Colombia Club

[Mononoke28 135]

Hello,

Can some of you members help me out?

How long was it between receiving the NOA2 and the interview date in Bogota? I am trying to let my boss know around what month I will need to take my vacation time to be with my fiance for the interview.

I havent recevied the NOA2 yet, somtime between late April thru mid May is my best guess.

Thanks in advance

The key thing is trying to get packet 3 to the embassy before the 16th-20th of each month. If your fiancee gets it and mails it back in before those dates, then she'll get the interview for the next month. If not, then she'll get the interview the month after.

So let's assume you receive your NOA2 at the beginning of May, NVC will take about a week to send the case to the embassy (let's assume 2 weeks). Once you know the embassy has it, try to get packet 3 back in before the key dates. If it's before May 16th-20th, she'll have her interview in June. If not, then it'll be for July. So I would shoot for around June/July for the interview.

[lucho562 0]

Thanks for the quick responses, good tip Mononoke

[KathyB 0]

Oh and one other note. I noticed several responses from earlier in this thread saying to fax the necessary papers from Packet 3 (OF 169, DS-230 Pt 1, copy of passport ID page) and then follow up with the hard copy via courier. Only the faxing is necessary--the embassy does not require 2 sets of that paperwork. My brother's girlfriend works for the embassy in Bogota (in another division), but she confirmed that for me.

Kathy

[Mononoke28 135]

Really? Everybody kept saying to send it in via courier (Servientrega).

[anagd3 0]

I have a question we began the IR1 CR1 and when the I130 was approved we began the K3 process, our interview is for the K3 ….so the IR1 CR1 continue?

I can work when I arrive to US???

And about drive permission?

[KathyB 0]

Really? Everybody kept saying to send it in via courier (Servientrega).

Yes! Francisco sent the originals to my brother's girlfriend to deliver and she told me that it wasn't necessary. So we only faxed the forms--no originals--and had no problems getting scheduled. We will bring the originals to the interview in case we have to provide. But it was not needed for us to have them generate an interview date.

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Lucho:

Take a look at my timeline and you'll get an idea of my experience. Times do vary, so don't necessarily assume something will take "X" amount of time....keep checking...especially if you are running up close to the deadline. Our experience was that the NVC sent out petition to Bogota the day after it arrived (so said the person at the NVC, although I believe it was the day after it was logged). So, depending on timing, your petition may arrive in Bogota quicker than you think. Once you know it's been sent from the service center to the NVC, you can start calling the NVC. Further, once the NVC send the petition to the embassy, it only takes 3 business days by DHL.

Mike

Hello,

Can some of you members help me out?

How long was it between receiving the NOA2 and the interview date in Bogota? I am trying to let my boss know around what month I will need to take my vacation time to be with my fiance for the interview.

I havent recevied the NOA2 yet, somtime between late April thru mid May is my best guess.

Thanks in advance

The key thing is trying to get packet 3 to the embassy before the 16th-20th of each month. If your fiancee gets it and mails it back in before those dates, then she'll get the interview for the next month. If not, then she'll get the interview the month after.

So let's assume you receive your NOA2 at the beginning of May, NVC will take about a week to send the case to the embassy (let's assume 2 weeks). Once you know the embassy has it, try to get packet 3 back in before the key dates. If it's before May 16th-20th, she'll have her interview in June. If not, then it'll be for July. So I would shoot for around June/July for the interview.

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Depends on how much you trust the embassy. Yes, there is no requirement that it be sent by courier....you can fax it, mail it, or drop it off in person. In our case, we were leaving for a belated honeymoon and did not want to risk it. Some of us discussed it on the board at the time and decided we would both fax and mail the documents.....that way if one got lost or misplaced, the embassy would hopefull still get and process the other one. I faxed the documents then followed up with the mailing a few days later....guess we were paranoid.....but we were up against the mid-December deadline for January interviews and didn't want "misplaced" or "lost" paperwork from the fax machine to delay interview.

