Colombia Club

[Jay1234 2]

Packet 4 link: http://bogota.usembassy.gov/wwwfcivappointment_temp.pdf

[Mike and Adriana 0]

You may have missed the cut-off, but you probably didn't cost yourself much time. You have a May 7th interview. We just made the cut-off in December and got a January 26 interview. So, by missing the cut-off, you've probably only cost yourself a week or so....don't feel too bad!

Good luck.

Mike

OK, the bad news (not so bad, I guess) is we missed the April interview. The GOOD NEWS is that we received Packet 4 yesterday. Our interview is on May 7th!!!!

I have noticed some changes on the Embassy website. First, there are tow places you can find the interview schedules. As I posted earlier, I had some difficulty finding the April schedule. Last night, I found a second place for schedules.

http://bogota.usembassy.gov/wwwscappointmentlist.shtml

http://bogota.usembassy.gov/wwwfivad.pdf

I also found some links for generic packets 3 and 4 posted in .pdf format.

It seems like things are moving fast now (although when I found out we missed April, I had a "damn, more time," moment...sometimes it feels like not that long of a wait, other times I feel like the kid in the backseat asking Dad if we are there yet). Good Luck to everyone.

[basic00 0]

Hi, can any of you recommend a hotel close to the embassy. My girlfriend is from Barranquilla and she is not familiar at all with Bogota, I'm looking for something decent and not that expensive, but most of all in a safe neighborhood. Appreciate your responses.

[HAL 9000 96]

Is it me or did the actual Visa fee increase? I noticed the medical costs increased... Poor docs... starving and all...

At least the instructions look clear enough. Gathering that final heap of documents will be fine. I did notice that they require the I-864 in that packet #4. Are any of you March or April interviewees still good with the I-134???

In our case, we decided to go ahead and go through the submittal stage, independent of the financial considerations with our jobs at the moment. We have to be together and any more time apart is time too much.

Luck to those of you still waiting.

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Can you give us some clarification on your post? Some of what you are saying is probably news to many of us.....

The visa fee? Do you mean the interview fee of $100? Has it gone up.

Yes, the medical exam fee and blood test fee have gone up....at least from the amount listed in the packet 4 we received in December. I think it was only $10,000 pesos more for each of them.

The Bogota embassy is now requiring the I-864? Really. If true, that definitely is something new. We provided the I-134 in January....as specified in our packet 4. The I-864 wasn't required of us until we submitted the AOS once my wife was here.

Can you or someone confirm that the Bogota embassy is now requiring the I-864 affadavit of support instead of the I-134 affadavit of support? If so, this is a big change...and one that I am sure that many would like to know about.

Mike

Is it me or did the actual Visa fee increase? I noticed the medical costs increased... Poor docs... starving and all...

At least the instructions look clear enough. Gathering that final heap of documents will be fine. I did notice that they require the I-864 in that packet #4. Are any of you March or April interviewees still good with the I-134???

In our case, we decided to go ahead and go through the submittal stage, independent of the financial considerations with our jobs at the moment. We have to be together and any more time apart is time too much.

Luck to those of you still waiting.

[HAL 9000 96]

Yeah Mike, it is a shock to me... maybe the packet #4 link above (http://bogota.usembassy.gov/wwwfcivappointment_temp.pdf) only applies for CR1s... since Jay1234 did not clarify whether it is a CR1 Packet #4 or a K visa Packet #4. In previous discussions in other forums I've come across folks arguing the whole I-134 vs I-864 route.

In terms of paperwork for them to look at, it may just end up being more convenient for them to start just asking for one set of papers, given the I-864 is necessary for AOS procedures, but from the interview stage at the K level.

As for clarifying my post... I pray I am mistaken in going on the interpretation of the $380 visa fee that is stated to be brought to the K interview (THAT in itself reeks of the CR1 process...). After paying the $100 fee (actually more given the current exchange rate... I wonder if Banco de Crédito pockets the difference- its 240.000 pesos in Bucaramanga and that's well above the exchange rate for $100) it definitely seems new to me.

Reading into the pdf posted makes it seem like a CR1 procedure- most likely DCF. As far as I knew up to this point, there was no mention of paying anything else to the Embassy after the $100 for the K visa other than the "delivery" which you pick up at the embassy itself and that is not technically for the embassy. The med part, well yes, of course. This is really starting to smell like something people should be deducing off of their taxes, but lets not get into that right now.

[Mononoke28 135]

Yes, the $380 visa fee is actually for the CR-1/IR-1, not K-1, those are still $100 a pop (but you still have to pay $395 when you adjust status after you marry here in the States and $170 for a work permit).

[parkpapa 0]

Yes, the $380 visa fee is actually for the CR-1/IR-1, not K-1, those are still $100 a pop (but you still have to pay $395 when you adjust status after you marry here in the States and $170 for a work permit).

According to the embassy's website they still require the I-134 for K3 and K4: http://bogota.usembassy.gov/wwwsck3k4instructions.shtml

Immigrant Visa Unit

Package of Instructions for K-3/K-4 Visa Applicants

The package of instructions consists of:

A cover letter

Instructions for K-3/K-4 Visa Applicants (In Spanish)

Form DS-156 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application)

Form DS-230 Part I (Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration – Biographic Data)

Form I-134 (Affidavit of Support)

List of Items that Cannot be Brought into the Visa Waiting Area

Edited April 1, 2007 by parkpapa

[Mike and Adriana 0]

I am sure everyone going through the process will be happy to know that nothing has changed and the processes we've outlined on this thread are still accurate.

