Ecuador - proof of relationship for interview

[oohpartiv 484]

Quick background:

My husband and I started dating in August 2008. We did the long distance thing until June 2009 (with two visits for Christmas '08 and spring break '09), and have lived together since then. I have a few things from that year apart, but since we've physically been together for over four years, I don't really have the pages and pages of skype/facebook/msn chats that everyone else has, and what we did have is long gone (computer crashed )

I know that I'm a bit ahead of schedule (we haven't even sent in our NVC docs yet) but I want to have everything ready ahead of time after hearing all the nightmare-ish stories about the Guayaquil consulate. These are some of the things I'm going to get together for our interview - just tell me if I'm good with these, or if I'm missing something, or any other ideas you might have. Thanks!

- Assortment of pictures (including pictures of each other with family, during holidays, in airports, shows change of weight/hair, etc)

- Affidavits of support (from three different friends)

- Emails (from the short amount of time we were long distance)

- Copies of passports showing entry stamps

- Marriage certificate

- Airport itinerary for trips (printed from email)

- Bank letter showing joint account

- Facebook comments (closest thing I can get to chat transcripts)

- Lease from my Dad showing we'll be renting from him in the States

Do you guys think this is enough? Obviously I'll be going with my husband for his interview, which should be extra proof, but I am really stressing that this might not be enough evidence for the consulate.

Also - to those of you that got approved, how long did it take for your visa to arrive via DHL? (or at least that's how I'm told they deliver it).

[florida4life 29]

birth certificate, police clearance, do you have those for your husband

[oohpartiv 484]

Yep! But I don't have them translated. Should I?

[fantonledzepp 159]

Your biggest proof of on-going relationship will be pictures. Take a bunch of them. Since you live together, there isn't much in terms of emails or messages as proof. Those of us that actually had the long-distance thing had to take emails or texts to prove that we maintained a relationship.

The proof that you have is good. Did you have an apartment together? If so, you should include a copy of your lease with him. If you live with family of his, you should get a written statement from his family detailing your living arrangement. The same with utilities, if they were under both your names, you should provide that. If not, again, a written statement detailing your living arrangement.

Understand that the fact that you'll attend the interview will speak volumes. It is perhaps the best thing that will help your case.

We had the birth certificate translated. You can translate it, you just have write a statement that you are competent in Spanish. I don't think we translated the Police Certificate.

My wife lived in Guayaquil, she chose to pick up the visa at a DHL office. Interview was on a monday, visa in hand the following wednesday.

[TBoneTX 45,498]

That evidence should be fine, si man. They can hardly claim that the relationship isn't bona fide if you've been living together for 3+ years, no man.

Do what F-Bone says just above, si man.

Edited February 8, 2013 by TBoneTX

[fantonledzepp 159]

That evidence should be fine, si man. They can hardly claim that the relationship isn't bona fide if you've been living together for 3+ years, no man.

Now that I remember, we didn't translate anything for the Consulate. It was for AOS that we had to translate it. The consulate speaks spanish, you don't have to translate anything.

You say that you haven't sent docs to the NVC. We filed for a K1 visa, and so we did AOS here in the states. But if I'm not mistaken, you'll have to do AOS or something similar through the NVC, and then you'll have to translate his birth certificate. Can somebody confirm this?

[oohpartiv 484]

Now that I remember, we didn't translate anything for the Consulate. It was for AOS that we had to translate it. The consulate speaks spanish, you don't have to translate anything.

You say that you haven't sent docs to the NVC. We filed for a K1 visa, and so we did AOS here in the states. But if I'm not mistaken, you'll have to do AOS or something similar through the NVC, and then you'll have to translate his birth certificate. Can somebody confirm this?

Yeah, I had to translate and apostille his birth certificate, police certificate, and our marriage certification as part of the IV packet for NVC. I'm still waiting to have the fee invoiced so I can pay and send the docs in.

Thanks for the advice! You definitely made me feel much better about the whole thing. I've heard so many horror stories about people going, sitting around waiting six hours, and then getting denied for nonsense. I just hope everything goes okay!

[fantonledzepp 159]

Yeah, I had to translate and apostille his birth certificate, police certificate, and our marriage certification as part of the IV packet for NVC. I'm still waiting to have the fee invoiced so I can pay and send the docs in.

