Colombia Club

[KathyB 0]

Hi Jay1234,

I'm relatively new to this Club too, but my fiance and I just faxed our information to the embassy this afternoon! I followed the advice of those who have gone before, so I've got my fingers crossed that we did everything correctly! It took about 3 weeks for the petition to arrive at and depart from the NVC. I'm happy to pass along any information we get as we move along. Congrats on the NOA2!

KathyB

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Three weeks at the NVC! Wow, things sure have slowed down. My wife's petition arrive at the NVC and was there all of one day before it was shipped to Bogota. Maybe I was just lucky. Anyway, the worst is over. I am sure the shortcut will work for you. With any luck, you'll get a March interview.

Good luck,

Mike

Hi Jay1234,

I'm relatively new to this Club too, but my fiance and I just faxed our information to the embassy this afternoon! I followed the advice of those who have gone before, so I've got my fingers crossed that we did everything correctly! It took about 3 weeks for the petition to arrive at and depart from the NVC. I'm happy to pass along any information we get as we move along. Congrats on the NOA2!

KathyB

[TonyS 0]

Hola mi amigos! I'm leaving in the morning for the interview. Thanks to all for the help. I feel very confident due to all the information provided to me in this forum. I only wish to repay the favor to future and current members getting ready for their interviews.

Tony

[KathyB 0]

Three weeks at the NVC! Wow, things sure have slowed down. My wife's petition arrive at the NVC and was there all of one day before it was shipped to Bogota. Maybe I was just lucky. Anyway, the worst is over. I am sure the shortcut will work for you. With any luck, you'll get a March interview.

Good luck,

Mike

Hi Jay1234,

I'm relatively new to this Club too, but my fiance and I just faxed our information to the embassy this afternoon! I followed the advice of those who have gone before, so I've got my fingers crossed that we did everything correctly! It took about 3 weeks for the petition to arrive at and depart from the NVC. I'm happy to pass along any information we get as we move along. Congrats on the NOA2!

KathyB

Well, I don't think it was at NVC that long. I think it took CSC a long time to move it to NVC! Thanks for the good wishes. I think we either just made the cutoff window or just missed it!

[HAL 9000 96]

Well Kathy, things are totally interesting as to that cutoff... NVC told me this morning (2/20/07) that they had very recently received the petition and they instructed me (without asking) to call back Friday afternoon, yes... 2/23/2007 to see if it was already shipped out to Bogotá. Hopefully so...

I guess I'll start reading a little more closely the postings here in Club Colombia, errr, Colombia Club (disregard that I have a couple of six packs of Club Colombia in my Chicago fridge now... ) B)

[Mike and Adriana 0]

From what I can tell, it appears that the petitions are sent to the NVC in batches...and are then sent to the embassies. I think Kathy is right....the hold-up was with the SC sending the petition to the NVC. Like I said before, the NVC sent my petition to the embassy the day after logging it.

By the way, just to make sure we are being clear, the cut-off date that Kathy and I are speaking of is the cut-off date at the embassy in Bogota. It has been established by those before us that the embassy finalizes its interview schedule somewhere between the 15th and 20th of the month. Therefore, if one's petition were to make it to the embassy by the cut-off date in February, he or she would get a March interview. Safe to say that if your petition will not be sent to the embassy until February 23...it won't be received by the embassy for three business days (DHL delivery time)....so therefore you will have an April interview.

Mike

Well Kathy, things are totally interesting as to that cutoff... NVC told me this morning (2/20/07) that they had very recently received the petition and they instructed me (without asking) to call back Friday afternoon, yes... 2/23/2007 to see if it was already shipped out to Bogotá. Hopefully so...

I guess I'll start reading a little more closely the postings here in Club Colombia, errr, Colombia Club (disregard that I have a couple of six packs of Club Colombia in my Chicago fridge now... ) B)

[HAL 9000 96]

From what I can tell, it appears that the petitions are sent to the NVC in batches...and are then sent to the embassies. I think Kathy is right....the hold-up was with the SC sending the petition to the NVC. Like I said before, the NVC sent my petition to the embassy the day after logging it.

