Harold08

Hey Colombia Club,

I am planning ahead of the interview at the embassy and was just wondering what do you guys think is good evidence of a genuine marriage? I'm thinking of bringing emails, letters, pictures, receipts of the money I've been sending her for her monthly. What else do you guys think would be of use to bring to the interview? Thanks for the help.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

Did you buy an engagement ring? If you did- that is much better than flat out saying you've been sending money on a monthly basis. Take a receipt of that. The rest is bolded and answered by you. Good luck!

Well this is a K3 visa so we are already married and our names and the date are engraved inside the wedding band and of course she will wear that at the interview. So do you think the other things will suffice? Thanks for the help.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

Hey Colombia Club,

I am planning ahead of the interview at the embassy and was just wondering what do you guys think is good evidence of a genuine marriage? I'm thinking of bringing emails, letters, pictures, receipts of the money I've been sending her for her monthly. What else do you guys think would be of use to bring to the interview? Thanks for the help.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

Quick Question,

I am planning ahead for the upcoming interview at the embassy, and reading the K Visa Appointment Package I observed that there are a lot of vaccinations that are required. Is it smart for my wife to get those satisfied in Bogota or plan ahead and get them in Cali. I called and asked about their price and they easily amount up to 500 mil pesos. One shot costs 260 mil pesos itself and the rest bring the cost to the mentioned amount. I wanted to know if individuals who have already gone through the process had to satisfy all of those vaccination requirements and pay a large amount of money for it. Thank you for the help.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

Well, the cover letter is a nice way to present the forms you're submitting and also a way for you to say "My name is so and so and my case # is this for a K3 visa". You can't assume that everybody working at the embassy is the sharpest tool in the shed because guess what, they still have some numb nuts working in there and you don't want them touching your stuff without them knowing what it was for. Every time something is sent over to them it's best to label it everywhere with your name and case # along with the cover sheet. That's why the copy of the passport is useful.

But they're not necessery.

Diana

I understand. A few minutes ago i received a call on my wife's cell phone confirming that they had received the response and that the interview will be scheduled in around 6-8 weeks. I hope that is just their broad categorizing attitude because i want that interview in November lol. Well it seems that now we gotta get all that crazy paperwork ready as soon as possible so that nothing catches us by surprise. Thanks Diana.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

I'm ready to send the response to Packet 3 but was wondering whether the cover letter and the passport copy (items 1 and 4) are needed?

1. Cover letter

2. DS-2100 (page 4 of packet 3 instructions)

3. DS-230 Part 1 (pages 1 & 2 only)

4. Copy of fiancée's passport (biographical data page)

The packet 3 i downloaded from the webpage of the embassy does not mention those two items. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

Definitely include the cover letter (with BGT Case#) and a copy of the fiancees passport.

Even though the Packet 3 does not mention anything about those two items? I mean the BGT number is clearly specified in the form DS-2100. I already sent in the DS-2100 and DS-230 pages 1 and 2 only through email after scanning. Do you think it would be wise to send the 4 things once i have the cover letter and passport ready? That's the thing, me and my wife are going tomorrow to see if we can get a new passport because hers is old and does not match some information on her Registro Civil, so might as well get a new one and report the other one as lost. Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

I'm ready to send the response to Packet 3 but was wondering whether the cover letter and the passport copy (items 1 and 4) are needed?

1. Cover letter

2. DS-2100 (page 4 of packet 3 instructions)

3. DS-230 Part 1 (pages 1 & 2 only)

4. Copy of fiancée's passport (biographical data page)

The packet 3 i downloaded from the webpage of the embassy does not mention those two items. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

Another quick question,

Since my I130 was approved at the same time as the I129F like i mentioned before, do i have to continue doing all the paperwork that they ask of me for the I130? I called the DOS and one person told me i did while another told me i didn't. I was under the impression that i would continue with the I129f to get the visa so that my wife can get into the country and the the NVC would process the case for the AOS. If not how does it make any sense to be applying for 2 visas at the same time? Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Harold Eduardo Paredes

They may or may not send you the stuff for the CR1 visa. It all depends on how competent the employee working on your case is. The correct thing for them to do is hold the I-130 and forward the I-129F for a K3 visa, since that is what you requested and also since both petitions were approved at the same time. Every now a then, they will not even check to see if there is an I-129F already at the embassy and keep on processing the I-130 as if it were a separate case for a CR1.

