YAY!!!! CONGRATS OSITA!!!

Im sooo happy for you and Cameron! Lets keep the approvals coming!!

Sounds like everything went well witht the VJ folks today. GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Paola had the interview with her son today and it was approved. WAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! She said that there were way more many people in the embassy today, for whatever reason. They asked her, when we got married, when we met, and for a copy of our marrriage license. She did not have a copy of our marriage certificate with her, she showed him the permit to work and an Oregon ID, he said OK, and approved the visa. Paola is very homesick for Oregon. LOL>LOL>. That is a switch!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats to those that gort approved today.

Diana,
You are my favorite sweetheart of the forum! Thank you for the birthday wishes, they are appreciated. The interview was great and I am taking my loved one home with me on Saturday. We were the next to last today, and this may have been a coincidence or it may have been that the person behind the glass needed a drink. I do not know! But, they called Carina to the window, asked her to point out her son, her betrothed and then asked her to sign a form and put me on the phone. The lady was professional and asked me when we first met, when we decideded to marry, how many times I had been in Colombia to visit Carina and that was it. They did not ask to speake to Carina, ask any evidence,, or evidence of support. NOTHING! We were both shocked when she said that we were approved. Carina was not even on the phone!! God is good! Thanks to all that have offered hours and hours of support and information. There are no others as there are in the Colombia Club!!

Buck,
I went up to a lady that had a teenager son with her and asked her if her name was Paola? She gave me a strange look and went about her business, but I would have been disappointed if I had not asked and it was indeed Paola and her son.. God bless you and good luck!
Cameron

I am sorry, the emotion is still running high (or I am just stupid!) the lady was not Paola and was clueless to my questions!!

CONGARTULATIONS CAMERON & CARINA!!!!!

I'm so happy to see that you've finally reached this leg of your journey...TIME TO CELEBRATE!!!

Great news for Buck & Paola TOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Scott. It is still surreal!
Congratulations Buck!

Hello everyone,

I've been reading through the forums looking for the definitive answer for this..

From what I read on the forums all the children need the medical exam. However, I read this from the K visa appointment package :

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS LABORATORY EXAMINATION: Applicants who are 15 years of age or older are required to have blood tests and a chest X-ray done

and also :

Applicants who are 15 years of age or older must first select a doctor for the general examination, second complete your laboratory examination, and third complete your general physical examination.

I also see this document has been recently updated on March 19 '08.. Maybe the age requirement has been changed?



Bella has 3 children under 15 and this could get expensive.. lol I also see it's $29 per person delivery fee for the visas.. They give a 3 dollar discount for more than one..



Anyone recently been through the embassy with young children have the answer?

</SPAN></SPAN>

Congratulations to Carina and Cameron once again and another one to Paola and her son!!!!

Diana

I asked Paola isf she saw anyone from the VJ forum. LOL. She said there were so many people there and that she did not have to go thru area 40, she did have to wait for a very long time in the 1 thru 5 window area. We don't know faces so it is kind of difficult. Congrats to all!!!!!!!
Now it is off to the AOS interview April 30.

I recommend La Fragata on top of the World Trade Center in Bogota. I was there 2 times in February, and I plan to visit again when I go there to pick up my fiancée after her visa approval.

Note that this restaurant is expensive, but you can see whole Bogota from it since it rotates round and round. I liked it a lot. Btw, it has great FOOD!!!!

Cheers!!!

What kind of food do they serve? I'd love to go.

Diana

Yenifer and I was treated by Bob and his wife from colombian services and the food was GREAT...the restaurant has an ocean decor and specialize in fish but eveything was very good!!!

Seafood Diana, it´s a very nice place with a wonderful sight!!!


Yazz

Yes, it is seafood, Diana, and I plan to go there when Pat gets her visa (hopefully), and I have time to go there to pick her up possibly in September with God's help.

Btw, even though the tip is included in the bill, I left 10% of whatever I paid on the table, for it was great service and the food was the best seafood I have had in a long time. Just to mention, the first time we asked for paella, just one serving for both of us. This serving was enough for two people. The second time, we both asked for different diishes, and we shared each other diish.

Also, if you stay there long enough, you will have a great view of Bogotá all around and even the mountains.

Bye

That place sounds great...do you need a reservation?

No reservation was need.

Bye.

Does anyone know or have reference to Bogota Colombia Lodging? Last time I was in Colombia, I was planning to go there, but I was not sure if the place was any good so I stuck with Real Suites 85, which cost me about $100 USD a night.

