Calling the NVC

[Dave H]

I called the National Visa Center for the past several days and kept getting the recorded message, "All operators are busy, please try your call again later," then was disconnected. Frustrated, I decided to push the #2 Spanish option. Well...my call went through on the first try and I only waited several minutes to speak to an operator. We had no problem communicating and she even started speaking Spanglish while I continued in Spanish. I would recommend that anyone having a problem getting through to the NVC on the English line, try the Spanish line, even if you only know a few words. Maybe throw in a  "buenas diaz or tardes," a "si," and "gracias" for good measure. I'm sure that most of the NVC Spanish operators speak good English as well.

Thinking it may have been a fluke, I tried again later with the same result. I tried the English number again and still couldn't get through.

Dave H.

[soltero]

I called the National Visa Center for the past several days and kept getting the recorded message, "All operators are busy, please try your call again later," then was disconnected. Frustrated, I decided to push the #2 Spanish option. Well...my call went through on the first try and I only waited several minutes to speak to an operator. We had no problem communicating and she even started speaking Spanglish while I continued in Spanish. I would recommend that anyone having a problem getting through to the NVC on the English line, try the Spanish line, even if you only know a few words. Maybe throw in a  "buenas diaz or tardes," a "si," and "gracias" for good measure. I'm sure that most of the NVC Spanish operators speak good English as well.

Thinking it may have been a fluke, I tried again later with the same result. I tried the English number again and still couldn't get through.

Dave H.

Why was she speaking Spanglish if she could understand your Spanish?

[Dave H]

Why was she speaking Spanglish if she could understand your Spanish?

Hey Soltero,

Good question! Spanglish is very common among US raised Hispanics, who often do not have a complete Spanish "speaking vocabulary." Parents often speak to their children in Spanish and they respond in English. The children understand when spoken to, but cannot  formulate complete sentences in Spanish. For most jobs, a rudimentary knowledge of Spanish qualifies you as being bilingual, especially if you have a Hispanic surname. It is also considered sophisticated by many to speak Spanglish. I have heard it often among the upper class in Latin America as well.

Check out clips from the old PBS series "¿Qué Pasa U.S.A?" for a good laugh.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=UG9ZlKKyWjA

Dave