MehgandMarcos

On 8/8/2017 at 7:39 PM, George & Roth said:

Hi, before I start a new thread I wanted to know how can I tell if my expedite was processed? Does the below mean anything? Or am I supposed to wait for the official reply?

 

Case History

• 08/08/2017
  

  On August 8, 2017, your request to have your case expedited, referral number xxxxxxxxx, was completed.

• 08/08/2017
  

  On August 8, 2017, we sent a response to your request to have your case expedited, referral number xxxxxxxxx.

• 08/03/2017
  

  On August 3, 2017, your request to have your case expedited, referral number xxxxxxxxxxxx, was assigned to an officer for response.

What was your outcome?

On 10/20/2017 at 2:36 PM, Malonya Kelly said:

I think im going to have my fiancé go to tga American Embassy in Guyana for his interview. He can go there without the inconvenience of the visa. The only thing is I need to find an interpreter for him. I found a couple of Interpreting agencies in Georgetown, so well see how it goes.

Please let us know the outcome. I would rather go to one of the islands that does not require a visa and fiancé knows English so that would work out way better for us. Plus we both have no desire to visit Colombia. But my only thing is would documents have to be translated?  What about medical would that have to be done over there as well?

So does anyone have an idea on the process or what is needed for Cubans to get a visa to Columbia?  On another post saw the Dominican Republic may be another option too....

11 minutes ago, DiamondEyes490 said:

Which means we'd all need to get tourist visas for our spouses/fiancees.

 

Has anyone tried calling the embassy in Bogota yet by chance?

Isn’t a k1 visa concidererd nonimmigrant?  If so then we could choose any embassy that would take us. 

Going to Columbia would be for immigrant visas. 

But it if I’m wrong getting a visa for Cubans to go to Columbia is going to make this whole process a lot harder. 

4 hours ago, EmilySF said:

I just called a Visa Help number specifically for Cuba, located in Miami.  (786) 408-5995

 

Clicked through to the automated system until I got the right (K-1) thread then stayed on the line for a service agent.

 

He updated my information (my phone, fiance's phone, my email, fiance's email + asked for my fiance's passport number and DOB). I'm the petitioner, my fiance is the beneficiary. Said I would receive notification by mail/phone/email about the process.

 

Also, I don't think (not sure tho) that you can just go straight to the embassy in another country. I did a lot of digging and it seems there is a number you receive the "packet 3" and also a secure envelope that the beneficiary's health check must be sealed in upon entry to the U.S.

 

The pain point is identifying where the packet is now, how to re-route it to either you in the U.S. or your fiance in Cuba and then where/how to schedule the interview.

 

The agent also told me not to worry about the validity date of our I-757 approval notice which, for us, is Dec 30 2017 .. makes me nervous!

 

Please post your findings in Guyana, T&T or Barbados. I'm also looking for similar processes/interview options. We're also considering El Salvador because there is a direct flight from HAV to SAL on Aviana.

 

Good luck everyone!

Is a visa needed to for Cubans to go to El Salvador?  I would prefer going to an embassy in a spanish speaking country to eliminate translating all documents

21 minutes ago, Malonya Kelly said:

Per my lawyer, you can get the interview in another country so long as you indicated this when you submitted the

K-1 visa paperwork. At the end of the application it asks you to state at what embassy you want to have your interview. If you have already submitted the paperwork,  with the Havana Embassy listed, that would be problematic.

What if you have submitted the paperwork but are still waiting on the NOA2?  Is this something that could be updated?  Im sure at this point everyone who has a Cuban fiancé listed the Havana Embassy if they have submitted paperwork by now.  

