Colombia Club Part III

[Mononoke28 135]

I had a question for you Kenny

My husband will be coming with his IR-2 visa in October. He has some family in Canada that he would love to visit. Would he need a visa to go sometime down the road? I read online that his green card was enough to go to Canada but I have read other articles that completely contradict that. Do you know?

Actually his visa will be an IR-1 since IR-2 visas are for children of the petitionary.

As for traveling to Canada, all he would need is his passport and his green card. Same with traveling to Mexico.

Diana

[ryna 132]

Saw in your other message that you meant Vonage, I think we'll try that first.

Thanks for affirming that Vonage works for you. I've heard differing takes, but it seems worth a try at least at first.

Thanks for your advice on Vonage. I saw in another thread you mentioned calling cards too - I think we'll go with that combination.

And thanks for the advice for when she gets here. It's tough to know it all comes down to her, but I've done all I can with preparing. She comes next Friday so I'm wishing for time to go faster! I'm sure everything will be fine, but like the interview, you still fret over every possible outcome. Thanks again!! (Great movie by the way - based on your name).

I would add that a lot depends on the destination numbers in Colombia (fijos or cell phones As the vast majority of my wife's (LARGE) family live in the country and only have cell phones, we opted for the Vonage World Premium Plan @ $55/mo. Even @ 5 cents/min to cells with the $25/mo plan, within the first 2-3 months we discovered that her calls quickly added up to the extra $/30 month.

We also have an Orbitel Virtual PIN and have added the phone numbers of her family to the approved phone list. With the Colombian toll-free access number, they can initiate calls to her (free to them) whenever they want. Of course, my wife always calls them back because so it doesn't burn through the calling card account so fast.

As for the Vonage connections... I don't make calls to Colombia anymore since my wife is here but she almost never mentions any connection problems these days. I know that in 2009 and 2010, at times, I would have problems calling her but it seems things have improved greatly, at least here.

[Frank y Janeth 1]

Vonage connections to Bogota are great, from my experience, both to landlines and cell phones.

If you're planning on calling a cell phone in San Andrés, however， just save yourself the headache and invest in two tin cans with a string reaching from here to SAI. Your probability of getting through to someone is about the same, plus it's free.

[Mononoke28 135]

Vonage connections to Bogota are great, from my experience, both to landlines and cell phones.

If you're planning on calling a cell phone in San Andrés, however， just save yourself the headache and invest in two tin cans with a string reaching from here to SAI. Your probability of getting through to someone is about the same, plus it's free.

Diana

[kali1229 6]

Actually his visa will be an IR-1 since IR-2 visas are for children of the petitionary.

As for traveling to Canada, all he would need is his passport and his green card. Same with traveling to Mexico.

Diana

LOL. Silly mistake, but you're right. Thank you for correcting me.

[kennym 275]

Has anyone been to an interview without your interview letter? How do you handle your medical exams and lab without the letter.,.

I am asking, because my wife is taking her daughter to Bogota for the Medical in about a week and we likely wont have the letter by then?

[Mononoke28 135]

Has anyone been to an interview without your interview letter? How do you handle your medical exams and lab without the letter.,.

I am asking, because my wife is taking her daughter to Bogota for the Medical in about a week and we likely wont have the letter by then?

What most people do is print out the online appointment schedule where it shows the BGT case number and the date of the interview. Page 2 of the Instruction Package also says to download the Appointment Package in case the appointment letter is not available:

What should I do if my appointment has been scheduled, but I haven’t received my Appointment Package?

Due to unpredictable Colombian mail service, we have moved all packages and forms to our website: http://bogota.usembassy.gov/appt-package.html.

If your appointment is listed on our website but you haven’t received an Appointment Package and interview letter, please download the Appointment Package for K-Visas (Packet 4) from our website and follow the detailed instructions. You may schedule your medical appointment and enter the Consular Section waiting room only on the scheduled date of your interview without your interview letter.

The Appointment Package has the following regarding the lab and medical exams:

At both examinations, you must show these instructions and your passport. You must bring one photograph (see photograph instructions) per applicant to each examination. If you do not bring your passport, these instructions, or photographs, the examinations will not be performed. Examinations from a laboratory or doctor not included on this list will not be accepted.

Diana

Edited August 30, 2011 by Mononoke28

[kennym 275]

What most people do is print out the online appointment schedule where it shows the BGT case number and the date of the interview. Page 2 of the Instruction Package also says to download the Appointment Package in case the appointment letter is not available:

What should I do if my appointment has been scheduled, but I haven’t received my Appointment Package?

Due to unpredictable Colombian mail service, we have moved all packages and forms to our website: http://bogota.usembassy.gov/appt-package.html.

If your appointment is listed on our website but you haven’t received an Appointment Package and interview letter, please download the Appointment Package for K-Visas (Packet 4) from our website and follow the detailed instructions. You may schedule your medical appointment and enter the Consular Section waiting room only on the scheduled date of your interview without your interview letter.

The Appointment Package has the following regarding the lab and medical exams:

At both examinations, you must show these instructions and your passport. You must bring one photograph (see photograph instructions) per applicant to each examination. If you do not bring your passport, these instructions, or photographs, the examinations will not be performed. Examinations from a laboratory or doctor not included on this list will not be accepted.

