Colombia Club

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Lucho!!!

I read this link. No, you did NOT find a good link. This packet has nothing to do with your K-1. This packet is for one seeking an immigrant visa. Technically, the K-1 and K-3 are nonimmigrant visas. Further, some of the other info is not right. You do not have to pay $380 at the embassy. You pay $100 at Banco Credito. Further, you've already submitted the DS-230, part I. This form is asking for both DS-230, parts I and II.

As I told you earlier this week.....there are slight differences between the K-1 and K-3 packet 4, but not much. Two obvious examples:

1) K-1 packet 4 asks for the DS-156K. K-3 packet 4 does not.

2) K-3 packet 4 mentions marriage certificate. K-1, for obvious reasons, does not.

As I advised you before, try to get a copy of packet 4 from Tony S or Oskaryandrea visa PM. If you cannot get it, PM me with your e-mail address and I will send you a slightly outdated copy of the packet 4 for the K-1.

The link you provided DOES, however, have some accurate information. FOr example, the information about the laboratory, the doctors, the lab and dcctor fees and the required photos is correct.

Mike

Is this Packet 4 link for K1 or K3 visas? Or both?

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

Also, it states that I need affadavit support form I-864. However I have been told that I need I-134 instead. What gives???

[parkpapa 0]

lucho. let me know about the vaccinations in barranquilla. my wife is there and she has to get the 3 soon as we're expecting the interview date sometime in july or aug. please let me know what your fiance finds out, if she can just walk in or has to make an appt, how much, etc.

thanks

JK

Sure, I will let you know early next week...Monday or Tuesday.

Also I am looking for a good link to get form DS-156k. I have this link, but it does not work http://bogota.usembassy.gov/wwwsck1instructions.shtml

Nevermind, I found a good link

Is this Packet 4 link for K1 or K3 visas? Or both?

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

Also, it states that I need affadavit support form I-864. However I have been told that I need I-134 instead. What gives???

Our packet asks for the I-134 (we are doing the K3 visa). Typically, the I-864 is part of the process for Adjustment of Status (AOS) or for the CR1-IR1. At least that's my understanding. However, if it tells you to do the I-864, then that's the one I'd do.

As for the DS-156k, I think that's only for K1 visas. I get the two mixed up also, but the important thing is to follow whatever requirements they included in your packet - both 3 and 4.

[parkpapa 0]

Lucho and all,

This will not help Lucho a whole lot, but I do have one copy of packet 3 and one copy of packet 4 that was sent to me by glenn (a VJer from here) back in March. I sent these samples to Lorena back then. She told me when she received HER packet 4 from the embassy that nearly everything was the same as the samples I sent. The main difference being that a new bank is listed for where to pay fees. The caveat is that these are for the K3 visa and may or may not be much help for a K1. If anyone needs these, send me a private message and I'll email them to you.

If Lorena is able to hang on to our original packets, I'll scan these when I get home and be able to share those as they'll be a little more current.

PS: Where has glenn been, by the way???

[lucho562 0]

SORRY GUYS

But I am P.O.!!!!!

My fiance and I just spent an hour filling out DS-156 online, then we pressed the continue button, everything got deleted. urggggggh

[lucho562 0]

Thanks for the heads up on the link. I new something was funky about it.

I will try to get a hold of TonyS for packet 4...thanks guys!!

[lucho562 0]

Parkpapa,

Hook me up with the packet 4 you have. I will PM you my email address.

[TonyS 0]

PM me and I will be happy to hook you up with a package 4 I received in Feb. of this year.

Thanks for the heads up on the link. I new something was funky about it.

I will try to get a hold of TonyS for packet 4...thanks guys!!

[Mike and Adriana 0]

The mention of the I-864 on the link is another good tip-off that the link is bad (i.e., not a link to the K-1 or K-3 packet). The I-134 is still required for nonimmigrant visas. The I-864 is required of CR-1/IR-1s as well as from K-3s who are adusting status (I assume it is also required of K-1s, assuming there is a marriage).

Yes, the DS-156K is only for K-1s. It relates to the fiancee/beneficiary. The DS-156 is for both the K-1 and the K-3.

Mike

Our packet asks for the I-134 (we are doing the K3 visa). Typically, the I-864 is part of the process for Adjustment of Status (AOS) or for the CR1-IR1. At least that's my understanding. However, if it tells you to do the I-864, then that's the one I'd do.

As for the DS-156k, I think that's only for K1 visas. I get the two mixed up also, but the important thing is to follow whatever requirements they included in your packet - both 3 and 4.

[olafgypsy 0]

OK, I have a question: due to the embassy not getting our fax (or maybe, not accepting our fax) and our failure to follow up by courier (stupid, stupid), it looks like we may not get a June interview after all. So here's my question: will we have to wait until mid to late June to find out when our interview is? Or will they schedule our appointment as soon as they have accepted and processed our document?

Also, how long does it take them to process the documents once they are received? I am still holding out hope that maybe, just maybe, they received our fax and just have not entered it in their system yet . . .