Since you want to pursue the K3 visa, ignore anything that the NVC requests from you from now on. Things such as the DS-3032 and the AOS fee bill.

Diana

Yep i called the DOS again and this time i got a competent person. She told me that there are 3 different options possible in my case. To pursue the I129 F (WHICH IS ALREADY AT THE EMBASSY -CONFIRMED TODAY), follow the CR1 visa or do both. The path with both is crazy. If she gets the K3 visa approved and travels to the USA and then the I130 immigrant visa is scheduled, she could travel back to Bogota to assist that interview and finish with the immigrant one. Anyway im going to continue with the I129F since that one is already at the embassy. Thanks again Diana.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

Another quick question,

Since my I130 was approved at the same time as the I129F like i mentioned before, do i have to continue doing all the paperwork that they ask of me for the I130? I called the DOS and one person told me i did while another told me i didn't. I was under the impression that i would continue with the I129f to get the visa so that my wife can get into the country and the the NVC would process the case for the AOS. If not how does it make any sense to be applying for 2 visas at the same time? Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Harold Eduardo Paredes

Hello again Colombia Club,

I have a few questions regarding the paperwork I have to send back to the embassy to schedule my interview. Do i have to send the following:

1. Cover letter

2. DS-2100 (page 4 of packet 3 instructions)

3. DS-230 Part 1 (pages 1 & 2 only)

4. Copy of fiancée's passport (biographical data page)

and at the interview show the I 134? Does the I134 that is going to be notarized need some sort of apostille or something since it is going to be notarized in the United States? Finally, does the I134 have to be the original? I was thinking if i could fax it to my wife from New York and she could present that. Thank you so much.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

Oh thats a relief. Thanks a lot Diana.

Yeah, that's all you have to send. You can either fax it, mail ir via Servientrega, mail AND fax or scan the documents and e-mail the embassy. It's up to you.

The I-134 has to be original and notarized. Apostilles are not required, so a plain notary seal is good enough.

Diana

Yea you were right. I got in contact with DOS and they told me that the I129F had already been sent to the embassy so they should get it sometime next week. I am still in Colombia with my wife and will be heading back to NY on Oct 15th so that i can take care of all the paperwork associated with the I134. It seems like everything is going to work out just fine. One more thing Diana, do you think she will be able to get to the US before the end of the year. Thanks again you always save me from going insane.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

It all depends on how fast you can send packet 3 to the embassy. If they receive it before the 15th of the month, they will schedule the interview for the following month, if they get it after the 15th, they will schedule the appointment for the month after. Please make sure they already received your case from the NVC before you fax or send anything to them.

So if you know for sure that they have your case in Bogotá, and your wife sends in packet 3 before the 15th (which is next week), she will most likely get an interview for November. If they get it after the 15th, she will get an interview for December.

It's not set in stone but that's the pattern we've seen so far.

Diana

Thanks a lot Diana.

Hey Guys! If I already file my I-130 for a K3 visa, do I have to pay the $455 fee for the I-129F? Please someone tell me!!!!!!!!!!! Help............

No you do not need to pay the fee for the I129f you just send it in with a copy of your NOA1 of your I130 and that will waive your fee.

i-130

Hello again Colombia Club,

I have a few questions regarding the paperwork I have to send back to the embassy to schedule my interview. Do i have to send the following:

1. Cover letter

2. DS-2100 (page 4 of packet 3 instructions)

3. DS-230 Part 1 (pages 1 & 2 only)

4. Copy of fiancée's passport (biographical data page)

and at the interview show the I 134? Does the I134 that is going to be notarized need some sort of apostille or something since it is going to be notarized in the United States? Finally, does the I134 have to be the original? I was thinking if i could fax it to my wife from New York and she could present that. Thank you so much.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

It sounds like it. The DS-3032 and AOS fee bill are to get you started on the CR1 visa process. You can either follow that path now or wait until they approve your I-129F for the K3 visa. However, if they were both approved, the NVC will keep the I-130 and forward the I-129F to the embassy for the K3 visa.

Diana

Yea you were right. I got in contact with DOS and they told me that the I129F had already been sent to the embassy so they should get it sometime next week. I am still in Colombia with my wife and will be heading back to NY on Oct 15th so that i can take care of all the paperwork associated with the I134. It seems like everything is going to work out just fine. One more thing Diana, do you think she will be able to get to the US before the end of the year. Thanks again you always save me from going insane.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

Hey Colombia Club,

My I130 and I129F were finally approved. I thought i had everything set to go and was just waiting for the embassy to receive the case as it is indicated in the embassy information page. However, i called the NVC and they told me that they sent out a packet out to me containing an affidavit of support processing fee, choice of agent and address form. I am really confused as to what is going on. I heard that it is a new policy being implemented. Anyone else run into this new policy?? Thanks for the help.

