MattCali

Thanks for the replies. We will go that route and see what happens. I feel better now.

Did she change her last name to take your last name or did she revert to her maiden name?

If that was the only change then it was legal and your marriage certificate (or a divorce certificate) is all you need to prove that her name was legally changed.

If she made any other changes to her name, then the name change was not legal without a judge's authorization. Your wife's name has not legally changed and the natiralization certificate was printed in the wrong name.

Some USCIS offices no longer schedule judicial ceremonies (San Francisco and San Jose) and apparently Tampa has joined the list. They should have told you that they can't do a name change. At this point, what you need to do is go to your nearest courthouse and apply for a name change. This will not be free and may take a few weeks. Prices differ by city. In Houston it costs about $450 but in New York it costs $65. You will be given a name change certificate signed by a judge.

Thanks for the reply. We were married in Colombia and she didn't take my name down there. Is she allowed to just take my name without having to go through a judge or not now because the marriage certificate has her old name?

My wife just had her citizenship ceremony and asked for a new name. They said they no longer do it in Tampa, she did not have the ceremony with a judge, but her certificate has her new name on it. I asked the officer who did the ceremony why there was no judge and if her new name was legal, and he said it was. We went sent off for a passport without thinking then tried to change her name at our banks and they all tell us they need an official document signed by a judge. What gives, is her name change not legal? Why say it's no longer done but give us the new name? Why lie to us and tell us it's legal when we can't get anything changed?

Hey guys, there doesn't seem to be much info about filing an I-130 petition for Colombia (DCF), so I wrote up a review on the DCF board. By the way, they do accept payments by credit card at the embassy.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/265238-dcf-bogota-colombia/

So, there doesn't seem to be much information here about the DCF process in Colombia and the Embassy itself is so disorganized that getting the right information out of them is next to impossible. Still, the process itself is quite simple and may be the fastest in the world. I married my wife in 2009 and have been living in Colombia on a spouse visa for over a year now.

First, you need to buy a Pin and use it to call the embassy to set up an appointment to file the I-130 Petition. They only accept them Tuesdays at 1:00 pm. The Pin is $15. I suggest you and use a US credit card to purchase it over the phone.

I live in Cali, but flew to Bogota in the morning and flew out the same day. Aires has great deals on flights. You can go alone or bring your spouse. They don't need to come, though, so if you have to fly there, you should save the money and go alone.

When you get to the embassy, they will give you a folder with a list inside telling you to put the following inside in this order:

-Completed and signed I-130 petition

-Petitioner's passport and a copy of the bio page.

-Form G325 for both you and your spouse.

-1 passport sized photo for each of you(5x5 cm 2x2 in white background) (there are lots of places outside to take them, they'll tell you 10.000 pesos to take them, I got one to do it for 6)

-Marriage Certificate with translation (If it's not in English - even Spanish, you must translate it. You can do it yourself as I did)

-Birth Certificate of the person you are filing the petition for with translation

-Divorce certs/ deceased report with translations

-Proof of residency in Colombia. (I gave them a copy of my spouse visa)

They didn't ask for my wife's passport or a copy of her bio page, but I gave them a copy and they kept it, so you might as well.

The process was relatively painless except for the wait. We were attended in the order we arrived along with others doing other various immigrant visas. A Colombian lady who didn't speak English very well looked over it and stapled some things together, and I was then called to pay the fee of $355.

This is important: DO NOT PAY IN PESOS!!! Change them at the airport or anywhere. The embassy changes them at a rate of 2400 to 1 dollar, but the official rate right now is 1870. I got 1960 at the airport saving me almost $100. You can also pay with a credit card, which would be the best option. I could not verify that before I went, but they DO accept them.

After that, I and the other couple there to file a petition, had to wait until everyone else was attended and finally we were called. The woma - an American - was very nice and apologized for the wait and for the embassy's disorder. She said everything looked great and started to hand me paperwork. The wild thing is, she was handing me the package with the ds-2100 and ds-230 and the visa appointment package with all the info for the medical exams, etc. She started to hand me the I-864 and said that I don't qualify to sponsor my wife because I live here in Colombia, but I said that my brother-in-law will sponsor me, so she said I didn't even need that part.

