So the whole process was actually very simple and wouldn't be worth the stress if it weren't for the distance down there. I can't complain though, the father and daughter sitting next to me drove all the way from South Carolina for their appointment. The consulate itself occupies the second floor of an office building on the outskirts of the city. There's a small waiting area where you listen for your number to be called and gives you plenty of time to frantically search for missing papers, notarized forms and your money order. Also, there's a Publix right next to the building so you should be able to get your MO right before your appointment if you're like me and put everything off until the last second.
The consulate is open from 9-1 (why have such a small window for people who have to drive such an exorbitant distance is beyond me), but try and get there early! Even if you have an appointment at noon, get there at ten. Because this visa process is not based on ease, convenience or sanity, even though you have an appointment it's first come first serve. So, my appointment was at 11:15 and I went ahead and checked in an hour early to be safe. I didn't get to see anyone until 12:15. Although, this did afford those of us in the waiting room to air our grievances about the visa process and talk about how we would very much like to burn the building down. Most of the people I met were in the Ministry program and were basically doing it for the same reasons as me, travel, learn a new language, escape debt collectors, become a matador, etc. Anyways they seemed like good people, and if others in the program are similar it's going to be a fun year.
So finally my number was called. D-Day. Three months of preparation and paperwork coming down to a smiling woman behind a sheet what appeared to be bullet-proof glass. One by one she asked for my official acceptance letter, my apostilled BGC, medical cert. and money order. One word of advice, try to have your paperwork in order. I had everything loose in a binder and I could tell it was not making her happy that I was having to dig around every time she asked for something.
I gave her my express envelope from USPS so they could mail me back my passport and paperwork. Apparently the visa itself is actually a stamp that they put into you passport. Five minutes later we were done. The only issue I had was that my medical cert did not follow the model provided on the consulate website so I had to get that redone by my doctor. The good news is that if you're missing documents, at least at this consulate, they allow you to just mail them back in rather then driving all the way back down. So I went ahead and mailed the corrected cert. back down yesterday. It's officially out of my hands now and I couldn't be more relieved.
If anyone comes across this and has any questions about any step of this process just message me and I'll be glad to help. Hopefully in two or three weeks I'll be getting my passport back with my Visa!
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| Me after the appointment |
