bdglen

13 minutes ago, top_secret said:

 

You may be interested to know that Mexico keeps it's rechazo statistics categorized by nationality online. https://politicamigratoria.segob.gob.mx/es/PoliticaMigratoria/evento_de_rechazos_aereos It looks like about 4% of Colombians get refused entry on arrival by air in Mexico which is like close to 100 a day.  It is kind of an appalling percentage for persons who obviously had all the required documents they needed to board the flight only to be kicked out on arrival.

 

I do feel my wife would have been treated differently if I had accompanied her rather than her traveling alone and me trying to meet her in Mexico City.  But she is not inclined to ever try flying to Mexico again.  We rather abruptly changed our vacation plans and went to Brazil instead, where she received a much more friendly reception.

Thank you. it is indeed appalling and I bet those denied entry are all single men. Your wife absolutely would have been treated differently if you were there. i have the first hand experience to back that up. It's sad that I'm being forced to look at 30 hours of travel just to have/bring my relatives  to join us on a vacation. It really should not be this hard.  Mexican and the US immigration attitudes toward afro-Colombian men, border on outright racist.

BTW, I love Brazil, have had nothing but positive experiences there, even when i accidentally through away my entrance/exit paperwork. immigration could not have been nicer and more accommodating, but then again the US passport is a powerful tool.

1 hour ago, davidvs said:

Since you are so adamant about not having to deal with Mexican authorities, I would suggest finding a vacation destination that is more welcoming.

Thank you for your suggestion, but My husband and I have already booked and paid for a villa over a year ago. This residence is booked years in advance, and we actually booked it for one month, 

http://www.casadeamigospv.com/villa-suite-apartment.html

C'mon folks, we just wanted to try and bring our relatives to join us on our vacation.  I'm not looking for suggestions or opinions that don't apply to the issue at hand.  Telling me to find a more welcoming place is really not helpful.  

16 minutes ago, top_secret said:

My wife was refused entry at Mexico City before for no reason whatsoever and they were not nice or even slightly professional about it, so I know what you are talking about there.  She noted that as she was was sent to the "rudely get thrown out of the country room", it was filled primarily with a large number of Colombians and Venezuelans.

Thank you for the confirmation of what I was saying about Mexican immigration and their attitude towards Colombian men.  I can't say I'm shocked they would also treat a Filipino woman this way, as I have seen first hand their lack of humanity and  professionalism.  Thank you also for your empathy.

16 minutes ago, top_secret said:

 

That said, even though you definitely have my sympathy on the Mexican immigration issue, it sounds fishy even to me for someone to fly from Colombia TO Mexico, requiring a visa to transit the US, in order to avoid transiting Mexico City.  It may take a combination of seperate tickets but I am quite certain there are cheap ways to get from CLO to PVR that don't involve transiting the US.  I also am not sure PVR immigration is any more friendly than MEX.  Even being sympathetic, if I were the consul I would have to deny that visa because the itinerary does not make sense to me. 

Trust me, I have searched flights for days trying to find a way for my husbands relatives to avoid dealing with Mexican immigration on their own. That's why i was investigating travelling with them so that when they went through Mexican immigration, I would be with them.  I'm proud to say my American passport is a powerful tool I'm unafraid to use.  And after searching through every possible flight combination, the over-all fastest and cheapest flights go from PTY to SFO to PVR.  The next best alternative is my flying to Colombia and entering Mexico City with them and that would require about 30 hours of travel for me to get to CLO and then ultimately to PVR.  i love my husbands family but I don't know that I want to spend a day and a half in airplanes and airports for what is essentially a 4 hour flight from SFO to PVR. 

The 'C1 visa is as much for my benefit as it is theirs.

16 minutes ago, top_secret said:

 

The consequences of someone being denied a C1 visa based on a questionable itinerary is that it would probably sabotage a later chance at a B2 visa.

I think more than anything this worries me.

1 hour ago, Thunderbolt said:

In my opinion from what I've read in here. It would be 1 in a million for 2 single Colombian men to get any kind of visa to US, be it B or C visa. 

I agree, that's why I was considering meeting them and flying with them.