29 minutes ago, pukka said:

On the map they are closer. But Can you find a direct flight from cuba to any of those places? Looked into barbados -- flights all change in canada, etc. so fiance would need a visa for those places in order to fly. And not any less expensive, actually much more expensive from my brief searches...

russia has direct flights from havana to moscow...

additionally, if your fiance, like mine, only speaks spanish -- how would an interview work in an english speaking country where the embassy must operate only in the official languages of the country in question? This is also a potential issue with russia. But russia seems unlikely now anyway. Went to russian embassy in havana and asked about tourist visa for myself and explained situation, and they said it would not be possible to request a tourist visa for any purpose other than tourism, but if i did i would have to return to the US to complete the process. From vj feedback it seems pointless as russia has backlog on visa interviews anyway...

 

On a positive note my mother called mexico embassy today and they said they would consider my case (not sure what this means exactly) if i sent an email so i am working on that now. She also tried nvc today but couldnt get through. As i am currently in cuba i cant make any international calls...

 

thank you all for helpful responses!

I know there was someone on this board who would travel to Trindad and they had no problems, I believe they used Copa?

I was wondering about the language difference, but luckily my fiancé speaks English. 

I plan on going to the embassy when I am in Havana. 

I don't think Cubans can go to Mexico without a visa. Correct me if I'm wrong though. My cousin recently married a Mexican woman and he is still waiting in Cuba. 

I'm not at your stage yet, but my fiancé is cuban as well. Just wondering why Russia?  Cubans can go Barbados, Trinidad and Guyana without visa I believe. When the time comes I will be looking into those places. Plus the islands seem like a better/closer option (maybe cheaper?). 

On 10/1/2017 at 6:57 PM, TatiyPablo said:

Hey any follow up on this? We have the same question. My fiancé is thinking about doing his LLM, since he has his law degree from U of Havana and we are wondering if we have to legalize his law degree here? We have his official transcripts but they're in paper form, I don't think universeity of Havana has digital transcripts - do they? 

 

@forena99 @058rocale thank you!!! It's crazy and amazing that he's finally here  he had a very easy time going through security, they asked him no questions, and he was able to buy a one way direct flight from Havana to NYC on JetBlue thru Havanatur. (FYI for any Cuban finances, they can buy their tickets thru havanatur or other travel agencies in Cuba). Another follow up I have is about your AoS process. Did you apply for social security and work permit before getting married and submitting your application for the green card? Or did you do them all at once?

 

I didn't hear back from anyone about my question, but the local community college uses ECE to evaluate school credentials.  The website tells you the documents needed from Cuba, that is need to be sent into ECE to evaluate.  Below is what they would need to evaluate university credits:

Here is the link to ECE:

https://www.ece.org

13 minutes ago, Kirenia said:

October 22,  to havana!

I will be going to Havana too. How long are you staying?

13 minutes ago, Kirenia said:

My fiance live in Manzanillo Granma and I'm from Camaguey. I'm going next month to cuba again 😊 to visit my fiance, I'm super excited!!

Please Excuse my English, I'm trying to learn.😊

When are you going?  I am going to visit October 26th

2 minutes ago, geowrian said:

I can verify this is 100% not the case at all embassies. I was present at my fiancee's interview a couple months ago. I was there at the window when the CO questioned my fiancee...standing right next to her side. The CO asked me a couple questions as well. There's many similar cases on VJ...it varies from embassy to embassy.

Yes!  This is why I am saying to read your consulate reviews on visajourney to get a better idea for the embassy, each embassy is different.

2 minutes ago, MandW said:

Nope. Only the person applying for the visa is present AT the interview window. People may have attended the "interview" with the fiance but I can bet you they weren't present at the time of questioning. This is the 2nd K1 petition by me and last time this was also the case and my attorney did tell me its still the same across the board. Only the person applying for the visa is present at time of questioning. I still plan to be there and let them know I'm there in case there are any issues and when she is approved I will walk up to the window and thank the VO in person.

Yes I understand.  I was just going by the reviews listed for my embassy, I plan on being there so I guess we will see.

7 hours ago, JacNCoke said:

Hi!!! 

