EmilySF

I was in Havana on 10/16 and was able to enter the embassy. I work for the school district so am used to bureaucracy and how to be ridiculously assertive. It's not worth the fight, but here's the scoop:
 
all "packets" are digital so don't need to be picked up in person, they can be transferred to another embassy digitally.
 
all visas will be automatically transferred to Bogota. Yes, Cubans need a visa to travel to colombia. It's an online application and then an in-person consulate visit by the Cuban fiancé to finalize the visa and pick up. Still unsure about that step, but I believe you have to have the "I have an interview date in Bogota" proof in hand so it lessens the burden for Cuban fiancé to prove they have a bank account/property etc and won't overstay in Colombia.
 
also Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago are no-visa-for-Cubans options and there are ppl on other threads on this website requesting interviews at those locations (in a Georgetown, someone has successfully requested a translator for the interview). Copa air flies from Havana to T&T, relatively pain-free, no visa, no vaccinations.
 
To use those embassies, you have to request your case be transferred to one of them: email asknvc@state.gov w your Case # in subject line and names + DOB from both petitioner and beneficiary. I haven't done this yet.
 
if you're in havana waiting, my opinion is to come back to the U.S to have phone and wifi to figure it out. I think this will take months to get an interview date. I'm preparing myself for after the new year. Plus with travel bookings and gettin an Airbnb for Bogota, it'll be easier in the U.S plus cheaper to wait on hold for the NVC line 603-334-0700 
 
hope that helps, it's been a real roller coaster for us love birds ❤️
 
 

I called the embassy in Trinidad and Tobago and they told me to email them my request to transfer our case. My fiance still has the issue of not being able to speak English, but maybe they're something there. That's my last chance, unless there's other spanish-speaking countries that don't require Cubans to have a visa ... ? 
 
Looks like we're all waiting for however long to receive notification of transfer to Bogota. 
 
I have a flight booked to Cuba on Sunday 11/19, but the Trump restrictions might make it weirder than before. I imagine we can still choose another one of the 11 approved reasons for travel on the form. I might travel under religion or research, I work in education and am in grad school.  That's my hope, flying on Delta, so I'll let you guys know what the new user experience is on flights. At this point, I just want to move to Havana and live with my dude eating pork and bananas until the gov't figures it out. 
 
This thread is legit keeping my hope alive, thanks guys! Maybe we should all get an airbnb in Bogota and wait it out together lol

I was in Havana on 10/16 and was able to enter the embassy. I work for the school district so am used to bureaucracy and how to be ridiculously assertive. It's not worth the fight, but here's the scoop:
 
all "packets" are digital so don't need to be picked up in person, they can be transferred to another embassy digitally.
 
all visas will be automatically transferred to Bogota. Yes, Cubans need a visa to travel to colombia. It's an online application and then an in-person consulate visit by the Cuban fiancé to finalize the visa and pick up. Still unsure about that step, but I believe you have to have the "I have an interview date in Bogota" proof in hand so it lessens the burden for Cuban fiancé to prove they have a bank account/property etc and won't overstay in Colombia.
 
also Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago are no-visa-for-Cubans options and there are ppl on other threads on this website requesting interviews at those locations (in a Georgetown, someone has successfully requested a translator for the interview). Copa air flies from Havana to T&T, relatively pain-free, no visa, no vaccinations.
 
To use those embassies, you have to request your case be transferred to one of them: email asknvc@state.gov w your Case # in subject line and names + DOB from both petitioner and beneficiary. I haven't done this yet.
 
if you're in havana waiting, my opinion is to come back to the U.S to have phone and wifi to figure it out. I think this will take months to get an interview date. I'm preparing myself for after the new year. Plus with travel bookings and gettin an Airbnb for Bogota, it'll be easier in the U.S plus cheaper to wait on hold for the NVC line 603-334-0700 
 
hope that helps, it's been a real roller coaster for us love birds ❤️
 
 

I was in Havana on 10/16 and was able to enter the embassy. I work for the school district so am used to bureaucracy and how to be ridiculously assertive. It's not worth the fight, but here's the scoop:
 
all "packets" are digital so don't need to be picked up in person, they can be transferred to another embassy digitally.
 
all visas will be automatically transferred to Bogota. Yes, Cubans need a visa to travel to colombia. It's an online application and then an in-person consulate visit by the Cuban fiancé to finalize the visa and pick up. Still unsure about that step, but I believe you have to have the "I have an interview date in Bogota" proof in hand so it lessens the burden for Cuban fiancé to prove they have a bank account/property etc and won't overstay in Colombia.
 
also Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago are no-visa-for-Cubans options and there are ppl on other threads on this website requesting interviews at those locations (in a Georgetown, someone has successfully requested a translator for the interview). Copa air flies from Havana to T&T, relatively pain-free, no visa, no vaccinations.
 
