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| Guayaquil, Ecuador |  Review on June 29, 2012: |
fantonledzepp
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Well, when I first started educating myself about this process, I read every thread I could find that had something to do with getting a visa out of Guayaquil. And boy, was I shocked to see how hard it had been on some folks. Some people's stories really saddened me, as this could be me in a few months.
So I soaked in all the information and decided the best thing was to create a good package for USCIS and by following the K1 guide here on VJ, I, without realizing it, front-loaded our petition. I included like 20 emails showing our relationship and 4 pictures of us. Front-loading is providing evidence of an on-going relationship when filing the petition, it is not really a requirement at this time, but in some consulates, like Guayaquil, it it very important. It lets the CO that will be interviewing you know more about you, because the CO's in Guayaquil automatically think that everybody is trying to commit fraud and unless you can prove that you are indeed a legitimate couple, then you can kiss your visa goodbye.
So, I prepared a gigantic 4"-think file with everything I could possibly think would prove our relationship.
I had three separate folders, the first one had the forms that are required by the consulate and other things:
-DS 156 (not signed)
-DS 156K (not signed)
-Passport
-5cmx5cm pictures of beneficiary with white background (get pictures exactly as said by the package 4, or you will be sent back out to get new pictures with the exact specifications)
-Medical results in sealed envelope
-Birth Certificate
-Police Record
My second folder had our proof of financial stability:
-Affidavit of Support, I-134
-Letter from bank (duplicate)
-Bank Statements
-Letter from Employer
-W2 from 2011
-Taxes for 2011, 2010, 2009
-Pension Statements
-3 most recent paystubs
-I also included two signed letters from two of my Superior officers attesting to my character and included a picture of me in dress uniform with two coworkers (not necessary, but whatever you believe will prove to them that you are not committing fraud)
And then the third folder had our evidence of ongoing relationship:
-New letters of intent
-Passport entry stamps into Ecuador
-Hotel bills
-Boarding Passes
-About 25 pictures
-Screen shots of Skype call logs
-Screen shots of Whatsapp, iMessage and Kik application logs
-Screen shots of Skype text logs
-Various email threads
-Receipt for wedding bands (as well as the actual bands)
-Receipt for wedding gown fabrics (ma-in-law made it for her)
-Receipts for dinners and outings we shared while I was there in Guayaquil.
Ok, so we arrived at 0730 for our 0830 appointment. There was a person form the consulate asking for the 5x5 pictures and letter for appointment. He sent out a couple of people back to get new pics. After that we went into two different lines, most people are there for tourist visas, that's the long line. From the very beginning we had a pleasant experience. The guard who searched us was very pleasant and friendly. Asking me questions like who was the petitioner and admiring our wedding bands very much. Then we went inside and sat down. At around 1000 we were called to the window. A very nice Ecua lady took all our documents and evidence and asked questions like when we met, how many times I'd been to Guayaquil, how we started our relationship, if she had any family in the states, if we had children, if we'd been previously married, if we had a wedding dress, if we had a set date for our wedding.... She then told us to sit down and wait for fingerprints.
Then we had the interview with the CO. A very nice black young lady with pulled back hair interviewed us. She spoke impeccable Spanish, albeit with a slight accent, so we had the interview in Spanish. She was smiling, and asked more questions like why we wanted to marry in the US, asked us to describe the wedding dress, asked to see our wedding bands, when we planned to get married and if we had specific plans... And that was it! She said you are approved!
I am very happy that we prepared for the worst and were treated very well. I don't believe that all our effort was in vain, it could've been us getting a Stokes interview later in the afternoon if we hadn't been prepared.
Don't let this good review fool you. This is still a very difficult consulate to go through. We saw a few couples being made to jump trough hoops and we don't know if they were approved. We left and they were still there. Make sure you read the other bad reviews for this place, it's like night and day. Educate yourselves and don't leave anything to chance.
Some other tips for this place, eat a good breakfast and bring a sweater or blazer, the air conditioning is quite effective inside hehehe.
Best of luck to all the rest of you who read this review!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #9912