That's so exciting!! He lives in La Habana. I was planning to go again in October, but now think it may be better to go during the holidays. I am definitely traveling back for the interview as well! Where does your fiancé live?

I was thinking about visiting in October too!  He lives in Havana too, Cerro.

6 hours ago, MandW said:

Keep in mind those of you like me that plan on being there when the interview takes place remember they will NOT let you the petitioner be present at the window, only the person needing the visa. If when they call his/her number and you walk to the window with them they will ask you to go back to your seat. Only the person needing the visa is allowed to be interviewed, I know it sucks, but it's part of their method to determine fake or real relationships.

I do plan to be there at the interview, in the waiting area, my fiancé will motion to the VO that I'm there when they ask her how many times he come to visit you. so the VO will know I'm sitting there.

I don't think this is true for everyone, it depends on which embassy you will be interviewing at.  I was reading the reviews for the embassy and it seems like the petitioners were right there during the interview (for the embassy in Cuba).  

29 minutes ago, JacNCoke said:

Hello new friends!

 

So excited to have found this forum! Nobody else understands what I'm going through during the process so I'm very happy to meet you all. My name is Jacqueline and I met my fiancé, Osmany, in Cuba earlier this year at a friend's wedding. Went back a couple months ago to make sure that love at first sight is a thing...I'm here to tell you it is! He proposed on the beach in Guanabo on July 4th.  

 

My timeline so far:

Aug 11: shipped paperwork via UPS to Texas

Aug 15: received notification it was delivered

Aug 18: received email and text message from USCIS with receipt number

Aug 25: received NOA1 in the mail (woohoo!)

 

So now I wait for the NOA2...keeping myself as busy as possible. Anyone else have a fiancé in Cuba? Praying that this process is swift and smooth for everyone! And I'd be down for an Atlanta meet up...saw the Atlanta Fish Market in an earlier thread...yum!! 

Heeyyyy!!!!

My Fiancé is in Cuba too!!! Aayyyyy!!  What part of Cuba?

I just came back from a visit last month. I am sure we will need to swap notes later on. I've had other family members marry Cubans as well. 

My my story is kind of similar to yours. I met my fiancé through my cousin when i went to visit family in Cuba in the beginning of 2017. I really didnt think we would keep in contact and grow a bond, but I was wrong.  Like you i recently visited to see if it was really worth it.  I'm trying to go out there for another visit hopefully before the interview process (i will go for that too).  

Question for anyone-

What documents are needed for my fiancé for going to college in the US?  

I called my local community college and they said they needed sealed and signed official transcripts.  When I talked to my fiancé about this, I sent him mine as an example if he had anything similar. All he said he had was a certificate of completion.   Which I'm thinking is not what the community college is looking for. 

Has anyone or had their SO go through the college registration process?  What paperwork did you/ they bring?  And where in Cuba did you/ they get them?  As he would not want to go through high school again and I was told he would not be able to get financial aid without official transcripts. 

28 minutes ago, pukka said:

I contacted Aire de Fiesta -- they asked for 500 cuc for a few hours couples shoot. Far beyond my means, unfortunately. Checking with Cuban friends...please share info if you find something.

 

Did you get in touch with her? I haven't tried yet, but please share any further info you find. When are you looking for? Feel free to PM me.

Also -- to all, or for those on this fourm that have recently entered Cuba (since the June announcement from Trump) -- where did you enter and what was it like going through passport control? I booked my flight a few weeks after his announcement, but I am entering from another country, which is what I have always done. I have only been questioned once -- but when I did it was intense!  I was never asked to declare my purpose of travel, except that one time, and it was just after Trump's election when, coincidentally, the Cuban military were running a bunch of drills somehow linked to US. This is why I am worried that given the announcement, entering from another country may get trickier.