Diana

Hey Diana, Thanks, but now with the new medical requirements, of needing to have the TB Results prior to the Interview date, how can you wait until the day of your appointment?

You may schedule your medical appointment and enter the Consular Section waiting room only on the scheduled date of your interview without your interview letter.

This is the part I don't understand.. From what I remember about the day of our interview, this is not possible if you must be at the interview at 7 AM, how is it possible to do your medical on the same day? Especially with the new TB Testing...

[Mononoke28 135]

Hey Diana, Thanks, but now with the new medical requirements, of needing to have the TB Results prior to the Interview date, how can you wait until the day of your appointment?

You may schedule your medical appointment and enter the Consular Section waiting room only on the scheduled date of your interview without your interview letter.

This is the part I don't understand.. From what I remember about the day of our interview, this is not possible if you must be at the interview at 7 AM, how is it possible to do your medical on the same day? Especially with the new TB Testing...

I was also confused about this part but after reading it a few times over the grammar errors made sense to me, kind of like those 3D pictures that were so popular in the 90s . It pretty much says that you can schedule your appointment without your interview letter as well as go to the Consular Section waiting room on the date of the interview without the letter. They just mixed up the medical and the interview processes all in one sentence which makes it difficult to understand.

Diana

[kennym 275]

I was also confused about this part but after reading it a few times over the grammar errors made sense to me, kind of like those 3D pictures that were so popular in the 90s . It pretty much says that you can schedule your appointment without your interview letter as well as go to the Consular Section waiting room on the date of the interview without the letter. They just mixed up the medical and the interview processes all in one sentence which makes it difficult to understand.

Diana

Thanks Diana...

Read this...

Call from CO

You'll understand the reason for my question...

[Ready to do it 101]

Kenny,

You seem to have a very good relationship with CO. Perhaps you could kindly ask him about the new requirement of the Petitioner needing to get the DAS certificate. I realize your situation may be different as it's the sponsorship of a child and you have already sponsored your wife, but it would be great to know what he says about this new requirement.... or perhaps you could ask him when you go for the step-daughters interview as in a closing. Ie. Tell him that many are curious about this new requirement of the petitioner needing the DAS certificate when petitioning for a fiance. How does a petitioner get this certificate if he/she cannot go to Bogota? Are there ways the fiance beneficiary can get it for the petitioner in his/her hometown in Colombia?

Ask if you would like, and it'd probably be best to ask after the interview, kind of like a "By the way..." It would help the Colombian VJer's out a lot to have that info.

Thanks Diana...

Read this...

Call from CO

You'll understand the reason for my question...

Edited August 30, 2011 by Ready to do it

[kennym 275]

Kenny,

You seem to have a very good relationship with CO. Perhaps you could kindly ask him about the new requirement of the Petitioner needing to get the DAS certificate. I realize your situation may be different as it's the sponsorship of a child and you have already sponsored your wife, but it would be great to know what he says about this new requirement.... or perhaps you could ask him when you go for the step-daughters interview as in a closing. Ie. Tell him that many are curious about this new requirement of the petitioner needing the DAS certificate when petitioning for a fiance. How does a petitioner get this certificate if he/she cannot go to Bogota? Are there ways the fiance beneficiary can get it for the petitioner in his/her hometown in Colombia?

Ask if you would like, and it'd probably be best to ask after the interview, kind of like a "By the way..." It would help the Colombian VJer's out a lot to have that info.

I will give it a shot, but, honestly, I am a little out-of-touch... what exactly is the new process? I am not aware of the changes... Can you elaborate a bit on the process and the questions you have..

Kenny

[kennym 275]

Wow! I just read the new instructions.. Is the I-864 really required?

Man, I better get busy...

Kenny

[kennym 275]

Wow! I just read the new instructions.. Is the I-864 really required?

Man, I better get busy...

Kenny

Ok, got it, just modified the one from Maritza's AOS...

Kenny

[Ready to do it 101]

The new requirement is that the CO requires the beneficiary to bring a DAS Certificate of the Petitioner to the interview. In the past it has always been a DAS certificate on the Beneficiary. 6 months ago initiated the new requirement that a DAS Certificate is required on both the Petitioner and Beneficiary. Apparently the only way for the US Petitioner to get a DAS Certificate is for the USC to go to Bogota and get it. I.e. His fiance cannot get it for him. I have read where the petitioner can jump through a bunch of hoops... I.e. Send a notarized power of attorney to the beneficiary and then the beneficiary can go to Bogota and get it... which is not always feasible. I.e. It's not easy to get a notarized original power of attorney to a beneficiary and then for the beneficiary get to Bogota a few days before the interview to get it.

Apparently, it is a new requirement, however, they are not asking "everyone" for it. It'd be great if you could find out some info on this requirement and how exactly they expect the beneficary to have the USC Petitioner's DAS Certificate. In case you didn't know... it's listed as a requirement in Packet 3. I assume it was not needed when you petitioned for your fiance as they just added it to packet 3 in April.

I will give it a shot, but, honestly, I am a little out-of-touch... what exactly is the new process? I am not aware of the changes... Can you elaborate a bit on the process and the questions you have..

Kenny