SantyAndAllie

Congratulations ???????? I'm happy for you guys !

Issued so happy

ISSUED!!! Haven't been this happy since noa2! Interview 6/5; AP yesterday; issued today!!! We hope to have it in our hands TOMORROW!!! Beyond happy!

ISSUED!!! Haven't been this happy since noa2! Interview 6/5; AP yesterday; issued today!!! We hope to have it in our hands TOMORROW!!! Beyond happy!

ISSUED!!! Haven't been this happy since noa2! Interview 6/5; AP yesterday; issued today!!! We hope to have it in our hands TOMORROW!!! Beyond happy!

ISSUED!!! Haven't been this happy since noa2! Interview 6/5; AP yesterday; issued today!!! We hope to have it in our hands TOMORROW!!! Beyond happy!

Hi, everyone!
Santy & I are posting our review of the GYE consulate in a minute (I will post the link), but I wanted to post the document we used to prepare to help others who may need it! I went through literally EVERY review on VJ of the consulate and tried to make clear, concise information following the NOA-2 and consulate steps.
To calm anyone's fears (since some of you veterans out there like you TBone!, had a very hard time with the consulate), the consulate and consul were incredibly nice and pretty harmless to everyone there. As long as you bring a TON of evidence, are polite and professional, and organize everything, you should do okay there! Also, bringing your fiance(e) is NOT required at this point. However, it's definitely recommended if you do not have a ton of evidence, and they can and WILL ask you to come back and bring them if they don't feel like you have given enough evidence (as past VJ-ers have shown!). I'd recommend it for shorter relationships and for people who have not been able to visit as often as Santy & I have. (We had millions of pages, pictures, itineraries, etc!)
POST NOA-2 INFO FOR ECUADOR:

