At the interview, how critical is a common language these days?

[N & Nancy 23]

My wife is fortunate enough to have her CR-1 interview coming up, and I plan to join her at the interview. We are both having a case of the nerves, because we want everything to go well, of course. One possible "red flag" in our case is our lack of common language. Both her English and my Spanish are VERY limited. I can mostly get through dinner with a waiter, but we use a translator a LOT together. It's really not an issue for us...and it I've been a bad Spanish student partly as a result.

 

I've read some comments, from pushbrk specifically, that say a language barrier is not much of an issue these days. I'm hoping that this is the case. I'm also hoping he will chime in?

 

We have quite a bit of face time since we got married last trip, 6 times since our wedding last year, including trips to Cancun and Columbia together. We talk everyday on WhatsApp. I've met her whole family, including her closest sister multiple times. She talks with my mother often via email. I'm hoping our other evidence will outweigh this possible issue. Any anecdotal evidence?

Edited March 16, 2019 by N & Nancy

[geowrian 22,335]

It's not as much of a hurdle as it's been in the past, but it's still a pretty big red flag.

The amount of face time and communication is very positive, though.

 

Good luck!

[Boiler 43,429]

Does depend on the Consulate, be pro active in describing how you communicate.

[N & Nancy 23]

5 minutes ago, geowrian said:

It's not as much of a hurdle as it's been in the past, but it's still a pretty big red flag.

The amount of face time and communication is very positive, though.

 

Good luck!

Thanks, we are both hoping for the best!

[N & Nancy 23]

8 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Does depend on the Consulate, be pro active in describing how you communicate.

From reading VJ, Cost Rica does not seem to be a "high fraud" consulate. So I hope it's less of an issue there. We'll definitely be pro-active during the interview. It's not difficult to explain to anybody who's used google translator +WhatsApp. They are almost totally integrated now. Hope the CO has seen this before...

[Unidentified 2,930]

Is improving your communication skills something you work on? Might be a question that might come up. Communication is very important in any relationship. 

[N & Nancy 23]

2 minutes ago, Unidentified said:

Is improving your communication skills something you work on? Might be a question that might come up. Communication is very important in any relationship. 

Good point, thanks. As I mentioned, communication isn't really an issue. These days the google translate makes it almost too easy. However, the CO might not have the same view....and therein lies the possible problem.

[databit 328]

Can you communicate without a cellphone? Be prepared to do so.

[carmel34 3,529]

This is a concern I have as well, so to address it, I have been aggressively learning Portuguese for the last year.  I have an excellent online teacher who lives in Brazil, and we have a weekly lesson via Skype.  I use Babbel and Duolingo every day to review verb conjugations, vocabulary, grammar.  Fortunately I am fluent in French so this has helped me learn Portuguese faster than my husband is learning English.  Google translate makes things so easy these days, but that may not be good enough for a skeptical CO at the interview.  I listen to the news from Brazil every day to increase my ability to understand as much as I can because my husband will request his interview in Portuguese and I will be there with him.  I can say pretty much whatever I want to and also read Portuguese, but understanding the fast native speakers is my biggest challenge.  I'm thinking of getting a notarized letter from my Portuguese teacher stating my level of fluency, also I'm looking for a Portuguese test I can take so that if the CO asks, I can show some evidence of my ability.  And if asked a question in Portuguese I am hoping to be able to answer.  We are hoping that all of this effort will show the CO that we can communicate with each other without the aid of technology.  Good luck with your upcoming interview!  We are waiting for the NVC case number.