Yeah, wow. I guess I have something else to add to my worry list now. One of us was told the wrong thing. You are covered either way since you have the certificate of abandonment but we don't have one and were told by ICBF that it would be almost impossible to obtain since Bella never made any attempts to collect child support. I guess I will ask again when I go down for the interview at the end of February. Bella and the kids will not come to the US until the end of March so I guess we will have some time to try to solve the problem if we get a different answer from DAS this time.

Meanwhile, there must be some people who took children without fathers on their birth certificates out of Colombia recently. What was your experience? Did you have any problems with DAS? Did you need to present a certificate of abandonment?

Camy, I can relate to the mind making things seem worse then they are. LOL>LOL. The good news is................you, we have this site. Plenty of folks willing to share the challenges and the way they overcame them. More good news. Unless you try to hide something, have all you docs and have patience you are almost gaurenteed to recieve the visa, even if not in your time frame. Even more good news, having your loved one on another continent is the hard part. After you get the visa and you are togeather, all of this becomes a memory. The AOS process is not even close to as stressful. Good luck to you!!!!

Scott & Steve,

VSC seems to get the packages to NVC a lot faster than CSC, so perhaps Steve's goal of a January interview is possible. If the embassy gets the package in the first part of December Steve should be able to obtain a January interview date.

Good luck!

Scott,the links did not work could you send them to me please thanks
Jorge

Here's the link Jorge...also PM me your email address and I will get you a draft of the cover letter to the embassy

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...t&p=1329162


Congrats!!! Cameron ....Hope your situation is moving in the right direction Buck...

To: All VJ members going through the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia.


I am posting this thread because I have had to explain this process many times so by putting it here it should help everyone. The best of luck to your fiancée and you.

You could look at my timeline and get an idea. Remember no two K-1 fiancée visa petitions are exactly the same.

After your petition leaves your service center (CSC/TSC, NVC, VSC) it goes to NVC and it might take about two weeks. From NVC it goes to the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá this usually takes about four or five days.

There are short-cuts that you can take once the petition gets to Bogotá. But the first thing you do is to call NVC every couple of days to a week. Make sure you speak with a customer service representative and not the automated system, K-1’s stay less than two weeks and they do not put them in the system. When you call NVC, get your case number and ask them when they will sent the petition out. Once you know that date, call back on that date and make sure that they sent it out. Then you track the package through www.dhl.com. I will give you the instruction later.

Once the petition gets to the Embassy you or your fiancée faxes and sends by courier (Servientrega); a copy of your fiancées passport, OF-169, DS-2001 and DS-230 part 1. If the Embassy gets these documents before the cut-off date (varies from month to month 16th to the 20th) then you get the interview the following month. If not by the cut-off date you get the interview the month after that.

After the NOA2 every thing moves fast so you need to make sure your fiancée and you get all the documents, paperwork, and all other stuff ready and send it to her.

Good luck,

Peter Miami

Peter,

In addition to the information we gathered for the 129F application. What other paperwork should my fiance in Medellin be gathering now.
I understand that I need to have my tax returns for the last 3 years. Exactly what information do we need to have ready to send to the embassy in Bogata. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Rainman3

I called the Department of State today to see if the embassy had received our case. I am trying to monitor when to fax the packet 3 to the embassy. The lady at Department of State said she does not know if the embassy has received our case or not, but that the packet 3 had been mailed from NVC on Monday. I was under the impression that packet 3 was mailed from the embassy. Anyway, if packet 3 has been mailed out, is it now safe to fax the information to the embassy?

Cameron

Diana - I checked out the USCIS web site about the K3 visa and there are no bulletins in there. I'm a K3 and STRONGLY recommend filing for a K1 instead, even if you are married already. The K3 is a nightmare! Don't get me started. I want to barf everytime I see a posting where the K1 has a SS number already! If you're considering the K3 route, save yourself a headache and follow the K1 route instead.

That's my two cents worth...so if they get rid of it....good riddence!