Steps after NOA2:
-Contact NVC to see if received application (takes 2-3 weeks normally from NOA2)
-Once received, get case #
-Complete DS160 online (https://ceac.state.gov/GenNIV/Default.aspx )
-Call NVC to check status or if it works, check online: (right now pre-consulate receiving stages are not showing up; only when it’s ready for interview) (https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/ from here on out, you can check your status pre interview & post interview for the visa)
-Call consulate to check when received (takes normally anywhere from a day to 2 weeks to get there)
-Download Packet 4 instructions & make sure you have all the info you need for interview (http://photos.state.gov/libraries/guayaquil/231771/PDFs/pk4%20visas%20k%20span%20jul%202014.pdf )
-Download interview package & double check info (http://photos.state.gov/libraries/guayaquil/231771/PDFs/WEB%20PK4%20Visas%20K%20_April%202015_.pdf in English at the bottom!)
-Register for the visa on the Ecuador website (https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ec/iv/users/sign_in – you will need your DS 160 confirmation number & case number; you will pay the $260 I think fee; then you will register an appointment!)
-Do medical before appointment
-Get police certificate if not done already (http://www.ministeriointerior.gob.ec/certificado-de-antecedentes-penales/ ; I recommend translating it, as well.)
-Go to appointment!
-Pick up visa at requested location
-Enter US & apply for marriage license
-Marry & apply for GC, EAD (employment authorization), & AP (advanced parole); GC takes 6 months; EAD/AP take 60-90 days
-Interview for GC
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Closest/Cheapest Hotels (These hotels can all be found & booked using booking.com - I recommend doing that beforehand!)
Cost per night ; time it takes on bus to get to/from consulate:
Hotel California $25 19 min
Hotel Galapagos $25 16 min
Hotel Flamingo $20.50 18 min
Dreamkapture Hostel $17.50 22 min
**Hotel Eloy Alfaro $17 19 min (Santy stayed in this one. It was pretty decent. TV, wifi, AC, decent area. We'd recommend it to stay the night! Check it out here !)
Hotel Nevada Guayaquil $15 17 min
Hotel USA $15 30 min
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PRACTICE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (REMOVE SPACES):
im mi help. com /visas/kvisa/sample-interview-questions. html (for the visa)
im mi help. com/ greencard/ familybased immigration/marriage-based-greencard-fraud-interview. html (for the marriage/GC interview; won’t happen until 4-8 months after marriage)
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BRING TO INTERVIEW:
-Copy of I129f
-Police record & TRANSLATION
-Medical results in SEALED envelope (don’t open)
-I134: Affidavit of support & W2 forms (taxes, statement from each sponsor (main & cosponsor if any) about finances/work – get the letters NOTARIZED!)- make sure to have BOTH affidavits if you have a cosponsor (so my dad & I both filled out the affidavits, wrote letters, etc)
-Both of our bank statements (only really necessary for main sponsor, but good to have)
-Copies AND originals of all birth certificates AND passports, etc. (both of ours)
-Bring passport photos (at least 4 5cm x 5cm of JUST head)
-Continued proof of relationship (plane tix while filing visa; wedding plans if any; etc)- BRING A LOT! Front load! Ask friends/family/etc to write letters confirming your relationship & intent to marry, all flight itineraries, Skype logs, Facebook messages, phone bills for calls, lots of pictures, etc. Better to have a LOT!!
-Bring light sweater in case (can get really cold) but could probably be hot
-Put financial stuff together in one folder (affidavit of support, bank statements, W2s from parents, joint sponsor letter, taxes)
-Watch for track of time (since can’t have cell phone)
-Paper & pens to play hangman & tic tac toe
-NOA1, NOA2 copies
-DS 160 confirmation
-Letters of intent to marry (both P & B; signed and translated into english)
-Proof (receipt) of having paid the visa fee (you can do this online with a credit card when doing the ds 160, and it’s easier that way)
*Put everything organized in manila folders; bring 2 pens; extra folders & clips (For example, Santy and I had one folder for the I129f copy, one for extra evidence, one for the Affidavit, and one for extra general documents like police cert/medical/etc.)
*Do NOT bring anything else to the interview except the documents (no purses, etc). Bring extra pen & paper to have something to do while waiting (it’s a long wait).
*Do NOT bring large albums. Only pictures small enough to fit underneath the window slit (can bring 4x6 albums but will need to take out the pics for the interview)
*Try to have everything translated to English, if possible! Especially letters.
*Notarize things if possible!
*Remember all dates & years because they can be asked!
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Questions asked to others in K1 interview (P= petitioner; B= beneficiary):
* P’s phone number
* How, when, & where we met
* Any plans for wedding, when, where
* If P has been in Ecuador
* If B’s family has visa and if they were going to my wedding
* If we have had an engagement family reunion
* If B has been to the US & if problems with law there
* Married before and any kids
* What both do for living
* Why P was in Ecuador & how many times
* Have both met each other’s families
* How we learned English & Spanish
* Where do we plan to live in US
* How many times we’ve seen each other
* Brothers or sisters?
* Write P’s full name
* Where B’s parents live
* Family in the US?
* The proposal
* How many guests in wedding
* Sometimes false questions to trip you up (like changing the year or saying you were illegal)
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EXTRA INFO FOR INTERVIEW:
-Process: Arrive & wait to be allowed in; tell them you’re there for a residency visa (immigrant visa); show passport & give them confirmation paperwork for visa meeting (tell them the time of appt); go to security guards where they check everything you have; go thru metal detector; go inside courtyard (only tourist visas need to wait in a line) & say you’re there for residency visa again; another metal detector inside building; go to back where immigrant visas are & sit down; first fingerprinting; then two interviews (first general one; second one more about questions of P & B’s relationship & for proof of relationship); then given a slip that says congratulations if approved!; shouldn’t take longer than 2 hours
-We should be getting a RED badge, which is for immigrant visas (yellow is non-immigrant)
-Stokes Interview is when they call you back later on to have more extensive interview
-Good to have US petitioner there
-Prepare for the visa to take 1-2 weeks to arrive at requested location
-Get there at least 45 min early
-Don’t wear any metal to help avoid problems with the detectors
-Pictures with family members help
-SPECIFIC answers with specific dates & times
-Triple check everything on the pdf file available at the consulate site for the K1 visa interview (see above link!)
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All in all, we were pretty happy with the consulate. Good luck to anyone's future interviews at the GYE consulado!

