Agentes

1 in a million/billion of getting busted with fake DVD's, I thought you didn't get busted?

Ok, I have a question... why don't you guys just go into Hollywood/Blockbuster video and buy the previously rented DVD's? I went into 20/20 video last week and they have everything I need to replace from $.99- $2.99 each. I never bought a used DVD before, but in this case I am going to do it. At this price, 30 DVD's cost me $100. A hundred bucks isn't going to break me, I have piece of mind, and I don't look like Captain Jack Sparrow.

For me it is mostly a personal decision because I live here, and I know people in the film industry too, so I prefer everything to be legit.

Sometimes I catch the "Pirated DVD" crackdowns on the news here, and that plays a little on me. I would agree the risk is probably one in a million/billion, but when I look at the cost of replacement vs. that risk, I would much rather buy new ones when she gets here. It really shouldn't run me more than $200 to replace everything she has so that isn't a problem.

You know, there is just always that crazy "1 in a million" chance. Since I have been the "1 in a million" on other things, I get overly cautious; and quite honestly sometimes this defect of mine really bothers me.

Thanks!!!

This just confirmed what I was thinking. I live here in LA and I told my wife not to risk bringing anything pirated. I wasn't sure how it was in the rest of the big cities, but here it can be taken very seriously and I didn't want to risk it.

How is Immigration going to know if the stuff is pirated? I travelled with a ton of blank CDs and CDs I made from songs I downloaded from iTunes and other places and there is no way for Immigration to know if they're pirated or not.

If you have one or two blank CD's with a bunch of legit stuff I don't think it would draw attention, and they don't have time to pop it in a computer to check it out, but some of these people go to great lengths to make it look like the real deal.

My wife has a few DVD's that friend's have bought her on the streets down there for a birthday gift, and they look really impressive. I can tell from the quality of the images screened on the DVD's that they are fakes. I told her to just leave them there, and we will replace them with legit DVD's here.

I just saw your post and as I was reading I went from collecting my 2 cents to give you - to saying Congratulations!!!

Check out this link, Aidan. There's a 2 bedroom apartment for $650/month.

My wife will be here next week, and I am in the process of moving right now. I rent and pay about $1,400 for a one bedroom.... I think it is time to say "Hello Mount Dora!" hehe

Yeah, that was a great write up! My searches in this turned up few detailed results, so that was much appreciated!!!

All kinds of good info here, and this really caught my attention too, it is an excellent point:

Oh, and when you get your pet on this side...remember...their journey was more stressful than yours...they got flung to the back of the crate on take off...their breakfast was in thier mouth whenever the plane hit an air pocket and they bounced around like a ping pong ball on landing...they have no seatbelt option

You know, I never even thought about this part and never would have. That is very interesting. I am going to try and help prepare for this in any way I can, but something is telling me to avoid the direct details.

Ouch!!!! $1,800. That is quite a bit. I know I have $1,100 off the top the first year just in pet rent where I live.

I ran across the CDC site last year and couldn't remember it, I'm glad you posted that.

It took me nearly an entire year to find a job worth its salt. I arrived back in the US on March 22, 2007 and did not find a truly good job until March 12, 2008.

I am happy for you. It sounds like you ended up getting something you like. I am going into this with the idea that it will be a while for my wife to find a good job. I make enough to support us, so hopefully this will take away some of her frustrations when she is looking for her first job here. I would like her to be able to take her time, so she can find a good fit the first time.

The worst part was that the letter was dated 2 days before my last interview.

Yeah that was true, and I think that it was dated correctly. The reason I think this is because the very last interview was kind of spontaneous, and the envelope was postmarked on the day of the interview. I think they had the letters all ready to go and thought they should talk to me one last time before sending it off.

Another way you could say it would be: "Dependent on Responsibilities"

Something I read a couple of years ago was when they ask: "What type of salary are you expecting?" is to answer with: "What does the department have budgeted for the position?" I have found that they will usually tell you, if you ask it right.