Really? Everybody kept saying to send it in via courier (Servientrega).

[Mike and Adriana 0]

I am a little unclear about your first question. You waited until you receive the NOA2 for your I-130 BEFORE you filed your I-129F? Why? If you are that far along with the I-130, why bother with the I-129F? I'm not quite sure I understand.

Let's assume you have gotten your NOA2 for the I-129F. NORMALLY, the NOA2 for the I-130 will follow...the the I-130 petition will be held up in the U.S. (because the government assumes you will be adjusting status after getting your K-3 visa). On the other hand, if your I-130 was approved before you K-3, it is POSSIBLE that your I-130 is still being actively processed. If so, you should have gotten/will be getting paperwork from the NVC asking for a processing fee. If you don't pay the fee, then your I-130 will go no further. So, unless you want to pay the money to continue with both petitions (again, this is assuming that the I-130 is still actively being processed), you'll have to pick one. From what you've said below....it sounds like you have picked or plan to pick the K-3 route.

Now for the questions. If you arrive in the U.S. on a K-3 visa, you can work, but only after you have filed for and received EAD (employment authorization). The EAD process is very simple. If I recall the current fee is $180 plus the fingerprinting fee. My wife got her fingerprinting appointment about a month or so after she filed and then was told that she'd receive her EAD in less than 90 days. Once we get that, we can file for a social security card. This board is full of information about the EAD process and the process for then getting a social security card.

The driver's license is dictated by state law. You can check the web site for the state in which you intend to live and probably get the info you need.

Good luck.

I have a question we began the IR1 CR1 and when the I130 was approved we began the K3 process, our interview is for the K3 ….so the IR1 CR1 continue?

I can work when I arrive to US???

And about drive permission?

[anagd3 0]

I am a little unclear about your first question. You waited until you receive the NOA2 for your I-130 BEFORE you filed your I-129F? Why? If you are that far along with the I-130, why bother with the I-129F? I'm not quite sure I understand.

Let's assume you have gotten your NOA2 for the I-129F. NORMALLY, the NOA2 for the I-130 will follow...the the I-130 petition will be held up in the U.S. (because the government assumes you will be adjusting status after getting your K-3 visa). On the other hand, if your I-130 was approved before you K-3, it is POSSIBLE that your I-130 is still being actively processed. If so, you should have gotten/will be getting paperwork from the NVC asking for a processing fee. If you don't pay the fee, then your I-130 will go no further. So, unless you want to pay the money to continue with both petitions (again, this is assuming that the I-130 is still actively being processed), you'll have to pick one. From what you've said below....it sounds like you have picked or plan to pick the K-3 route.

Now for the questions. If you arrive in the U.S. on a K-3 visa, you can work, but only after you have filed for and received EAD (employment authorization). The EAD process is very simple. If I recall the current fee is $180 plus the fingerprinting fee. My wife got her fingerprinting appointment about a month or so after she filed and then was told that she'd receive her EAD in less than 90 days. Once we get that, we can file for a social security card. This board is full of information about the EAD process and the process for then getting a social security card.

The driver's license is dictated by state law. You can check the web site for the state in which you intend to live and probably get the info you need.

Good luck.

We filed the I-130 and was approved ….

Application Type: I130 , IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCE(E), OR ORPHAN

Current Status: Approval notice sent.

On December 6, 2006, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I130 IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCE(E), OR ORPHAN. Please follow any instructions on the notice. If you move before you receive the notice, callcustomer service.

After we send the I-129F –why????? ,because a guy in Bogota that have an agency is “helping us” now I think we are loose in all of this, he said that we were going to have the both and follow the first, but seem like the CR1 have more benefits.

What we can do??? how many days the I130 will be actively???

And we follow the K3 because is the packet that arrives at the United States consulate in Colombia.

Thank you very much for your help.

