Accompany fiancee at appointment?

[DeathNova 0]

How necessary is it to accompany your fiancee. I read stories of people going to Bogota and being turned away for not having the other present. On the other hand my attorney states that it's not necessary and completely immaterial to the adjudication.

The major issue is that i'm U.S. military and require excessive approvals to travel abroad on personal business, especially to Colombia. It's a whole novel of paperwork and requires at least a couple of months to complete requiring the final approval of the Commanding Officer, the three-star in charge of the region, and the DAO at the embassy and this assumes there are no operational commitments or threat conditions preventing my travel.

I do have an official letter from the command addressed to USCIS stating that i'm unavailable to attend any meetings due to operational commitments.

Thoughts?

(BTW: What's up with all of these people being asked to show additional evidence at the embassy. Aren't the photos and e-mails included with the I-129F filing sufficient or do you have to bring more?)

[KimandRuss 0]

It is not necessary for the petitioner to attend the interview but it can be helpful at some interviews. Every Consulate is different so it's important for you to know just what is expected in Columbia. Read the Embassy info, reviews and use the portals link above to connect with others who have gone through Columbia.

Proof of ongoing relationship is asked for at interview stage. It is not needed at the USCIS petition stage of the process but many people do include it, especially those going through higher fraud posts. You need to prove that the relationship has continued as you await this process. You can do so by including more of what you sent initially. Also include an updated original letter of intent addressed to the Embassy (see example forms).

I would include the letter from your commanding officer stating you are unable to attend.

good luck

mbk

[Otto 83]

In case you haven't seen it already - here's an often overlooked VJ resource. (Embassy Section)

(There's also the 'review section' that can really be invaluable.)

[Mononoke28 134]

Well, here is the thing. It is not necessary to go, especially if you are sure you can prove you have and have had a legitimate relationship with the beneficiary. That's the reason to bring all kinds of extra evidence to the interview because it is the CO's job to determine whether the person being interviewed should get a visa or not. There's a lot of fraud during this process by all kinds of people and they need to make sure they're doing the right thing.

If everything looks good on paper, meaning all forms and affidavit, etc., you have a legitimate relationship, your fiancée answers every question correctly and explains why you didn't show up at the time of interview if asked, then you have nothing to worry about.

Since getting permission from the military for time off is such a hassle, I recommend your fiancée go to the interview by herself as prepared as possible. If for some reason the CO says he/she won't grant her the visa unless you go with her, then that's when you're going to have to get that time off approved.

Diana