Brazil filers

[Marina-Del 10]

Ola

I asked these questions on the DCF site already, but I'm not getting any answers, so I decided to repost the ones directly related to Brazil here. Hope I have better luck here. And while I am filing DCF, I'm pretty sure that anyone who went through Brazil can answer this question! Thanks!!

1) Rio doesn't have same day pickup for the visa...can they mail it to us? Or do we have to pick it up later ourselves?? I hope they mail it!

[mrs. wife! 3]

Hi Marina!

Yes, they will mail the passport with his visa. Once you get the approval from the IO he will tell you guys to go pay the 'sedex' fee for the passport. You will leave the passport with them, they will stamp the visa on it and mail to your husband.

The cost is about R$18-35 depends on where you guys live. For SP I think it's somewhere around R$18.

[Marina-Del 10]

Thanks so much!!!!

[Marina-Del 10]

Another question: Does the Rio consulate accept credit cards??? Please say yes!

I ask this especially because we ended up having to pay the original $355 filing fee in cash. The credit card machines in SP weren't working that day (that week!) and we had to pay in cash. We even waited 4 days to see if they would get them fixed, and put our application on hold, but they didn't..so we had to find the cash. Paying the final $470 in cash too would really break us especially since we'll be leaving for the US in other a couple months after that and will need all the money we can save!!

[Marina-Del 10]

bump!!!

Anyone!? Does Rio accept credit cards???

[K and L 27]

If it's like the K1 visa fee, you pay at CitiBank, not at the consulate itself. CitiBank only accepts cash (or so says L). He's paying our visa fee tomorrow and will double check, though!

Edited April 5, 2010 by K and L

[Marina-Del 10]

Only cash...sadness!!! We were really hoping credit card. Please let me know what happens tomorrow!!!!

I'm sure the payment method is the same as it is for K-1. Please please let me know if they accept Credit cards.

[Marina-Del 10]

I think I just found my answer! I reread the instructions for the visa (I swear I've read these a hundred times. Every time I find something new!)

"The total fee for an immigrant visa is US$ 400.00 or local currency equivalent in cash, no checks are accepted. We only accept full payment in one currency. “Traveler’s checks” can be accepted if counter signed. International Credit cards are accepted, ie: Visa/Mastercard/American Express/Novus-Discover/VisaMastercard. This fee should be paid at the American Consulate. Each applicant must be prepared to pay this fee, unless the payment has already been made in the USA."

Could someone please confirm this?? K and L..if you are going to be there tomorrow you are saying that you CANNOT pay in the consulate? This citibank place, is outside of the consulate, or is it like a bank in the consulate. Because the quote above is directly from the Rio website. If anyone could confirm that would be great.

[K and L 27]

Well, keep in mind, you're getting a different visa than we are -- you're already married and doing the I130 DCF for a IR1/CR1 and will have a green card and that visa fee can be paid at the consulate directly, and we're doing the K1, getting married in a few months, and then filing the I485/AOS for his green card. For the K1, we have to pay at Citibank rather than at the consulate, and Citibank only takes cash (or at least this is what they told him in Salvador - you can pay at any Citibank location).

In any case, I'm glad your instructions say you can pay using credit at the consulate, as it sounds as though that will be much easier for you

(Citibank is a bank. They're in the US, and they're in Brazil.)

[Oasis 0]

FYI. My fiance just had his interview in Feb. and I went and paid his Visa Fee near the consulate at a Citibank.

Its cash - and cash ONLY. I know is says on the instructions you can use your creditcard but you cant.

I confimed this numerous times cause I was standing at the bank and I could use my ATM card to get my money out.. forgot my pin.. what a nightmare.

So be prepared to have cash on you when you go to city bank.