Colombia Club

[TonyS 0]

Hello Leo

Don't worry, the DS-2001 is ok to use.

HELLO!

MY NAME IS LEO AND WELL MY GIRL IS IN COLOMBIA AND WE JUST RECEIVED HER CASE NUMBER, WE HAVE EVERYTHING READY TO BE FAX TO THE US EMBASSY BUT WE ARE MISSING THE FAMOUS "OF-169"

CAN SOME ONE PLEASE SEND ME THE PDF OF THAT FORM, I HAVE THE DS-2001 BUT I WANT TO PLAY IT SAVE SO I WANT TO SEND THE "OF-169", MY EMAIL IS LE_NARDO@YAHOO.COM

THANKS!

[TonyS 0]

Hola

I guess the decision comes down to a personal choice but I recommend the K-1. The process from initial filing to receiveing the visa took use 97 days. I also went through the VSC. We will have a simple wedding here and a larger ceremony in Colombia later.

Although I have been following this thread for quite a while, I have not yet begun my own process. I am the American Citizen (born in Cali, raised in NY) and my fiance is in Cali. I have been back to Cali many times since we first met in July 2003, thankfully I get a lot of vacation time b/c I'm a teacher, and we definitely have A LOT of evidence proving we are a bona fide couple.

I will be going back to Cali in July and Leo and I will be spending the summer together. We have finally decided to get married and here is my question to you experienced VJ'ers. I'm not sure which visa we should pursue. I have read the comparison info. that the site provides, but I don't know what to do. I know the Fiance visa would get him here sooner, but if we were to marry in Cali and go for the CR-1/then he would not need to go through AOS. For any of you that had to make this decision, is there any advice you can provide?

ALSO - MANY CONGRATS TO ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE RECEIVED YOUR VISAS RECENTLY!!!

[Mike and Adriana 0]

My advice is to not focus so much on which type of visa and/or how quickly it will get her here....rather, focus on your relationship. Do you feel your fiancee needs a "trial period" in the U.S.? Are you concerned that she might not like it here? Or could not adjust to the U.S.? Are you worried that she will turn out to be a different woman than the one you met and have spent time with in Colombia? If so, perhaps the K-1 is the way to go.

Further, if you are absolutely desparate, for some reason, to get her here ASAP, then PERHAPS the K-1 is the way to go. A claim was made that K-1 processing times were much shorter than K-3 times. That may be true, but check the timelines on the site to make sure this is true (and not just the experience of one or two). My wife's I-129F petition was approved in 40 days. We submited it in October and her interview was in January. And it seems like things are moving a bit faster now (not that I'm complaining).

Also understand (and this is just my opinion based on what I saw at the embassy and what I've heard) that the K-1 is more likely to be rejected than the K-3 by the embassy in Bogota. This is not to say you will be rejected...rather, it is to say that you take on more risk by applying for a K-1, IMO.

If you are certain you want to marry and it is important for the wedding (the acutal wedding, not a second wedding or a cermony just to placate the relatives) to be in front of friends and family in Colombia, then the K-3 or IR-1/CR-1 is the only way to go (because with a K-1, you must marry here in the U.S.).

We chose to go the K-3 route (instead of the CR-1 route) because, at the time, the CR-1s were taking a lot more time. However, I've noticed (and you can verify this by reviewing timelines on this site) that CR-1s are getting processed much more quickly now. If I had it to do all over again, I'd go the CR-1 route....to avoid adjustment of status in the U.S. Here are examples of some of the issues I could have avoided if we had gotten the CR-1 instead of the K-3:

1) My wife and step-daughter could travel outside of the U.S. without a visa, because they would have been permanent residents of the U.S. (e.g., currently, with the K-3 visa, I would have to get a visa for my wife and step-daughter to travel to Mexico or the Bahamas).

2) My wife could get a permanent driver's license in Florida, instead of a temporary one (again, because she is not considered a permanent resident).

3) We would not have had to drive to Jacksonville for biometrics.

4) We would not have had to fool with the AOS paperwork...and the eventual interview.

Honestly, given that a K-3 does NOT give one permanent resident status (until AOS), it is far inferior, IMO, to the CR-1. The only reason for going K-3 was to save time...and from what I can see....the time savings is no longer that great.

Just my opinions....

Mike

Although I have been following this thread for quite a while, I have not yet begun my own process. I am the American Citizen (born in Cali, raised in NY) and my fiance is in Cali. I have been back to Cali many times since we first met in July 2003, thankfully I get a lot of vacation time b/c I'm a teacher, and we definitely have A LOT of evidence proving we are a bona fide couple.

