Mononoke28

An appointment is not needed to get the lab work done. The lab opens at 7 A.M. and people start lining up at 6 A.M.. If you're going the same day you're having your medical exam, then you need to get there early, if not, you can get there after 7 A.M.. The reason for this is because you need to give the lab people enough time to process the results and have them delivered to the doctor doing the medical exam.
Diana

The problem is at the USCIS and how long it takes them to process all of the paperwork he handed them at POE. The SSA cannot assign him a number until the USCIS enters all of his info in the system which can take up to 12 weeks. My husband's took about six weeks and after I talked to someone at the USCIS and was informed that everything was in the system we went in person to the SSA office to get his number and sure enough, they were able to do it then.
Diana

Estoy completamente de acuerdo en que todo depende de la actitud de la persona y fue lo primero que le dije a mi esposo antes de aplicar por la visa. Le dije que viniera con la mente y el corazón abiertos y que estuviera dispuesto a hacer este país su nuevo hogar. Lo primero que hizo fue tratar de aprender lo más que pudo sobre las cosas quere eran nuevas para él por más sencillas que fueran. Luego obtuvo su licencia de conducir para poder salir en el carro cuando quisiera, así fuera sólo para ir al súpermercado a comprar algo, parece algo muy sencillo pero eso produce una sensación de libertad. Después empezó a estudiar inglés en una escuela que ofrece cursos intensivos para no perder el tiempo estudiando algo básico que no ayuda mucho y eso lo mantuvo ocupado, a la misma vez consiguió un trabajo de medio tiempo en una tienda que también lo mantuvo ocupado. Y así poco a poco se fue adaptando.
Diana

1. Our wedding is just a week before my I-94 expire, will it cause any problem? No
2. Can I get a learner's permit for driving with my current status? You will need to contact your local DMV office to find out what their requirements are to get a learner's permit. Most states need to see at least en Employment Authorization card to issue anything, but like I said, call them as each state has different rules.
Diana

1. Our wedding is just a week before my I-94 expire, will it cause any problem? No
2. Can I get a learner's permit for driving with my current status? You will need to contact your local DMV office to find out what their requirements are to get a learner's permit. Most states need to see at least en Employment Authorization card to issue anything, but like I said, call them as each state has different rules.
Diana

His CR1 visa was just to only to be used when he entered the US, after that he became a permanent resident, which is his current status.
Also, don't forget that as his co-sponsor, you will need to send in form I-865 as well for your change of address.
Diana

There are many jobs he can do such as retail, fast food, restaurant, cleaning, even work at places like Walmart, Target, Costco, grocery stores, etc.
Diana

Regardless of what others may think, it is crucial to have a good credit score in the US for obvious reasons like trying to get a good rate on a mortgage or getting any mortgage at all, financing the purchase of a new car, leasing an apartment, getting a job, etc. Now days, it's extremely important to have a good credit score and getting a credit card like the OP suggested is a great idea. The only company that approved my husband when he first arrived over four years ago was Capital One and no, it's not the best card out there but it helped him get a credit score of over 800 which we needed to get a good interest rate on a mortgage, we just don't use it anymore and use other credit cards with better benefits and interest rates instead.
Diana

Regardless of what others may think, it is crucial to have a good credit score in the US for obvious reasons like trying to get a good rate on a mortgage or getting any mortgage at all, financing the purchase of a new car, leasing an apartment, getting a job, etc. Now days, it's extremely important to have a good credit score and getting a credit card like the OP suggested is a great idea. The only company that approved my husband when he first arrived over four years ago was Capital One and no, it's not the best card out there but it helped him get a credit score of over 800 which we needed to get a good interest rate on a mortgage, we just don't use it anymore and use other credit cards with better benefits and interest rates instead.
Diana

The key is to stop being so ignorant and learn the difference between race and culture or ethnicity. White, black, Asian, Native American, mulatto, etc are races. Being Latino, Italian, Mexican, American and Hopi Indian is part of a culture or an ethnic group, which has absolutely nothing to do with race. So in Latin American you will find blacks, whites, mulattos, mestizos, etc. Back in the 80s and 90s we were all considered Latinos/Hispanic in the US, just one group but now every time I have to fill out some kind of form they ask both questions, race and ethnic background, which is the PC approach.
As far as the first video, it's Hollywood, where the kings and queens of racism and stereotyping live and breathe. I wouldn't expect much from them.
Diana

I hate to play devil's advocate but they're in the right on this one. Unfortunately, they cannot give anyone a tourist visa if they believe there is a possibility the person might stay in the US without any guarantee that he/she will go back to their home country before it expires. On top of that you have a petition pending for a CR1 visa which will get an automatic denial for a tourist visa. I'm surprised the retired USCIS employee didn't tell you this as it's common knowledge.
But let's assume you didn't have a pending I-130 with the USCIS, or that you're not even married, or that you're not even dating, the possibility of your wife, or anyone else, getting a tourist visa to the US is only 5%-10% given the amount of fraud the US embassy sees on a day to day basis. That's why every time anyone who goes to the US embassy in Bogotá to get a tourist visa needs to be prepared that they will be flat out denied, if they get it, fantastic! But if they don't, which is usually the case, then at least they were prepared to lose time and money.
Diana

