Cubans Guyana Interview

[Ilio&DF 18]

Here is the information that one of my friends gave me, who already did the interview in Guyana on June 26, 2018. There is this Cuban company in Guyana that can help you in transportation to move around Guyana without the need to use taxis and they will pick you up at the airport and take you back. They will also take you and bring you to the interview, to collect the visa passport, to the medical check-up and to collect the results of the medical check-up.

The company is called toma 1 travel the email is toma1oferta@gmail.com  and its website is www.toma1oferta.com. The contact number to reach them is + 592-680-8487 and you can reach them in WhatsApp also. The medical check you do in a day and depending on whether you are a single person or a family will be the delay in returning the result for a single person the results is usually returned the next day however for families sometimes it takes two or three days. The limit cost is $ 250 but some people find it cheaper because they are already vaccinated with vaccines that make the total value a little bit higher for example in the case of my friends she (beneficiary)  was already vaccinated with the yellow fever and it cost her $ 180. The total price $250 for the medical check covers both the blood test for $ 10 and Chest X-ray  for $ 15. Remember that you have to carry the vaccination card from Cuba so you do not have to pay for all vaccines again.

Their interview was for 8:00 am but they arrived at 7:15 in the morning and they made the number 20 in the queue. According to my friends, everything was very fast and organized. First, they go to an area where they check the papers that they are going to take to the window where they do the interview, then the interview and then they tell you if you are approved or not and also that it takes 7 days to have the visa passport ready however hers was already ready the next day. The visa passport is collected in another place that is also close to the embassy. The ticket to travel is recommended to buy it back and forth the same for the person traveling from Cuba to Guyana as for the person traveling from the United States to Guyana. 

Later on in the return you can change the destiny of the person who was going to return to Cuba changing that passage back to the United States to make that change to them specifically cost them $ 538. The value of these changes depends on the airline company with which you decide to travel. They traveled through the Copa Airlines but there are two other companies that fly to Guyana (Caribbean Airlines and Suriname).

My friends say that there is little entertainment outside the hotel so he recommend you to take something that you can connect to the TV like the Apple TV box ( that is what he did). I know that Walmart has a device that is like a flash memory used to connect to the TV ( I think it is  call streaming box and it comes with different names ) and you could watch Netflix and YouTube and other things on the Internet so you do not get bored. 

When they arrived in the United States they were given a form to fill it out and apply online for the residence and it is paid online also it costs $ 220 and you will receive the residence to the same address that you put in the form that you filled DS-260.

He also told me that on that day there were people doing an interview that had been pending since July 2017 and that they had an interview when U.S.A closed the embassy in Cuba since Tropical Storm Irma, so we only have to wait patiently and see when our interview comes. If you do not speak English or do not understand English you can copy all this note and translate it into Google translate. Unfortunately I can not write in Spanish in this topic. You can also contact me through the private message of Visa Journey. I usually do not go to Visa Journey because it is very difficult for me from my cell phone because for some reason I cannot explain I always get a lot of pop-ups and restrictions when checking VJ post/ topics from my cell and  it does not have an App either. But even once a week I check VJ almost always on Sundays. I hope this help and clarify most of you. I wish you good vibes......

[Chris&Ale 153]

7 hours ago, Ilio&DF said:

Here is the information that one of my friends gave me, who already did the interview in Guyana on June 26, 2018. There is this Cuban company in Guyana that can help you in transportation to move around Guyana without the need to use taxis and they will pick you up at the airport and take you back. They will also take you and bring you to the interview, to collect the visa passport, to the medical check-up and to collect the results of the medical check-up.

The company is called toma 1 travel the email is toma1oferta@gmail.com  and its website is www.toma1oferta.com. The contact number to reach them is + 592-680-8487 and you can reach them in WhatsApp also. The medical check you do in a day and depending on whether you are a single person or a family will be the delay in returning the result for a single person the results is usually returned the next day however for families sometimes it takes two or three days. The limit cost is $ 250 but some people find it cheaper because they are already vaccinated with vaccines that make the total value a little bit higher for example in the case of my friends she (beneficiary)  was already vaccinated with the yellow fever and it cost her $ 180. The total price $250 for the medical check covers both the blood test for $ 10 and Chest X-ray  for $ 15. Remember that you have to carry the vaccination card from Cuba so you do not have to pay for all vaccines again.

