Colombia Club

[Mike and Adriana 0]

And two more things.....

8) Begin thinking about adding the spouse to insurance policies (medical, car, life, blanket liability, etc.). Don't let your employer give you any BS about not being able to add him/her until he/she gets a social security card...that's wrong. Typically, you can't insure him/her until he/she gets to the U.S. Most likely, adding a spouse to your car insurance will lower your premium (since you are now "rated" as married). I also added my wife as a "joint" owner on one credit card, so she could start building her credit. Start making a list of things you might need to amend....like wills, healthcare and general POAs, beneficiaries on life insurance and retirement, etc. You will probably have to explain all of this to your spouse, as he/she will likely not understand. If you already haven't done it, don't forget to amend your W-4 at work. [for K-1, obviously you won't do most, if not all, of this until you get married]

9) I advise bringing several notarized copies of the birth certificate and marriage license, if applicable, from Colombia.

[Bill y Bella 0]

Mike,

Thanks for the helpful advice regarding what is required after the fiance arrives in the US. I have been meaning to start preparing for that phase of the process.

I know this may sound like a stupid question, but what exactly is considered a notarized copy of the birth certificate? I have already had some document surprises along the way and I hesitiate to make any more assumptions.

We have 3 registros de nacimiento for Bella and the kids (3 for each), each one with the original seal from the notary that copied them from the book. They look terrible, but they have a raised seal. We also have translations for each copy. Is this enough, or do we need to take another step?

We have also have one copy for each with the apostle "just in case". I was too cheap to pay for apostles for the other two copies.

Thanks for your help!

[LUISH 0]

Wow, thanks for all the advice given to us new members coming soon to the next process, AOS, you are right Mike, hardly none of us going thru the K-1 process is thinking about what comes next, but now you have opened our eyes and i'm sure we will start looking into what comes next.

Now going thru my girl's documents, I've noticed that her birth certificate says at the bottom something like this: "This is an aunthentic copy taken from the original copy that rests in this office. it is valid to show specific information and it's valid permanently except for marriage" and that's what i'm concern with, why does it say except for marriage?, since we are getting marry here in USA, will this document not be valid for marriage here, and maybe get one that will serve that purpose?, Lucho, Dre or anyone else help me clarify this, I still have time before Viviana comes here to the states, but want to make sure that we have the right paper work when she gets here....

Luish

[Bill y Bella 0]

Wow, thanks for all the advice given to us new members coming soon to the next process, AOS, you are right Mike, hardly none of us going thru the K-1 process is thinking about what comes next, but now you have opened our eyes and i'm sure we will start looking into what comes next.

Now going thru my girl's documents, I've noticed that her birth certificate says at the bottom something like this: "This is an aunthentic copy taken from the original copy that rests in this office. it is valid to show specific information and it's valid permanently except for marriage" and that's what i'm concern with, why does it say except for marriage?, since we are getting marry here in USA, will this document not be valid for marriage here, and maybe get one that will serve that purpose?, Lucho, Dre or anyone else help me clarify this, I still have time before Viviana comes here to the states, but want to make sure that we have the right paper work when she gets here....

Luish

Interesting. Bella's birth certificate does not have that clause at the bottom. Maybe the format varies from notary to notary or region to region?

[LUISH 0]

Wow, thanks for all the advice given to us new members coming soon to the next process, AOS, you are right Mike, hardly none of us going thru the K-1 process is thinking about what comes next, but now you have opened our eyes and i'm sure we will start looking into what comes next.

Now going thru my girl's documents, I've noticed that her birth certificate says at the bottom something like this: "This is an aunthentic copy taken from the original copy that rests in this office. it is valid to show specific information and it's valid permanently except for marriage" and that's what i'm concern with, why does it say except for marriage?, since we are getting marry here in USA, will this document not be valid for marriage here, and maybe get one that will serve that purpose?, Lucho, Dre or anyone else help me clarify this, I still have time before Viviana comes here to the states, but want to make sure that we have the right paper work when she gets here....