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I guess it's the way it was first designed, I don't know.
I always make fun of appliances as most end in "dora": licuadora, lavadora, secadora, aspiradora, tostadora, asadora, etc. I once knew a woman whose name was Dora and I said to her "man, you must be tired at the end of the day with all the things you do around the house!" She didn't think it was funny.
Diana

We speak Spanish 99% of the time because it's extremely uncomfortable for us, this is inside the home and outside as well. I know that my husband would benefit more from us speaking English at home so he can practice but it's awkward and fake, it's just weird.
So I say, speak what you want at home or out on the street, whatever makes you comfortable. Also, ask your wife if she wants you to speak English at home to help her out while she's learning, it's really up to her.
Diana

I'd recommend you make an appointment with any counselor at the institution you're interested in attending to see what the school requires you to do. Most schools require TOEFL exam results and an evaluation of your studies be sent to them. To get this done you'd have to contact places like Josef Silny & Assoicates, World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators.
Diana

The DAS certificate for the petitioner is a new requirement but in all honesty many people have said the embassy has never asked for it. I also read from a member in another thread that all she had to do was pay the fee and submit the form signed by the petitioner without the power of attorney. It is my understanding that the DAS has been informed by the US embassy about this new requirement and has made it a bit easier on how to get it. The best way would be for someone to go to their local DAS office to get more information in detail. Here is the link to the form in case you want to see it: http://www.das.gov.co/das/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=category&id=21:_&Itemid=139#, it's the last one on the list. At the bottom of the form, you will see a section where you authorize another person to get the certificate for you. Find out from the DAS if this is all you need and if it's ok not to have it notarized. Like I said, someone else wrote that's all she needed.
Kenny, you would not need it in this case since your step-daughter's visa is based on her mother's requirements that you both already met when her K1 visa was approved. The girl however does need the DAS certificate to show all entries and exits information even if she has not traveled. This is different from the police certificate which is only needed for people who are over 18.
Diana

The one piece of advice I have is to remember that HR employees get a ton of applications each day for whatever job they've posted. What they'll do is find the applications and resumes with words that match up what they wrote as the requirements for the position. So even if you more than qualify for the job, if your application/resume does not have the "key" words that they're looking for, it'll get tossed, guaranteed. They just don't have the time to read each one as it comes because they simply don't have the time. So try to polish your resume according to the requirements of the job you may be applying to. This means that you may have a separate resume for each position you find.
Also keep in mind that if you apply for a job that is lower than your level of education/career experience, they will most likely not call you for an interview. They'll think you're overqualified and can't afford to hire you. So if you want an entrance job like that, you will have to again, polish your resume and "dumb it down".
One last thing, remember that looking for a job is also a full time job. If you fill out an application once a week or even just once a day, your chances of getting hired are pretty slim. When I was laid off from a previous job a few years ago, I spent at least 6-8 hours straight every day looking for work, fixing my resume, working on cover letters, etc. I treated it like a full time job because I couldn't afford not to work.
Good luck!
Diana

This is one of the things I don't like about people who live in their own bubble, have never tried to see outside of their comfort zone, have never traveled and don't even know anything about what is going on the world because they simply don't care. Speak American? That's just rude. I personally love it when I hear other people call other things by a different name, it happens to me on a daily basis whenever I speak Spanish with other Latinos and even with people from Spain. But I never say "speak Colombian!" What gives me the right to tell them that? Same with this people. What gives them the right to say that "American English" is the right way to speak it?
Diana

I quite honestly don't see how this comment can be taken as racist. From what I understand these were children talking about the obvious, that's how children behave and they don't hold back because they don't see anything wrong with it, and in this particular case, I don't either. Now, if they had said something negative about it like "I don't want to play with brown children" or "I think he's ugly because of the color of his skin", then yes, that would be racist.
I remember when we were at an amusement park with my then 5 year old niece and she befriended two African-American little girls who were twins while waiting in line for a ride. After a while my sister asked her if she wanted to stay or go to a different part of the park and she said "no, I want to play with my new brown friends". My sister told her not to call them brown but to simply call them friends since we've always believed we're all equals no matter the color of our skin. My niece stood there confused and said "But... they're brown!" She didn't get it, and like I said earlier, that's just what was obvious to her.
The key is to teach children that yes, we're all different, because you can't hide the obvious, but that we all come in different colors and sizes and that's what makes us unique and beautiful.
Diana