The reason for the C1 visa is: EVERY FLIGHT from PTY to PVR transits through some US city, MiA, DFW, SFO, LAX IAH etc....... also, by the crow flies, Puerto Vallarta is 5 hours from Panama City, yet the fastest economy flight duration is 13.5 hours, costs over $6,000 for two economy seats. and still flies though a US city AND Mexico city. obviously it's not a viable option.  The least expensive flight is $800, takes over 23 hours and STILL flies through Houston.

1 hour ago, Thunderbolt said:

You are saying that the flights from Cali to PVR are expensive? Pretty much every day in May the price is around $400. 

 

The flights from CLO to PVR round trip for two, are are not too expensive per se, but they don't solve the problem of two single afro-Colombian men arriving in Mexico.

https://www.google.com/travel/flights/search?tfs=CBwQAhoeEgoyMDI0LTA1LTAxagcIARIDQ0xPcgcIARIDUFZSGh4SCjIwMjQtMDUtMDhqBwgBEgNQVlJyBwgBEgNDTE9AAUABSAFwAYIBCwj___________8BmAEB&tfu=EgYIBRABGAA

1 hour ago, Thunderbolt said:

 

For flights Cali to PTY to SFO to PVR to Cali is pretty much $1100 and up

https://www.google.com/travel/flights/s/LETo2mwPmv7cXHCq9

 

Meet with them at PTY and arrive at PVR on the same flight. Problem solved. 

This was my plan and it is why I asked to hear from people who had first hand experience with the C1 visa. This itinerary, all things considered the fastest and least expensive, BUT it requires a C1 visa as it transits through San Francisco

2 minutes ago, Old_Glory said:

Nothing to add, other than to say  "good luck and enjoy the time in PVR"...We're headed there this November for our 20th anniversary. Thinking of buying property around the area as a retirement plan.

 

Good luck

Thank you I appreciate the kind thoughts.  PV is a wonderful area with really friendly folks, I'm sure it's a great retirement spot, Good luck to you too.

4 hours ago, SteveInBostonI130 said:

 

 

You can't go through the flight crew/diplomats line, and you can't go through global entry line unless you have global entry.

Obviously I can't go through the flight crew/diplomat line, that's pretty much self evident. But I can and do go through the Global pass line regularly. I can also go through Mobile pass/ CBP-MPC  as I also use that service.  I know you weren't intentionally trying to split hairs, but c'mon man, really?

I'm trying to get comments from folks who have actually gone through the C1 process not opinions on who can or cannot go through which lines at CBP.....

2 minutes ago, millefleur said:

I was about to say, I'm pretty sure USC's can go through the visitor/"everyone else" line if they want. It's just that obviously most would opt not to to avoid having to wait longer. 

 

Exactly, I'm not sure why this isn't known.  As a US citizen returning home, i can pretty much go through any damn line I want. 🤣

13 minutes ago, Amunah said:

Makes sense and definitely a better scenario with two of you there. Thanks, I was just curious. Best of luck, wishing you smooth sailing through it, and maybe it will possibly serve as a great proof once the tourist visa interview comes along. Best of luck in both cases. 

Thank you.

7 minutes ago, Boiler said:

You intend flying to Colombia return with them and then fly to Mexico so they can save a few bucks?

USCs do not go through the visitor line btw

No, I do not intend to fly to Colombia and return with them to "save a few bucks".  Me flying to Colombia or Panama or Mexico does not by definition save any money, Also, i have gone through the visitor line at US immigration on more than one occasion for the sole purpose of aiding the non US citizen i was travelling with. It's not an uncommon thing to do.

1 hour ago, Amunah said:

Single unacomanied men trying to enter illegaly in the US, as you say. Why do you think the situation will be different in SF then in Mexico City?  

i believe it would be different because:

1.  My husband and I would be travelling with them and would accompany then=m through the immigration and CBP inspection.  AND 

2.  My husband used to work at SFO in the immigration CBP area and knows most of the CBP agents.

Both those reasons would be preferable to a Mexican immigration officer interrogating them alone. in Mexico.

1 hour ago, Boiler said:

Fiscal Year*	Approval Rate	Rejection Rate#
FY 2018	72.22%	27.78%
FY 2019	75%	25%
FY 2020	77.78%	22.22%
FY 2021	85.71%	14.29%

 

The approval rate looks good but then I doubt any have your reasoning.

My reasoning? 

1 hour ago, SalishSea said:

Just go for it and report back.