Luish

Interesting. Bella's birth certificate does not have that clause at the bottom. Maybe the format varies from notary to notary or region to region?

maybe you're right, but I'm gona look into it, just to be sure she has the right dovument tyo get marry here

[TonyS 0]

Excellent advice Mike! As always great advice. Scott, personally I would wait for your novia to come to the US before she learns how to drive. You have been to Barranquilla....remember how they drive?!? You want her to learn GOOD habits. I said to my wife that there are no driving rules in Barranquilla. She replied " There are rules but the people choose not to follow them." Here in CT, a person over 18 is allowed to drive without a drivers permit as long as the instructor has held a CT license for 4 years with suspension. I started to teach my wife after the second week she was here. Now she is doing very well. As Mike mentioned, I got a spanish language driver's manual. My wife speak very good conversational english so it was not very difficult to teach her. I do suggest a spanish speaking drivers school for the novias/esposas who only speak spanish. I however did run into a bit of a bump in the road. I applied for a ss number 2 weeks after my novia arrived. The SS office here screwed up and did not get a ss number in time. ( Remember for K-1 visa, one should wait 2 weeks after arrival to make to apply but not to late. Most SS office will not let you apply 2 weeks before expiration of the I-94. ) So now I have to wait for approval of the EAD or AOS. We really need her to drive as her classes are starting soon and preschool for my daughter. I could however pay for a Colombian drivers license and International drivers permit. She could use these til next March.

[Scott n Yenifer 0]

Excellent advice Mike! As always great advice. Scott, personally I would wait for your novia to come to the US before she learns how to drive. You have been to Barranquilla....remember how they drive?!? You want her to learn GOOD habits. I said to my wife that there are no driving rules in Barranquilla. She replied " There are rules but the people choose not to follow them." Here in CT, a person over 18 is allowed to drive without a drivers permit as long as the instructor has held a CT license for 4 years with suspension. I started to teach my wife after the second week she was here. Now she is doing very well. As Mike mentioned, I got a spanish language driver's manual. My wife speak very good conversational english so it was not very difficult to teach her. I do suggest a spanish speaking drivers school for the novias/esposas who only speak spanish. I however did run into a bit of a bump in the road. I applied for a ss number 2 weeks after my novia arrived. The SS office here screwed up and did not get a ss number in time. ( Remember for K-1 visa, one should wait 2 weeks after arrival to make to apply but not to late. Most SS office will not let you apply 2 weeks before expiration of the I-94. ) So now I have to wait for approval of the EAD or AOS. We really need her to drive as her classes are starting soon and preschool for my daughter. I could however pay for a Colombian drivers license and International drivers permit. She could use these til next March.

So Tony...you are saying that if a Colombian license is in hand then that is good enough to drive in the US at least temporarily with an international drivers permit,

By the way what is an international drivers permit? And where do you get one?

Scott

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Sounds like you are OK. By "notarized" I simply mean a copy made from the original on file with the notary and with the notary's seal/signature. Sounds like that's what you have. I never got anything apostilled in Colombia, but it does not hurt to have it just in case.

We have 3 registros de nacimiento for Bella and the kids (3 for each), each one with the original seal from the notary that copied them from the book. They look terrible, but they have a raised seal. We also have translations for each copy. Is this enough, or do we need to take another step?

We have also have one copy for each with the apostle "just in case". I was too cheap to pay for apostles for the other two copies.

Thanks for your help!

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Hmmmm....never noticed that before. The key word might be "permanently". Perhaps there is an "expiration" for use in marriage...and, if so, I'm guessing that is based on Colombian law. Best bet is to ask some of the folks who have fiancees come here on K-1s and get married here...to see if they had any trouble. Lucho comes to mind as someone who recently got married on a K-1. I would not imagine you'd have any trouble if the "copy" was made within a year of your marriage, but it's good to ask!

Now going thru my girl's documents, I've noticed that her birth certificate says at the bottom something like this: "This is an aunthentic copy taken from the original copy that rests in this office. it is valid to show specific information and it's valid permanently except for marriage" and that's what i'm concern with, why does it say except for marriage?, since we are getting marry here in USA, will this document not be valid for marriage here, and maybe get one that will serve that purpose?, Lucho, Dre or anyone else help me clarify this, I still have time before Viviana comes here to the states, but want to make sure that we have the right paper work when she gets here....

Luish

[Mike and Adriana 0]

I think the rules vary from state to state. For example, in Florida my wife could drive with me in the car because she had a Colombian driver's license. However, it did nothing for her when she tried to get a Florida license. She still have to take both the road rules and signs test as well as a driving test. Fortunately, they give the road rules ans signs tests in SPanish....and they had an examiner who spoke SPanish during the road test. I'm not sure of the rules with an international drivers permit....worth a check with your state office.