Sincerely,

Harold

Is this because the I130 was approved before instead of the I129?

Hey Colombia Club,

My I130 and I129F were finally approved. I thought i had everything set to go and was just waiting for the embassy to receive the case as it is indicated in the embassy information page. However, i called the NVC and they told me that they sent out a packet out to me containing an affidavit of support processing fee, choice of agent and address form. I am really confused as to what is going on. I heard that it is a new policy being implemented. Anyone else run into this new policy?? Thanks for the help.

Sincerely,

Harold

Harold,

I found this in another forum. It looks like there's hope for you case.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...p;#entry2106133

Diana

Thanks a lot Diana. The person who filed that petition was also delayed a little bit in receiving the NOA1 so at leat i am not the only one that that happened to. I´ll keep on checking the uscis.gov website and hopefully get the petitions approved and sent to the embassy in a timely manner.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

Well let's see. If the I-130 alone is approved you can pay and print everything online which means it'll be at the NVC for about 1½ months. If both, I-130 and I-129F are approved for the K3 visa, it'll take just as long to get an interview date at the embassy. But let's assume the whole thing for either visa takes about 2 months. If you want your wife here by December, the petitions need to be approved no later than mid October. So you have about two more months. If they're not approved by then, then there's a big chance she won't be here until next year.

I would start calling your congressman or senator's office for help and also call the USCIS to find out what is going on. If they say the same thing, that it's all because of the extra petitions they received last summer, then make an infopass appointment with your local office to see if they can get you more info. If you still get the same schpill, then your representative's office is your only hope.

Diana

Ufff gotta get on that. Thanks Diana so much for all your help. At least i am going to see my wife tomorrow and i will be there for around a month and a half so as soon as i get back i hope to get everything ready and send it to her so that she can send the packet to the embassy. Hopefully everything works out and by then it will be around the time when they send it to the embassy.

Thanks

Harold,

With the US embassy in Bogotá, CR1 and K3 visas take the same amount of time to process. Back in the day (a few years ago) the CR1 visa took forever and a day, but that's not the case anymore. The Service Centers are processing I-130 and I-130/I-129Fs in the same amount of time and they get to the embassy in the same amount of time as well. So no, the fact that you filed the I-129F for the K3 visa should not matter at all.

Diana

Hmmm, what do you suggest i should do Diana? I will contact the VSC again to see where my case is and to see if it is on schedule with the programmed processing dates and hopefully the approval will not take much longer. Do you think it is possible for my wife to enter the United States before the end of this year?

Thanks

Hello, Harold!

I am sorry to hear you are struggling with approval at the VSC. My case went to the CSC in a very similar situation to yours, meaning it took for ever to get approved due to the spike in applications.

I submitted my I-130 in June, 07; my I-129F in August. They both got approved in March, 08. In other words, it took 7 months after submitting my I-129F that my papers got approved. A couple of things I learned:

- What counted was the date when I submitted the I-129F, not the I-130. Reason? They get bundled together as soon as you send the I-129F

- Calling the VSC (in my case the CSC) via the RFE trick does help. The only advice is not to call too often. They do write notes on your file and they do know if you call too often.

- Contacting my Senator also helped, or at least made me feel better.

Hope this helps.

Juan Carlos.

Thanks a lot for that information. It makes me feel better to know that i am not the only one that is waiting such a long time for approval. Juan Carlos, did the date when they approve it match up with the processing times they post every month in the USCIS website?

Hopefully after the approval it won't take that long for the consulate to receive the information so that she can send the documents and get an interview.

Thank you for the help.

For K3 visas it may take a few weeks but if you read the Colombia Club thread, you will find shortcuts on how to send the embassy packet 3 and get an interview faster. Also, the other reason why most people take the shortcuts is because since the mail system in Colombia is so unreliable, a lot of people never receive packets 3 or 4.

Diana

That's exactly what i was worried about and even more given the fact that she might move to another house so we would have to make a change of address and everything.

Thanks Diana.