We are staying at Bogota Colombia Lodging now. You should be able to reach them at: www.BogotaColombiaLodging.com. It is under new ownership now and Tommy and his wife Christina own it as of the first of March. Jennifer runs the office. Truthfully, they are experincing a few difficulties while they iron out the bugs. They were very warm and responsive to all our requests and did what they could to make our stay pleasant. The accomodations are simple but comfortable. We are in a two bedroom apartment with kitchen and place settings, towles, TV and a hot shower. A beautiful girl named Esperanza comes in and cleans and changes the linens every 2nd day. All this for only $60 per night. It is not the Sheraton, but I feel we are getting our money's worth. You can also go to the office to use the internet or call back to the states free of charge. I thought this was an outstanding service and it allowed me to stay in contact with my office while I am away.
Good Luck,
Cameron & Carina

We stayed here We Love Bogotá and for 10 days we paid $280, maybe less for the master bedroom. The apartment also has a kitchen and it's about 2 blocks from the embassy. I highly recommend it.

Diana

WOOOHOOOOO!!!!

Sorry, but I just got off the phone with NVC. They have verified that USCIS forwarded our K-3 and that it should be in Bogota in two weeks. A few people that were approved last month had their K-3 closed and were forced to go with the CR-1. We did not want that and are very happy to not have to spend a few months at NVC.

Is is true that there is a specific cutoff date by which Packet 3 must be sent to the embassy in order to get an interview for the next month? We would love to get one in May, but are being realistic and hoping for June. We have Packet 3 ready and waiting to Fax and send.

Thanks,
CG

Congratulations CG!

So your case should be in Bogotá by Wednesday of next week. You need to call and verify this info. If you want to have a May interview your wife needs to fax and mail packet three before the 15th of April which is the cut off date. If they receive it after this date, they will give you a June interview.

Diana

Thanks Diana. I wasn't sure since when I searched this topic, some said the 16th-20th, but those were from 2006. It's going to be really tight to get the May interview, but that would be awesome. For one thing, our first anniversary is on June 10. Also, we've been invited to a family wedding in late May and it would be great to get an interview around that time. Still, we would be happy to get it sometime in June as well.

Hello, Colombia Club! I have a question for you. On the embassy web page, it says I should bring: "her birth certificate. The copy of the Folio is required. The date/place of birth and the names of the parents must be shown on the certificate"

What I have in my hands is a Registro de Nacimiento. (Republica de Colombia, Registro Civil, Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro). The certificate dates back from November 2006. On the upper left corner it has a number (7 digits). I hope that is the folio. It clearly states her parent's names... but not their date/place of birth. What do you think? Is this the document we need, or is there another certificate with date/place of birth from her parents?

Thanks!
Juan Carlos.

Juanca,

That is what you need. However, I don't think it would hurt to have your wife get a more recent copy. Have her get it now and make sure that it is not an abbreviated(abreviado) version. Make sure it is a certified copy from the notaria. I don't see a requirement in the packet 3 instructions that it has to be a recent copy, but why risk a hassle? We have one from early last year, but my wife is getting a new one anyway.

Also,

I recommend she gets a few extra copies with translations since you will need them for AOS when she gets here.

Diana

Thanks a lot for your advice, Diana and CG. Time to get new documents!!!

Hi everyone. I have my bags all packed, and I'm ready to leave for Bogota! I leave the house at 5:30 tomorrow morning. Margara and Daniela are flying in from Medellin, and our flights arrive at the same time. Lab, doctor, DAS to pickup migratory report, and pay for the visas on Wednesday. Friday is the interview. Thanks for all of the help. This site and the great people here really helped me. I'll report back Friday afternoon with the good news

john

Good luck John!!!

Diana

Now I understand how excited and stressed some of the previous Colombia Club members felt. We found out last night that NVC already sent our case to Bogota despite having received it just last thursday. USCIS could learn a thing or two about efficiency from NVC.

The other K-3s who recently went to NVC should hopefully notice similarly quick turn around.

I don't really have a question, I'm just freaking out a bit because after waiting so long at USCIS, everything is now rush rush. Hopefully, we can slide in under the deadline for May interviews.

CG

GOOD LUCK MARGARA & JOHN !!!!

Okie...dokie....


I called today to NVC to ask if I could get the interview date. First off...the NVC lady was very very very rude! She didn't even want to take my case number since I asked about the interview date info first just to make sure they could provide that info.

Is it just me or did I call the wrong people? Was I supposed to call the Washington Visa contact number the one they gave me when my petition was approved and forwarded to Bogota?

I guess my question is.....

Who do I call and What is there number?

Is it NVC at 603.334.0700 or Washington number 202.663.1225?

Did I just have bad luck with the customer service rep over at NVC? She blatantly stated that they dont have that info since it was a K1 visa!

I hope one of you guys could shed some light on this!

Thanks in advance!

Diana B.

Did you already send in the Packet 3? If so, I think you have to call the Visa Office and not NVC to find out about your appointment. I am not sure about this and it'd be great if anyone can clear it up


Also, what is the best way to find out when my wife can fax Packet 3? Our case was just sent to Bogota by NVC and we are chomping at the bit to send in the appointment request,etc.

Diana,

Both, the NVC and the DOS should have the interview date as soon as the embassy in Bogotá assigns it. You just had bad luck with that lady since some of them obviously hate their jobs. You can call again later this week if you want and you might get a nicer rep. Or you can try the DOS # as well. Either one should work.

