Colombia Club

[Mononoke28 135]

Colombia Club,

I want to share my situation. My fiancee's phone hasn't been working since the 8th of this month, and I received my NOA2 and later my letter from NVC stating that my case will be processed in Bogota, and that my fiancee "will be receiving a packet with instructions on how to apply for the K-1."

My problem is that I do not know which forms and materials my fiancee will need to gather - nor does she have her passport yet. Everything is all messed up at the moment, because she has not answered her emails in over 2 weeks, and there is no phone service. I'd like to hold her hand through this, but honestly, I can't do everything from my end. This seems like an impossible situation at the moment, and trying to fax paperwork and coordinating things is next to impossible. Any advice???

Ken,

She definitely needs to check her e-mails even if she needs to go to a café internet, but there's nothing you can do to make her do that and like you said, you can't do everything for her.

The one thing you need to do is do some more reading of this forum where you will find all the info she will need to get including where and how to get her police certificate and migratory movement letter, medical, lab, etc.

Another place you need to check out is the US Embassy in Bogotá here: Appointment Package for Immigrant Visa Applicants

Diana

[Ken y Leidys 20]

Question: We're awaiting package #3. Can anyone tell me what is included, and what I need to tell Onelis that she will need? Also, she has a 5 yr. old son. Is there a standard form for the father to sign so the little boy can leave Colombia? Is there a link to this info?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also, my Spanish is pretty good, and I had to take the taxi from the airport in Barranquilla to her barrio a few times alone. No problems, I know exactly how to get there on the street (thanks to Google Earth). I am careful, however. But whenever I tell people that I'm from Los Angeles, they are puzzled - "Tu eres Brazileño o de los EEUU??" they always ask.

Edited June 26, 2008 by Ken y Onelis

[parkpapa 0]

Question: We're awaiting package #3. Can anyone tell me what is included, and what I need to tell Onelis that she will need? Also, she has a 5 yr. old son. Is there a standard form for the father to sign so the little boy can leave Colombia? Is there a link to this info?

Ken,

Here's a cleaned up copy of what we used. You just need to enter the correct names and document numbers, and enter them as if the father was writing the letter. He will also need to have this notarized. Your wife will need to present this letter to DAS at the airport, and she will need an updated letter each time she goes back to Colombia and then returns to the States. There is no such thing as a blanket letter that is good from now on - she will need a different one each time.

Hope this helps!

Bogotá, Junio 23 de 2008

PERMISO PARA SALIR DEL PAIS

XXXXX XXX XXXXX, mayor de edad, identificado con la cedula de ciudadanía numero 11’111.111 expedida en Bogotá, por medio del presente documento, concedo permiso a mis menores hijo XXXX XXXX XXXX identificada con Registro Civil No. 111111 de Bogotá y el Pasaporte No. RN 11111111, para que puede salir del país de American Airlines y entrar a los EE.UU. por (ciudad y estado aquí), en compañía de su madre XXXX XXX XXXX, identificada con la cedula de ciudadanía No. 11’111.111 de Bogotá. Este viaje se espera el 25 de junio de 2008, y este permiso y la autorización son efectivos de la fecha del viaje.

Cordialmente,

____________________________

XXXXX XXX XXXXX

CC 11’111.111 de Bogotá

[parkpapa 0]

For those with spouses traveling back to Colombia, be sure to have them take adequate ID with them for the return journey. Lorena and the boys arrived in Ft. Lauderdale last night about 11:30 pm. They didn't get to leave the airport until almost 2:30 am!!! Why? Because her plane tickets were purchased in her married name but her passport still has her maiden name. From what she tells me, they brought the three of them into a special area and began questioning her. Why were the names different? Did she have other ID? Why wasn't she travelling on her green card? etc., etc.

Evidently, the officer(s) would leave for a while to do some "checking" and then come back and ask more questions. Needless to say, she was not very happy about her treatment. In the end they were allowed to reenter the country, but I had had a nagging hunch that there would be some sort of glich. Her comment to me was that NOBODY would tolerate being treated that way entering Colombia! (But I guess that depends what they were bringing with them.... haha)

If there's any lesson in this, I guess it is to buy tickets in whatever name is in the passport and on the visa. Bring the other stuff, too, but don't risk getting singled out for "special treatment".

