Colombia Club

[Brian and Yenys 0]

Whats up everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well im back from Colombia and thank God Leidy is doing much better....Thye embassy received the petition on Friday and yesterday Packet 3 was sentout...Right now as I type Leidy is getting ready to go and fax the stuff to the embassy and then send it through servientrega!!! How long should i expect to wait for an interview date???

On wednesday (tomorrow) you should call the embassy between 2-4 and verify they have it. It really is NOT necessary to also mail it, but since you already did, thats ok, just extra money spent. We never mailed ours and just faxed on monday and called on wed. and they recieved it and gave us the interview date. Since its now the end of November, you should have a January interview date, because the cutoff is the 15th of the month for the next months interviews. Everything will happen fast now for you, get all your documents required ready now.

Scott and Yenifer have posted the updated flow chart and advice and has links for both package 3 and package 4. Download them now and start preparing your needed documents.

Congratulations, your almost there now, Best of luck and helath and Happiness to you and yours--GOD BLESS YOU

Brian and Yenys

What im going to try to do is call the Dept. of State because as soon as the embassy has a date for the interview they will know right away...I just called this morning and they told me that Packet 3 has been sent out yesterday....As for having papers ready...Leidy has her birth certificate, i have the I 134 ready, she has the Police report from DAS rthat she got about 1 or 2 months ago, this week she will be getting the Migratory one from DAS....she has the baptism certificate, she has the 156k, the 156, the 230 part 2 ,

What else am i missing??????

1. Passport

2. Baptism Certificate (Fe de bautismo con notas marginales. Fotocopia autenticada)

3. Birth Certificate (Registro Civil)

4. Police Certificate (Certificado Judicial del DAS)

5. Migratory Certificate (Carta del DAS, entradas/salidas)

6. I-134 Affidavit of Support and evidence.

7. DS-156 (2 copies)

8. DS-156K (1 copy)

9. Laboratory/Medical exams/Vaccinations

10. Evidence of your relationship (photos, e-mails, boarding passes, etc.)

11. Six passport style photos, 5cm x 5cm.

[BYRON-LEIDY 0]

Got it!!!! Almost everything except the stuff for the medical, vaccinations ...the stuff that I think i have to be a little closer to the interview

[Scott n Yenifer 0]

Whats up everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well im back from Colombia and thank God Leidy is doing much better....Thye embassy received the petition on Friday and yesterday Packet 3 was sentout...Right now as I type Leidy is getting ready to go and fax the stuff to the embassy and then send it through servientrega!!! How long should i expect to wait for an interview date???

WELCOME BACK BYRON!!!

I hope that Leidy is feeling better after that scare!!

You guys will know your interview date in a couple days from the fax date...keep us updated.

As you see the plans for being with your SO at the interview may change (I.E. an extended stay in Bogota)...from what I can see so far it will be about a 3-5 working day wait to pick up the visa from DOMESA...it messes us up a little ($$$) but we will do whatever we have to do.

This info will help anyone who hasn't already booked flights to plan according to the embassys new system.

[BYRON-LEIDY 0]

Thanks Scott!!! Leidy is doing much better!!!!

That whole thing with Domesa is killing me though, its bad enough that i have taken a lot of time off this year to travel, now with that i dont know if i will be able to make it to the interview!!!

I have to take care of the job that will be taking care of Leidy and Daniel!!!

[Scott n Yenifer 0]

Thanks Scott!!! Leidy is doing much better!!!!

That whole thing with Domesa is killing me though, its bad enough that i have taken a lot of time off this year to travel, now with that i dont know if i will be able to make it to the interview!!!

I have to take care of the job that will be taking care of Leidy and Daniel!!!

I totally understand...I'm living it right now!!!

Byron make sure that you have the correct Baptism Certificate (Fe de bautismo con notas marginales. Fotocopia autenticada)

Yenifer caught this earlier on thank God and we got the correct one with the margin notes...I don't know what the embassy would have said but I don't think it's a good idea to chance it at this point.