By the way, just to make sure we are being clear, the cut-off date that Kathy and I are speaking of is the cut-off date at the embassy in Bogota. It has been established by those before us that the embassy finalizes its interview schedule somewhere between the 15th and 20th of the month. Therefore, if one's petition were to make it to the embassy by the cut-off date in February, he or she would get a March interview. Safe to say that if your petition will not be sent to the embassy until February 23...it won't be received by the embassy for three business days (DHL delivery time)....so therefore you will have an April interview.

Mike

Well Kathy, things are totally interesting as to that cutoff... NVC told me this morning (2/20/07) that they had very recently received the petition and they instructed me (without asking) to call back Friday afternoon, yes... 2/23/2007 to see if it was already shipped out to Bogotá. Hopefully so...

I guess I'll start reading a little more closely the postings here in Club Colombia, errr, Colombia Club (disregard that I have a couple of six packs of Club Colombia in my Chicago fridge now... ) B)

That would be my assumption... I am already creating interview date scenarios in relation to totally missing February's cutoff with the Embassy. I am actually calculating a May interview due to several factors including the certificates my girl's gonna have to obtain from Bucaramanga, and at least now at this point, neither of us are going to freak out about it! We just want to be together here in Chicago by June and all will be good...

Hopefully TonyS can forward me his Packet 3/4 scans soon, unless someone else can volunteer that info. Obviously I have DS-156, 157, and 158 in Español from the Embajada Website.

Good luck to us!

[Mike and Adriana 0]

I have an old packet 3/4 (April, 2005). If you want it, PM me with an e-mail address. I believe Dre (OskaryAndrea) has a scanned copy of the current packet 3/4 - you might want to PM her.

As for the interview date....if you have a reason to want to delay your interview until May....then DO NOT fax your DS-230 and OF-169 to the embassy until AFTER March 20. Otherwise, you will likely get an April interview. Once the embassy gets your packet 3 forms, you really have no control over your interview date. The only chance you have to delay the interview date (other than to try to petition a change) is by NOT submitting the necessary packet 3 forms.

Good luck,

Mike

That would be my assumption... I am already creating interview date scenarios in relation to totally missing February's cutoff with the Embassy. I am actually calculating a May interview due to several factors including the certificates my girl's gonna have to obtain from Bucaramanga, and at least now at this point, neither of us are going to freak out about it! We just want to be together here in Chicago by June and all will be good...

Hopefully TonyS can forward me his Packet 3/4 scans soon, unless someone else can volunteer that info. Obviously I have DS-156, 157, and 158 in Español from the Embajada Website.

Good luck to us!

[KathyB 0]

I am a little confused about one thing. When Francisco goes for his interview, he will bring the DS-156 (this is the form he takes to pay the fee and receives a bar code), if I understand correctly. So we fill out the nonimmigrant visa and immigrant visa applications?

Sometimes my head just spins!

Also, what are the DS-157 and DS-158?

Thanks!!

Disregard my question about 157 and 158. Just found them on the Dept. of State website!

[HAL 9000 96]

Thanks!

I'll PM Dre...

As for a MAY interview... its all about making a little Extra Cash... here (for me) and there (for her). We figure it will be a while before she can work in the USA, so the current job she has will carry her an extra month. She is saving money to have here so as not to be a huge burden. I will most likely have to resign from my current job (no time off allowed until August... long story) in order to go to the interview and go pick her up (we like flying together).

Are the DAS certificates good for a certain amount of time? We are planning on starting that process next week and don't want them to expire before the interview.

[Jay1234 2]

I would also like to know about expiration dates for DAS or other documents.

I just called NVC to check if they recieved my petition (NOA 2 on Feb. 15). The customer service rep told me that it was not there, I could expect between 4 weeks and 90 days till reciept. I am thinking this is kind of like the processing times they post at Service Centers, i.e., wildly inflated to try to keep people from calling. I intend on checking back in a day or two, but out of curiousity, anyone have a similar experience?

Edited February 23, 2007 by Jay1234

[Mike and Adriana 0]

If I recall correctly, the DAS documents are good for six months. I believe the I-134 is good for a year (should say in the instructions).

The NVC is full of it. They are just spouting the party line, just like the processing time on their web site. Keep calling. I suspect your petition will arrive soon.

Good luck.

Mike

I would also like to know about expiration dates for DAS or other documents.

I just called NVC to check if they recieved my petition (NOA 2 on Feb. 15). The customer service rep told me that it was not there, I could expect between 4 weeks and 90 days till reciept. I am thinking this is kind of like the processing times they post at Service Centers, i.e., wildly inflated to try to keep people from calling. I intend on checking back in a day or two, but out of curiousity, anyone have a similar experience?