Well the reason I say that is because there are a lot of people who sent in their forms for CR1, K3, K1 and AOS after the change of fees and were approved already, in fact, a lot of them already have their visas in hand or are already here in the US. So no, your wait time is not normal.

Yes, the only documents that you have to send her for the interview are the I-134 forms (one from you and one from your co-sponsor) and any supporting financial evidence as listed on the instructions such as copies of tax returns and W2s, pay stubs, letter of employer, etc.

Diana

Wow really??? thanks Diana for that information.

The thing is that i submitted the I-130 mid September of 2007, and then i got the NOA1 at the beginning of January... I think that is where the main delay is. I submitted the I-129F on March 27, 2008 because i found out about the whole K-3 visa process thanks to a friend of mine, if not i would still be waiting for the I130 to be approved. Online it says that its going to get approved around Sept 15. Diana with your experience, how long does it take for them to actually send you a NOA2 when the online processing times has told you that the the case has been finished??

So as far as the I-129F process is concerned it has been 4 months and 12 days as of August 8th. Do you think that the process might be done before the end of the year? I would really love it if she can spend Christmas with me here.

Thank you so much for all the help.

Sincerely,

Harold Paredes

Hi Colombia Club,

As you guys can probably see i am brand new to the site and i have a few questions that some of you who already went through the process might be able to answer. First, i am waiting to get the I-129F approved, according to the website USCIS.gov, it will be finished around Sept 15 (if it continues to go along a slow month at a time as it has been for the past 3 months). I have scheduled a flight down to Colombia for this Tuesday, August 12th and i plan on staying there until October 15. I wanted to know if it takes long for the I-129F to actually be approved and the documentation to be sent to The NVC and then to the embassy in Bogota. I am concerned because i will not be able to leave the proper documentation behind to send right if anything is asked of me..

So my main question is.. for the I-134 affidavit of support, do they ask that i mail it in to them or does she bring it to the interview?? and for the affidavit of support, since i am a recent graduate and i am currently applying to medical schools, i obviously will not be able to meet the requirements as a sponsor, Does a Co-Sponsor send in another I-134 sponsoring her as well?

I am really disappointed because its almost going to be a year since i applied for the I-130 and the process is going really slow.

Muchas Gracias por la ayuda.

Harold,

Welcome to VJ and to the Colombia Club.

First of all, that is way too long a wait for an approval from the VSC. You need to call the USCIS to find out what is going on with your approval. If that doesn't work, make an Infopass appointment with your local office and try to get more info out of them. In the mean time, contact your congressman's office and ask for help because waiting almost a year for approval is unacceptable. Their office has a group of people who deal with these kind of things and will try to help you. Start by looking at their web sites for contact information.

As for the financial question, you and your co-sponsor need to fill and notarize an I-134 each. You don't need to mail this to the embassy, in fact, you don't have to mail them anything. Your wife will take any extra paperwork that they need to see the day of the interview.

Diana

Yeah i know its a long time but i have been harassing them for a long time asking them why it is taking so long. Unfortunately they say that it is because of the incredible amount of applications they received last year right before the fee increase. It was something like twice the amount they normally handle and i was unfortunately caught in that batch. So the I-134 is taken by my wife to the embassy the day of the interview right? I do not have to mail in anything to anyone but her so that she can take it that day to the interview?

Thank you so much.

Hi Colombia Club,

As you guys can probably see i am brand new to the site and i have a few questions that some of you who already went through the process might be able to answer. First, i am waiting to get the I-129F approved, according to the website USCIS.gov, it will be finished around Sept 15 (if it continues to go along a slow month at a time as it has been for the past 3 months). I have scheduled a flight down to Colombia for this Tuesday, August 12th and i plan on staying there until October 15. I wanted to know if it takes long for the I-129F to actually be approved and the documentation to be sent to The NVC and then to the embassy in Bogota. I am concerned because i will not be able to leave the proper documentation behind to send right if anything is asked of me..

So my main question is.. for the I-134 affidavit of support, do they ask that i mail it in to them or does she bring it to the interview?? and for the affidavit of support, since i am a recent graduate and i am currently applying to medical schools, i obviously will not be able to meet the requirements as a sponsor, Does a Co-Sponsor send in another I-134 sponsoring her as well?

I am really disappointed because its almost going to be a year since i applied for the I-130 and the process is going really slow.

Muchas Gracias por la ayuda.

Does anyone have an idea of how long it takes for the embassy in Bogota to send out the packets once they have received the information from the NVC?