Mark and Carol

Our new ship will be a private yacht with a flightdeck for our private learjet so we can use the jet for trips to the countries of our fiancees.

Now we need to find a pilot as our Captain can't fly ...

He is in the Air as I am typing this. I'm sure all is well for his intervew.. The bell tolls for Captain Alex...

It must be a big yacht to accomodate a runway for the learjet...Or will it have a steam catapult and arresting wires like an aircraft carrier?

Good luck to everyone with medicals and interviews and the select few waiting for NOA2's.

Have a good and safe and delightful trip to see your honey! Surely it will go well and you'll be back here with her in no time.

Megan,

CONGRATS on your visa approval. I bet you have been dancing all day!! What a great feeling it must be to know that the K1 process is finally complete. When is your fiance arriving at the POE?

Good luck with your wedding and the AOS process!

Good question... Has anyone completed the process without the appointment letter ? I have an interview in 4 weeks and we have not recieved the pak 4 Yet with the appointment letter.

Drew,

I found the following in the Packet 4 instructions:

Bring your interview letter to your appointment (if available).

If you learned your appointment date from our website (http://bogota.usembassy.gov/immigrant_visas.html) but do not have your interview letter, you should come to the Consular Section waiting room on the day of your scheduled appointment. You will be allowed to enter only on your scheduled appointment date.

Looks like you can attend the interview even if you don't have the appointment letter. The embassy probably realizes that the Colombian mail system is not reliable, so they don't demand the letter.

Hi

Good afternoon to everyone.

I have a queston.

The visa fee that will be paid at Banco Helm is that for the K1 visa only? My fiance has a son who would be receiving the K2 visa. But I don't see anywhere about a separate fee for that. Would I only be paying for his medical exam?

I don't know the answer, but it would be better if you asked this question in the Colombia Club Part II thread. Here is the link http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/175556-colombia-club-part-ii/page__st__1350

Diana,

In the case of my original K-1 Visa, it took approximately 1 week to receive my NOA1 from the Lawyer's Office, but when the NOA2 arrived, it took almost a month to receive that form in the mail. We won't go into Packet 3 and the drama that followed...

It took two weeks for Carol to receive her Packet 3 in the mail. I mailed the completed DS-230 to her and on Sunday she completed the DS-2100. Yesterday, she faxed the Packet 3, so I'm hoping for an interview in late May. I hope she receives the Packet 4 so she will have the appointment letter. Has anyone completed the interview process without the appointment letter?

Thanks,

Mark

]

Hi,

That would be cool if it happens like that.

You may discover your interview date tommorow!

I hope so...I'll be checking the embassy website tomorrow.

Hi, to everyone,

Latest update:

Today she faxed the packet 3 response today. I hope we can get an interview date next month.

We will probably have our interview the same week as yours. Your interview should be the last week of May. April 20 is the cutoff for interviews in May.

Hey all,

I posted that the NOA2 was approved (received email and saw status update on USCIS website) a week ago, April 5. Today April 12 I got the physical NOA2 in the mail- yay!

In my excitement, I wanted to find out how I can track the case at the NVC. I called them 44 times throughout the day, always receiving a busy signal. At 11 pm, on the 45th try, I got through to an automated system that instructed me to hold to talk to an operator. There I held for 20 minutes before getting through to someone. She took my USCIS receipt number (EAC-xx-xxx-xxxxx) and the notice date of the NOA2 and told me they had not yet received my case and to call them 15 days after the NOA2 date. In my emotional state finally talking to someone I made the huge mistake of not asking the question I called to ask- how will I know when they've received the case? Do I have to call and hold like that every time I want to find out what's going on at the NVC? Can I email without a case number from the NVC? I am so mad at myself for being such an idiot and hanging up!

Can anyone tell me if they've successfully gotten an answer through email with or without a NVC case number? Do they provide you any notification, or do you have to ask?

If someone could walk us through what happened and how long it took them between NOA2 and packet 3 that would be awesome

Hoping VJers can save me here! Thanks!!

The best time to call the NVC is either 7 am or 11:30 pm. I called at 11:40 pm and received my new case number in 15 min. Whether you call or email, you will have to include your case number (EAC-xx-xxx), beneficary's name, birthdate, & email, and petitioner's name & birthdate. The NVC received my petition on 3/17 and on 3/24, I received a letter in the mail from NVC stating they received my petition and provided my new case number. You can look at my signature to see my timeline from NOA2 to P3.

