Consular Spotlight - San Salvador
Wednesday, September 12, 2018 by Leigh Ganchan
Consular Spotlight - U.S. Embassy San Salvador
The Consulate is located in the U.S.
Embassy San Salvador at Final Boulevard Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatlán, La
Libertad. The website is at http://sansalvador.usembassy.gov.
The consular section is regarded as a
medium-sized operation. The nonimmigrant visa workload is steady, and American
citizen services is growing as Salvadoran-American retirees return to the
country. Space and personnel resources are somewhat strained given that
immigrant visa demand has increased rapidly. The Embassy is considered to be in
the top five Immigrant Visa processing posts in the Western Hemisphere.
Telephone: From El Salvador call
2113-3122, from the United States call (703) 745-5476.
Email: Visa Information Center
electronic address support-elsalvador@ustraveldocs.com; or
SanSalVisaInquiries@state.gov to contact the Consular Section directly.
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Visa Issuance: After the assignment of new management in 2014, the
post experienced changes that eliminated some artificially restrictive criteria
for nonimmigrant visa adjudication, facilitated the flow of both immigrant and
nonimmigrant visa applicants, reduced backlogs of immigrant visa cases awaiting
final review, and refocused attention on resolving visa reciprocity
discrepancies between the United States and El Salvador.
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Fraud Concerns
The
Consulate engages in anti-fraud operations and works with General Directorate
of Migration and Foreign Affairs of El Salvador (DGME), among others (see HSI below), to receive help
identifying fraudulent documents and smugglers. To further the fight against
fraud the US Embassy in San Salvador donated equipment to the DGME. The
equipment is intended to improve the registration and control of documents, the
documentation of investigations and the monitoring of immigration offenses in
continued support of anti-fraud efforts.
Victims of visa scams are encouraged to send their complaint to
DenunciaSV@state.gov or call 2524-3030.
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Department of Homeland Security Presence at
San Salvador: USCIS/ICE
USCIS San Salvador is in the Latin America,
Canada and the Caribbean District and has jurisdiction over U.S. immigration
matters in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama. As of February
2017, it had a Field Office Director, 1 overseas adjudications officer and 5
Locally Employed Staff (Investigator, immigration assistant, admin assistant
and an immigration assistant). Individuals must make an online InfoPass
appointment to visit USCIS San Salvador. USCIS San Salvador is located at the
USAID Building within the embassy premises. Access is through the Consular gate
located on Boulevard Santa Elena. Applicants should use the line for the
DHS-USCIS office. Fingerprints are taken by appointment on Fridays only. If
there is an emergency or the applicant is unable to make an online appointment
because of circumstances beyond their control, the USCIS San Salvador office
accepts email at: ElSalvador.USCIS@uscis.dhs.gov.
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The following may submit I-130s at this USCIS location:
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U.S. citizens residing in El Salvador filing on behalf of their
spouse, unmarried child under the age of 21 or parent (if the U.S. citizen is
21 years of age or older).
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U.S. citizens residing in this field office’s jurisdiction but
outside of El Salvador may file with the Department of State only if the USCIS
San Salvador field office director determines that there are exceptional circumstances (https://www.uscis.gov/node/36144).
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Active Military Duty: Active duty U.S. military service members
stationed permanently at a military base in this office’s jurisdiction may file
this form directly with the Department of State.
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It is sufficient for petitioner to come to interivew alone, and
USCIS SS will request an interview with the beneficiary, if necessary. There is
no mail-in option.
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A complete explanation of the fees, required forms and
documentation associated with the forms that USCIS will accept directly at this
office is found at https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-offices/el-salvador-uscis-san-salvador-field-office
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SS mainly works on parole authorizations for the Central American
Minor (CAM) program.
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Will only accept Form I-601 and Form I-212 directly at USCIS SS
where USCIS San Salvador decides that exceptional and compelling humanitarian
circumstances exist. This is very rare.
ICE’s
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has division personnel in the
Embassy who serve as liaisons to governments and law enforcement agencies
across the globe and work side-by-side with foreign law enforcement on HSI
investigations overseas. HSI takes part in the Visa Security Program, which is
responsible for the operational requirements of Section 428 of the Homeland
Security Act. Special agents in the program work in high-risk embassies to give
their expertise to Department of State consular officers. The program also
serves as a counterterrorism tool. The DHS website for El Salvador
operations appears to indicate that an appointment can be made with HSI. There
is also an Enforcement and Removal Operations division representative at this
post.
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Tips for the Consulate:
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Inquiry Response Time: typically, five (5) days is the general
response time.
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Beneficiaries regularly appear at Consulate without the required
documents largely due to the low usage of attorney assistance. For example,
common missing documents include marriage certificates, birth certificates,
photos, baptism records, G-325Cs, etc. Prepare clients as much as possible for
better results.
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Nonimmigrant Visa Procedure
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The estimated wait time to receive an interview appointment at
between 3 and 12 days depending on the category, with visitor visa appointments
presenting a 12 day wait.
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Once a visa is approved, Cargo Expreso delivers the passport to a
Cargo Expreso passport/visa collection office for the applicant to retrieve.
There are no extra fees associated with either aspect of this service. The cost
for Cargo Expreso to deliver the passport is included in the visa application
fee. Applicants who were issued a 221(g)
letter and instructed to submit additional documentation for further
processing, should submit those documents to Cargo Expreso, which will deliver
the documents to the Embassy. Cargo Expreso document drop-off locations are
listed here http://www.ustraveldocs.com/sv/sv-loc-documentdropoff.asp
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Expedited
Appointment Requests: When an applicant experiences an unforeseen
travel need (medical emergency, funeral/death, urgent business travel, students
who are within 60 days of their start date), they may apply for an expedited
appointment depending on availability at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate. Applicants
are only allowed to schedule one expedited appointment request. The website
provides very detailed requirements
and document listshere:http://www.ustraveldocs.com/sv/sv-niv-expeditedappointment.asp.
Applicants should complete a DS160 and create a visa appointment account as
usual, however, if no compatible dates are available on the scheduling portal,
applicants are directed to use the Expedite Request form within the portal
applications.
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Officers will review the 212d waivers at the time of interview,
typically not before.
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Third Country Nationals: Any person who is legally present in El
Salvador may apply for a visa at the Embassy.
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Immigrant Visa
Procedure
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Appointments are usually
scheduled for the month after all documents are submitted. Only approximately
two-thirds of the immigrant visa officers can adjudicate applications at the
same time due to lack of window space; this can affect the section’s ability to
schedule applicants in a desirable timeframe. Visas are normally available
within a few days of the interview. The IV unit is reported to respond quickly
to e-mail messages.
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Medical
Exam
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Procedure: the prices established: are the same for all panel
physicians (approximately $250). Consular flyer suggests that all medical
examinations are performed at least one week before the date of the interview.
More details here: http://www.ustraveldocs.com/March%202018-Meds_English-Spanish.pdf.
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Many immigrant visa applicants appear for interviews without
having seen a panel physician. Ensure that the client is fully aware of the
requirement and procedure.
Prepared by Leigh Ganchan,
Shareholder at Ogletree Deakins law firm Houston, Texas.