[Mononoke28 135]

OK, I have a question: due to the embassy not getting our fax (or maybe, not accepting our fax) and our failure to follow up by courier (stupid, stupid), it looks like we may not get a June interview after all. So here's my question: will we have to wait until mid to late June to find out when our interview is? Or will they schedule our appointment as soon as they have accepted and processed our document?

Also, how long does it take them to process the documents once they are received? I am still holding out hope that maybe, just maybe, they received our fax and just have not entered it in their system yet . . .

I think that since you will be mailing them the documents after the 16th of this month, you will probably be getting a July interview.

Thanks for the tip Diana,

Wendy is from Barranquilla. She will be contacting the red cross there on monday. How much do the 3 vaccines run?

Luchito,

I was way off!! I don't know why I thought your fiancée was from Cali.

Anyway, the vaccines are not that cheap. I believe one of them is like $50USD, and I think my husband said all 3 would be close to $100USD. But going to the Red Cross will definitely save you some money.

Diana

[jediknight 0]

i hope the expensive one is the mmr, my wife told me last night that she found the record showing that she got that one. now all she needs is the Td and varicela.

JK

[Mike and Adriana 0]

I am sorry that you had trouble with your fax. You are the first one that has reported a problem on this thread. I can't imagine how they lost a fax. Anyway.....

I think I actually responded to a similar question from someone else a week or so ago....but, for convenience, here goes again.....

From what I can tell (based on reports of others and my experience), interview dates are assigned on a rolling basis. So, if you barely missed the mid-month cut-off for a July interview, then you should expect to have an early August interview. Really, it's not going to cost you that many days. We got our packet 3 into the embassy around December 13 and we got a January 19 interview.

Once you submit your packet 3, you should be receiving your packet 4 in about one week (assuming the beneficiary lives in Bogota; longer if not). We submitted our packet 3 on a Wednesday and followed up with a courier on Thursday. We left on a Friday for our honeymoon. By the time we returned to Bogota the following Friday, packet 4 had already been delivered to my wife's casa.

OK, I have a question: due to the embassy not getting our fax (or maybe, not accepting our fax) and our failure to follow up by courier (stupid, stupid), it looks like we may not get a June interview after all. So here's my question: will we have to wait until mid to late June to find out when our interview is? Or will they schedule our appointment as soon as they have accepted and processed our document?

Yes, it is still possible that they already have your documents. Our processing seemed to be almost immediate....but you never know. Like I said, assuming you've already sent the documents by courier, you've probably only cost yourself a week or two.

Mike

Also, how long does it take them to process the documents once they are received? I am still holding out hope that maybe, just maybe, they received our fax and just have not entered it in their system yet . . .

[lucho562 0]

Wendy and I will be giving another shot at the DS156 form online today. Looks like the online form is now working again.

1 more question on this form.

I know that she will need TWO DS-156 forms filled out. The DS-156 form has a unique barcode and barcode number for each form. Will she need to make copys of one of the forms. Or does she need to have TWO seperate DS-156 forms??

For example

TWO DS-156 forms with barcode XYZ5

OR

ONE DS-156 form with barcode XYZ5

&

ONE DS-156 form with barcode OMN5

Thank you

[Mike and Adriana 0]

At least as of January, the barcoding system was not being used in Bogota. The barcode of importance is the one placed on her passport by the Banco Credito when you pay the $100 and have your DS-156 information entered into the computer by the clerk at the bank.

Anyone know of any changes to the Bogota procedure since then? I have not read about any.

Mike

Wendy and I will be giving another shot at the DS156 form online today. Looks like the online form is now working again.

1 more question on this form.

I know that she will need TWO DS-156 forms filled out. The DS-156 form has a unique barcode and barcode number for each form. Will she need to make copys of one of the forms. Or does she need to have TWO seperate DS-156 forms??

For example

TWO DS-156 forms with barcode XYZ5

OR

ONE DS-156 form with barcode XYZ5

&

ONE DS-156 form with barcode OMN5

Thank you

[lucho562 0]

We just finished up the DS156 online. I just had her print out the same finished form twice. So both copies would have the same barcode. This makes the most sense...but with the US gov't...nothing makes sense.

At least as of January, the barcoding system was not being used in Bogota. The barcode of importance is the one placed on her passport by the Banco Credito when you pay the $100 and have your DS-156 information entered into the computer by the clerk at the bank.

Anyone know of any changes to the Bogota procedure since then? I have not read about any.

Mike

Wendy and I will be giving another shot at the DS156 form online today. Looks like the online form is now working again.

1 more question on this form.

I know that she will need TWO DS-156 forms filled out. The DS-156 form has a unique barcode and barcode number for each form. Will she need to make copys of one of the forms. Or does she need to have TWO seperate DS-156 forms??

For example

TWO DS-156 forms with barcode XYZ5

OR

ONE DS-156 form with barcode XYZ5

&

ONE DS-156 form with barcode OMN5

Thank you