Good luck.

I was thinking when AOS time rolls out we'll start a thread in that forum and all go there, no matter when exactly we file AOS

I agree...I don't want to abandon ship, but to board a different ship on another voyage. After we receive our visa, our journey on the RUMRUNNER is complete. But I'll still visit me mates still on board.

Carol faxed the Packet 3 today, so I'm hoping for an interview date in late May. The final destination of the RUMRUNNER is in sight. It will be sad to disembark, but our journey will continue on to calmer seas. It will be a great day when our SO arrives at the POE.

BTW...who is going to adopt the Parrot after we disembark the RUMRUNNER?

She passed her interview, but they lost her medical report.. I guess this is fairly common.. They did receive the report, but couldn't find it..

I still consider this a win, and a victory when the visa is in hand. :thumbs:

CONGRATS Jared!!! It will make your visit in May that much sweeter.

She is doing it tomorrow and taking it in on Monday or Tuesday to get the visa.. We finally got a Doctor's appt for 5-5-10 a week before the interview..Doesn't she need 2 copys of that form with the same barcode on it after you press print? If they make her do another one at the bank will they give her 2 copys ?

Yes, she needs 2 copies of DS-156 and I think they give only one copy at the bank. I'm not sure why you need 2 copies, but that's what it says in the instructions.

Carol received the Packet 3 in the mail today. It's about time considering it was mailed on 03/25...talk about snail mail.

At least she received it!

thank you for you reply. yes all we have recieved is a recipit stating they recieved the application. i guess all we have to do now is wait....ughhhhh i am def not a patient person but i will try to be lol so i am guessing your visa already got approved??

Bertha,

Welcome to the group!! There are some very knowledgeable members in this thread that can answer all your questions.

According to your timeline, you probably have another month to wait. It took me 101 days to receive my NOA2 What you can do now is get familiar with the next step...the interview. This link is very informative about the interview process: http://www.visajourney.com/consulates/index.php?ctry=Colombia&cty=Bogota

Good luck.

Yea, you know what your right. The fact that your calling someone Captain is enough to make me realize that some of you have made an imaginary world for yourselves. Honestly, the only thing I'm in here for is the timeline and procedures on what to do. For those of you who make this into a cyber-world with different titles, yea I'm gonna say your correct, I am seriously in over my head.

This discussion has nothing to do with cyber-worlds, different titles, or imaginary worlds. It has to do with the facts...whether you want to believe it or not, your facts are incorrect. The following was posted by a November filer on Jan. 22:

Your receipt number is not a random number. Here is how to understand it...

The first 3 letters is the location it was received (EAC is Vermont)

The first 2 numbers is the Fiscal Year the document was received. (Oct 1 2009 was the beginning of 10)

The next 3 numbers is the working day within the FY that the document was received on. (Oct 1, 2009 is 001, Nov 10 is 028, Nov 23 is 036)

The last five numbers is the order that the document was received on that day. (50001 is the first document received)

So...

EAC1000150001 is the first document received at VSC in FY10.

EAC1000250001 is the first document received at VSC on the second working day.

EAC1003650001 is the first document received at VSC on Nov 23, 2009.

I hope you realize that everyone is here to help, not to attack each other.

You got that right.WE never recieved our pak #3 . we dowloaded all the forms and faxed them in the day they had the case in their system and got an interview date 2 days later. We are doing the same with pak #4. If it arrives it does but starting today Maria is making an appointment for her Medical . Since she lives in Bogota we are doing it 3 weeks in advance. Also paying her Visa fee on Monday while it is still $131.00.and having the lab work done. also before the medical and getting whatever shots she needs....

A real mail system in Colombia? Surely you jest..ha ha ha

Good idea to pay for the visa fee and complete the lab and medical now...just in case you run into any problems. Last night, Carol finally completed the DS-2100 with the help from a fellow Colombiana. I have the DS-230 completed and will email to her this weekend so she can hopefully fax on Monday...fingers crossed as usual.

FYI, you do know that Maria needs to take the completed DS-156 form and her passport with her to the bank? I have read that the bank will not accept online version of the DS-156 so they may provide a blank form for her to fill out manually. I have read that it depends which bank teller that she talks to.