Charles

[HAL 9000 96]

I wish she would have gotten names... my uncle knows some of those folks at FLL.

[parkpapa 0]

If she had thought of it, I'm sure she would have. But, my guess is that she was tired enough and mad enough that she didn't care who it was - as far as she was concerned it was the United States government that was treating her badly. I'm just glad it ended well.

[Ken y Leidys 20]

Ken,

She definitely needs to check her e-mails even if she needs to go to a café internet, but there's nothing you can do to make her do that and like you said, you can't do everything for her.

The one thing you need to do is do some more reading of this forum where you will find all the info she will need to get including where and how to get her police certificate and migratory movement letter, medical, lab, etc.

Another place you need to check out is the US Embassy in Bogotá here: Appointment Package for Immigrant Visa Applicants

Diana

Thanks Diana. I will review everything, and I'm writing her a letter tonight. At this point, the balls in her court. So, I'm hoping that everything gets taken care of promptly. My lawyer here in So.Cal. isn't even aware that I received an NOA 2 yet. Talk about frustration.

[Mononoke28 135]

Her comment to me was that NOBODY would tolerate being treated that way entering Colombia! (But I guess that depends what they were bringing with them.... haha)

I totally agree with you on this one Charles. I've seen people get harrassed at POE in Colombia and even get their stuff taken away only because the officer wanted to make a few bucks. Colombia is just as bad if not worse. Maybe they're a little lighter with foreigners but when it comes to other stuff... they're horrible. This is one of the things I'm glad I live in the US for sure.

Diana

[Ken y Leidys 20]

Ken,

Here's a cleaned up copy of what we used. You just need to enter the correct names and document numbers, and enter them as if the father was writing the letter. He will also need to have this notarized. Your wife will need to present this letter to DAS at the airport, and she will need an updated letter each time she goes back to Colombia and then returns to the States. There is no such thing as a blanket letter that is good from now on - she will need a different one each time.

Hope this helps!

Bogotá, Junio 23 de 2008

PERMISO PARA SALIR DEL PAIS

XXXXX XXX XXXXX, mayor de edad, identificado con la cedula de ciudadanía numero 11’111.111 expedida en Bogotá, por medio del presente documento, concedo permiso a mis menores hijo XXXX XXXX XXXX identificada con Registro Civil No. 111111 de Bogotá y el Pasaporte No. RN 11111111, para que puede salir del país de American Airlines y entrar a los EE.UU. por (ciudad y estado aquí), en compañía de su madre XXXX XXX XXXX, identificada con la cedula de ciudadanía No. 11’111.111 de Bogotá. Este viaje se espera el 25 de junio de 2008, y este permiso y la autorización son efectivos de la fecha del viaje.

Cordialmente,

____________________________

XXXXX XXX XXXXX

CC 11’111.111 de Bogotá

Muchisimas Gracias, Amigo! Of course, this is a big help. I will make sure I keep this information in my file. Thanks again,

-Ken

[bigley 0]

Hey guys I want to ask more questions to you all but can not seem to get an answer. My questions are two fold. My fiance and I have an interview July 29 in Bogota. first is she has two children do we pay for all three for the visa or just for my fiance since the children are under 16. Second probably more importante the ds-156 that the packet 4 says do not sign is that the ds-156K or the ds-156 that are brought to the bank to get the visa paid??? Seems I can not get answers to any questions lately. THanks for everyones helpl

[parkpapa 0]

Muchisimas Gracias, Amigo! Of course, this is a big help. I will make sure I keep this information in my file. Thanks again,

-Ken

You're quite welcome, Ken. My wife and the boys just got back to the states and used the letter, signed by the father and notarized locally, without any trouble from DAS in Bogota. I would make sure that the letter is not more than a few weeks (no more than a month) old when she uses it at the airport. The "newer" the better.

Charles

[metavisa 0]

Hello, my husband and I had our interview 16th June (CR1), and I'd like to share my experience with you and give you some advice....

Don't get there any earlier than 645am..- it does not make any difference… once you are inside, they will call you in random order – (one of the ladies there told me they call the elderly and families with children first)…. you are going to be there all morning (in our case…the consul finally interviewed us at 2pm)!!!

You don't have to bring the x-ray results to the embassy… you are going to be stuck with it all day!!! They already have the results from the exam when you turn in the envelope they provide you with.