 

In all my years of reading VJ, I've never come across anyone trying to use a C visa to be able to stay in the US as a tourist for a few days.  There is no point in getting frustrated at members just trying to help when you are requesting info on something that just isn't really done.

 

 

If I gave the impression that I wanted to use the C1 as an alternative to a B2 for the purpose of visiting the US, then i apologize that is not and was not my intent. i was merely asking questions to try and find answers from ANYONE who had personal experience applying and being approved or denied for a C1 visa.

As I'm sure everyone is aware, flight prices and availability vary tremendously from day to day and airline to airline etc. That is why i asked the questions i asked. I was hoping to hear stories that might guide me to the sweet spot of getting the right flight timelines.  Alas apparently no one on VJ has ever dealt with the C1 transit visit... i hold out hope i will hear from someone.....

11 minutes ago, Boiler said:

The cheap flights seem to go through Bogota.

 

And then to Mexico City, wherein we encounter the first problem. Single Afro-Colombian men. I'm telling you, I've been a first hand witness to the problems with Mexican immigration as i explained in my first post and that is why we were thinking about meeting them outside the US, to avoid those problems.  The alternative is to layover in Panama City (PTY) and then travel to Puerto Vallarta. except virtually all those flights go though Houston or Miami or Dallas etc.....

Seeing as how the approval rates for C1 vs B2 are vastly different and the appointment/interview times are also vastly different, there is obviously some major differences in the process, hence my seeking out someone who has actually been through the C1 process.

32 minutes ago, MaxP22 said:

Sounds like you don't understand what Boiler is trying to say.

 

B2 or C1, the need to overcome assumed immigrant intent is the same, there is no difference. At the interview they will treat someone applying for a B2 exactly the same as they will someone applying for a C1.

No, actually i understand perfectly what he is saying. He's not telling me anything i don't already know.  but that doesn't address the issues and questions I have asked, therefore i am looking for advice from someone who has actually applied for a C1 visa.  If you don't understand the issue I am having, do a google flights search for yourself. From Cali Colombia (CLO) to Panama City Panama (PTY) to Puerto Vallarta (PVR) anytime in May 2024,  Try to find a flight that isn't outrageously expensive and/or doesn't connect through a US layover.  

Additionally, the approval rates for a C1  (85%) and B2 (59%) visa are vastly different, so again, the process is not entirely the same.

You'll see the only option if  i want to make this happen is a C1 transit visa. So I am really looking to talk to someone who has had a C1 transit visa

2 minutes ago, Boiler said:

It is the same as the B

except they can get a C1 visa interview in less than two weeks, so obviously the process isn't entirely the same. i appreciate your willingness to respond, truly, but it doesn't appear that you have any first hand experience with a transit visa.

17 minutes ago, Boiler said:

C and a B use the same process, file the DS 160 and interview.

Yes, I am aware. I was hoping to get some insight from people with experience in the C1 process

9 minutes ago, Boiler said:

They can certainly apply, now I am a suspicious so and so and my thought was that they might be tempted to use it as a B, but I am not the person interviewing them.

Well one of the requirements for the visa is a travel itinerary showing validated return to country of origin.. They also require proof of intent to return, like a property deed, etc. obviously the travel itinerary would show return flights to Colombia. But being able to show the embassy that you were in the US for 24-48 hours previously and returned to Colonbia can't hurt when it comes to the B2 visa interview, no?

2 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Why not apply for a B2, then you do not have issues with layovers etc.

They have, but their interviews are not until next summer 😒

It's been a while since we've seen them and thought this would be a nice vacation for them as well as helping when their B vu=isa interview occur.

If this post is in the wrong forum please accept my apologies in advance, but after searching the forums I really could not find an appropriate forum to help get answers to my questions.

My husband and I are taking a two week vacation in Puerto Vallarta this year and we wanted to have my husbands uncle and cousin join us there.  but we've identified a couple of problem areas.  My husbands relatives are Colombian and would be flying from Cali Colombia to Puerto Vallarta. 

