David07

Congratulations and good luck with the rest of your journey!!

David

Barbara,

Like many others in this Cuban forum, I understand and feel your loss.

I read your words and reminded myself once again of what I have everyday with me.

Thank you for this....

David

today i got the terrible news that my fiance was electrocuted in his own house by terrible wiring while simply changing a light bulb.

we were so close to getting him over here, but now i can only cry and try to hold onto my fond memories.

for some reason today i put on the colors of his santo, and put on the bracelet he gave me and then i got a terrible email from his cousin in spain, who assumed i had already heard, so it was a condolence email, but i had no idea what he was talking about, or at least i was trying to deny that it could be real. then i called his friend in havana and it was all confirmed.

enjoy every day, and share your love while you have the chance.

best wishes to you all in your journey to being united with your loved ones.

rest in peace Alexis Merino Hechavarria, mi hombre, mi amor, mi querido.

please click on my user name, and scroll down to pictures, to have one last look at this beautiful, wonderful human being who has now departed this life.

You do need to get written documentation; sometimes they issue it in a sealed envelope...( I think they call it planilla)

The hospitals do not have any communication with the Interests Section whatsoever.

I just wonder if your affidavit will actually be sent to the US Interests Section for the interview. I do not think it was necessary to submit it for the I-129F petition. I would check with the US Interests Section to prevent misunderstandings.

Also, I was told that the affidavits were good for up to six months since they were notarized. I had sent mine three months before the actual interview date.

Hi to everyone in this journey:

I am a Cuban Filer. When I submitted my I-129 F to the Vermoth Visa Center I included the Affidavit of Support. Now that we are wating for the visa interview at the US interest section in the Havana I am wondering if the copy of the Affidavit of Support I mailed to my fiancee will be accepted at the visa interview. Or should I complete a new Affidavit of Support, get in notarized and mail it to my fiancee. If any Cuban filer now about this issue, please I need the advice.

Thanks!

Jordin

It all depends if you're on the ball submitting all the necessary paperwork. From what I know, it may take 2 to 4 weeks. Also be prepared to plan ahead and buy airfare as quick as possible...

David

Does anyone know how long it takes to get the carta blance?

hey cuban fiance people,

has your fiance been having more difficulties with internet access, or what is his/her method?

mine used to pay to use the internet in the hotel where he worked, but says that since they hotels are open to cubans, they are being stricter with the internet access in the lobbies or business centers, demanding to see a foreign passport.

anyone having the same problem? this is in havana.

i guess i shouldn't complain because now i am getting lots more long letters instead of short little emails, but i am just curious what other people are experiencing.

if they use the public email at correos de cuba, how is that going? i hear sometimes the lines are very very long.

well, thanks for any info and keeping in touch.

Waiting lines (colas) at Correos de Cuba can be quite long depending on the location. There is also a half hour or one hour use limit. Also, sometimes the connection drops or gets sluggish because of technical issues...plus, most places charge like 5 cuc for one hour of service. We used to email through people (usually doctors) that had email access; although this was not the best in terms of privacy. Also, they have some "youth computer clubs" where you can actually chat with a video camera for cheap; they have IM too through yahoo.es and other services.

We used phone calls quite a lot...but you all know that gets really expensive.....

Yes, they still do....the rumors were the same a couple of months ago...but you never know there. Be prepared for the worst case scenario...but hopefully you'll get lucky and they will eliminate the requirement...

David

...just to clarify that there is only one medical exam required. It is done at a cuban hospital and you pay for it when you get the "carta blanca". It is 400 CUC.

Hope this helps.

....so the Cuba holiday was uneventful in terms of any news. From what I hear from others, there had been some delays in processing the exit permits for mostly everyone across the board. We had to pay extra to get it expedited and get it inmediately....

Thank God this is over....be patient and good luck to everyone!

