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Guatemala US Consulate Reviews
Average Rating: 3.9
/ 5
68 Review(s)
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| Guatemala |  Review #22502 on September 15, 2017: |
Jrenoj
Rating: 
· 3 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Husbands interview was on Monday September 11, 2017 at 8:15 am he got a little before 7am, by 11 he was out and visa was approved. We had an approved 601A that was submitted prior to sending NVC the packet. The questions they asked him were 1. Who was petioning him 2. Where did we meet 3. Has he ever been in the US 4. Has he ever left the US 5. Did he re-enter the US 6. How many children we have . The consular then asked for the original BC from Renap (the one that has the pictures, updated in 2017) & the original of marriage certificate.
He said the consular and pretty much all the embassy workers were very nice and not how our attorney was describing them.
They told him it would be 2wks for passport with visa to be ready however it was ready for pick up on Friday 9/14/2017. I highly suggest checking the US Travel doc website and the CEAC website the ceac website will update I the following order , it will reflect as "Ready" for a good day or two , the. It will show "Administrative Processing" (don't worry about this one if you already got the approval) and lastly and most exciting is "Issued" once you see issued give it about 3-6 hrs for the US Travel doc website to update passport info , for us it didn't show anything even when the CEAC website showed issued (this was at 12pm central) By 9pm the passport link said the passport had left consular section and was preparing to be delivered. At 3am central I got the email with the tracking information for the passport & the US Travel link said your passport is ready for pickup , it is not as it's barely on its way to be delivered.
I highly suggest checking both websites until you see Issued in the CEAC website that's when you no longer need to check it as after that it doesn't change.
Good luck to all !!
We got waiver approved 10/2016, sent packet to NVC 02/2017 , resent husbands updated copy of BC 05/2017 , received appointment letter 08/2017 , had interview 09/11/2017 and visa delivered 09/14/2017 !
| | | Guatemala | Review #21482 on March 9, 2017: |
timeforeverything
Rating:
· 3 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
We arrived for our 7:20am appointment around 6:45am and then waited for them to start calling for the 7:20am appointments. There were about 30 people that were there for the 7:15am appointments, it seemed like they were the fiancé visas and people petitioning for relatives other than spouses.
At 7:20 they reviewed my husband’s medical packet and appointment letter. I was really surprised because it seemed we were the only ones doing Direct Consular Filing for a spouse. We passed through security, and then went into the embassy building to wait for them to call our number. When our number was called the woman requested the basic documents (marriage cert, birth cert, police records, I-864, etc.). We then sat down and waited to be called for the interview. We were able to sit next to the line of windows were the interviews take place, so we heard a lot of people going through the interviews. It was nice to hear people being approved and a few people who were not approved it was because of missing documents. There were 3 people doing interviews, all men, and they were all pleasant from what we saw/heard.
When we were called, we were greeted and the man asked if we preferred English or Spanish, we chose English. He opened our file, asked us what our plans were. We told him who we planned to live with and why we wanted to move to the US (for our kid’s education). He asked if my husband had any visas, and if he had any ever been in the states without papers, if he had ever lived in the US. We showed him my husband’s other passport and ESTA visa. He also asked if we had children (we had our youngest with us), and he told us he had their consular report of birth abroad in the file. And that was it! No one requested proof of our relationship, proof of intent to move to the US. No tricky questions at all. We were in shock as to how easy it was, after worrying about it so much!
Make sure you have all the documentation they COULD ask for, be super over prepared just in case. Bring patience and a good attitude. I think our situation was so easy because both of our kids were born in Guatemala, registered their Report of Birth Abroad at the embassy with my husband listed as the father, and so the embassy already had record of our relationship. We were out and approved at 9:30am, so it wasn’t that bad.
We started the Direct Consular Filing for Spouse in Aug 2016 and got approved for the visa in March 2017. We dragged our feet because we weren’t in a hurry. I think it can be done in 3 months if you try.
| | | Guatemala | Review #20663 on October 17, 2016: |
Immigrant84
Rating:
· 4 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
My husband had his interview on Sept 6, 2016 at 7:15am. I stayed here in the US as i had to stay with our 3 children. He arrived 1 hour early to be up close in line and was let in at 7am when they opened. They asked for interview appt letter and your passport in hand. You then go threw a metal detector (security) and they hand you your number. Once you get your number you go upstairs where you wait until they will call you by number up to the window, when you get too the window they will ask for your passport and your medical package and your police records (antecdentes de penales and the policillaca) and make sure you have your cargo express paper. They will also ask for birth certificates, marriage license, 2 passport sized pictures. DO NOT FORGET THESE PAPERS. My husband didn't give them the marriage license because he thought that he didn't have it even tho he did have it with his stack of papers but being that he didn't turn it in at the time of the interview he had to then go and turn that in at a cargo express which made his case go into administrative processing which added an additional 2 weeks onto his stay and from what we heard that was lucky because people he met people there were waiting for 7 months and more.That was the first window he went to that only took him about 5 minutes he then sat down and waited for about 4 hours he was then called to another window where he was asked questions like how long had we been married, how did we meet, our full names, how long had we been together, and how old I was. Being that he didn't turn in the marriage license at the interview he was given a paper I-221G stating what he needed and went and turned it in the same day at the cargo express (Sept 6) and got his visa on the 21st of Sept. They gave him a receipt in which you CANNOT lose or you cannot pickup your passport and visa. Also if you know anyone trust worthy to help you by all means have them ready to help you. Also make sure IF YOU ALREADY HAVE YOUR DPI TO GET IT ACTIVATED AS SOON AS YOU GET THERE. Without that activated you can't get your police records. Also give yourself plenty of time to get everything done. Having someone to help you can really be worth it because knowing where you need to go will help you a LOOOOONG way. We used someone referred to us who is a pastor they are very nice and VERY helpful. Prior to the appt make sure you have copies of EVERYTHING! They will give you back your originals but keep the copies. If anything is in spanish get them translated and notarized in the english language.