I will be going back to Cali in July and Leo and I will be spending the summer together. We have finally decided to get married and here is my question to you experienced VJ'ers. I'm not sure which visa we should pursue. I have read the comparison info. that the site provides, but I don't know what to do. I know the Fiance visa would get him here sooner, but if we were to marry in Cali and go for the CR-1/then he would not need to go through AOS. For any of you that had to make this decision, is there any advice you can provide?

ALSO - MANY CONGRATS TO ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE RECEIVED YOUR VISAS RECENTLY!!!

[LEOFACE305 0]

Hello Leo

Don't worry, the DS-2001 is ok to use.

HELLO!

MY NAME IS LEO AND WELL MY GIRL IS IN COLOMBIA AND WE JUST RECEIVED HER CASE NUMBER, WE HAVE EVERYTHING READY TO BE FAX TO THE US EMBASSY BUT WE ARE MISSING THE FAMOUS "OF-169"

CAN SOME ONE PLEASE SEND ME THE PDF OF THAT FORM, I HAVE THE DS-2001 BUT I WANT TO PLAY IT SAVE SO I WANT TO SEND THE "OF-169", MY EMAIL IS LE_NARDO@YAHOO.COM

THANKS!

thanks for the info Tonys!

But I went to the Website of the Us Embassy in Colombia, and if you look at the forms that they have for the K-1 visa. In the instructions sheets for K-1/K-3 if you look at it they have the form "OF-169". ( is one of the last sheets)

So to everybody that needs that form is right there for you.

Also one last question for now, I just moved to a new place and Im not sure if I should change my address; would this delay the process? Because we're about to Fax the papers to Bogota and we have to put the address where my girl is gona stay when she gets her to Miami.

thanks.

[anagd3 0]

Hello to everyone!!!

I think we have a problem, initially we were applying for the CR1 but the K3 arrived before, and today I just receive a letter from the NVC with our case number and they send me the letters with another case number…… what to do????

If we have our k3 interview for April 30th ??? ???we can get the K3 and in US continue with the CR1????please if anyone have an idea let me know….

Thank you

[Mike and Adriana 0]

I'm not sure I follow your post. If you applied for a K-3, then you filed an I-130 first, followed by a I-129F. Based on information on this Board (and an official notice by the U.S. government last fall), once your I-129F petition is approved and sent to the NVC, your I-130 petition, once approved, will be held in limbo at the NVC. The assumption is that you will complete theK-3 process and then adjust status when the beneficiary arrives in the U.S.

So, if you have an April 30 interview for the K-3, you should probably forget about the CR-1 at this point.

Mike

Hello to everyone!!!

I think we have a problem, initially we were applying for the CR1 but the K3 arrived before, and today I just receive a letter from the NVC with our case number and they send me the letters with another case number…… what to do????

If we have our k3 interview for April 30th ??? ???we can get the K3 and in US continue with the CR1????please if anyone have an idea let me know….

Thank you

[Mike and Adriana 0]

You should put the correct, current address on the papers....even if it differs from previous addresses you have provided. The U.S. government wants to know where the beneficiary will be staying when he/shee arrives in the U.S.

Hello Leo

Don't worry, the DS-2001 is ok to use.

HELLO!

MY NAME IS LEO AND WELL MY GIRL IS IN COLOMBIA AND WE JUST RECEIVED HER CASE NUMBER, WE HAVE EVERYTHING READY TO BE FAX TO THE US EMBASSY BUT WE ARE MISSING THE FAMOUS "OF-169"

CAN SOME ONE PLEASE SEND ME THE PDF OF THAT FORM, I HAVE THE DS-2001 BUT I WANT TO PLAY IT SAVE SO I WANT TO SEND THE "OF-169", MY EMAIL IS LE_NARDO@YAHOO.COM

THANKS!

thanks for the info Tonys!

But I went to the Website of the Us Embassy in Colombia, and if you look at the forms that they have for the K-1 visa. In the instructions sheets for K-1/K-3 if you look at it they have the form "OF-169". ( is one of the last sheets)

So to everybody that needs that form is right there for you.

Also one last question for now, I just moved to a new place and Im not sure if I should change my address; would this delay the process? Because we're about to Fax the papers to Bogota and we have to put the address where my girl is gona stay when she gets her to Miami.

thanks.