Dre

What the lady at the state department said does not make sense. Unless someting has changed, package 3 is sent from the embassy. You should call again and see what someone else says. Some of the people at DOS are better than others.

To answer your question, assuming that package 3 has been sent from the embassy it is safe to respond now. However, in the unlikely event that package 3 was really sent from NVC I would want to see what package 3 says before I responded. If they change the procedure that dramatically they might also change the package 3 instructions.

I think most of you guys are filing or have filed for K1 visas, but is there anyone out there who's filing for a K3? Is it true that USCIS is no longer processing these type of visas?

I was under the impression that packet 3 was mailed from the embassy. Anyway, if packet 3 has been mailed out, is it now safe to fax the information to the embassy?

My husband and l are preparing for my interview on march 13. He doesn´t have yet his income taxes for 2007, he hasn´t received yet his w2 from the job. lt´s good for us to take 2004, 2005, 2006 to the interview.

Diana - I checked out the USCIS web site about the K3 visa and there are no bulletins in there. I'm a K3 and STRONGLY recommend filing for a K1 instead, even if you are married already. The K3 is a nightmare! Don't get me started. I want to barf everytime I see a posting where the K1 has a SS number already! If you're considering the K3 route, save yourself a headache and follow the K1 route instead.

That's my two cents worth...so if they get rid of it....good riddence!

Dre

For what it's worth, I'm in 110% agreement with Dre on this. Avoid the K-3 process if at all possible. To call it a nightmare is being kind. To call it what it really is would get me banned from the site.

Charles

Whew,

Well the boys had their interview today. .... We had photos of me and the boys in Santa Fe Antioquia (sp) and once the interviewer saw these he passed the photos back and told my husnband to go make the arrangements with Domesa for the Visa Package. That was it.

So if anyone wants to get married before coming here, the CR1/IR1 visa is the way to go. Waiting less than 60 days to avoid the AOS fee and headache is worth it in my opinion, not to mention the getting a SS # hassle.

For me, I know the CR1 is hands down the best of the bunch, but all I cared about was getting my wife here quick. My attitude was the $1,000 was worth it for her to be here a month quicker. (It also let her know she was valued too. jeje)

Anyway, after I made the K3 decision I just quit reading. I was burnt out on reading about visas and doing paperwork. Now my question is: What are the SS# hassles and what are the other difficulties? Are there any surprises that I should know about? Is the AOS process really that bad?

I can 100% see how people wish they went K1. I know occasionally that bothered me seeing K1's get approved faster than K3's.

Hi Agentes
I couldn't agree more with you regarding $$$ Vs. having your honey here sooner, I checked around about the different types of visas and as you said, I stopped looking around, he's here with me and we didn’t have any problem in the process, we sent the AOS papers on Feb. 01. ( I hope things will go as good as the visa process did)
I think that as longest you have proofs (writing and pics) you shouldn't have any problems, we also have a plus in our process and that is that we had been married for 3 years, this means we won't have to go through the "remove of conditions" process.
I don't regret this process one bit, and I hope they won't take it away.\
Honestly I don't think its fear that as fiancé you get to have more privileges than an already husband/wife. I wish someone can give me a logic answer on this part.

Good luck to all....... Ana & Juank

I am putting together my proof of on going relationship. Should I print all of my msn messenger conversations? I have been saving them since June, and it would total at more than 1,000 pages. I don't want to waste time printing so much, but if i is worthwhile, I will do it. I have phone records, money transfer records, many photos, emails, passport stamps,boarding passes, hotel receipts, engagement ring receipt,and receipts from flowers I sent. I was thinking maybe I should just print like 10 conversations form different dates. Any input is appreciated

thanks john

I am putting together my proof of on going relationship. Should I print all of my msn messenger conversations? I have been saving them since June, and it would total at more than 1,000 pages. I don't want to waste time printing so much, but if i is worthwhile, I will do it. I have phone records, money transfer records, many photos, emails, passport stamps,boarding passes, hotel receipts, engagement ring receipt,and receipts from flowers I sent. I was thinking maybe I should just print like 10 conversations form different dates. Any input is appreciated

thanks john

Good morning everybody in Colombia Club, howare you today?
L have a question that maybe it has been asked already here, l am sorry if l bother.
For the l-134 is necessary to mention the savings part eventhough my husband makes sufficient income.
Please help.
Thanks in advance.
Faith11.