Their interview was for 8:00 am but they arrived at 7:15 in the morning and they made the number 20 in the queue. According to my friends, everything was very fast and organized. First, they go to an area where they check the papers that they are going to take to the window where they do the interview, then the interview and then they tell you if you are approved or not and also that it takes 7 days to have the visa passport ready however hers was already ready the next day. The visa passport is collected in another place that is also close to the embassy. The ticket to travel is recommended to buy it back and forth the same for the person traveling from Cuba to Guyana as for the person traveling from the United States to Guyana. 

Later on in the return you can change the destiny of the person who was going to return to Cuba changing that passage back to the United States to make that change to them specifically cost them $ 538. The value of these changes depends on the airline company with which you decide to travel. They traveled through the Copa Airlines but there are two other companies that fly to Guyana (Caribbean Airlines and Suriname).

My friends say that there is little entertainment outside the hotel so he recommend you to take something that you can connect to the TV like the Apple TV box ( that is what he did). I know that Walmart has a device that is like a flash memory used to connect to the TV ( I think it is  call streaming box and it comes with different names ) and you could watch Netflix and YouTube and other things on the Internet so you do not get bored. 

When they arrived in the United States they were given a form to fill it out and apply online for the residence and it is paid online also it costs $ 220 and you will receive the residence to the same address that you put in the form that you filled DS-260.

He also told me that on that day there were people doing an interview that had been pending since July 2017 and that they had an interview when U.S.A closed the embassy in Cuba since Tropical Storm Irma, so we only have to wait patiently and see when our interview comes. If you do not speak English or do not understand English you can copy all this note and translate it into Google translate. Unfortunately I can not write in Spanish in this topic. You can also contact me through the private message of Visa Journey. I usually do not go to Visa Journey because it is very difficult for me from my cell phone because for some reason I cannot explain I always get a lot of pop-ups and restrictions when checking VJ post/ topics from my cell and  it does not have an App either. But even once a week I check VJ almost always on Sundays. I hope this help and clarify most of you. I wish you good vibes......

Thank you so much for this information. Very helpful!

[B&Ovi 6]

thank you!! anything else that you find out, please please share xo

[Monicalalfonso 67]

Thank you for sharing!! Huge help and insight! 

[ormont 6]

On 7/8/2018 at 7:18 PM, Ilio&DF said:

Here is the information that one of my friends gave me, who already did the interview in Guyana on June 26, 2018. There is this Cuban company in Guyana that can help you in transportation to move around Guyana without the need to use taxis and they will pick you up at the airport and take you back. They will also take you and bring you to the interview, to collect the visa passport, to the medical check-up and to collect the results of the medical check-up.

The company is called toma 1 travel the email is toma1oferta@gmail.com  and its website is www.toma1oferta.com. The contact number to reach them is + 592-680-8487 and you can reach them in WhatsApp also. The medical check you do in a day and depending on whether you are a single person or a family will be the delay in returning the result for a single person the results is usually returned the next day however for families sometimes it takes two or three days. The limit cost is $ 250 but some people find it cheaper because they are already vaccinated with vaccines that make the total value a little bit higher for example in the case of my friends she (beneficiary)  was already vaccinated with the yellow fever and it cost her $ 180. The total price $250 for the medical check covers both the blood test for $ 10 and Chest X-ray  for $ 15. Remember that you have to carry the vaccination card from Cuba so you do not have to pay for all vaccines again.

Their interview was for 8:00 am but they arrived at 7:15 in the morning and they made the number 20 in the queue. According to my friends, everything was very fast and organized. First, they go to an area where they check the papers that they are going to take to the window where they do the interview, then the interview and then they tell you if you are approved or not and also that it takes 7 days to have the visa passport ready however hers was already ready the next day. The visa passport is collected in another place that is also close to the embassy. The ticket to travel is recommended to buy it back and forth the same for the person traveling from Cuba to Guyana as for the person traveling from the United States to Guyana. 

Later on in the return you can change the destiny of the person who was going to return to Cuba changing that passage back to the United States to make that change to them specifically cost them $ 538. The value of these changes depends on the airline company with which you decide to travel. They traveled through the Copa Airlines but there are two other companies that fly to Guyana (Caribbean Airlines and Suriname).

My friends say that there is little entertainment outside the hotel so he recommend you to take something that you can connect to the TV like the Apple TV box ( that is what he did). I know that Walmart has a device that is like a flash memory used to connect to the TV ( I think it is  call streaming box and it comes with different names ) and you could watch Netflix and YouTube and other things on the Internet so you do not get bored. 