Apparently, the Bogota Embassy does all the processing themselves without sending it off. She said they would review the paperwork and that when I am ready, I can fax or email them the ds-2100 and ds-230. She said If I were to send it the day after filing the petition, I would have the interview for the very next month. One month from date petition filed to the interview with visa in hand 2-3 days afterward is fantastic.

I did receive the somber news that I must pay $404 when I return, but that is mitigated by the fact that I don't have to pay for AOS in a year. I asked if I could go to the US in December for a month, and then go to live permanently in July of 2011 after I finish my work contract and my wife finishes her degree - we would be out for less than 6 months - and she said it's no problem as long as I make it back within a year.

Apparently, lots of Colombians use immigrant visas like tourist visas only going once a year to keep the status. I am dubious about this and don't really trust what she said.

All in all, I can say that immigrant side of Bogota Embassy is infinitely better than the non-immigrant side. I'll post a report about what happens when I go for the 2nd interview with my wife, which by the way she I do not actually need to attend.

I totally did not expect this when I went to file my I-130 petition in Bogota. While the overall experience was great (I'll write up a review in a bit) the surprise of the extra money was disconcerting.

The fee to file the petition is $355 and then I have to pay $330 for the visa plus a $74 security fee. Is that what everyone doing DCF has to pay? I ask because I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere here in the forum, and I've read a lot. It should be placed somewhere in the guide, so people know the overall price to expect. Still, it's better than the $1000 AOS, but the upfront cost may cause some to think twice about it.

I think I am being misunderstood. If you pay for a visa here in Colombia with pesos, the embassy is going to make you take it hard. The visa must be paid for in dollars, so they exchange it giving you a horrible rate. At the current rate, you should pay less than 700.000 pesos, but end up paying almost 900.000 instead. I just want to know if anyone has paid with a credit card and how much it cost vs the exchange rate of the day or if it's even possible to pay with credit.

Here is what the Bogota Embassy site says:

In which currency must I pay any required fees at the Immigrant Visa Unit, U.S. dollars or Colombian pesos?

The choice is yours. The Consular Section cashier accepts either U.S. dollars or Colombian pesos. The exchange rate we offer, which changes periodically, is currently 2,400 pesos to the dollar. Please be advised that you should only pay money to the Consular Section cashier, regardless of what anyone else may tell you. The Consular Section cashier will issue you a receipt showing how much you paid and what services you paid for.

I am doing DCF, so I believe I will be paying with the Cashier. Either way, I tried to get a tourist visa for wife. I paid in pesos and got that crappy 2400 exchange rate. For the DCF visa, that's a difference of 175.000 pesos.

Does anyone know where I'll be paying: cashier or Banco Helm and what kind of rate I'll get with a credit card? I'd rather not exchange for dollars if I don't need to.

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

Ah, thanks. I have a my driver's license, 2 different bank accounts I've kept open, the same address I've had all my life, and I recently renewed my voter's registration and voted. Will that be enough to show I was only here temporarily and that I kept my residence in the US?

Hi guys, how do I show my voting record to indicate that I have only been living abroad temporarily? I sent an absentee ballot for the 2008 year. Also, when filing the I-130 petition, do I need to bring a copy of my birth certificate, or is it enough to just bring my passport to prove I'm a US Citizen?

Nevermind on those questions. I finally got through and scheduled my appointment for the 13th. My wife isn't allowed to come, which is good because she couldn't anyway.

Hi guys, I have a couple questions. I've been calling to do a DCF, but the line to set up an appointment is always busy. Also for anyone that has done a DCF, do I have to go with my wife, or can I file the petition alone and then come with her to the interview?

The silly thing is that we're all eligible to file DCF, so staying illegally would be stupid when we could have a legal visa in 2 or 3 months. It should be a cut and dry case when you're able to show any ties at all and the fact that an immigrant visa is easy to acquire. We shouldn't be forced to live in the U.S. if we just want our spouses to be able to visit our families with us.

So, I called to make an appointment to bring my I-130 Petition and they only accept them Tuesdays at 1. They wouldn't an appointment date that far out (July) either. Yeesh, I really hate this embassy sometimes.

