Colombia Club Part II

[bramirez04 2]

Congrats Kevin let us know how it went!

[DanVanessaSiempre 0]

Always great to know that another couple is finally doing their own little Happy Dance!

[kennym 275]

First interview = Fail

Second interview = APPROVED!

More on it later.

Hey Kevinn!! Great news..

I hope you can share the details on your first interview as well, I am waiting for our interview date, but hope that I can understand what happened to cause your denial...

Congratulations on your approval!!

Kenny

[Nystu 2]

Hello everyone, my wife's AOS interview went great and approved in about 15 minutes, very happy and now looking forward to see NOA2'a for the kids. Thanks a lot to all of you for your guidance.

[Kevinn 0]

Thanks all! Well, for the first interview, something popped up and I couldn't make it to the interview. I thought I would take the risk since my brother and cousin both were successful in getting approved without them being there. My fiancee told me that basically everyone who went by themselves got denied just for that reason, and everyone who went as a couple got approved. They never looked at any of the evidence, and they also wanted her baptism certificate.

As for the second interview, I was there, and it was really short. Got inside the embassy at 7am and was out by 7:45. We were able to cut line 40 (2nd interview) and it took like 3 minutes to be called up to line 30 to receive all the missing stuff (baptism certificate, evidence of relationship). They told us to come back at 1pm. I came back at 12:30 and there were maybe 6-7 couples there that appeared to be on the same boat as me. I would bet that most of them were on the 2nd interview for my same reason.

At about 1:10 we got called up and the lady asked my fiancee if I came to the 2nd interview and what was my name. The whole 2nd interview, I was basically the only one being interviewed.

I was asked questions such as:

Where are you from?

How did we meet?

What do I do for work?

How many times have I visited Colombia?

Does her family approve?

How was the engagement?

Did I talk to her parents beforehand?

What are our wedding plans?

When will we get married?

What are our future plans?

Do I have any children?

Have I been married before?

The questions weren't on that same order, and I can't remember if any more questions were asked.

We spoke to another couple that got approved, and it was basically the same thing. It was their 2nd interview because the petitioner was not present during the first one. They only interviewed him on the 2nd interview.

Good luck to all!

BTW, does anyone know how long it usually takes to pick up the visa from the Domesa office in Bogota?

Edited August 25, 2010 by Kevinn

[kennym 275]

Hey Kevinn

Good report! Thanks for the information.. I am planning to be at the interview.. I still don't have a date, I expect early October.. I am waiting to make travel arrangements, but hopefully, it wont be short notice...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Kenny

[arizreynolds 1]

[quote name='Nystu' timestamp='1282745709' post='4153694'

Hello everyone, my wife's AOS interview went great and approved in about 15 minutes, very happy and now looking forward to see NOA2'a for the kids. Thanks a lot to all of you for your guidance.

congradulations

[arizreynolds 1]

Thanks all! Well, for the first interview, something popped up and I couldn't make it to the interview. I thought I would take the risk since my brother and cousin both were successful in getting approved without them being there. My fiancee told me that basically everyone who went by themselves got denied just for that reason, and everyone who went as a couple got approved. They never looked at any of the evidence, and they also wanted her baptism certificate.

As for the second interview, I was there, and it was really short. Got inside the embassy at 7am and was out by 7:45. We were able to cut line 40 (2nd interview) and it took like 3 minutes to be called up to line 30 to receive all the missing stuff (baptism certificate, evidence of relationship). They told us to come back at 1pm. I came back at 12:30 and there were maybe 6-7 couples there that appeared to be on the same boat as me. I would bet that most of them were on the 2nd interview for my same reason.

At about 1:10 we got called up and the lady asked my fiancee if I came to the 2nd interview and what was my name. The whole 2nd interview, I was basically the only one being interviewed.

I was asked questions such as:

Where are you from?

How did we meet?

What do I do for work?

How many times have I visited Colombia?

Does her family approve?

How was the engagement?

Did I talk to her parents beforehand?

What are our wedding plans?

When will we get married?

What are our future plans?

Do I have any children?

Have I been married before?

The questions weren't on that same order, and I can't remember if any more questions were asked.

We spoke to another couple that got approved, and it was basically the same thing. It was their 2nd interview because the petitioner was not present during the first one. They only interviewed him on the 2nd interview.

Good luck to all!

