Mark and Carol

Congrats to everyone who have received visas and NOA2's.

Carol arrived on 7/17 and we spent the weekend in Miami Beach. I took 2 weeks vacation so we could go to the theme parks, beach, visit friends, and allow her to adjust. So far she really likes it here, but misses her family and friends...I expected that. The wedding is planned for Sept. 25.

Our journey on the SS Rumrunner has been a long one, but with everyone's support and positive attitude it has been enjoyable.

Thanks to everyone!!!

Congrats on her arrival. My gal finally arrived last Saturday- we started the process in November of 2008 and she arrived July 3 2010- looooong journey!

Joe

Joe,

Congrats mi amigo!! I'm very happy that your journey has come to an end. I hope Valeria and you have a good life together! When's the wedding?

Carol arrives in Miami this Saturday...finally, my journey ends.

Mark

Our wedding day is this Saturday July 10,2010.. It was a long journey for me and her.

Congrats Drew!!!

What a special day for you and Maria! I wish you much luck and happiness on your special day!

Enjoy your honeymooon.

I have a question about payment. It says they accept credit card, but will I get shafted with the exchange rate or will they take it directly out in dollars plus the 1% international fee as is normal? If not, I'll just exchange some pesos to dollars before I go.

Thanks

No need to exchange to dollars because you will pay in pesos at the bank. Make sure you have 700+ mil pesos because the fee is now $350.

hi all it's me again!! i have another question...does the W2 have to be the Original or can it be a copy of it?? thanks!

I provided a copy of my W2. You are providing a copy of your 1040 so a copy of your W2 is fine.

Congrats Mark, great stuff.. Just a little over a week after May will be here... :thumbs:

Thanks Jared. This has to be a happy day for you with May arriving today!!

Is your house fiancee-ready? My house is almost ready...the cleanest it's been in years.

Congratulations, I had been wondering about you all, I am so happy for you all!

Thanks and congrats to you also. It was a long journey, but well worth it.

Good luck to you and your fiancee...when is she arriving?

Does anyone know if the Vaccines would be super expensive if my boyfriend just waits to get them done with the embassy doctor. because we are having problems him getting them done in Medellin they want to much money for them. Close to 300 dollars. is that about right??

300 dollars is very expensive. Carol went to Dr. Roa and I believe the vaccines were 220 mil pesos, which is about 120 dollars. Call the doctor's office in Bogota and ask them how much the vaccines will cost. Dr. Roa told Carol the cost when she scheduled the apointment.

congrats on ur visa! thats great news!! what kind of questions do they ask? i will go over the questions with him the night before the interview because knowing him he will forget and we will have go over them more then once LOL.i know hopefully Bogota isn't that cold in July. we got our plane tickets from Medllin to Bogota for 200 dollars roundtrip for both of us. which i thought was super cheap. thanks so much for ur help! and congrats again!

Thanks...I am so relieved that it's over!

Some of the questions are how and when did you meet, have you traveled together and where did you stay, what are your fiance(e)'s hobbies, do you speak spanish or english, have you been married and any children, how many times have you visited, how do you communicate, and he asked Carol when were we engaged, but he didn't ask me. Thank God, I remembered to quiz Carol on that question. I quized Carol on the name of my parents and brother, where we plan to live, what my job title was, etc. The CO will ask the both of you the same question and compare answers.

You should take a jacket with you to Bogota...I think the temperature stays the same year round. It can get a little cool at night and the wait at the embassy is outside.

Good luck with your interview!

i wanted to let you know i got tickets for the interview from medellin to bogota on aerorepulica it was the cheapest we found. this is the wesbitehttp://www.aerorepublica.com/Sites/co/es/Pages/homepage.aspx

Have you heard of Aires Airlines? They are affiliated with Avianca and currently have excellent promotional rates. Carol and I flew from Cali to Bogota for $270 roundtrip for both of us. I think the website is aires.aero.com.

Good Morning Colombia Club! I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Is it required to get a letter from your bank stating the amount in my account etc? or do they not really ask for that?

So far I have 3 years of my W2 and 1040 taxes, a letter from my job stating everything they wanted to know, and the last three months worth of paystubs.

Thank you!