I was told the same thing...you apply for a pin and pay money to Colpatria to file your I -130. That is what I remember at least... Good luck with the process. I am no longer doing DCF because Colombia makes you broke and pay for an English teacher is mediocre at best, so CR-1 here I come 6-7 months again without my wife is going to be horrible... but like I said, good luck with all

It's not so bad if you work at one of the bilingual high schools that provide you with an apartment and other benefits.

How long does the first trip take? Is it just a few minutes to drop off paperwork or do they make you wait around and then actually tell you right then if you're approved to do a DCF or not?

A quick question if you don't mind. I'm going to be filing DCF in July. I contacted the embassy via email and they told me that I need the following documentation:

- Petition I-130

- Applicant’s Birth Certificate (with translation)

- Marriage certificate (with translation)

- Form G-325 (one for the applicant and one for the petitioner)

- Photo (one for the applicant and one for the petitioner)

- Applicant’s passport.

So that's all good and dandy. I asked if I could do the translations myself and they replied affirmatively.

They also said I need to call and make an appointment, but what for? I thought I was just dropping off the paperwork and nothing else? They can't seriously need me to have an appointment for something that will take 5 minutes, can they?

Thanks for the help.

Thanks for your suggestions everybody; I guess I’m considering any option…

You might be right Just Bob, I was just not sure that I could go there, activate the visa and then leave right away for 2 more months…Cause then there will be a chance that I receive the Green Card while I’m away, would I then be able to come back in Oct. with the same stamp in my passport but without the Green Card?

I’m not sure about how it works…

Couldn't you just have someone send the greencard to you by mail?

My wife, A Colombian, applied for a tourist visa to visit the US and was denied. She was told that she actually needed to show more ties than the norm because she had more incentive to stay. It's a load of bull, and the manual says they can't say that, but they do whatever they feel like.

For what reason do you need a visa for her?

If it is for immigrating to the US, a CR1/IR1 visa through the DCF process is the best option.

If it is just for visiting the US, I am sure the embassy representative is mistaken.

I don't think keeping a GC just for entering the US once a year is a good idea.

That's what I thought. They just want my money. I applied for a tourist visa because we just want to visit and live here in Colombia for a few more years, but she was denied only because she's married to me. Seriously, that's what the Department of State told me when I called them.

This is the reply I received from the embassy in Bogota, Colombia regarding an inquiry I made about my wife's denied tourist visa.

"If you have been resident in Colombia for more than six months, you have the right to file an immigrant visa petition for your wife at the Embassy. You can contact our call center for more details on this process, but barring any complications, your wife would have an immigrant visa within two to three months. You may wish to consider this possibility. Your wife would gain legal permanent resident status upon entry, and she would only need to travel to the United States once a year to maintain her status."

I have been resident for 6 months. My question is: they are mistaken, correct? If I get the visa and just go once a year, will they eventually deny my wife entry? I believe this is the case.

Thanks for your help.

I'll start this by saying that Colombia is unique. The Bogota Embassy processes more visas than any other in the world. There are also more illegal Colombians in the US than any other country besides Mexico. My wife applied for a tourist visa and was denied. She was told that because she is married to me, a US Citizen, that the impetus was on her to prove alone, and above and beyond that of a normal Colombian, that she would return to Colombia. Apparently, owning car, having a job, being married to me who has a contract for another year, living with me for over a year here, being able to file DCF and quickly get a visa since I resident, and finishing her law degree was not enough to prove that. I wanted to visit my family for a month and not move back to the US for a few more years still since I have a good job here.

So, I am planning to file DCF. First, does anyone know what steps I need to take to file in Colombia. Some older posts have said that they were required to go to Bogota in person to file the petition. I really don't want to do that because it would transportation and lodging just to file some paperwork. The window to call to ask questions is quite small, 2-4 on Wednesday and I keep missing it because of work. They also never reply to email. It's a terrible embassy, really.

Second, can I go in December for a month with my wife for the first entry and then return after a month? We will then stay a little less than 6 months so that I can finish my contract and she can take care of some things like finishing her thesis for her degree and selling her car. Will that be a problem as long as I bring documents showing that we only returned for a few months to tie up loose ends? I only want to visit in December because I'm not sure how much longer my sick grandmother can hold on. I planned to visit in July, but that is too soon to have a visa now and I wouldn't be able to work a full year either.

Thank you for all your help.