Pretty much!

So you guys take care of educating, I'm a disappear after 15th for about 2-3 weeks hehe.

Aye, Cap't...I'll make sure our mateys keep the ship on course! We are too close to our destination to steer off course.

Good luck with the interview and we'll be expecting good news from you in a week or two.

If your formula is correct, then why would your case have started with 100455, if you recieved your NOA1 in 2009 fiscal year. Hmmmmmmmm

It is not wise to argue with Captain Martyshk, because he knows exactly what he is talking about. The US Gov't designed this formula many years ago.

So, please accept his constructive criticizism as informative.

They were always very prompt in answering my emails- of course I sent so many over several months while I was stranded in AP- what a nightmare that was!!! You guys are close to getting an interview date, I'm guessing?

I have the DS-230 completed and Alexandra (Troy's wife) is going to help Carol fill out the DS-2100 tonight. I will email the DS-230 to Carol tonight, so I hope she will fax on Monday...fingers crossed. You know what it's like trying to get mujeres colombian to do something...hurry is not a part of their vocabulary. I wish I had their patience.

Hi,

Thanks for the info, you are always helping out others ! I hope you have a great day!

Thanks for your comments. The reason we are here is to be educated about this process and to help others that are still learning

Good luck.

No, they don't have to be done the same day. However, they do need to get done within days because the lab will send her test results to the doctor to have during the medical.

As for the appointment letter, e-mail the embassy to find out the answer to this question. Make sure to write your BGT case number on the e-mail so that you can print it and show it at the embassy's entrance just in case you don't get your appointment letter. That's what I would do, it would show your case number on it and the embassy's answer to not having received the appointment letter.

Diana

I hope the embassy responds to your email, because I sent 2 emails to them over a week ago and I still have not heard from them.

Knock, knock...hello US Embassy, is anyone at home?

Yeah, it's way sketchy, though, as in the literature they sent him with the P3 it listed the $350 price, and at the place where he's meant to pay the fee (post shop, in advance) they tell him the $131. Maybe it's just the consulate in Auckland, but since our packet was forwarded there, they've given us wrong or conflicting info on at least two occasions. So, I guess, make sure y'all do the legwork and don't just believe what the consulate sketch-bots tell you...

Thanks for the good luck wishes! Can hardly believe it's actually happening... Hope they like the info I sent over there!

Keep us posted on your progress.

Oh, look out for all the parrot ####### on the deck...he ate some bad fruit and is crapping all over the ship.

Hi,

Panamajack or anyone else who has sent off the paperwork to get an interview. I know that my case is in Bogota electronically. I got the impression from the operator that I can fax in the forms to get an interview. I noticed that on your timeline in like two days the embassy received. Was that electronically?

We are trying to get an interview in May if it is possible. We would like to FAX the papers before the middle of the month.

Do not wait for your fiancee to receive the Packet 3, because she may never receive it. The embassy sent the Packet 3 to Carol on 3/25 and she still has not received. The mail system in Colombia SUCKS!! Have your finacee fill out the P3, print it, and fax...it will save a lot of time.

yes you can go pay when you have interview date and you can pay at the branch in cali. you need ds156 2 copies and her passoport

To pay the fee, go personally to any authorized Banco Helm office. See http://bogota.usembassy.gov/scabco.html for a list of locations and hours of operation. Make sure to take your two completed DS-156 Forms (Nonimmigrant Visa Applications) to Banco Helm when you pay the fee. The bank will affix a receipt to your passport and will mark the DS-156 Forms with a folio number. Do not remove the other two parts of the receipt from your passport, or you will not be able to apply for a visa. You must bring the same Form DS-156s to your visa interview that you presented to the bank when you paid the visa application fee.

Great, thank you so much for the info...very helpful!

I don't know how other people go through this process without the support of VJ members...I would be lost!!!

I asked the folks at the DoS about a week ago, and all they could tell me was that it hadn't changed, it would sometime in the future, but they couldn't tell me when.

Megan,

You are correct...it's still $131. The government gave everyone the opportunity to comment on the fee increase. They are now in conference trying to decide whether to increase or not. They will probably increase the fee after their discussions...whenever that will be?

Good luck with your fiance's interview on the 14th!