Our interview was June 17 and I brought everything you mentioned including the bank letter. If I remember correctly, they asked for my 2009 tax return and nothing else. Financially, my income is well over the poverty level, I own my house, and have several investments. I think my I-134 was enough evidence that they didn't need anymore financial info from me. It is best to take more info than you deem necessary just in case they ask for it. Also, you and your fiance should talk about your responses to questions that the CO will ask...how many times have you visited, when were you engaged, what are your fiance's hobbies, etc.

Good luck with your interview!!! The waiting is the hardest part...expect to wait until 1:00 pm or later.

Hello everyone,

I've been MIA for a few weeks, but have good news...VISA APPROVED!!! Carol will arrive in US on July 17. I am so glad that this is over and I can relax for a couple of weeks.

Thanks everyone for your help and support!

Hello everyone,

I've been MIA for a few weeks, but have good news...VISA APPROVED!!! Carol will arrive in US on July 17.

The CO had many questions for each of us, but the waiting was the hard part. Carol received her visa in Cali on June 29, 12 days after the interview. I am so glad that this is over and I can relax for a couple of months. Many thanks for everyone's help and support.

Congrats to everyone that had their visa approved and received NOA2.

Hey Mark,

Big day coming next week- when you heading to Bogota?

Joe

Hey Joe,

How are you doing? I'm leaving for Cali at 7 am this morning...in a few hours. I'm going a few days early to make sure Carol has everything ready. She has been very good about taking off work to fill out documents and meet deadlines. Unfortunately, I have to pay $350 for the visa fee...oh well. We are flying to Bogota on Monday, the 14th. We can both fly round trip from Cali to Bogota for $200 on Aires Airlines...better than taking a 10 hr. bus ride each way. I've ridden the Colombian buses before and I told Carol...nunca nunca nunca. Hopefully, I'll have good news next week...I'm confident that we'll be approved. Let you know when I get back.

like always thanks so much Diana, another question for packet 4 which from do i have to fill out DS-156 or the DS-160? my lawyer told me she was going to ask them because she wasn't sure.

You will fill out a DS-156 for a K-1 visa. Here is the link for FAQ about the DS-160 form on the DOS website: http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/forms/forms_4401.html Look at question 13.

Congratulations tinegary! I happy for you all.

Hi , Mark and Carol I was blown away with the change in price after we already paid. I guess it just bad luck. I won't think about their stupid little fee increase if we are approved, it will be a distant memory at that point.

I am leaving out on Tuesday to Bogota. Your interview is approaching and also the finishing touches of Panamajack's. Good luck to you I have wondered where you have been lately.

Thanks for the good wishes. I am leaving for Cali on Wednesday and we fly to Bogota on Monday, June 14th. I have been very busy and had to take a break from VJ for a while. I am really looking forward to the trip because it's been 8 months since I've seen Carol.

Good luck with your interview on the 11th and PJ & Maria on the 17th.

I´m a new member but have been lurking for a while. My petition was approved on June 1st (took 100 days).

I´m thinking of e-mailing packet 3 like many have suggested. Do I just have to scan the 2 forms (DS 2100 and DS 230) and the biographical page on her passport and then send it to IVBogota@state.gov?

Also, when I call to attempt to get the BGT case number, I have to have the previous EAC case number from the NOA1 129F approval or am I looking for something different.

Thanks!

Congrats on receiving your NOA2.

You do not need to send the biographical page on her passport...you will need this for the interview. Yes, you will need the EAC case number, the beneficiary's name, birthdate, email, and your name and birthdate. Call the NVC early in the morning or late at night, 11:30 pm.

Hi,

Everyone,

I have bad news for anyone that has interview after the 4th of June.

The embassy called my fiancee today and told her that she has to go back and pay the difference between the new price and the old price for the visas. I have to pay for 2 people. They said because her interview date is after the 4th of June. She has to go back and pay the difference. If her interview date was before the 4th of June then no. I am screwed. I have to find $500.00 dollars from somewhere.

they have just stabbed me in my back

I feel your pain!

Today, Carol attempted to pain $131 for the visa and the bank would not accept the payment. They said that she had to pay $350, so we will have to pay when I arrive. Fortunately for me, it only cost an additional $219 and not $438, like you. For everyone else, be prepared to pay $350 if your interview is after June 4th.

Hello all of my friends here

my hubby did call today early... And the operator say just wait till June 14, And just this afternoon he want me to view the his account and I'm so happy we got approval I'm very happy happy i though it wont never come, but it will and now what next? he should call nvc? or wait for a days to call?