Thanks for your response Scott.
l feel better, we already have so many paperwork to deal with so it´s ok that we don´t have to worry about this part.
Thank you.

Thanks for the info everyone. No mention of money will be made. Margarita told me today that the people at DAS told her that her certificado judicial is only valid for 30 days pertaining to leaving the country. It says on the form that it is valid for 1 year, but says nothign about leaving the country. Her certificado judicial, registro civil, and baptism form will all be dated about 60-80 days before the interview date. Will these be accepted by the embassy? If so,does Margarita need a new certificado judicial less than 30 days from the time she leaves Colombia? Are there any documents she will need at the airport in order to leave? I know she will need the visa, her passport, and the notarized letter from Daniela's dad giving her permision to leave. Thanks

john

Bella and the kids have completed their medicals complete with some new "fresh" and expensive vaccinations. Now we are on the home stretch. Our interview is February 29th and I will go to Bogota on the 26th.

I have a few questions for those who have completed the process recently.
We might not have any child care available on the day of the interview. Were there any small children at the embassy when you were there? The kids are 2 and 9.
As I recall the DS-156's (1 for each) must be completed in Spanish and printed back to back on 1 sheet of paper to take to the bank to pay the visa fee. Is this correct? If so I have a problem. I can find a current version in spanish that expires in 2010. It must be filled out online but much to my surprise it prints out with the form in english. I have a DS156 pdf I could use but it expired in 2004. Is the embassy sending the 2004 version in spanish in package 4? If not, does anyone have a current DS-156 in spanish?

Thanks!

Bill,

I know that you're nerves are working on you...we were there not so long ago

Don't worry about the kids because there were kids from babies to teens at the embassy when we were there...

Also as far as the DS-156...the bank will have what you need and it will take all of 10 minutes to fill out so don't bother to stress about that.
(just be sure to fill out an extra copy for the embassy while you're there...1 for the bank and 1 for the embassy)

As I gather from your posts, and the help that you have given others (including Yenifer and I) here at Colombia Club, you are very well prepared and I know that you will have no problem...

Thanks Scott.

I am not sure if it is a good idea to take the kids or not. On one hand I think they will have a very hard time denying us if I am standing there with the baby in my arms. On the other hand, if it turns out to be one of those days and the kids are a pain it could increase the stress level considerably.

Billy, just sticking my nose in (hopefully not where it doesn't belong). Margarita and I have been going back and forth on whether or not to bring Daniela with us. Daniela is 8 years old. We finally decided not to bring her with us. She would have to miss too much school and I too am scared of "one of those days". Good luck

Bill and John,

I don't know that it was different because we were going for a K-3, but Lorena and I went to the interview without the kids. While she was 'tentatively' approved that day, she was required to bring the boys to the embassy the following day to show the officer that the boys did, indeed, exist. Only then was she granted the visas. While it may be different with different folks - or different officers - you might give thought to taking the kids. It could mean saving another trip, especially if your SO doesn't live in Bogota and doesn't bring the kids along to Bogota the first go-round. Best of luck to you all!!!

Charles

Thanks for the heads up Charles. Margarita and Daniela live in Medellin, so it would be a huge burden to make another trip. I wish they would stick to what the instructions say. It clearly states that "children under 14 years of age who are not the beneficiaries of individual petitions do not have to come to the interview" I certainly do not doubt you Charles, but this is the type of nonsense that frustrates me so much. Even when you follow their instructions, you aren't guaranteed that you are doing the right thing.

john

I'm so happy..we have our interview on March 31st

I'm so happy..we have our interview on March 31st