[anagd3 0]

I'm not sure I follow your post. If you applied for a K-3, then you filed an I-130 first, followed by a I-129F. Based on information on this Board (and an official notice by the U.S. government last fall), once your I-129F petition is approved and sent to the NVC, your I-130 petition, once approved, will be held in limbo at the NVC. The assumption is that you will complete theK-3 process and then adjust status when the beneficiary arrives in the U.S.

So, if you have an April 30 interview for the K-3, you should probably forget about the CR-1 at this point.

Mike

Hello to everyone!!!

I think we have a problem, initially we were applying for the CR1 but the K3 arrived before, and today I just receive a letter from the NVC with our case number and they send me the letters with another case number…… what to do????

If we have our k3 interview for April 30th ??? ???we can get the K3 and in US continue with the CR1????please if anyone have an idea let me know….

Thank you

YES , that is the point..........and I have to forget the CR1 in US??????or definitely forget it , thank you for your help

[kyle100 0]

I called the colombia embassy on wed and was told they are no longer taken any visa questions by phone and you can not talk to anyone, all you can do is fax them your questions. In the past you could call on mon and wed between 2 and 4pm there time to talk to someone, My fiance still has not receive her packet 4 yet by mail and not sure what to do. It seems the goverment like to make things harder. Kyle

[kyle100 0]

I am going down there first part of may for our interview. Where is a good place to stay in Bogota? I called one place and they wanted $682,000 in peso per person for 4 nights, Ouch, I don't think so, Thanks for the help. Kyle

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Once the K-3 is approved and the benficiary arrives in the U.S., then you must file for adjustment of status (see the related "guide" on the web site on how to do this). You may also want to file for EAD if you want to get the beneficiary a social security card.

If you are following the K-3 process and you have an interview date, forget about the CR-1.

YES , that is the point..........and I have to forget the CR1 in US??????or definitely forget it , thank you for your help

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Review this thread....about a month or so ago. This question has been asked and answered before. I personally stayed with my wife. I've also stayed a Lloyd's apartment-suites (something like that) and then Real Suites. I think Real Suites is within a reasonable distance from the embassy, not that it matters at 6:00 a.m. Other folks have recommended hotels that are closer. Take a look and you will find the info you seek.

I am going down there first part of may for our interview. Where is a good place to stay in Bogota? I called one place and they wanted $682,000 in peso per person for 4 nights, Ouch, I don't think so, Thanks for the help. Kyle

[KathyB 0]

thanks for the info Tonys!

But I went to the Website of the Us Embassy in Colombia, and if you look at the forms that they have for the K-1 visa. In the instructions sheets for K-1/K-3 if you look at it they have the form "OF-169". ( is one of the last sheets)

So to everybody that needs that form is right there for you.

Good catch! I had to go the embassy website today for some information and noticed that it has been revamped! Packet 3 is now posted on the embassy website under Immigrant Visas/How to Begin the Visa Process. The instructions for Immigrant Visas, K1 Visas, and K3/4 Visas are then organized into separate sections. You will see a link saying "Package of Instructions for K1/K2 (or K3/K4) Applicants." Nice work Bogota!

For those coming up in the process (if you read back through the old posts and get a little confused about sending PMs to VJ members for certain forms or needing to go to El Salvador embassy website for forms), note that the Packet 3 instructions are now posted on the US embassy in Colombia website!

[anagd3 0]

Once the K-3 is approved and the benficiary arrives in the U.S., then you must file for adjustment of status (see the related "guide" on the web site on how to do this). You may also want to file for EAD if you want to get the beneficiary a social security card.

If you are following the K-3 process and you have an interview date, forget about the CR-1.

YES , that is the point..........and I have to forget the CR1 in US??????or definitely forget it , thank you for your help

Thank you again Mike , I was waiting a light but seems like we loose the CR1, but the most important is that soon we will be finally together!

….now wait to the embassy interview.

[Mononoke28 135]

Good catch! I had to go the embassy website today for some information and noticed that it has been revamped! Packet 3 is now posted on the embassy website under Immigrant Visas/How to Begin the Visa Process. The instructions for Immigrant Visas, K1 Visas, and K3/4 Visas are then organized into separate sections. You will see a link saying "Package of Instructions for K1/K2 (or K3/K4) Applicants." Nice work Bogota!

For those coming up in the process (if you read back through the old posts and get a little confused about sending PMs to VJ members for certain forms or needing to go to El Salvador embassy website for forms), note that the Packet 3 instructions are now posted on the US embassy in Colombia website!

Well, I see a ton of info and a list of documents for K-1, K-3 & K-4 visas and none for CR-1/IR-1s. That's not cool.