[Mononoke28 135]

If the I-130 was approved BEFORE you sent out the I-129F you should've left it alone. There was no need for sending it after the approval because it has now taken longer. Since the I-130 was approved on 12/06/06 I think you would've probably had gotten your visa by now, if not earlier. It seems that since you file the second petition it's going to take a lot longer and on top of that, more expensive.

I could be wrong but I don't think I am. Thoughts anybody?

[Corey3368 3]

To: All VJ members going through the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia.

I am posting this thread because I have had to explain this process many times so by putting it here it should help everyone. The best of luck to your fiancée and you.

You could look at my timeline and get an idea. Remember no two K-1 fiancée visa petitions are exactly the same.

After your petition leaves your service center (CSC/TSC, NVC, VSC) it goes to NVC and it might take about two weeks. From NVC it goes to the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá this usually takes about four or five days.

There are short-cuts that you can take once the petition gets to Bogotá. But the first thing you do is to call NVC every couple of days to a week. Make sure you speak with a customer service representative and not the automated system, K-1’s stay less than two weeks and they do not put them in the system. When you call NVC, get your case number and ask them when they will sent the petition out. Once you know that date, call back on that date and make sure that they sent it out. Then you track the package through www.dhl.com. I will give you the instruction later.

Once the petition gets to the Embassy you or your fiancée faxes and sends by courier (Servientrega); a copy of your fiancées passport, OF-169, DS-2001 and DS-230 part 1. If the Embassy gets these documents before the cut-off date (varies from month to month 16th to the 20th) then you get the interview the following month. If not by the cut-off date you get the interview the month after that.

After the NOA2 every thing moves fast so you need to make sure your fiancée and you get all the documents, paperwork, and all other stuff ready and send it to her.

Good luck,

Peter Miami

[Corey3368 3]

Dear Peter ( Miami)

Can you please forward any documents that should be faxed to Bogota if you should have them or links to the documents. Any help would be appreciated. My email address is Prez3364@aol.com

My K-1 visa has been electronically sent to bogota at this time. I would like to complete the forms and send them as you stated to speed the process up. Thanks in advance!

Corey (Prez3364@aol.com)

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Corey:

If you are waiting for a reply from Pete, you'll be waiting for a LONG time. Peter hasn't showed up on the board in many months. Go back to the November postings to this thread and start reading forward. You will get a lot of good information. I've posted this many times before, but I'll do it one more time....here is what you need to fax to the embassy to get a K-1 or K-3 appointment:

Cover letter (that includes your case number and states exactly what you are requesting - an interview)

OF-169 (from packet 3) or DS-2001 (you can find one on the U.S. embassy - El Salvador web site)

DS-230, part I (can print from embassy web site or just search by Google)

Copy of biographical page of the beneficiary's passport.

If the beneficiary is in Bogota, you could always wait to get packet 3. Since it is only March 26 and the cut-off for a May interview is not until at least April 15, you have time. Up to you.

Dear Peter ( Miami)

Can you please forward any documents that should be faxed to Bogota if you should have them or links to the documents. Any help would be appreciated. My email address is Prez3364@aol.com

My K-1 visa has been electronically sent to bogota at this time. I would like to complete the forms and send them as you stated to speed the process up. Thanks in advance!

Corey (Prez3364@aol.com)

[parkpapa 0]

Dra Maria COnsuelo Gonzalez 288-7629 or 245-9290

Dr. Jairo Rosa 215-1763 or 658-9366

Anexo D of Packet 4 includes the list of required vaccinations....age 18-64....Td, MMR, and Varicela.

Mike

Does anybody happen to have the list of the Dr.'s and their phone #s for the medical exam? My husband has a few questions regarding his shots and he wanted to call them ahead of time before he gets them. I know Mystery had talked about Dra. Maria Consuelo Gonzalez but I don't have her phone #.

Anybody?

Thanks!

Mike listed that the vaccinations are required for ages 18-64, which my wife will get, but what about her two boys (ages 4 and 11)??? By the way, I'm glad to see things moving along for so many people.