Also to back up a little bit when you do your medical exam, plan to spend your whole day there. You can expect about 4+ shots, X-rays, blood work, and lots of questions. Also you don't get your X-rays done in the doctors office you have to go somewhere else about 5 minutes away when driving to get them done then you go back to the doctors office to get your SEALED package in which you CANNOT open. Also you have to pay in either a money order in which you can purchase all in the same building as the doctors office, or debit card. Just make sure you take a taxi or you will be walking forever. My husband had to pay about 2100.00 in quetzales. so here that is about $300.00 or a little less. Also when you get your police records you have to go to a couple different offices. Police records are about 30.00.
The biggest thing to remember is to come PREPARED AND EVERYTHING WILL GO SMOOTH. Bring everything even of you don't think you need it. I have seen others needed pictures and such to prove your relationship but in our case they didn't ask for them. But its better to have it than to not. His interviewer was very nice and explained things when he wasn't sure what he was asking. So as long as you know what you are talking about and have everything you need you will know if your approved the same day and they will tell you when to pickup your visa package.
I am not a very religious person but the power of prayer works. My husband had been in trouble here in the US before and we had to get the case terminated before he left but even with that on his record he still got it. We also had an approved I601A. That also helps a long way. In other words he had to jump threw many hoops and obstacles and even with those negative things on him he was still APPROVED.
You may hear that it is better to go with your spouse but it is honestly better to stay here, i had planned to go but couldn't and I'm glad i didn't. Had he really not had the marriage license no-one would of sent it to me and you don't have to worry about being drilled at the interview.
Also don't believe rumors and things that you will hear.
BTW make sure you call the cargo express EVERYDAY to see if your package is ready it says they will call you but they don't. Also know where the cargo express is so you know where your going.
If anyone has any questions feel free to ask, i will never forget this nightmare that we went threw and i am happy to help anyone that i can.
| | | Guatemala | Review #19154 on March 22, 2016: |
agruesbeck
Rating: 
· 1 person found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
My Guatemalan husband I went this morning for our 8:15am appointment. Arrived at 7am, and then had to WAIT. After waiting about an hour outside, we were allowed to enter, where we were seated in the common waiting room. Within 10-15 min we were called up, and asked to present various original documents (birth certificate, marriage license, Cargo Expreso sheet, among others). The lady kept asking for the W-2 of my cosponsors--which I didn't have, although I offered the most recent, updated tax returns. In the end, she said it would be up to the consular officer as to whether we needed them. Then we sat back down and waited anxiously. We could see two officers attending--a very loud, aggressive man, and a calmer woman. I hoped and prayed we would not be called to the man, but indeed we were. He asked several questions, tried to get us to trip up on our answers, and eventually approved the visa. DONE. Come prepared, know your answers, and rehearse. And bring lots of patience. 
| | | Guatemala | Review #19065 on March 7, 2016: |
steph&max
Rating:
· 3 people found this review helpful
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
I had my appointment for 7:20am, got there at 6am, was the 4th person in line. The immigration line is way smaller than the non-immigration line. Remember to go all the way to the left near the stone wall. Also bring at least 2 pics 2x2 cause you need to glue it on the DS160.
I made friends with a couple of the people around me which helped. I was SO incredibly nervous.
At around 7am they opened and started getting things organized. They called us to the center area and asked for our medical and our passport if I recall correctly. She gave me Number 4, then told me to proceed inside.
We had to go through security first, and little did I know I had earphones and a USB in my purse :S I had to leave it with a dad of one of the other girls that was going in for a K1 visa.
After I finally went through security, they sit you like sardines. It's a small area for the amount of people. But anyways, they start calling you by number, and the immigrant visas go way faster than the non immigrant.
They asked to write phone and contact info on a paper then they called my number to the booth. It was a Guatemalan lady, very serious. They asked for my passport, DS forms, and for the I-134 with the last years taxes. I was nervous during this process. After she looked at the paperwork for a few minutes, she told me to sit down and they would call me by name.
I sat down and waited for like 30-40 minutes until they started to call us by name. I was so nervous almost threw up. I thought they would move us but it was in the same booth area where they were going to interview us. It was an Asian lady who sounded American. However, she conducted the interviews in Spanish.
She was nice but serious too. She asked me about my previous stay in the US (I had a student visa in the past), asked if I ever overstayed, which I didn't. Then asked me for date of birth of fiance, how we met, where his parents lived and where we would live. Asked for pictures. I had them organized and pasted in sheets of paper with captions in each page. I brought about 15-20 pages. She saw all of them.
Then asked if I knew my rights, said yes, and boom! I was approved. She congratulated me.
I was given a piece of paper and in 5 business days was able to get the visa in hand at the cargo express we chose. Overall pleasant experience. Besides the extreme nerves I was feeling. 
(updated on June 21, 2016)
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