Sorry I didn't respond to these! Anxiety has kept me from even talking about it now But yes!! I agree with all of this! So many frustrations surrounding this unknown, unpredictable stage. My bosses ask me LITERALLY EVERY DAY. "Any word on Santy?" "When's he coming?" "Any news on the visa?" No, No, and NO. Like, when you know, you will know because I will be the happiest person in the world. Otherwise, I'm not, so don't ask! Hahaha. I know they just want to know, but like you guys say, the uncertainty really isn't fun to talk about with people who don't get it.
Somewhat of good news- other than the fact that the DOS fixed all of its posts all over the world, our consulate said they think they'll be printing the visa on Monday or Tuesday. Still later than we wanted, and who knows if that'll actually happen, but thinking about it happening soon keeps my head afloat, I guess.
I really hope this process ends for all of us soon. Everyone, please keep us all updated on your progress! I like hearing happy endings to what has been a torturous 8+ months for all of us <3

Guys, have you been following? This is the norm right now. Unfortunately a lot of ours are going to stay at 'ready' status for a little while longer. Means it hasn't been processed yet, so you won't have information on it until they do, and then your status will change. Even if you see others around you getting theirs, doesn't mean you will. I've seen others with interviews after ours get their visa, so we're just in the waiting game, unfortunately.

Guys, have you been following? This is the norm right now. Unfortunately a lot of ours are going to stay at 'ready' status for a little while longer. Means it hasn't been processed yet, so you won't have information on it until they do, and then your status will change. Even if you see others around you getting theirs, doesn't mean you will. I've seen others with interviews after ours get their visa, so we're just in the waiting game, unfortunately.

Guys, have you been following? This is the norm right now. Unfortunately a lot of ours are going to stay at 'ready' status for a little while longer. Means it hasn't been processed yet, so you won't have information on it until they do, and then your status will change. Even if you see others around you getting theirs, doesn't mean you will. I've seen others with interviews after ours get their visa, so we're just in the waiting game, unfortunately.

SantyAndAllie,
It is pretty funny how they classify K-1 visas. At the interview, you stand in line with the immigrant visas, but you fill out the forms like a nonimmigrant visa, The state department lists it as a nonimmigrant visa, but also a family based visa. I remember on piece of paper asked do you have any family in the USA including your fiancee.
My attorney that helped shepherd the paperwork through told me, when I asked that question, (she used to be a consular officer). It falls in the gray area where, until you are married, its a non immigrant visa, once married and file the AOS it becomes an immigrant visa. From her prospective, the cut off point, where it is clearly an immigrant visa was the day the green card is issued, up until then, its just limbo.. Like your fiancee can work during the 90 days, but if you don't marry and file for the work permit right away, by all rights, she would have to quit her/his job until the work permit is issued, technically...,
And here is another wrench in the cog.. .Have to show commingling of assets... well, some banks won't let a person sign on an account without an SSN.. Some utilities are difficult because of lack of work history...So its just like the rest of this journey live the life of love and companionship and the ulterior life where the two of you figure out how to put the pegs in the holes to keep the USCIS happy for the AOS interview.. The best I am going to do is have her on the title of my truck and while in drivers training, list her on my auto policy. From there, have her on my health insurance policy, and add the rest as it falls into place..
that is why I am thankful for community based education classes for ESL, drivers licenses, here in idaho, doesn't require a green card, and the local university does have some pretty easy learn at your own pass classes, (yes has to be completed in the semester) but self paced...
I hope this helps... I have been racking my brain trying to find alternative things for Leidy to do to keep her busy and interested so she can live life here instead of feeling isolated....
Sorry about the book guys... The mind was wandering right before bed.. Ambien and writing probably isn't the best combination

Getting technical with this will drive you crazy. Just assume that it's all visas because if you try to knit pick on their wording (non-immigrant vs immigrant, and besides that, k-1's are called both!), you could end up disappointed! :/ If they've fixed this many so far, I don't have much doubt that they'll be printing all visas at all posts very soon!