I am not sure what type of positions you are looking for, but if I could do it all over again, I would have always asked for 2-5 dollars an hour more than what they offered me. In the sense that my first jobs were always something along the lines of retail or labor type jobs. There was always a group of us making 8 dollars an hour at these jobs, and then some guy would get started at $10-$12 because that is what he asked for.

Now a days I am in a more professional, skilled position and I just put what I want/need to make. Sometimes I am specific and sometimes I give a range. I do a little research on the company before I answer, and I know my market rate.

Good luck!

I am going to need lots of hugs and kisses when she lands too!!!! jeje

Thanks!

ColombianoGringo,

Thanks, we are happy we have finally gotten past the interview. For Packets 3 and 4 I am not sure where to begin except that basically what we used was a combination of what is on the embassy's website along with the info we got here. It may or may not help, but I did a post on our Packet 3. It should still be right here under my profile. Yeah, there were some minor discrepancies, but they all worked out in between Packet 3 and 4. Quite frankly in our case I think I was just being overly cautious; which is a good thing, but it was getting the best of me.

My wife went alone; and I explained my reasoning a few posts up, so I won't go into that again but if you are interested it is just a couple of pages back. I quizzed her on the questions and the details and the questions were the basics with a couple of tests thrown in there.

The basic questions:

How do you know your husband? (Internet Website - Never brought up IMBRA stuff)

How many times has he come to visit?

You are divorced? (I feel that was a test)

Has your husband ever been married? (Test)

Your husband has never been married?(Tested again)

Are you sure your husband has never been married? (More testing)

How long have you been married?

What does your husband do for a living?

<Asked for evidence> Focused on pictures and the pictures were actually ones that I submitted with my original application.

You must have been dealing with a different Bogota embassy than I was. Communicating with them was almost impossible for me and when I did talk to them they gave me bad information.

Yeah I had good communications with the embassy. I was surprised at the service I received because I did read other's posts, but I actually really liked their style. There was something that conflicted. It didn't turn out to be anything major since it was after the fact, but they were always nice, quick, and straight forward with me. I really liked that, and I would definitely give them a good rating on their customer service.

Thanks! we will need the luck. jaja I will be happy to have them all here and just return to peace.

She is coming in April. Originally I suggested we do our homework and ship the dog on a later date, but she does not like this idea. I do not think I like it either, especially after other's are recommending the dog to be on the same flight.

I myself like COPA, but it looks like we may be going with Avianca. If I am reading these websites correctly, Avianca doesn't seem to have an embargo like the other airlines. COPA's website makes it sound like the embargo involves the airport too, but LAX tells me it is just airline specific.

Does anyone know how the cargo compartment is for pets? Is there a little special section for animals or are they thrown in like baggage?

I know some do, some don't, and some will if you explain that you need it.

I called the customer service number on one of the companies that I buy a prepaid card from the store and they told me they could pull up a call history if I could provide original pin numbers.

For the most part our calling cards didn't show any history, but we used them anyway with other phone records that showed a calling history.

Hi folks,

My wife will be entering here approximately the 1st week of April. At the same time I am in the process of moving to a new apartment for us, and the move will be final on April 10th.

I have a question... Should we be expecting any papers or anything in the mail right after she arrives?

I ask this because we are thinking to just go ahead and change her address on file after she gets here. Would that be a problem, or should she do this at the airport?

My wife knows, and is familiar with my old address. It has also been the address we used through this whole process, so that is why I think we should just use it up until after she enters the country. We would be changing this immediately, but I just want to be on the lookout for any papers, or know if there is any problems associated with this.

Thanks!!!

We were hoping to squeeze her (the dog) in as a carry on, but she is just about an inch and half too big. She just fits in the carry on pet carriers, but her head is touching the top. On the 6-7 hour leg from Bogota (or Panama) I think it will be just too much to keep her cramped in there.