Since we finished everything in January, I did not want to assume that some type of change had not been made since....although it would have surprised me (after all, the embassy is still using a packet 3 that is very outdated...is still using the OF-169, and still is not using the bar-coded DS-156)...the Bogota embassy has not shown itself to be a trend-setter.

Mike

PS - while I believe the Bogota embassy website is accurate in this case, don't always rely on it 100%. There are parts of it that have not been updated and can, therefore, really confuse you. For example, the name of the Bank where you pay the interview fee (now Banco Credito) is correct in some places, but is still listed as the previous bank in other places. Be careful.

Yes, the $380 visa fee is actually for the CR-1/IR-1, not K-1, those are still $100 a pop (but you still have to pay $395 when you adjust status after you marry here in the States and $170 for a work permit).

According to the embassy's website they still require the I-134 for K3 and K4: http://bogota.usembassy.gov/wwwsck3k4instructions.shtml

Immigrant Visa Unit

Package of Instructions for K-3/K-4 Visa Applicants

The package of instructions consists of:

A cover letter

Instructions for K-3/K-4 Visa Applicants (In Spanish)

Form DS-156 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application)

Form DS-230 Part I (Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration – Biographic Data)

Form I-134 (Affidavit of Support)

List of Items that Cannot be Brought into the Visa Waiting Area

[kyle100 0]

Hello, We have a interview date for May 9th at 7am and i have a few questions if anyone knoews them would be a great help.

1. I went on the medical exam website and they say to go there 5 working days before the interview.

I was going to go two days before.

2 In packet 4 they ask for DAS letter showing departures and arrivals from and to colombia. Is this the same as a Migratory letter.

3 For police certificate for all places where you have lived for six months after the age 16. If she has only lived in one place does she need a national stamp on it,

Thanks for all the help. Kyle

[HAL 9000 96]

Thank goodness that Packet #4 link is for CR1... and not K1. K applicants beware and do not confuse it with the general interview list that share some of the same URL roots.

With that out of the way I'll be posting within the next few weeks hopefully the establishment of an interview date for Maria and me.

"I think I'll take end of May" (lol)

[kyle100 0]

So is that link for CR-1 and not a k1 ????? Does anyone know what is needed and is in the Packet 4. I am trying on my end to make sure she has everything that is needed since i can not see the Packet 4 they sent her.

What is the different things between a CR-1 and a K1??????

Thanks for your help.

Kyle

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Apparently so. To my knowledge, the packets for K-visas are not linked anywhere on the embassy website. The only way to get packet 4 is to ask someone for it. If you read this thread (go back to November and start reading forward)...you'll find a lot of info about the packets and much more. You will also find out who has a scanned copy of packet 4 that might be able to send it to you. I have a packet 4 from April, 2005 (I have not scanned my wife's packet 4 from December), but it is a bit outdated. If you want it, PM me...but I think you'd be better off getting it from someone with a more current packet. By the way....it's in Spanish.

Do you want to know the difference between the visas? Or the content of the information packets? If the later, does it really matter? Get the K-1/K-3 packet 4 and check it out.

So is that link for CR-1 and not a k1 ????? Does anyone know what is needed and is in the Packet 4. I am trying on my end to make sure she has everything that is needed since i can not see the Packet 4 they sent her.

What is the different things between a CR-1 and a K1??????

Thanks for your help.

Kyle

[Mononoke28 135]

Hello, We have a interview date for May 9th at 7am and i have a few questions if anyone knoews them would be a great help.

1. I went on the medical exam website and they say to go there 5 working days before the interview.

I was going to go two days before.

2 In packet 4 they ask for DAS letter showing departures and arrivals from and to colombia. Is this the same as a Migratory letter.

3 For police certificate for all places where you have lived for six months after the age 16. If she has only lived in one place does she need a national stamp on it,

Thanks for all the help. Kyle

Kyle,

The first thing your fiance can do is try to get her Certificado de Movimiento Migratorio del DAS and Certificado Judicial (Migratory Movement document and Police certificate) if she does not live in Bogotá because it can take up to 30 days to get it. What she can also do is go a week before the interview and get it there since it only takes about 3 days to process in Bogotá.

The next step would be to see if she has the necessary vaccines which are TD, MMR, Varicela before her medical. If she doesn't have them, then she can have them done at the nearest Red Cross.

Once she has those done, she can then schedule her appointment with one of the doctors for her medical about 3-5 days before the interview just in case any problems arise.

[KathyB 0]

Hi all,

I have nothing helpful to provide, just a note to say that our visa was approved this morning! We were the LAST people to be called but that was the hardest part. After a much needed nap, I will provide more information about the interview. But this thread has been invaluable, truly I would not have been prepared at all. But here is the irony...after all our careful preparation of documentation, evidence, photos, we were not asked to show anything. I saw many other people show photos, etc. but we were not asked to. Go figure. It only shows that each case is evaluated very differently by the COs. However, we felt much more confident with our folder of stuff.

More info to come, but thanks everyone for the advice!

Kathy