Congrats on your approval!!

Wait a couple of days and then call the NVC for your new case number.

Hello everyone!

Had my interview and medical yesterday. I think I passed, but I didn't ask and they didn't say anything. Hmm.

Well, I guess I'll find out soon either way...

QUESTION: I asked two people at the embassy about the EAD stamp. One guy didn't know, the interviewer said "everywhere". Is that true? I always thought JFK was the only one...

Thanks!

Congrats to everybody already approved (or in the US - jealous! ) and good luck to everyone waiting!

Congrats on your interview and medical. If you are talking about Employment Authorization Document (EAD), then you will apply for this document after you marry. The EAD and AP is part of the AOS process and the cost is included in the $1010 fee.

Mark,

Maria's 2nd. Interview will be the same day as yours..June 17,2010..You will se her there...........

Drew,

That's great. Hopefully we will recognize her. Thanks for the phone call and all of the info that you provided about your interview. I thought that I was totally prepared for the interview, but I learned some new things from our conversation.

Thanks again and good luck to Maria on her 2nd interview.

I just read a thread in the Latin American forum that the US will be increasing visa fees worldwide effective Friday June 4. The VJ thread and the other link is mainly in regards to the US Embassy in Jamaica but the article does say that they plan on implementing it worldwide. This is just an FYI so you're prepared in case the bank starts charging you the $350 visa fee vs. the $131 in June.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/US-increasing-visa-fees

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/257459-us-increasing-visa-fees-for-jamaica-effective-june-4th/

Diana

Thanks Diana for the info. I was going to wait until I go down on June 9th, but now Carol will have to take care of this herself.

It's ironic that I told her last night that we should pay the visa fee soon because they may increase the fee anyday.

Thanks again Diana.

diana my lawyer also asked me today to send her an employment letter and my taxes for 2007,08 and 09 am i supposed to send that too or is that for the interview date? i know you explained to me everything i need to send but i just dont know why my lawyer is asking me for that stuff. do you know how much u need to make a year for us to be able to get approved? thats for all your help!

The employment letter is to prove your current salary, start date, and if your position is permanent. You will also need a letter from your bank where you have your checking account. The letter should contain when you opened the account and the current balance. Banks are familiar with this type of letter and don't worry about your current balance. If you are financial responsible for yourself and your fiance only, then you have to make around $20,000/yr. Also, you will need 4 months of banking statements from your checking account. Go online and print your banking statements. All of these documents are to be taken to the interview, do not send with Pak 3.

thank you that does help me a lot i think im going to wait till the first week of june to send it. diana said something about me writing them a letter in the email with packet 3 to tell them the dates i will be there, maybe they will be nice enough and give me us an interview date for when im there. can it be emailed in spanish or english? and where can i get my case number for my DS2100 form? i see everyone emails their packet 3 so i think that is the fastest and easiest way. just scan and email?

Call NVC @ 603-334-0700 press 1 then 5. You will need to reach a live person to get information on your case since the NVC’s automated system does not handle K1 visas. They will ask for your EAC case number, beneficiary's name, birthdate, and email and your name and birthdate. They will give you your new case number starting with BGT. Call early around 7 am or 11:30 pm...less of a wait. Our DS-230 was in english and DS-2100 in spanish.

OUR NOA2 GOT APPROVED YESTERDAY! IM SO HAPPY I THOUGHT SINCE WE GOT A RFE IT WOULD TAKE A LOT LONGER. SO ONCE I SEND PACKET 3 HOW LONG WILL I HAVE TO WAIT TO GET AN INTERVIEW DATE, MY LAWYER SAYED I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT ABOUT A MONTH IS THAT TRUE??

Carol faxed her Packet 3 on 4/12 and our interview date is 06/17...2 months. I think they booked up the interview dates for May before 4/14 and that is why our interview is in June. I thought that our interview would be in early June, but I can wait another 2 weeks. I found a savable copy of DS-230, so I filled it out in english and emailed to Carol. Carol then completed the DS-2100 in spanish and faxed both documents to the embassy.

If I were you, I would skip your lawyer and complete the documents yourself. You already have the info needed on the DS-230 in the G-325A form. As always, follow Diana's advice.

Good luck.

Mark