Colombianogringo,

You can call the embassy this Wednesday to see if they have your case. There is a post in here somewhere with the number and hours you can call on Wednesdays, they should be able to tell you. OR you can check out the K1 Colombian thread in the Latin American forum, they still use the DHL tracking option to see when it was received by the embassy.

Diana

I've had very good luck getting information from the embassy by using the consulate E-mail, www.IVBogota@state.gov
Generally thay have replied to my emails within 24 hours.

Greg

Embassy phone # 011-57-1-315-1566 , they accept calls on Weds from 2 pm to 4 pm only.

Greg

Thanks Diana and Greg!! I really appreciate it!

Diana B

I have a question about tax returns for the interview. I normally do my taxes in TurboTax, so I could easily print out copies of my returns for previous years and bring along copies of the W-2s for those years. Is this acceptable to the embassy or would it be better to take IRS transcripts for previous years along with a copy of the 2007 return?

Thanks,
CG

I sent copies from my online filing with W-2s and they were fine (The copies were not even signed because I file electronically). You are ok. Do take a letter from your employer detailing your income. Good Luck

Cool. Thanks motu,

I plan on taking copies of the returns and I also have the copies of the W-2 statements for those years. I am taking an employment letter and my most recent pay stubs.

Does anyone have an example of an employment letter. My employers told me to write whatever I wanted the letter to say and they'll put it on letterhead and sign it. I know it isn't a complicated letter but if someone has a template it is one less thing to hassle with.

Thanks,
CG

Hello everybody, can anyone give me an estimate as to how long would it take to have my girlfriend here with me once i file out the I-129 form for Fiance? thank you all in advanced for looking into this.

Steve, really depends on several factors;

what visa service center you file with ? (check USCIS processing times)
if you recieve any RFEs after you receive NOA1 ?
If you utilize the shortcuts after you get NOA2 for getting an early interview ?

Advice, READ, READ, AND READ SOME MORE !

As for myself I received my NOA1 in early Nov/07 and our interview is next week on the 18th.
So in my case (if all goes well, fingers crossed) 5 1/2 months from filing to interview.
BTW I filed to the Vermont Service Center.

No 2 cases or really alike though.

Greg

Steve,

BTW, please go ahead and file a timeline so we can keep up with your case.

Greg

CG,

My employment letter was very basic and it said something like this,

Date,

To whom it may concern,

This letter is to confirm that petitioner's name has been employed with company name since 2001. Her current salary is $1,000,000 per year.

If you have any questions you can call our HR Department at 800.123.4567.

Sincerely,
The HR Lady

Diana

Steve,

Like Greg said, it depends on the type of visa and service center you will have to send your I-129F to. Right now I've seen the Vermont Service Center approve K1 petitions within 4-6 weeks but they have also been known to take months. Once they approve your petition, it'll take about 2-6 weeks for the NVC to receive it and assign it a case number. Once they do that, they will forward it to the embassy and after taking care of the paperwork, they will probably give you an interview date within 4-6 weeks after that.

So it can take as little as 4 months and as long as 9-12 months. But you can start reading this thread to get used to the process and to find the answers to any questions you may have.

Diana

Hi all,

Our case was just delivered to the Bogota embassy by DHL a few hours ago. We are planning to fax in the packet 3 forms to request our interview tomorrow morning. Is that too soon to send in the fax? Since the cutoff for May interviews is 4/15, would we likely get a May interview if we fax our forms tomorrow?

Also, the shortcuts in this thread suggest faxing and then sending via Servientrega, but the most recent instructions from the embassy(3/08) state to send in the appointment request forms via mail or fax or email and they specifically state that sending it in more than one form can cause a delay. The "or"s are actually bolded in the instructions. Is this true, or a case of incorrect instructions?

Thanks for all your help,

CG

CG,

Your wife can send packet 3 any time she wants, the sooner the better. And the reason why people fax and mail it via Servientrega is because even though the embassy may say that they did receive the fax, they might later say that they didn't. The Servientrega packet is a back up to the fax.

And yes, if she send them packet 3 tomorrow you will probably get a May interview.

Diana

A quick update on our AOS. We resubmitted Lorena's AOS packet a couple of weeks ago and today I received confirmation that they cashed the check (a good sign in our case, although the cost is not good). We will now await either an RFE or a NOA. Once again we ask for your prayers and/or good wishes.

Charles

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to let you know that I leave this Sunday. I'll be flying to Cali and staying there 2 nights in order to meet Sandra's sister and brother in law and their kids who live there. It will be my first time in Cali. Sandra is Paisa. We will be flying to Bogota on Tuesday and have our apt. with Dr. Gonzales on Wednesday afternoon. Our interview is Friday the 18th. We will be staying at Bogota Lodging. Anyone else having their interview on the 18th ????

Thanks to everyone who has provided useful info via this forum. I am so excited and soooooo ready to get on the plane!

Greg

You have my good wishes Charles! Sorry that the AOS has been such a nightmare for you. I hope things go fast and smooth for you and your wife.