Colombia Club

[Bill y Bella 0]

Paola called the emabassy yesterday, she was told to fax them a letter explaining about not getting Pkt 4. She requested they call her on her cell phone. They just called and told her she can pick up the Letter of invitation next Tuesday, July 31. WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can quit stressing about that now and focus on the interview. So for her it will be a 12 hour bus ride each way to Bogota or a $245.00 1 hour plane ride. I really don't care for either option.

I was out of town on biz yesterday and just got caught up on the board. There seems to be a whole bunch of positive energy going on now..........FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chester,

This is the post Buck left here regarding packet 4.

Diana

Maybe the fax is the answer because Chester says that he is not having any luck trying to talk to them on the phone.

Chester if you fax them, it might be best to tell them when someone will be in Bogota so they give you a pickup appointment that will not require a special trip.

[Mononoke28 134]

hello!! thank you all for the welcome!!!!

I read the whole thread and i'm still confused about the shortcut.... i do understand the tracking process, what is not clear is what documents should i send (fax and servientrega) once the approved petition gets to the embassy in bogota. all packet #3?? i know is a silly question but i want to be sure

thanks!!!!

Marcela

Marcela,

Are you sure you read the whole thing? This is what Lucho said you should include in packet #3 (más claro no canta un gallo)

Shortcut - Fax packet 3 to the embassy. This will save you at

least 2 weeks if not more by doing so. I would advise to send the

packet 3 via courier as well (i.e. Servientrega)

Packet 3 Contents:

1. Cover letter

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

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

4. OF-169

The cover letter should be simple and brief. Include the BGT case #

on the cover letter.

Diana

[Mononoke28 134]

Hi Chester...I don't know if this will help your problem but maybe you could try to contact USCIS and get past the customer service people to speak to an agent...the agent may be able to pull some strings at the embassy to get the info you need.

good luck and keep me posted, Scott

Scott,

Just to guide you a little bit more, the USCIS has nothing to do with the embassy. Once they approve the petition, they send it to the NVC and they're done.

Diana

[Chester y Monica 0]

Thanks folks for all the suggestions. We have been waiting until yesterday to find out if someone over the phone at the Consular Seccion was going to help us. I was hoping that at least they would direct me to someone that could arrange an appointment to get it picked up, but no such luck. I do remember what Buck and Paola did to get their letter. I just don't want to send my novia on a 9 hour bus trip (one way) to get a letter than can be sent via Servientrega paid upon delivery by the receiver. The other option we have was to have a friend pick it up at the embassy. This is all possible IF we had a window and appointment to pick it up. I know they just won't let anyone walking in without any official business.

Update : 11:51 AM PST -- Faxed sent to the embassy requesting A) Sent to receiver via Servientrega and we will pay upon delivery B) Call her on home number and arrange details C) Someone authorized can pick it up.

Edited August 16, 2007 by Chester y Monica

[Mononoke28 134]

What if you make the appointment to pick up the letter a couple of days before the lab tests and medical? That way you can both go pick it up and run the other errands before the interview. All you really need the letter is for those three things, lab, medical and interview.

Another thing is if someone like Lucho for example, can send you a copy of the letter and you can make your own.

Just a thought.

Diana

Edited August 16, 2007 by Mononoke28

[Chester y Monica 0]

What if you make the appointment to pick up the letter a couple of days before the lab tests and medical? That way you can both go pick it up and run the other errands before the interview. All you really need the letter is for those three things, lab, medical and interview.

Another thing is if someone like Lucho for example, can send you a copy of the letter and you can make your own.

Just a thought.

Diana

Diana -

Since I am flying down to Cali on September 1, it's too tight of a schedule. It's also a US holiday on Sep 3, Labor Day which means the embajada will be closed. We've allocated Sep 4, Tuesday for the LAB and medical. Wednesday is for a "just in case" day for anything that might come up.

What do you mean by the letter? The request to get another Packet 4 copy?