[Brian and Yenys 0]

Thanks Scott!!! Leidy is doing much better!!!!

That whole thing with Domesa is killing me though, its bad enough that i have taken a lot of time off this year to travel, now with that i dont know if i will be able to make it to the interview!!!

I have to take care of the job that will be taking care of Leidy and Daniel!!!

I am in the same situation byron, I have had 7 weeks off this year to be with Yenys in Colombia and we already had booked our tickets, So now, I can not wait in Colombia a extra week and wait on the mail for the Visa, My wife now will join me in MIAMI , a week later and travel here alone, which makes me mad, But what can we do. I cant take anymore time off from work, which as you said perfect, pays bills and provides me a very good living here

or just had to make alternative plans now. But as long as my wife is here by the 16th I will be sooo HAPPY. All I want for Christmas is my Wife to be with me !!!

WIll stay in touch !!

Brian and Yenys

Edited November 27, 2007 by Brian and Yenys

[BYRON-LEIDY 0]

Thanks Scott!!! Leidy is doing much better!!!!

That whole thing with Domesa is killing me though, its bad enough that i have taken a lot of time off this year to travel, now with that i dont know if i will be able to make it to the interview!!!

I have to take care of the job that will be taking care of Leidy and Daniel!!!

I totally understand...I'm living it right now!!!

Byron make sure that you have the correct Baptism Certificate (Fe de bautismo con notas marginales. Fotocopia autenticada)

Yenifer caught this earlier on thank God and we got the correct one with the margin notes...I don't know what the embassy would have said but I don't think it's a good idea to chance it at this point.

Thanks Scott...i definately will look into this because im not sure what she has!!

[BYRON-LEIDY 0]

Thanks Scott!!! Leidy is doing much better!!!!

That whole thing with Domesa is killing me though, its bad enough that i have taken a lot of time off this year to travel, now with that i dont know if i will be able to make it to the interview!!!

I have to take care of the job that will be taking care of Leidy and Daniel!!!

I am in the same situation byron, I have had 7 weeks off this year to be with Yenys in Colombia and we already had booked our tickets, So now, I can not wait in Colombia a extra week and wait on the mail for the Visa, My wife now will join me in MIAMI , a week later and travel here alone, which makes me mad, But what can we do. I cant take anymore time off from work, which as you said perfect, pays bills and provides me a very good living here

or just had to make alternative plans now. But as long as my wife is here by the 16th I will be sooo HAPPY. All I want for Christmas is my Wife to be with me !!!

WIll stay in touch !!

(L)Brian and Yenys(L)

It is annoying but like i said my job comes first because without it there is no way Leidy will be here!!!!

Im noy sure who it was off the top of my head that recently posted that the fiance went to the interview alone and there was no pronlem...All along i have been planning on being there but with Leidy being in the hospital i had to go there, and in my job im in charge of operations and a staff, it really doesnt look good for me to leave monthly and not be around!! I will have to wait and see!

[eeddwwiinn 0]

Good luck Brian and Yenys, I am sure everything will go great for you guys. Update on the DOMESA pickup. Lina told me she spoke to the reps and can pick the visa up today. This makes day number eight since the interview. That is the date that DOMESA projects too, so at least they are keeping their word on that. Anyway I hope this helps some of you guys out. By the way, is there a forum for the AOS or life in America or anything like that? Take care guys.

AWESOME...THANKS JMARSH

Now just thinking out loud...approved on Monday the 19th...

Tuesday the 20th - 1st full day after interview...

Wednesday the 21st - 1/2 day for the embassy...

Thursday the 22nd - embassy closed...

Friday the 23rd - full day for the embassy (a total of 2 1/2 days so far)...

Monday the 26th - full day for the embassy (a total of 3 1/2 days)...pickup from DOMESA Tuesday.

In Jmarsh's case it was a total of 3 1/2 working days to receipt of visa...not totally outrageous.

Brian and Yenys...you guys are next...if you can, please keep us updated.

BUENO SUERTE!!!

