if had been asked...tricky!
Ed.
Oct 21, 2011: Returned to CDJ consulate and took DNA samples, I (petitioner) was not allowed to enter. Luz said that there was about 50 people before her also having DNA samples taken. They took fingerprints and had her sign the intent to marry within 90 days form again. Process took about 2 hrs, most of it waiting to see the technician. CO said that the visa will be approved in 4 to 5 weeks after receiving DNA results.
Nov 11, 2011: Visa approved, have DHL tracking #.
(updated on October 25, 2011)
(updated on November 15, 2011)
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #8315