 

So, how did it work for you? Were you asked anything? What did you say upon entering? So what should I say is my purpose of travel when I enter, if they ask, since people to people is no longer allowed? Should I claim "family" or on the basis I'm going for the interview at the US embassy, or even just use it as my purpose of travel, even though my fiance isn't technically family yet? Or perhaps "official business of US government", even though technically speaking I am not required to be at the interview? Or "support for Cuban people" even?

 

 

 

I have a call with her late next week, I will let you know...

I recently went to Cuba beginning of August.  Before I went I was worried due to Trumps rule change.  But it ended up being nothing, the same as I went before in January.  But I will add, I did make my travel arrangements before his announcement.  I did not go through another country, I went through Miami.  I had no problems and no one seemed to care.  I have family in Cuba, so I have always used family visit, under the 12 categories.  Not sure how in the future they can check if someone is family or not.  But if anyone did ask we all said family visit.  

Im assuming you would be ok if you are going through another country and not getting you passport stamped.  Actually as I was leaving Havana, she stamped my boarding pass and not my passport.  I did not notice until I was waiting to board, I wondered why she did that, but then again my stamps in my passport are a couple pages in.  So maybe she just assumed that I did not want my passport stamped, cause she didn't see the entry stamp.  I have no idea.

On 9/1/2017 at 8:35 AM, forke said:

Just curious - how long did it take for everyone to get their NOA1 hard copy?  

Got mine today, they received my application on the 25th

22 hours ago, Yep said:

Hello everyone, 

 

I just got an email with our receipt number today! So i'm guessing that's the NOA1.

Got mine today!!!!!

21 hours ago, pukka said:

Hey, random fun question -- anybody know of a good photographer to shoot engagement photos in Havana? Just thinking that since we have all this time, might as well! Tried doing some google searches but couldn't get anything. Just thinking some good classic Havana shots -- like the Malecon, old American cars, etc with us in them. Someone who has some experience, a good camera, a good eye, and can just get us the high quality photos on a USB stick I would provide. Perhaps some of you have some connections, friends, family?

I am looking for photographers as well!  I came across this photographer and her work looks good.

Here is her website:

http://www.ayenianour.com

Just sent in my packet today!  Now I wait.

27 minutes ago, DiamondEyes490 said:

See my last post. It's still the same way as of July 4th weekend. I go back Friday, and I'll update this thread once I'm back Monday with how things were.

 

Also, the family visa just allows you to stay in a Cuban's home. You could easily be visiting family but not staying in their home, so the type of visa shouldn't matter. I've never once been asked about it, and I go to Cuba every month to see my husband.

Thank you!  

12 minutes ago, Sarah&Michel said:

I should haven't have added that part about "unless actually family."  The US government does not care at all what Cuban visa you have (tourist or family or other). They only care that your visit falls under one of the categories authorized to travel to Cuba. Since you have family in Cuba (and not just a fiancé) then you are fine. You only need a family visa if you think it is necessary for the Cuban authorities.

Got it!!  Thank you!!!

38 minutes ago, Sarah&Michel said:

Finally, there is no correlation between the US license category (authorizing travel to Cuba) and the Cuban visa.  Entering Cuba with a Cuban family visa does not mean anything to the US, unless you are actually family (not just fiancé). 

My fiancé is in Cuba but I actually have family in Cuba as well as traveling with a Cuban born family member.   I understand that the Cuban visa and the US license does not go hand in hand. But then you mentioned unless actually family.

I went to Cuba around December, I was asked my reason for going to Cuba but never asked to show anything. When it came to the Cuban visa, I had the tourist visa.  Now fast forward to this trip I have the Cuban tourist visa again. Is it better to have the Cuban family visa?

*My last trip to Cuba I did no planning, I literally just showed up to the airport and was handed everything.  It was planned by my uncle but he is now on vacation and I am not able to reach him.  

Hi Everyone!  Has anyone been to Cuba recently, that is under the family category?  I will be going next week.  Please let me know how your process went getting into Cuba, since I am not really clear on these new rules.  I just want to make everything goes smoothly.