I think you (Jeraly) are right to just listen to the airlines. I think I will take the attitude of the visa... in the sense that I will worry about the rest after the dog is on US soil.

Looking back, I remember the last time I was at the airport the customs people rushed someone through because they had a dog. They brought the lady right to the front of the line, and sent her through quickly so they could get her dog out of the cage. This was in LA. I hope we can get the same compassionate person.

I was going to throw in my 2 cents on being overqualified, and I see the OP got the job, so now I just want to say Congratulations!!!

I can relate to the being "overqualified" frustration. I only had it officially happen once, and it was for a job that I really wanted. What sucks is that usually the companies will put you through 2, 3 and 4 interviews before telling you this. I once went through 5 formal interviews and tests. Then I got a letter saying I was not the right person for the position. The worst part was that the letter was dated 2 days before my last interview.

Now I just down play myself and it seems to work for me.

Thanks for the great replies!!! It is also nice to know I am not in this alone. I think this has been more stress than the visa itself.

Right now my wife has gotten the dog's shots and a physical. I am under the impression it was just a certificate from the vet as well, but I do not know if it needs to be translated? I read something that the shots had to be within 30 days and the airline says 10 days, so it is just as conflicting as some of the visa process.

I notice that some airlines have different regulations and different months on this "Pet Embargo". This has just completely changed our plans. You know what? I flew so much last year that I am eligible for upgrades to first class and now I have to change airlines. Ouch!

What really scares me about this whole processes is that my wife will be held up at the POE, and the dog will go round and round on the baggage claim; or they will quarantine her because the shots are too recent, and I will be stuck paying like 30-50 dollars a day.

Thanks again!!!

P.S. That freezing the water tip was excellent!

My wife will be bringing a small dog with her; and I was wondering if anyone could share any first hand experiences, or tips they might have in this situation?

I appreciate any and all input.

Thanks!!!

I will just dive in here with our interview experience....

I decided not to go to the interview, because my theory is that they pretty much have their mind made up whether we will be approved or not. With all the 5 minute interviews, I just don't believe that they are making these approval decisions on the spot.

I am sure they have some people in an "undecided" category and some people that they want to talk to both of the husband and wife, but my wife and I decided to take this risk. My logic was that if I am there and we were denied then there is nothing I can do on the spot, so I will have to return anyway. If I am not there and they want to see me, then I will have to come at a later date too. I was willing to go, but we decided to just wait and see if they ask for me.

The reason for the decision of not going was mostly based on the vacation time that I have available and the Domesa delivery. Since our interview was on a Wednesday; we are assuming at least 6 days for delivery with Domesa. With this in mind, my wife and I decided that I will use my vacation time when she gets here rather than using it waiting for Domesa. It is working well for us, but it really was a really difficult decision.

I can say this though... My wife and I were 100% calm and ok without me going to the interview. My wife and I both felt confident for the most part, but on the morning of the interview I thought of my wife and how she must feel when she was sitting there by herself. I felt sad. I just imagined how she must feel and I wished I was there, so I totally support the "be there for support" side of this too. On a humorous note: I knew it was going to be over in just a matter of 2-3 hours and it was.

My wife called me around 11:00am. She was finished at the embassy and back at her friend's house. She told me that she was the 5th or 6th one done, and she said she did not know about the other's approvals or not. She said that the interview was only about 5 minutes too. Overall she said it was pretty easy, but naturally she had moments of being nervous while she was waiting, since this is a life changing thing.

Something that faith said really jumps out and it seems to go perfect with the couple of things I wanted to mention that jumped out at me:

"1.Be clear with the answers and feel sure of yourself."

This speaks loud and clear in relation to what my wife said. I think they tested her all the way through.

When they called my wife, they said: "F. Agentes?" (looked at her passport) and then said: "You are not F. Agentes. You are F. XXXX. Where is F. Agentes?" (My wife's maiden name is in her passport)

Next they said: Oh, you are divorced.

Wife: No.