Thanks for the advice! You definitely made me feel much better about the whole thing. I've heard so many horror stories about people going, sitting around waiting six hours, and then getting denied for nonsense. I just hope everything goes okay!

I'm sure you have, but if you haven't, read our reviews about the consulate. You can read mine if you'd like. Find it under my timeline.

[oohpartiv 484]

I'm sure you have, but if you haven't, read our reviews about the consulate. You can read mine if you'd like. Find it under my timeline.

I went to read it and realized I already had. I've been so paranoid, looking into every little bit of info I can find so we can be well prepared. I think we have enough evidence, and we have copies of all the papers we're going to submit into NVC and all the paperwork we already sent to USCIS, so I think we should be okay. The only possible thing I could think of that could go wrong, would be that my husband previously applied twice for a tourist visa (to go with me on visits to see my family) and was denied both times. The last time we tried was over two and a half years ago, though, so hopefully that won't be a problem. It's terrible that you have to be paranoid about what would normally be a natural thing - the girlfriend wanting to take the boyfriend home to meet her parents. I'll be so happy when this process is over and I can stop worrying about everything!

Edited February 8, 2013 by oohpartiv

[TBoneTX 45,498]

I went to read it and realized I already had.

Then you're the perfect Ecu filer, si man -- over-sweating things now so that the sweat will be minimal when it counts. Just appear together, bring fotos, and relax while maintaining vigilance.

[VivaBaños 2]

The fact that you've been living in Ecuador will speak volumes. And I'm assuming all those years in Ecuador means you speak Spanish. Our interview was quite pleasant as I too was in that situation--had been living in Ecuador and spoke Spanish. The man who interviewed us looked through our wedding photos (we'd sent copies in our original application and took a small album to the interview). I had notarized affidavits from folks who knew us as a couple including our landlord in Ecuador. What we weren't prepared for was that the Consulate wanted me to have a co-sponsor--when none of that came up while our case was at the NVC (I was a grad student then and was under the line one year and just over it the year we applied--I'd sent both sets of $ evidence). That slowed us down a bit but was manageable (DHL messed up here too, but don't want to derail now).

The DHL truck from Guayaquil delivering to the Ambato DHL office was robbed, the very truck with all of our documents and visa! DHL delayed telling us anything. I had gotten DHL texts and I knew that it was on its way to Ambato but then they never called to say it'd arrived. So I began calling the Ambato office. They gave me the run around 2-3 times and said call back later each time. Call back in 30 minutes, another 30 minutes, ridiculous stuff like that. They must have been waiting to learn what a manager somewhere wanted them to tell customers. This fiasco then resulted in our needing to resubmit all of our docs, police docs reporting the stolen passport, again in Guayaquil--meaning we had to go to Quito to get a new passport, etc. After amassing all of that again (see timeline) we went in person to the Guayaquil Consulate and they printed the visa right then and there. They warned us that we might be delayed in immigration at the airports in Ecuador & the US because of the missing/stolen passport. We didn't have any problem.

I think you're in good shape with your evidence. I hope you run into NONE of the problems we faced.

Good luck!

[oohpartiv 484]

The DHL truck from Guayaquil delivering to the Ambato DHL office was robbed, the very truck with all of our documents and visa! DHL delayed telling us anything. I had gotten DHL texts and I knew that it was on its way to Ambato but then they never called to say it'd arrived. So I began calling the Ambato office. They gave me the run around 2-3 times and said call back later each time. Call back in 30 minutes, another 30 minutes, ridiculous stuff like that. They must have been waiting to learn what a manager somewhere wanted them to tell customers. This fiasco then resulted in our needing to resubmit all of our docs, police docs reporting the stolen passport, again in Guayaquil--meaning we had to go to Quito to get a new passport, etc. After amassing all of that again (see timeline) we went in person to the Guayaquil Consulate and they printed the visa right then and there. They warned us that we might be delayed in immigration at the airports in Ecuador & the US because of the missing/stolen passport. We didn't have any problem.

Oh my God, that is my worst nightmare come true. How horrible! Oh jeez, I really don't know what I would do. Props to you for getting everything together again - I think I might just have a mental breakdown.