I quite honestly don't see how this comment can be taken as racist. From what I understand these were children talking about the obvious, that's how children behave and they don't hold back because they don't see anything wrong with it, and in this particular case, I don't either. Now, if they had said something negative about it like "I don't want to play with brown children" or "I think he's ugly because of the color of his skin", then yes, that would be racist.
I remember when we were at an amusement park with my then 5 year old niece and she befriended two African-American little girls who were twins while waiting in line for a ride. After a while my sister asked her if she wanted to stay or go to a different part of the park and she said "no, I want to play with my new brown friends". My sister told her not to call them brown but to simply call them friends since we've always believed we're all equals no matter the color of our skin. My niece stood there confused and said "But... they're brown!" She didn't get it, and like I said earlier, that's just what was obvious to her.
The key is to teach children that yes, we're all different, because you can't hide the obvious, but that we all come in different colors and sizes and that's what makes us unique and beautiful.
Diana

I quite honestly don't see how this comment can be taken as racist. From what I understand these were children talking about the obvious, that's how children behave and they don't hold back because they don't see anything wrong with it, and in this particular case, I don't either. Now, if they had said something negative about it like "I don't want to play with brown children" or "I think he's ugly because of the color of his skin", then yes, that would be racist.
I remember when we were at an amusement park with my then 5 year old niece and she befriended two African-American little girls who were twins while waiting in line for a ride. After a while my sister asked her if she wanted to stay or go to a different part of the park and she said "no, I want to play with my new brown friends". My sister told her not to call them brown but to simply call them friends since we've always believed we're all equals no matter the color of our skin. My niece stood there confused and said "But... they're brown!" She didn't get it, and like I said earlier, that's just what was obvious to her.
The key is to teach children that yes, we're all different, because you can't hide the obvious, but that we all come in different colors and sizes and that's what makes us unique and beautiful.
Diana

Since there has been so much confusion about the DAS certificate, someone in the Spanish Colombian K1 thread emailed the US Embassy in Bogotá and this is what they replied:
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Monday, June 20, 2011 11:33 AM
To: IV, Bogota
Subject: PREGUNTA Caso No.XXXXXXXXX
De: IV, Bogota [mailto:IVBogota@state.gov]
Enviado el: martes, 21 de junio de 2011 10:55 a.m.
Señora XXXXXXXXXXXXXX,
Buenas dias, la carta del DAS de entradas y salidas del país es para el aplicante de visa y si el cónsul el dia de la entrevista quiere ver las entradas y salidas de su prometido se la puede solicitar, si usted la quiere presentar el dia de su cita la puede traer.
Sinceramente,
IV Unit
CB
So in summary, the DAS certificate for the petitioner is not a required document, it's optional. This has always been the case and in all honesty, out of all the people here on VJ who have already gotten their visas, I've only read about the CO requesting this document 2 or 3 times, tops.
Diana

Since there has been so much confusion about the DAS certificate, someone in the Spanish Colombian K1 thread emailed the US Embassy in Bogotá and this is what they replied:
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Monday, June 20, 2011 11:33 AM
To: IV, Bogota
Subject: PREGUNTA Caso No.XXXXXXXXX
De: IV, Bogota [mailto:IVBogota@state.gov]
Enviado el: martes, 21 de junio de 2011 10:55 a.m.
Señora XXXXXXXXXXXXXX,
Buenas dias, la carta del DAS de entradas y salidas del país es para el aplicante de visa y si el cónsul el dia de la entrevista quiere ver las entradas y salidas de su prometido se la puede solicitar, si usted la quiere presentar el dia de su cita la puede traer.
Sinceramente,
IV Unit
CB
So in summary, the DAS certificate for the petitioner is not a required document, it's optional. This has always been the case and in all honesty, out of all the people here on VJ who have already gotten their visas, I've only read about the CO requesting this document 2 or 3 times, tops.
Diana

Ok, if the document your fiancée took to the interview is the first one you attached, then that is incorrect because that is not a birth certificate, that is the apostille of the birth certificate which in essence serves as an international notarization.
What she needs to do is go to the notary/ies where the birth certificates where registered. Ask for a certified copy/notarized copy (copia autenticada) front and back of each one and that's it, that's all she needs. There is no need for apostilles and no need to go somewhere else to get it notarized.
She won't get the original documents which are not available, but she will get notarized copies wich is exactly what the US Embassy is asking in the 221G form she received.
Diana

Hi Kenny,
Nice to see you again. First of all contact the embassy to find out what you need to do. In theory all you need to do is make an appointment with them and to do this I'm pretty sure you will have to buy a pin to contact the visa group who handles the appointments. Also, ask them what she will need to bring with her, if anything. She will also need to get her medical and lab tests done if she never had them done or if they were done more than 12 months ago.
The year for the follow to join starts the day your wive's K1 visa was issued and her daughter will have up to 6 months to use it to enter the US.
The embassy may ask for the father's notarized permission but it is not a requirement and they don't tend to ask for it. Many times they simply ask if you have permission to take the child with you, that's all. You will however need to get a signed and notarized permission from the father no more than 30 days before she's scheduled to leave Colombia or the DAS won't let her leave the country at all.
Diana