I've got some PM's regarding the above subject.....I just want to share that news regarding the elimination of the carta blanca are just rumors in the island for now. Surprisingly enough, the regular people get their news from speculation and news from abroad. There are million of rumors concerning everything under the sun: revaluation of the CUC, sales of cars by the state, etc..) I went to Inmigration regarding the carta blanca; and they told me it is still a valid requirement to exit the country. I was also told that there were holding back in processing the applications ( I guess it's also wait and see for them...) Also, some people are expecting some official announcements on May 1st regarding this and other matters...

David

I would agree and reiterate that you can't sit and wait for anybody to contact you. You have to be proactive and call/fax/email them to find out the status. I even went myself to the USINT in Havana; and they told me they had no records of the package. Thinking this was strange, I called again and it was actually there- they had the maiden name on file mixed up; that's why they could not find it...(long story..) The personnel there are extremely helpful and nice though.

Also, in the end we did not pick up the forms from packet 3. Since my fiancee lives out of town; I was told I could just download the forms, print them out and take them all filled out on the day of the interview...just double check you have the right ones, because people make mistakes with that...

This question could really be for anyone, but particularly those involved with Cubans... What is a reasonable number of emails for my fiance to bring to the Embassy once our petition gets there? This would be for the proof of ongoing relationship. We have plenty of photos, phone bills, etc. but he seems to thing that he should print out tons of emails (we have on average 3-4 a day over the course of 9 months). Can anyone tell me what they're looking for? Do they want a thousand emails? What's a reasonable amount? Thanks!

In response to your question, there's no magic number....at any rate, the more the better. My fiancee selected three or four for each month we had been corresonding so that they see continuity. Of course, you got to choose the best ones....In our case, she sends and receives email through a neighbor that has a computer; so just make sure that your name and your fiance's name show up in the subject title, etc...

David

hi folks,

i just visited the Havana "embassy" to ask a few questions.

one of which was, "Does my fiance need to bring a translator with him to the interview?"

The answer was NO. She said all the interviewers are bilingual.

I also asked about the affadavit of support...what if I have three years of tax reports but am missing the most recent one (don't have it now, but will by time of the interview, but don't want to pay to DHL it there if it's not needed). The answer was, they don't need any one thing in particular, just sufficient documents to show that I am financially able to cover both our expenses, in combination with evidence that he has a history of working. They don't want someone to come over who will end up being a public charge, dependent on welfare.

More clarity on bringing over his teen son later. The boy wants to finish high school there. She said it's simplest if the boy follows immigrant fiance dad within 12 months of dad receiving the Visa (not 12 months of immigrating). However, as long as the boy is still under 21, not married, and we have indeed gotten married, then I can apply for him as the step-child of a US Citizen. But be sure to give it the 8-10 months needed for the papers to process. If he turns 21 in the meantime, then it switches over to the other family reunification visa process which is up in the 5-10 year range.

I tried to ask about which exit Visa he should ask for from Cuba (the salida definitiva or salida indefinitiva) but she didn't want to offer advice on the Cuban process.

I asked about getting the Medical Exam -- she said go ahead and start getting it, since it's valid for one year.

I asked about getting the police certificates (Penales Antecedentes) -- she said the same, with our interview in June, to go ahead and ask for the documents. No worries about them not being current enough if obtained in March and used in late June.

Best wishes to everyone!

Hi Barbara...just a few comments:

There's absolutely no need for a translator. The interview will be in spanish.

In regard to the affidavit of support; it depends on your specific circumstances..but the "rule" is to show the three year of tax returns (ask for transcripts from the IRS..); bank statements, and a letter from your employer (unless you're self-employed) I don't know about his history of working deal; if he;s got one he's got to declare it...but I do not think that's an absolute must have...my girlfriend is a student; so she does not have a regular job other than professional practice training.

Most people do the salida definitiva (some others including myself have posted about this) You can do either one depending on the circumstances; but if he wants to go back to visit it's better to do it definitiva. He won't be able to go back in three years; or once every three years anyway...(don't know exactly how that works...)

To all Cuban VJ'rs:

After much wait and drama, we got our visa approved today!!!!

I was unable to make it to the inteview, so my fiancee had to go it alone...I just called her and she was just screaming with joy....! We talked for hours and are just planning to arrange her arrival here in Los Angeles as soon as possible (just have to deal with the cuban exit process now..)