Getting technical with this will drive you crazy. Just assume that it's all visas because if you try to knit pick on their wording (non-immigrant vs immigrant, and besides that, k-1's are called both!), you could end up disappointed! :/ If they've fixed this many so far, I don't have much doubt that they'll be printing all visas at all posts very soon!

Updated data listing all working posts:
http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/english/news/technological-systems-issue.html
Sure enough ours is one! Hope they finish everyone's ASAP!!!

Congrats!!! How exciting! Also, it's about damn time.
Finally got the update that our file was sent to the NVC today. Officially out of Texas! What an exciting time! Lol. Guess next Monday I will start harassing the hell out of the NVC.
And Allie, you guys must be SOOOOO excited. Looks the issue is getting closer and closer to being resolved!!!

Our case was approved ?

Somewhat of an update... Some people are commenting on their Facebook page saying they apparently got their visa just now from June 8/9. Some have said embassies are slowly issuing visas now from earlier approvals, so I believe the update today is going to tell us that they're 'slowly fixing the problem and starting to issue some visas and clear the backlog'. That's my guess

Somewhat of an update... Some people are commenting on their Facebook page saying they apparently got their visa just now from June 8/9. Some have said embassies are slowly issuing visas now from earlier approvals, so I believe the update today is going to tell us that they're 'slowly fixing the problem and starting to issue some visas and clear the backlog'. That's my guess

Yes, you should definitely call them to get your case number. Have you checked CEAC? It should tell you whether it's gotten to the embassy or not. It should be after a month!
Check out the noa2 TSC oct filers thread!

If they fix the issue this week as they're 'striving to', July interviews shouldn't be affected. I think they postponed ones from this week & maybe next week in order to prevent more backlog of pending visas.

OMG, we were finally approved last night. It was the best news of the year Hang in there, guys, its really happening soon. I dont know if it helped or not, but we contacted two senators a couple weeks ago and now we were approved after almost 8 months!! Hope everyone is approved really soon!

I didn't say that I expect it to be next week or that I think that the embassy knows for sure. They said they don't THINK it'll be more than 5 days to FIX, not to get our visa. Of course they don't know for sure; they aren't the DOS. They're just giving us an estimate based on what they've heard from the DOS (which is very similar to what the DOS is giving). And besides that, I don't totally trust what the DOS tells us, either, with their vague and robotic responses! I'm only passing on the info given to us for those who have hope like we do based on our future plans.
But We've seen that update, and that update was a few days ago, saying that they don't think it'll be BEFORE next week, not that it wouldn't be up next week! Our interview was shortly after the delay, so I don't foresee it being weeks before we get ours.. Hopefully.
Ps- our consulate is Ecuador!

I saw that Tarzan posted that before I commented, LOL! Thank you guys! Makes me so happy that there's progress! and makes me hopeful for next week.

So my fiancés brother & mom had scheduled tourist visa appointments today. They were rescheduled to June 30th. My fiancé had his interview past the June 9 date (this past Monday the 15th), but I think after a certain point some consulates started rescheduling some appointments like theirs, probably as to not add to the backlog!
Upon calling the embassy, my fiancé was told that they don't think it'll be 'more than 5 days or so'. I just really want my fiancé to get his visa next week with all the backlog (50,000 a day?! Crazy), here's to hoping..... :/