1.  The flights are ridiculously expensive and long with multiple layovers and flight changes. 

2.  Additionally, Single unaccompanied Afro-Colombian men  arriving in Mexico are immediately suspected of trying to get into the US illegally and are hassled at the airports and sometimes not even allowed to exit immigration.  I know this to be a fact from first hand experience because I was travelling with one of my husbands cousins two years ago and while in Guadalajara I left to go to the restroom, when I came back his cousin was surrounded and being questioned by two Mexican immigration officials. It wasn't until I showed up with my American passport that they stopped hassling him and let us proceed with our trip.

So, we started to look into the idea of meeting them outside the US and flying into Mexico as a group and this is what we discovered.  It would actually be less expensive and faster if my husbands  relatives flew from Cali Colombia to San Francisco and then to Puerto Vallarta.  Hence the idea of obtaining a C1 transit visa.  

Does anyone have any experience obtaining and travelling using a C1? is there an absolute timeline validation for them based on trip details or are they somewhat open ended? I've read that they are valid for a maximum of 29 days and only valid for layovers before the final destination. What is the layover is a couple of days, is that possible or does the layover need to be immediate?  any help would be greatly appreciated.

2 minutes ago, AlwaysLearning said:

I'll be honest -- we've been arguing every day ever since I've posted this. I don't know that I haven't fought for this love, I'd say that I definitely did, but it's really tiring that I have come to a point to need to record him due to the lies... Simply to show I'm not going crazy, he's just straight up lying to me and gaslighting me.

 

I don't know how I can keep fighting for this... I can barely get out of bed from how depressed it gets me😔

If it's not too personal a question, could you elaborate on what the fighting has been about specifically. Is he cheating on you? IS he stealing money from a joint account? sometimes the specifics of a situation can really change the necessary actions.  Again, respond only if you feel comfortable.

On 7/4/2023 at 8:55 PM, SalishSea said:

Nope, sorry.   
 

OP’s spouse called her those names.  There is no respect there.   

 

Maybe I'm old school too, or maybe it's because I'm gay and married to another man, but my attitude is " happens" sometimes our emotions outpace our heart and brain. If a few lousy words spoken in a moment of passion are enough for you to throw it all away, maybe you never really had it in the first place. If you don't want to fight to keep it, it's not really worth keeping.

On 7/15/2021 at 8:29 AM, Ryan76 said:

 I'm American, married to a Colombian since 2012. We live in the US. We have a very happy marriage. And I am REALLY stressing out right now.

<snip>

I think you've gotten all the answers you need to move forward. So, I'm going to instead ask you a question. How did your MIL and SIL ever get visas to visit you so many times in the first place?  My Colombian  husband's relatives had tried numerous times to get tourist visas and have always been turned down. And they own multiple properties and have high paying jobs. How the heck did you get tourist visas?  Please let me know your secret as my husband would really like to have some of his relatives visit us, instead of us always going to Colombia.

Quote

 

 

@DanCode7703 Thanks, I appreciate your comment. I understand that some cases are difficult and complex and may require extra time, but 60 days after an interview for status to be changed is too long and an unreasonable amount of time when dealing with a simple case like mine.  It all seems so arbitrary to me and it remains frustrating.

22 hours ago, Jacobo said:

Thank you! Don’t worry. That’s not unusual. Not all IO work the same way. If you presented good bona fide evidence, so there are more chances you get an approval than a NOID or RFE. You’ll see movement soon 

Thanks for the optimism, I may just be a worrier but I'm not as optimistic as you. Tomorrow marks 30 days since out interview and the status on our case has not changed.  I am  still getting the feeling that our IO may have been homophobic and or ageist as there is also an age gap between my husband and I.  I really hate to be judgmental or to make stereotypical assumptions, but my gut is telling me our IO is looking for any possible way to deny us.  Ultimately, I know we will be successful in obtaining his green card, because our relationship is successful and we have all the bona fides necessary to prove the validity of it. , but I just feel like we are being put through the ringer because of long held prejudices by some folks. I't's frustrating when I see so many folks getting approved on the day of their interview in cities all over the country, but in SF... not so much.

On 3/22/2021 at 8:45 PM, Jacobo said:

Oh guys, quoted is my corrected post, I had written erroneously the filing date before

Congratulations! my husband and I had our interview in San francisco on the 26th of February. We are still waiting for a decision. It's frustrating. Our IO was pretty dour and never smiled once during the interview, rarely made eye contact and left me feeling less than optimistic. He said we should expect an answer in 30 days as they are "backed up". UGH