When they arrived in the United States they were given a form to fill it out and apply online for the residence and it is paid online also it costs $ 220 and you will receive the residence to the same address that you put in the form that you filled DS-260.

He also told me that on that day there were people doing an interview that had been pending since July 2017 and that they had an interview when U.S.A closed the embassy in Cuba since Tropical Storm Irma, so we only have to wait patiently and see when our interview comes. If you do not speak English or do not understand English you can copy all this note and translate it into Google translate. Unfortunately I can not write in Spanish in this topic. You can also contact me through the private message of Visa Journey. I usually do not go to Visa Journey because it is very difficult for me from my cell phone because for some reason I cannot explain I always get a lot of pop-ups and restrictions when checking VJ post/ topics from my cell and  it does not have an App either. But even once a week I check VJ almost always on Sundays. I hope this help and clarify most of you. I wish you good vibes......

Hello.  Thank you for the information.  Do you know the Priority Date of those cases?  I am wondering if NVC and US Embassy in Guyana are running with backlog of work for Cuban cases.  Thanks.  

[Boricuba 5]

Hello. Just wanted to share my experience so far...

 

My Cuban wife has her interview this month in Guyana. We received notice from the NVC of her case being complete in January 2018. My daughter (her step-daughter) and I are currently with her. I originally did not purchase a Havana return ticket for my wife because the US Embassy says not to make any flight plans until after the interview. However, the airport agents in Cuba forced me to go online and purchase a return ticket on the spot stating that the US government requires Cubans to depart for the USA from Havana and not another country. I confirmed with the US Embassy that this is false but regardless you will need a return ticket to Havana or they will not let your Cuban spouse leave the country. Let's just say it was an unpleasant departure but thank God there was wifi in the airport.

 

Taxis in and around Georgetown are around 500 Guyana dollars (less than $3 USD). It starts getting dark around 5:45pm and I do not recommend walking around at night. It's not safe. There's also not much to do anyway but if you have kids with you there is a playground on the second floor of Mario's Pizza on the corner of Middle and Camp St. You can get lunch and let the kids run around while you prep for your interview. Definitely bring a streaming box and some cables to connect it to the TV to relax in the evenings. One big thing: make sure you pick a hotel or the right AirBNB to stay in. Georgetown streets are surrounded by what seems like open aqueducts and standing water which makes a terrible mosquito situation at night. I had to change where we were staying because my daughter was getting eaten alive.

 

The medical checkup is as the OP says. They also accept USD so no need to worry about changing currency for that. The medical checkup will take all morning. My wife was scheduled for 8am, arrived at 7:45am, and left at noon. I'll post an update after my wife's interview. Good luck to everyone else.

Edited August 13, 2018 by Boricuba

[poetiknayture 4]

So it took 7 months from.case complete to interview..is that normal processing time? 

[Boricuba 5]

2 hours ago, poetiknayture said:

So it took 7 months from.case complete to interview..is that normal processing time? 

 

Not according to the NVC, no. The case complete letter from them said she should have received a letter within 3 months. But with the Embassy in Havana being closed it’s hard to gauge what’s normal these days...

[B&Ovi 6]

Hello boricuba and thank you for updated us. My case is still in USCIS. What service center was your petition in? Also can you share what hotel or hostel you stay at as a recommendation. Please update us after the interview. I would love to know how it all unfolds. Best of luck!

[Ilio&DF 18]

12 hours ago, Boricuba said:

Hello. Just wanted to share my experience so far...

 

My Cuban wife has her interview this month in Guyana. We received notice from the NVC of her case being complete in January 2018. My daughter (her step-daughter) and I are currently with her. I originally did not purchase a Havana return ticket for my wife because the US Embassy says not to make any flight plans until after the interview. However, the airport agents in Cuba forced me to go online and purchase a return ticket on the spot stating that the US government requires Cubans to depart for the USA from Havana and not another country. I confirmed with the US Embassy that this is false but regardless you will need a return ticket to Havana or they will not let your Cuban spouse leave the country. Let's just say it was an unpleasant departure but thank God there was wifi in the airport.