BTW, does anyone know how long it usually takes to pick up the visa from the Domesa office in Bogota?

congratulations i think i read or heard something maybe 3 days to get visa

[Robert de Bonda 3]

Hello everyone, my wife's AOS interview went great and approved in about 15 minutes, very happy and now looking forward to see NOA2'a for the kids. Thanks a lot to all of you for your guidance.

Congratulations! Enjoy your new life together. Good luck with the Rug Rats. They are fun to have around when they are small; look out when they hit their teen years.

Edited August 25, 2010 by Robert de Bonda

[Robert de Bonda 3]

Good luck to Ben & Diana who have their interview tomorrow (8/26).

[Nystu 2]

Congratulations! Enjoy your new life together. Good luck with the Rug Rats. They are fun to have around when they are small; look out when they hit their teen years.

Thanks a lot, hopefully it won't be too long before they are here with us. I am a bit concerned about them coming here in the middle of winter, they are "costenos", so NY winters will be a brand new thing for them.

[Robert de Bonda 3]

Thanks a lot, hopefully it won't be too long before they are here with us. I am a bit concerned about them coming here in the middle of winter, they are "costenos", so NY winters will be a brand new thing for them.

Hey as Costeños, they probably think that they can handle anything. My fiancee, also Costeña, feels that if she can survive the weather in Bogota, she can handle anything. I'm projecting January for her arrival, so I have to buy stuff that I know that she will need. Hopefully, she can then buy weather appropriate clothes that she likes the day after she arrives. I don't even think that I ever saw her wear closed toe shoes. I sure hope that she survives the weather-shock.

Edited August 26, 2010 by Robert de Bonda

[Nystu 2]

Hey as Costeños, they probably think that they can handle anything. My fiancee, also Costeña, feels that if she can survive the weather in Bogota, she can handle anything. I'm projecting January for her arrival, so I have to buy stuff that I know that she will need. Hopefully, she can then buy weather appropriate clothes that she likes the day after she arrives. I don't even think that I ever saw her wear closed toe shoes. I sure hope that she survives the weather-shock.

LOL... Deja Vu! My wife came to NY for the first time two years ago in the middle of November, I remember her saying, I have been in Bogota so I know what cold weather is. Since I have also been to Bogota, I told her that a cold day in Bogota is nothing more than a fresh autumn day in NY. She got here on a very cold 15F night, as we were walking out of the airport she said, I don't know how you can live here...lol... I also remember telling her, you have to learn how to dress for this weather. Two years later she knows what I meant back then. Wow, just realized how far we have gone in just two years, this journey is not easy, but the results are very fulfilling.

Good day everybody!

[ryna 132]

I'm kind of glad now that we're probably looking at a January arrival for my fiancée but for the opposite reason. She's used to Bogotá and I think the winter weather in Florida will be more hospitable to her than arriving in the summer to 95°F with humidity! Of course, I am planning on taking her to DC (where I'm originally from) during the winter so she can see what real "cold" is because Bogotá isn't it! (Not that DC is either, compared to some places.)

And, now for a question.. The K1 visa fee is $350 now, correct? And there is no additional $74 "IV security surcharge" that I've seen listed for other visas on the embassy website, so the total amount is $350, right?

What other fees do I have to account for? Off the top of my head, I can think of:

1. visa fee ($350)

2. medical (approx. $140)

3. vaccinations, if needed (varies)

4. Domesa delivery ($30?)

5. Misc fees - Colombian docs, pictures, translations, etc. (varies)

Thanks everyone. Now the real legwork begins but I am looking forward to it!

[bramirez04 2]

I'm kind of glad now that we're probably looking at a January arrival for my fiancée but for the opposite reason. She's used to Bogotá and I think the winter weather in Florida will be more hospitable to her than arriving in the summer to 95°F with humidity! Of course, I am planning on taking her to DC (where I'm originally from) during the winter so she can see what real "cold" is because Bogotá isn't it! (Not that DC is either, compared to some places.)

And, now for a question.. The K1 visa fee is $350 now, correct? And there is no additional $74 "IV security surcharge" that I've seen listed for other visas on the embassy website, so the total amount is $350, right?

What other fees do I have to account for? Off the top of my head, I can think of:

1. visa fee ($350)

2. medical (approx. $140)

3. vaccinations, if needed (varies)

4. Domesa delivery ($30?)

5. Misc fees - Colombian docs, pictures, translations, etc. (varies)

Thanks everyone. Now the real legwork begins but I am looking forward to it!

that sounds about right!