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| Dominican Republic |  Review on November 6, 2015: |
InsanelyOne
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Our interview was scheduled for 7:00 AM on November 5th, 2015. We arrived at the embassy very early at around 5:30 AM. The new location is very easy to find and very nice. Although there is parking at the embassy, it is NOT for those of us scheduled for an interview. There are people all along the roadway soliciting parking so finding a place to park is not a problem. We decided on a location at the NE corner of Av Republica de Columbia and Av Jacobo Majluta. Seeing that it was at a main intersection, it was well lit. Many of the others were very dark. We were charged RD$250 and paid at the time we parked. We were given a laminated card to present when we picked up our car.
It was a short walk to the embassy and when we got there we met no more than 50 people in total. There are quite a few lines but they are all marked well. The 3 rightmost lines are for the 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, and 9:00 AM appointments. Next to them is the line for families with children. Regardless of what time your appointment is scheduled for, if you have a family you go in that line. Beyond that line are lines for Work and Student visas as well as lines for US citizens seeking consular services.
There were about 10 people in line ahead of us in the 7:00 AM line. By 6:00 AM the embassy starts buzzing with life. The Policia Nacional (who appear to be contracted to perform security duty outside the embassy) start milling about and getting ready. Inside the embassy security (they are NOT Policia Nacional) starts getting things ready to process everyone into the embassy. At 7:00 they started letting people in to the security lines. By this time, there were around 100 people in each of the 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM lines. They started first with the families with children. Once they were in, they moved on to the 7:00 AM line.
Up until this time, you will not have been approached by any consular agents or security. There are locals standing around trying to offer up some sort of help but we paid no attention to them and they were not intrusive at all. Everyone was on their best behavior.
As they process you into the security line they will want to see your appointment letter and if I recall correctly, the passport of the beneficiary. REMEMBER: No cell phones or personal electronics of any kind. It's best to leave everything behind except your folder with your documents.
After getting through security, you will exit to an outdoor courtyard. To the right is a large outdoor seating area (covered) that I suspect is for all of the B-1 visitor visa applicants. Ahead and to the left is where you want to go next. As you enter there will be an agent standing there presenting a ticket with a number on it. Ours was 143 (they appear to start at 100). Again, at this point you need to present your appointment letter.
Now comes the waiting. The waiting area is large and comfortable. They have a section just for families which is a nice touch. We took a seat and started listening as they called numbers. There is a wall of 30 semi-private windows where the interviews take place. Above each is the number of the window (1-30) and also the ticket number that they are currently serving. There are also TV monitors that show a list of the most recent 5 or 6 ticket numbers that have been called showing the window to go to. Unfortunately for the first 2 hours they were not working. Neither myself or my fiancé is Dominican and we speak very little Spanish. The announcements are only in Spanish so we struggled a bit to keep up with which ticket was being called.
At 7:45 AM our number was called and we approached the window. This is the first of 2 times you will speak to an agent/representative. This first time is to submit the forms you brought along with you so they can complete the application package. At this point my fiancé had to put his right hand on the fingerprint scanner and we provided her with his passport, birth certificate, medical exam and certificates of good conduct. She asked for the Banco Popular receipt for the application fee but we didn't have it. She said it didn't matter and instead took the DS-160 confirmation receipt. The agent we were dealing with kept speaking to us in Spanish and we had to keep reminding her to speak English. Then she got all flustered because she couldn't find a copy of the domestic violence brochure in English. We all laughed about it and it helped ease the tension.
Next was the wait for the actual interview. By now the waiting area is standing room only and we couldn't find a seat. Luckily since people are constantly getting called up to the windows, seats open up quickly. Our number was finally called about 9:30 AM. As you wait, you see all of the other applicants in plain view as they have their interviews. It's sad to watch the ones that have been denied but you also see joyous moments as well.
We were called to window 12 and met a very pleasant young woman who proceeded to speak to us in Spanish. We kindly corrected her and she switched to English...only to then again switch to Spanish. We all laughed and she apologized saying it's rare to have non-Spanish speakers in there. It was obvious from the beginning that this was going to go smoothly. My fiancé and I have been together almost 12 years and have lived together the whole time (in 4 different countries). We could immediately tell that all she was doing was making sure all of the paperwork was in place. Should leafed through the folder and the only questions she asked were related to my fiancé's stays in other countries. She was just making sure she had the certificate of good conduct for each country we had spent time in. She was very sympathetic to our story of having to move around from country to country just to find a place we could live together as legal residents until we could return to the US (we are a same sex couple so we had no option to return until last year). Once she made sure she had everything in order she smiled and congratulated us. I felt strongly that we would get approved but I was still overwhelmed with joy and gratitude that I couldn't even speak. I tried to say thank you but nothing came out... I was so choked up. I hugged my finance and then turned back to the window and the agent was just looking at us beaming with a big smile. She gave a thumbs up and said "finally!".
She asked zero questions related to our relationship. I guess it was obvious enough from our application that ours was a bonafide relationship. She also did not ask for any of the documents I brought along (I-134 affidavit of support, W-2, tax return, etc).
We were back in our car by 9:45.
I can't say enough at how pleased I am with our experience at the embassy. The professionalism and organization was top notch.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #18300