 

Taxis in and around Georgetown are around 500 Guyana dollars (less than $3 USD). It starts getting dark around 5:45pm and I do not recommend walking around at night. It's not safe. There's also not much to do anyway but if you have kids with you there is a playground on the second floor of Mario's Pizza on the corner of Middle and Camp St. You can get lunch and let the kids run around while you prep for your interview. Definitely bring a streaming box and some cables to connect it to the TV to relax in the evenings. One big thing: make sure you pick a hotel or the right AirBNB to stay in. Georgetown streets are surrounded by what seems like open aqueducts and standing water which makes a terrible mosquito situation at night. I had to change where we were staying because my daughter was getting eaten alive.

 

The medical checkup is as the OP says. They also accept USD so no need to worry about changing currency for that. The medical checkup will take all morning. My wife was scheduled for 8am, arrived at 7:45am, and left at noon. I'll post an update after my wife's interview. Good luck to everyone else.

Good morning, I'm sorry you had to go through this. I already knew about this situation of the tickets for Cubans traveling to Guyana it is mandatory to pay round trip ( this only related to Cuban government )and they have to show the confirmation of the purchase of the ticket in the airport customs because otherwise they will not allow the person traveling to get on the plane . My husband has an interview in September and I bought the plane ticket through the COPA airlines and after that the way out is paid for Cuba you have to change the destination to return to the US that costs $ 150 with the COPA.

[Boricuba 5]

Hey everyone. So my wife was approved! She received instructions on paying the USCIS immigrant fee and a sticker saying to go back to the Embassy to pick up her visa in 7 days. As of today, the CEAC page says visa has been issued and printed.

 

I'm a little confused though. Most people are picking up their visas within 1-3 days at a separate office called the CSRA document service center. Anybody have a clue as to why my wife needs to go directly to the Embassy to pick up hers?

[Rachy & Manolo 2]

18 minutes ago, Boricuba said:

Hey everyone. So my wife was approved! She received instructions on paying the USCIS immigrant fee and a sticker saying to go back to the Embassy to pick up her visa in 7 days. As of today, the CEAC page says visa has been issued and printed.

 

I'm a little confused though. Most people are picking up their visas within 1-3 days at a separate office called the CSRA document service center. Anybody have a clue as to why my wife needs to go directly to the Embassy to pick up hers?

Congratulations!!! Did you register to pick up the passport at the CSRA center  prior to the interview ? When you received interview notice ?

Edited August 17, 2018 by Rachy & Manolo
forgot to congratulate

[Boricuba 5]

16 minutes ago, Rachy & Manolo said:

Congratulations!!! Did you register to pick up the passport at the CSRA center  prior to the interview ? When you received interview notice ?

Thank you! I registered immediately after getting the interview email. My wife had the confirmation page with her during the interview but they just gave it back. Maybe that was a mistake on their part and they thought she wasn’t registered?

[B&Ovi 6]

48 minutes ago, Boricuba said:

Hey everyone. So my wife was approved! She received instructions on paying the USCIS immigrant fee and a sticker saying to go back to the Embassy to pick up her visa in 7 days. As of today, the CEAC page says visa has been issued and printed.

 

I'm a little confused though. Most people are picking up their visas within 1-3 days at a separate office called the CSRA document service center. Anybody have a clue as to why my wife needs to go directly to the Embassy to pick up hers?

Congratulations!! sorry I can not help  you with your question.  your journey is almost over.  what hostel did you stay at?

[Boricuba 5]

On 8/17/2018 at 12:57 PM, B&Ovi said:

Congratulations!! sorry I can not help  you with your question.  your journey is almost over.  what hostel did you stay at?

Thank you! Our journey is over! We entered the USA yesterday without any issues.

 

As for the hostel, I suggest searching AirBNB for Blue View Double Georgetown. The host is Margaret and has 2 other homes under the same profile - Blue View Kingston Georgetown and Blue View Georgetown. The place is walking distance from the embassy and also the hospital that does the exams. It has wifi, TV, kitchen, and A/C in the whole house.

 

I also suggest using a taxi service called Unity Taxi Service. It’s open 24 hours and they charge you 300 Guyana dollars ($1.50 USD) to take you around most of Georgetown. Their number is ‭+592 227 1200‬. Of course for airport trips just ask the owner of the hostel.

 

Also one more tip: I suggest getting your representative in Congress involved if you have issues. My wife’s visa was available a day after the interview as posted on the CEAC website despite being told to pick it up a week later. After being told of more delays I asked my congressional liaison to ask the consulate about the status. The Embassy responds much quicker to congressmen. It was “suddenly” available for pickup the same day.