Please, please!!! Wear warm clothes!!! Even though Bogotá is not that cold, after about 4-5 hours it'll get to you!

Anyway, we were asked to go to "punto 40" which is a little stand (not a window number) where they give you a green folder with a list of docs you need to put in the correct order, don't rush, they called us at 1130am to turn it in!!!!

Then, you wait some more at windows 1-5, they do the fingerprints and wait again… after watching couples after couples getting denied (don't know why) we were really nervous!!! we were called at 2pm at window 5 , the consul was a guy in his 30's…. said hello to my husband, asked him to sign the IV Application and ask him to talk to me… I grabbed the phone and said to him: "finally!!!!" He said: Did you wait a long time in the cold? I replied, I'm not talking about this morning… I'm talking about I'm finally going to have my husband living with me!! He chuckled and thanked me for being there… then he asked me to have a seat… He did no want to see a single piece of evidence and ask my husband how we had met and what he did for a living…. It turns out the guy was originally from Houston, so when my husband told him about the restaurant we went to in our first date he got all excited and started talking about it and about how much he missed Galveston and Keemah (Houston places), then he said, your visa has been approved, you can pay at "Domesa"!!!! And that was it!!! We left the embassy at 215pm after paying 52 thousand pesos at the Domesa counter and received the "package" with the passport with the inmigrant visa and envelope thursday 19th June in Cali at around 10am. - no problems-

For some reason these people have the power to make you nervous, thank God we were able to make it thru and I really hope you do the same! Good luck, I'm sorry I went "overboard" with this email…

MC

[Ken y Leidys 20]

For some reason these people have the power to make you nervous, thank God we were able to make it thru and I really hope you do the same! Good luck, I'm sorry I went "overboard" with this email…

MC

The more details the better. It makes me nervous that, "Couple after couple" were denied. That's scarry stuff. I can't think of a worse situation for these couples.

[SteveSandyHill 0]

Ken,

Here's a cleaned up copy of what we used. You just need to enter the correct names and document numbers, and enter them as if the father was writing the letter. He will also need to have this notarized. Your wife will need to present this letter to DAS at the airport, and she will need an updated letter each time she goes back to Colombia and then returns to the States. There is no such thing as a blanket letter that is good from now on - she will need a different one each time.

Hope this helps!

Bogotá, Junio 23 de 2008

PERMISO PARA SALIR DEL PAIS

XXXXX XXX XXXXX, mayor de edad, identificado con la cedula de ciudadanía numero 11’111.111 expedida en Bogotá, por medio del presente documento, concedo permiso a mis menores hijo XXXX XXXX XXXX identificada con Registro Civil No. 111111 de Bogotá y el Pasaporte No. RN 11111111, para que puede salir del país de American Airlines y entrar a los EE.UU. por (ciudad y estado aquí), en compañía de su madre XXXX XXX XXXX, identificada con la cedula de ciudadanía No. 11’111.111 de Bogotá. Este viaje se espera el 25 de junio de 2008, y este permiso y la autorización son efectivos de la fecha del viaje.

Cordialmente,

____________________________

XXXXX XXX XXXXX

CC 11’111.111 de Bogotá

Muchisimas Gracias, Amigo! Of course, this is a big help. I will make sure I keep this information in my file. Thanks again,

-Ken

Ken,

Be aware the "permission" document from the father is only valid for 60 days!!!! This nearly caused us a major problem in the Bogota airport. For whatever the reason, we cleared, I believe 3 checkpoints till we got to the final one at the gate area. Here the DAS person informed us that the document was no longer valid, and made Sandy go too a room and contact the father via phone! Eventually Sandy and her daughter where granted permission to travel. So play it safe, and have him notorize it closer to your expected travel date.

Also remember that depending on the circumstances, you may need a new document from the father each time you travel to Colombia.

[parkpapa 0]

For some reason these people have the power to make you nervous, thank God we were able to make it thru and I really hope you do the same! Good luck, I'm sorry I went "overboard" with this email…

MC

The more details the better. It makes me nervous that, "Couple after couple" were denied. That's scarry stuff. I can't think of a worse situation for these couples.

Ken,

If it helps any, keep in mind that you don't see many Colombia Club members getting denied. Not that we're all the special, but, thanks to the great help, guidance, and support from the folks here, most of us are very well prepared when the interview comes. You'll do fine, too.