This whole agonizing process (and specially for those us dealing with the political situation between the two countries...) really tests you, and your relationship like nothing else will I think. So, it's been a long journey and I am ecstatic that is almost over....!! My many thanks to everybody here who has provided advice and encouragement throughout the process....

The interview went quite well and was surprisingly fast. She was interviewed by a very nice lady there, who only asked two questions: where we met...and if she was member of some youth organization there...She had been a member of the youth organization while in college; but that was not a big deal. She presented all documents and tons of evidence: pictures, copies of emails, etc. She went in early in the morning; spent like 5 minutes in the interview; and was told to pick up the visa in the afternoon....

Good luck to everybody.....

David

Hello all,

Just to add a few footnotes that might help clarify things:

-There's only one medical exam which sometimes is scheduled in two diferent days depending on the jurisdiction; it is administered by cuban hospitals; the US Interests Section asks for it as a requirement but have nothing to do with the process. Like Edwin said, you do not pay for it upfront but at the very end- the fee is like a penalty for leaving the country.

- If you do a salida indefinida, the process could be much simpler and cheaper. You wouldn't need to pay for the exam and all you would mostly need is a carta de invitacion for 150 CUC. I think besides saving a few bucks; this makes things quicker for some whom it might be more difficult to leave (depending on profession, etc..) The problem though comes later if/when your fiance/ee needs to go back; there's all sort of penalties and fees to get the paperwork squared away while being a cuban national.

Dear Friends,

I am inquiring for a friend. She applied to bring her fiance who lives in Camaguey. The application was approved and sent to Havana at least 5 months ago. Since then, they haven't heard anything. It used to be (a few years ago at least) that it took a long time for people who live far from Havana to receive anything. But this seems too long. It would be nearly impossible for her to sit home for a day or two trying to call USINT Havana. (She works full-time and is a single mother to 2 small kids...). Any suggestions or thoughts on what the options might be?

Gracias,

2NS

That waiting seems awfully long. Also, they do not usually contact you unless you do so. I know it does not have anything to do with Camaguey being far.You can try calling; but it's usually better to fax an inquiry to the US Interests Section : 53-7-833-1084 with all pertinent info. They will contact you.

Edwin,

Thanks for sharing this info.....

For all other Cuban filers, I've also found out that the appointment scheduling service is scheduling appointments for March 2008.....

David

Does anybody know if a letter of invitation (carta de invitacion) is also needed to apply for the "Tarjeta Blanca"? I assume all that is needed is the US visa for this......

Thanks....

I believe it is 400 CUC for adults and 200 CUC for children under 12...(you got to figure the dollar exchange) It is a sort of "penalty" for people leaving for the US; why would they require a medical examination when they are leaving the country?

FYI,

Today it's been 5 weeks since my NOA2 notice of approval. I called NVC and they said that there have been some delays because of the holidays; and that the normal wait period for petitions from CSC is about 6 weeks...(and also, that technically they have 90 days to complete processing..)This is just great of course.....

I also called CSC and talked to a rather unpleasant officer who explained that all I can do is sit and wait tight...they won't even research your case number, since they know there's a backlog anyway...

This is frustrating as hell........

I cannot believe this.... I have excruciatingly been waiting for over a month for NVC to give me a case number so I can call for an interview appointment in Havana. Do I absolutely need to have a case number to make an appointment?

Please let us know if/how you can speed up the interview....

David

You won't need the "single status certificate" (certificado de solteria) when filing for the K-1 visa. Your fiance will eventually need to get one down the line and much later (along with a birth certificate and other documents)

Miriam n Alain,

I understand your predicament. Actually, I've just come back from Cuba and have heard similar stories from people going through the exit process. You have to realize that over there, different people give you different answers about the same question. Sometimes you do not know whom to believe. I would probably suggest going through a different official or a different local office and see their response. Also, a lot of things can be done if you know "somebody" or discreetly offer some kind of help in return.

Good luck.