I am a little confused about one thing. When Francisco goes for his interview, he will bring the DS-156 (this is the form he takes to pay the fee and receives a bar code), if I understand correctly. So we fill out the nonimmigrant visa and immigrant visa applications?

Sometimes my head just spins!

Also, what are the DS-157 and DS-158?

Thanks!!

Disregard my question about 157 and 158. Just found them on the Dept. of State website!

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Yes, he will bring the DS-156 (along with several other items...I am sure you know that already). We actually had two DS-156s. The first DS-156 was reviewed at the Banco, where they had marked it with a small stamp. If I recall correctly, the doctor included this DS-156 into my wife's sealed medical packet. We brought our photocopy of the DS-156 with us to the interview (as they ask for two copies total).

We did not need to provide a DS-156K or a DS-157. The DS-156K is only for K-1s (so you will ned this). The DS-158 is supposedly for beneificaries who are Colombian males between the ages of 18-45.

Mike

I am a little confused about one thing. When Francisco goes for his interview, he will bring the DS-156 (this is the form he takes to pay the fee and receives a bar code), if I understand correctly. So we fill out the nonimmigrant visa and immigrant visa applications?

Sometimes my head just spins!

Also, what are the DS-157 and DS-158?

Thanks!!

Disregard my question about 157 and 158. Just found them on the Dept. of State website!

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Let me clarify on this. The Banco Credito will place a small stamp on the DS-156. However, they will ALSO place the barcode and fee receipt (stickers) on the front of the beneficiary's passport.

By the way, don't make the same mistake I did. The bank does NOT accept U.S. dollars in payment of the $100 fee (luckily for us, there was an ATM next door). Kind of funny....the fee is stated in U.S. dollars, but they only accept pesos. The medical exam fee and blood test fee, however, are stated in the packet 4 instructions in pesos. Go figure.

Mike

Yes, he will bring the DS-156 (along with several other items...I am sure you know that already). We actually had two DS-156s. The first DS-156 was reviewed at the Banco, where they had marked it with a small stamp.

[HAL 9000 96]

With a devaluating US Dollar versus the COP (look at Yahoo Finance, for example), its funny that they don't accept the fee in USD... the Embassy is losing money by doing so.

Mike, thanks for the packets. I'll use them as practice while our friends with the more current instructions (that was really mostly what I wanted... honestly we'll wait for the Colombian mail system to follow through on these deliveries... no, I'm not smoking anything jajajaja...) get the updated forms to moi. Hopefully they will have good and better news to report soon!!!!

By the way... our I-129F left not today (2/23) from NVC to Bogotá... but on Wednesday (2/21)!! A shucks! Just when we were starting to breathe a more relaxed air of relief, they start to get ahead of themselves... uurrgghh... jajaja

My bonita will go to DAS next week anyway. I will instruct her to send in the Packet 3 paperwork right around March 21-23 if not a bit sooner... I am leaving the whole employment situation up to her... the current job I have will probably not allow me to travel a few days for this interview so I have a choice based on what she wishes... lucky me she understands my situation and will wait a couple of weeks to purposely miss the cutoff dates so we get a May interview... but I just told her that if she wants an April interview then by all means send in the paperwork by fax really soon!

One bit of questioning I have for Mike and perhaps Kathy- in the older instructions for the interview/I-134 state to bring in 3 years of 1040s/W-2s, etc... do the newer Packet supporting documents repeat this demand or has it also been scaled back to just the last year as in the newer I-134 instructions?

Thanks again

Let me clarify on this. The Banco Credito will place a small stamp on the DS-156. However, they will ALSO place the barcode and fee receipt (stickers) on the front of the beneficiary's passport.

By the way, don't make the same mistake I did. The bank does NOT accept U.S. dollars in payment of the $100 fee (luckily for us, there was an ATM next door). Kind of funny....the fee is stated in U.S. dollars, but they only accept pesos. The medical exam fee and blood test fee, however, are stated in the packet 4 instructions in pesos. Go figure.

Mike

Yes, he will bring the DS-156 (along with several other items...I am sure you know that already). We actually had two DS-156s. The first DS-156 was reviewed at the Banco, where they had marked it with a small stamp.