Edited August 16, 2007 by Chester y Monica

[paisita411 0]

Chester,

You DO NOT need an appointment to pick up PK4 at the embassy. They are available from 2-4pm every THURSDAY only. Have your wife send a notarized letter authorizing her friend to pick it up and he/she can take that to the embassy on any THURSDAY 2-4pm.

Good luck,

Andrea

[Chester y Monica 0]

Thanks Dre!

So this means that to get the letter to Bogota would take a day or two, then our next opportunity is next week. How I missed this information on previous posts, I don't know.

[Entonces... 0]

Hello everyone,

My name is Rafael and my fiance lives in Colombia. (Wow, I feel like in an A.A. meeting.)

Well I have been doing my homework and reading the post from Pete, Mike, Oskaryandrea,Lucho etc.. and I have to tell you guys I hope I can cross the finish line like you guys have. For me personally, it has been really rough since I have been back from Cali in late March and I wanting to go back everyday since. sometime I feel like I'm alone on this well I have a friend that went through the process (fiance is from Central America) and help me a great deal but seems to very busy with family a current obligations. I feel that this thread has taught me few things the last couple of days, patience, patience, and more patience. I went through the previous posts and I have my a question about vaccinations. Does my fiance have to get them now or can she wait? I want to be ahead of the game hear. So any tips are appreciated. Right now she working on purchasing the passport. Currently the passport is $ 131.080 COP. Also I told her to get started on the DAS paperwork and birth cert.

Guys, am I jumping the gun on getting all these things this early on or should we wait?

Guys, thanx. Hope I can be as helpful as you guys have been to me on shedding light on this whole Visa Journey thing. (was not paid to write that) LOL

[parkpapa 0]

Hello everyone,

My name is Rafael and my fiance lives in Colombia. (Wow, I feel like in an A.A. meeting.)

I went through the previous posts and I have my a question about vaccinations. Does my fiance have to get them now or can she wait? I want to be ahead of the game hear. So any tips are appreciated. Right now she working on purchasing the passport. Currently the passport is $ 131.080 COP. Also I told her to get started on the DAS paperwork and birth cert.

Guys, am I jumping the gun on getting all these things this early on or should we wait?

Guys, thanx. Hope I can be as helpful as you guys have been to me on shedding light on this whole Visa Journey thing. (was not paid to write that) LOL

Welcome Rafael! Yeah, you'll feel like you're in AA after a while (just kidding). ;-)

My suggestion is that you guys go ahead and get done whatever you can do now, rather than wait. That said, however, ONLY do those things if you and/or your girlfriend are very well organized and can put your hands on any give document at any given time. I suggest buying a couple of expandable folders where all documents can be sorted and stored. Another important thing to do is MAKE COPIES OF EVERYTHING!!! And keep the copies in the same order or sequence as what you send in to USCIS. For example, when you submit the I-130 or I-129, make a second complete copy of everything in exactly the same order. Keep these things in a safe place. It's always better to have too many copies of something than not enough, when you need them.

Charles

Side note to everyone about vaccinations: We are finding that the vaccination schedules and records in Colombia do not always match what is the norm in the US. Be prepared to get more shots when you get here.

[Mononoke28 134]

Diana -

Since I am flying down to Cali on September 1, it's too tight of a schedule. It's also a US holiday on Sep 3, Labor Day which means the embajada will be closed. We've allocated Sep 4, Tuesday for the LAB and medical. Wednesday is for a "just in case" day for anything that might come up.

What do you mean by the letter? The request to get another Packet 4 copy?

I was referring to the actual interview letter. Jediknight posted a sample of his wife's for me to copy and make my own just in case we don't get the letter on time. I know it probably sounded like a far fetched idea but hell, I was just brainstorming.

Diana

Hello everyone,

My name is Rafael and my fiance lives in Colombia. (Wow, I feel like in an A.A. meeting.)