Thank you JMARSH for the update and Scott for your thinking out loud! Things are looking good. I just gotta keep praying! I think that at the embassy it is still taking 48 hours. Since last week the embassy was closed for the holiday the visa was probably ready by Friday afternoon. Domesa probably picked up Monday morning, did whatever processing it does, and was ready for delivery Tuesday. Well I'm hoping and praying that we will get our visa before this week is up!

[neophi 5]

I totally understand...I'm living it right now!!!

Byron make sure that you have the correct Baptism Certificate (Fe de bautismo con notas marginales. Fotocopia autenticada)

Yenifer caught this earlier on thank God and we got the correct one with the margin notes...I don't know what the embassy would have said but I don't think it's a good idea to chance it at this point.

Hi Scott,

My wife went to get her Baptism Certificate, but she brought up a good point. She was baptized as a Catholic, but she is Christian now and we got married by a Christian pastor (evangelical, to be precise). Thus, regarding the "notas marginales," there are none! The whole point of the baptism certificate (as far as we can tell) is because when you get married by the Catholic church, that is added to the certificate.

Am I right in that, that really is the purpose of the baptism certificate? If so, in our case should we get a letter from our Pastor stating he married us? Kind of like a "religious marriage certificate," if you may? What about people who only get legally married?

Thanks.

Edited November 27, 2007 by neophi

[Mononoke28 135]

You give them what they ask for whether you're still Catholic or not. We were married at a Notaría (civil marriage) and we still had to show his baptism certificate where it says he hasn't been married in the church. It's silly but like I said, give them what they want to avoid any issues.

Diana

Edited November 27, 2007 by Mononoke28

[neophi 5]

You give them what they ask for whether you're still Catholic or not. We were married at a Notaría (civil marriage) and we still had to show his baptism certificate where it says he hasn't been married in the church. It's silly but like I said, give them what they want to avoid any issues.

Diana

Interesting, thanks. At least my wife has a baptism certificate to show. I don't, for example.

That's why I believe baptism at birth is meaningless. (No offense to any Catholics.)

[buck501 0]

Im noy sure who it was off the top of my head that recently posted that the fiance went to the interview alone and there was no pronlem...All along i have been planning on being there but with Leidy being in the hospital i had to go there, and in my job im in charge of operations and a staff, it really doesnt look good for me to leave monthly and not be around!! I will have to wait and see!

I am not the end all of advise or opinions, but, I had wanted to attend the interview with Paola and did. I do not think my presence made one bit of difference. I was never asked one single question, the CO, as far as I could tell did not even look at me.

In talking to Bob from Colombian Services, who has helped many, many through the process, says it makes no difference if both are at the interview.

If we had to do it over again, I would still be there if possible. That is just me. I wanted to be there to support Poala.

I did see some who were at the interview window for 20 or more min. being grilled over and over. First her with questions, then him, then her, then him, over and over. If you are not there they can not try to trick you.

The CO has the responsibility to determin if the relationship is real or not in a very short period of time. However they do that is up to them. If you are not there with your fiance or fiancee, they have only your evidence to judge your realtionship by. That could be good, or that could be bad.

Being totaly prepared, having all the docs ready and a good journel portraying your relationship is the best thing. I talked to one couple who had become confused and gave some conflicting responses to the questions and were denied. They went back a second time and were calmer and got the visa. Another woman went by herself and was approved.

Age difference may come into play also. I am 26 years older then Paola, another reason I wanted to be there.

In the end, I think as long as you are prepared, have good evidence of your relationship and have all the required docs, it is not as important for both to attend the interview as we all may think.

[Matt y Fernanda 0]

Has anyone received an appointment for the medical exam without receiving Packet 4 first? As far as I can tell you only need your case #, DS-156, and interview date. I read a previous thread from last year, but I did not know if anyone has done it recently.

[Matt y Fernanda 0]

Oh yes I have one more question. For the K-3 visa is the DS-156K neccessary? It says "NOTE If presently married to anyone, you are not eligible for a fiancé(e) visa."