I also agree that it is better to wait until he/she gets to the U.S. to learn to drive, especially given the rules in the U.S. and the different kind of cars (i.e., more with automatics and power steering/brakes).

So Tony...you are saying that if a Colombian license is in hand then that is good enough to drive in the US at least temporarily with an international drivers permit,

By the way what is an international drivers permit? And where do you get one?

Scott

[Scott n Yenifer 0]

Hey Guys...I noticed as I'm sure everyone else has that we have 2 couples with interview dates coming up soon...I just wanted to wish them the best of luck.

OK here goes..

GOOD LUCK LUIS + VIVIANA!!!

GOOD LUCK CHESTER + MONICA!!!

[TonyS 0]

Hey Scott check with your state. Here in CT a foreign license is good for 1 year but must be accompanied by a international drivers permit. The IDP is just basically a english translation of the license. The Colombian license is easy to get, as with many things there...you just have to pay. The IDP is a bit more of a pain in the ###. I think you have to get one from the ACC De Colombia. I guess it is like our AAA. I believe the ACC is only in Bogota. If anyone knows any better please speak up. Also the same applies here, my wife will need to take a exam and road test for her CT license.

[buck501 0]

Hey guys and gals. I arrived home in the US late last night. Paola arrived back to her home Friday AM. We did eventually mangae to enjoy our time togeather after out delay of the visa.

Paola is pretty still bummed, me too. The day of the interview I talked to her and said everything will be fine, she seemed ok with that but was not her usual bubbly self. About 4pm that day we went to a small bar to have a beer and relax. She asked for Tequilla. LOL. About 4 shots of that and the floodgates opened up and she cried for a couple of hours. All is better now. LOL.

Paola is going to Panama for the Police certifiacte on Sunday and will return Sept. 5th. It takes 8 days there, in Bogota it takes 2 months to obtain. After she gets the certificate I will call and schedule another appointment for. The bad part is I can not travel back to Bogota to be with her this time. Bummer.

I am optomistic about the visa. The burden of proof of a relationship is on us, the proof of fraud is on them. If all your docs are in order and you have not lied on any of them, you will get the visa. The Embassy can make your life miserable for a while but in the end if there is no fraud they have to give you the visa. I am hoping that this next interview will be the end and she can come to the US.

Bob, the owner of Colombian Services, the owner of the apartments we stayed in, was surprised about the request for the doc. He has helped many obtain the visa and said this was the first time this has come up.

I did meet several couples while down there that got approval. Man, if those some of those folks can get the visa anyone can.

The one couple I posted about that the CO thought there marriage foto's were fake went back, had the same CO and got approval. The CO tried to confuse the lady and was sucessful the first day. On the next interview they were more prepared.

Well, now, I am back to waiting and fretting. Good luck to all that are having the interview soon.

[LUISH 0]

Thanks Scott for your wishes, as for now me and Viviana, we are getting ready for the interview, we are trying to get the small details out of the way, like vaccinations, the Migration DAs document, which by the way Viviana is flying to Bogota on the 30th to get it done since it takes 3 to 4 days to get it, her medical and lab are schedule for Sept. 6th, I will be arriving to Bogota on the 8th and stay there til the 11th, hoping everything is good, she will have to wait til the 12 to get her passport back and fly back to Barranquilla and get ready for ther trip to the USA, which I'm hoping goes really fast .

Now I understand what Buck was going thru, and I agree when he says that is your relationship is a real one there is no need to worry the visa will be expedite with no problems, it's just the timing and the waiting that makes things more difficult... and as for me well I will be introduce to her father's side of the family, I've already met the mother's side which they are all wonderfull and cariñosos...., at the end on this trip I will want to have a few moments alone with my swettie. lol, lol,, so the count down has begun for me... 14 days to see my girl again and 16 days for the interview...

Luish

[lucho562 0]

GOOD LUCK LUIS + VIVIANA!!!

GOOD LUCK CHESTER + MONICA!!!

I hope all goes well with your interviews!!

Bros, the time is now to ask all questions, even the ones you already know.

Chester, How's the police certificate issue going?

Luis, I really didnt understand your question about the birth certificate. Are you talking about the marginal notes?? I will ask Wendy to show me her registro civil. I'll get back to you later on that.