Well I have been doing my homework and reading the post from Pete, Mike, Oskaryandrea,Lucho etc.. and I have to tell you guys I hope I can cross the finish line like you guys have. For me personally, it has been really rough since I have been back from Cali in late March and I wanting to go back everyday since. sometime I feel like I'm alone on this well I have a friend that went through the process (fiance is from Central America) and help me a great deal but seems to very busy with family a current obligations. I feel that this thread has taught me few things the last couple of days, patience, patience, and more patience. I went through the previous posts and I have my a question about vaccinations. Does my fiance have to get them now or can she wait? I want to be ahead of the game hear. So any tips are appreciated. Right now she working on purchasing the passport. Currently the passport is $ 131.080 COP. Also I told her to get started on the DAS paperwork and birth cert.

Guys, am I jumping the gun on getting all these things this early on or should we wait?

Guys, thanx. Hope I can be as helpful as you guys have been to me on shedding light on this whole Visa Journey thing. (was not paid to write that) LOL

Welcome Rafael!

I'm with Charles on this one, it's never too late to get started. One thing to consider is trying to get her birth certificate translated while she's in Colombia since she'll need it when she files for AOS once she gets here. It's a lot cheaper down there and it doesn't have to be apostilled.

Diana

[paisita411 0]

Bienvenido Rafa! We're here to help. If your fiance can get a hold of her vacuans, than great, same for all of the documents. You'll find that once you get started assembeling things, it takes longer than you imagined and it helps to close the gaps in the process as you wait for subsequent steps. I think the longest wait is between NOA1 and NOA2, after NOA2, the next month or two FLYS by. There are great questions in this thread, tips, short cuts and even a fabulous list of interview questions in English and Spanish that the two of you can use to get to know each other even better! Never be embarassed to ask anything, remember, we've been through it already and most of us have asked the same question at some point. So...hold on for the ride...your JOURNEY has begun!!!

ps...I miss my husband too, so I know how you feel.

Dre

And before any of you ask (me tienen boracha con esta pregunta...), my husband is planning to travel in the next 2-3 weeks.

LOL

[M&J 0]

hello!! thank you all for the welcome!!!!

I read the whole thread and i'm still confused about the shortcut.... i do understand the tracking process, what is not clear is what documents should i send (fax and servientrega) once the approved petition gets to the embassy in bogota. all packet #3?? i know is a silly question but i want to be sure

thanks!!!!

Marcela

Marcela,

Are you sure you read the whole thing? This is what Lucho said you should include in packet #3 (más claro no canta un gallo)

Shortcut - Fax packet 3 to the embassy. This will save you at

least 2 weeks if not more by doing so. I would advise to send the

packet 3 via courier as well (i.e. Servientrega)

Packet 3 Contents:

1. Cover letter

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

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

4. OF-169

The cover letter should be simple and brief. Include the BGT case #

on the cover letter.

Diana

GRACIAS!

[paisita411 0]

Guys...I spent some time reading some POE reviews for Miami, Atlanta and New York (JFK). It apprears that people going through JFK are issued temporary EADs from 30days to 6mos. This doesn't happen in Miami or Atlanta and folks going through those POEs even mention it in thier reviews. Has anyone from Colombia Club gone through JFK for POE??? If so, did your fiance/spouse recieve a EAD stamp?

[Chester y Monica 0]

I was referring to the actual interview letter. Jediknight posted a sample of his wife's for me to copy and make my own just in case we don't get the letter on time. I know it probably sounded like a far fetched idea but hell, I was just brainstorming

Thanks for the clarification Diana.

Lo and behold. I just got home from a week of business trips and I get a nice manila envelope from the embassy in Bogota. It contains the appointment letter and date, Packet 4 instructions plus other related information regarding vaccinations and bank offices.

Is this the norm? The petitioner in the US getting copies/notices of the same information sent to the beneficiary. I don't recall reading this in the forums. Not that I'm complaining, but maybe the process has changed a bit.