To use those embassies, you have to request your case be transferred to one of them: email asknvc@state.gov w your Case # in subject line and names + DOB from both petitioner and beneficiary. I haven't done this yet.
 
if you're in havana waiting, my opinion is to come back to the U.S to have phone and wifi to figure it out. I think this will take months to get an interview date. I'm preparing myself for after the new year. Plus with travel bookings and gettin an Airbnb for Bogota, it'll be easier in the U.S plus cheaper to wait on hold for the NVC line 603-334-0700 
 
hope that helps, it's been a real roller coaster for us love birds ❤️
 
 

I was in Havana on 10/16 and was able to enter the embassy. I work for the school district so am used to bureaucracy and how to be ridiculously assertive. It's not worth the fight, but here's the scoop:
 
all "packets" are digital so don't need to be picked up in person, they can be transferred to another embassy digitally.
 
all visas will be automatically transferred to Bogota. Yes, Cubans need a visa to travel to colombia. It's an online application and then an in-person consulate visit by the Cuban fiancé to finalize the visa and pick up. Still unsure about that step, but I believe you have to have the "I have an interview date in Bogota" proof in hand so it lessens the burden for Cuban fiancé to prove they have a bank account/property etc and won't overstay in Colombia.
 
also Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago are no-visa-for-Cubans options and there are ppl on other threads on this website requesting interviews at those locations (in a Georgetown, someone has successfully requested a translator for the interview). Copa air flies from Havana to T&T, relatively pain-free, no visa, no vaccinations.
 
To use those embassies, you have to request your case be transferred to one of them: email asknvc@state.gov w your Case # in subject line and names + DOB from both petitioner and beneficiary. I haven't done this yet.
 
if you're in havana waiting, my opinion is to come back to the U.S to have phone and wifi to figure it out. I think this will take months to get an interview date. I'm preparing myself for after the new year. Plus with travel bookings and gettin an Airbnb for Bogota, it'll be easier in the U.S plus cheaper to wait on hold for the NVC line 603-334-0700 
 
hope that helps, it's been a real roller coaster for us love birds ❤️
 
 

I went to the embassy in Havana Monday and it was like Fort Knox. Wouldn't even let me in through the gate w my U.S. passport. Was told to go to the park on the corner to hear some announcement. 
 
When i went this woman from the embassy was explaining to a huge crowd of Cubans that basically all functions were stopped indefinitely and to visit "la página del web" .. they didn't even bother to print a little paper with the website on it. Maybe 100 ppl basically finding out that they'd have to travel to a 3rd country to do their interview. Many of them had already paid $1000s and done several medical checks and been denied. 
 
I insisted on "picking up my packet" and did finally get through to wait inside the embassy where I saw about 15 ppl sitting in plastic chairs just chatting. Two were pulling crumpled documents out of a large trash can and smoothing them out. Pretty not legit if you ask me. I was the only person in the waiting area.
 
Finally another woman came out and explained that there is no physical packet, everything went electronic in 2016 SO THAT WAS GOOD NEWS. 
 
She also said that all C-1 visas and K-1s would go to Bogota and I would received confirmation by letter when the next steps were decided upon. One of my questions was whether my fiancé should do the chequeo médico in Cuba or in Colombia and she said that's one of the decisions they need to make.
 
And yes, Cubans need a darn visa to visit Colombia and it's an online application and then a physical visit to the Colombian embassy in Havana to get the visa. So annoying, but trying to stay positive!
 
I'm gonna call T&T to see if they can request my case be transferred there. I don't love Bogota, went in 2008 and it leaves something to be desired, especially to wait for who knows how long to receive word if the interview went well. But we're up for the challenge.
 
My heart breaks for all the kids who were in that park waiting for visas to see their parents living in the U.S. 
 
Lmk if anyone has any leads on anything, I'm back stateside for now! Good luck!
 

My fiance and I have decided that he'll travel to Guyana for the K1 Visa Process. I called the Language Institute in Guyana @ 011-592-231-7303, and they said they will be able to provide the interpreter for the immigration interview. I need to request the interpreter via email at cecilyd@languageinstitute.co.gy.