Interviewer: Ah ok, your husband is divorced.

Wife: No

Interviewer: Are you sure?

Wife: Yes

Interviewer: Has your husband ever been married before?

Wife: No

Interviewer: Are you sure about this? He is not divorced, he has never been married before?

Wife: Yes I am sure, my husband has never been married.

When she was asked for evidence she presented communications, cards, letters, etc, but she said they cut right to the pictures. Something that I found very interesting is that they actually singled out one of the exact photos that I sent in with my original application and asked her about it. I thought this was a very interesting detail because my wife did not know which pictures I sent with the original petition. I also wrote a note on my picture and the question asked was inline with my original notation. I thought that was very interesting. She was also quizzed on some other very specific details, but that is a little personal to write about in this moment. It wasn't anything bad, it's just something that is personal right now.

We didn't prepare very much for the interview questions. The reason was that my wife's natural reactions speak volumes about her. She is overall a very honest woman. To know her is to love her, and I feel that if I was trying to prepare her then I would only make matters worse. In other words... We have been honest, she just needs to be herself, and I just need to let God do his thing.

Another thing: She was given back the Migratory Certificate from DAS. They told her they didn't need it, but my wife has never been out of the country. I wouldn't bank on them not needing it.

All in all, I like the embassy. I wasn't there for the interview, but I was talking/emailing with the embassy during this entire process and they were great to me/us the whole time. We know they need to test the authenticity of these relationships, so my wife nor I are bothered by anything. Quite honestly, I wish other businesses gave me the type of service that I got from the embassy. My wife says they were very friendly in person too. This is kind of long, but I hope it helps someone.

God Bless,

Agentes

*Edited to add a little more

Thanks for the congrats and I wish the best for everyone with these things in the future.

Yesterday, I started a little write up of my wife's experience with the interview, but it is on another computer. I will finish it up in the next 48 hours and post it.

I was sitting on the approval for a day and just recovering from the stress. I have slept pretty good these past 2 days. This whole thing is still kind of surreal to me.

God is good!

Congratulations Faith!!!!

I am very happy for you, and also that everything went well.

While I am here... we were approved on the 12th as well. I made the decision that I would use my vacation time when my wife was here instead of using it to go to the interview, and there were not any problems that I was not there.

God is good!!!!

I know what it is like to be left hanging when searching through older posts, so I just came back to add the outcome ...

Yeah this didn't turn out to be much of a problem. It was explained at the embassy and they said: "Ok" and wrote "Permanently".

Maybe this will save the someone else from panicking over nothing, like I did.

Question for anyone who has been granted the visa in the past few months. There is conflicting language in the documents stating as to when she can actually receive the visa in her hands. On statement in the documents says the next day after the interview at 4 PM. Then there is other language stating that no one will be able to receive their visa from the embassy , but the visa and passport will be mailed within 7 business days.

We got the Domesa supplement in our Packet 4. A lot of these recent posts were posting they got theirs in around 4 business days. I hope that is the case with us too, but I am just going ahead and planning on 2 weeks. It's overkill, but for once I would like to feel surprised rather than frustrated in this process.

Thanks, that is what we will do!

I will be soooooooooo happy when this is over.

You will be adjusting any way, so time frame really does not matter.

Ok that puts me at ease. We are going to let it go. Like everyone else, I will be so so so happy when this process is over. This really can rip a guy a up. I was totally calm until 2 weeks ago, and now it is "show time" next week.

Since she is doing another copy at the embassy should she put "5 years" to keep it the same, or try again to put permanent? She says the guy in the bank isn't transferring the info to the embassy. I hope that is correct?

I really we get one of those 2 minute interviews, and I can laugh at myself for being stressed over nothing.

Thanks for the input!

Thanks!

That is where I got permanently from and she says this guy made her put a time frame. I am stressing now because she already turned it in and paid. Now I am stressing. I think I am going to send her back and put 999 years.

What do you think?