Colombia Club

[Chester y Monica 0]

Gracias lucho. So I take it that the forms in the packet are in English but the instructions are in Spanish.

Is that ok, even though she does not have a good handle of the English forms? Of course, I will be helping here out in getting them filled out.

Thanks jedi knight

Edited June 6, 2007 by Chester

[Jay1234 2]

Congrats Mavi!!! It is always great to hear another success story.

Lucho, hang on my man, it may seem like a long time, but it will happen soon.

Chester, welcome.

I wonder if this printer malady is the actual deal. I would really like to know what is up, because I can't picture a printer problem consistently occurring. What, the US Gov can't buy a new printer or get maintenance done on the one they have? It would be great if when they said 4 pm the next day, they meant it.

[lucho562 0]

Congrats Mavi!!! It is always great to hear another success story.

Lucho, hang on my man, it may seem like a long time, but it will happen soon.

Chester, welcome.

I wonder if this printer malady is the actual deal. I would really like to know what is up, because I can't picture a printer problem consistently occurring. What, the US Gov can't buy a new printer or get maintenance done on the one they have? It would be great if when they said 4 pm the next day, they meant it.

I'm going to call their bluff if that printer ####### comes up. I will tell them that i'm a networking engr. and offer to fix it for free right then and there. I cant wait to hear their response.

[Mononoke28 134]

Maviwaro congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lucho was freaking out, THEN he got me all freaked out too thinking that you didn't get the visa. Note to self: don't freak out when Lucho freaks out.

And yes the stupid printer malady sounds like a lame excuse to not having the paperwork ready on time. Who do they think we are, newbies?!! Puh-lease... like we like to say in Colombia "nosotros ya veníamos cuando ellos apenas iban". And Lucho it's all on you to call them on it.

Good tip about the being affectionate part. I'll promise not to be on my husband like a dog in heat but I'll be sure to give him a kiss or two as soon as the CO looks our way.

Congratulations once again!

Diana

[lucho562 0]

Problem here. Wendys middle name was spelled wrong on her cedula. She never had that changed and all her life has been using the misspelled middle name. However, her registro civil and partida de bautismo has her middle name spelled correctly. Will this be an issue at the interview??

Correct middle name = Baudtilia

Incorrect middle name = Bautilia

All K1 forms = Bautilia

Passport = Bautilia

Cedula = Bautilia

Registro civil = Baudtilia

Partida de Bautismo = Baudtilia

[lucho562 0]

Parkpapa!!! Where are you?

Hopefully everything went well at your interview today.

[HAL 9000 96]

Congrats Mavi!!! It is always great to hear another success story.

Lucho, hang on my man, it may seem like a long time, but it will happen soon.

Chester, welcome.

I wonder if this printer malady is the actual deal. I would really like to know what is up, because I can't picture a printer problem consistently occurring. What, the US Gov can't buy a new printer or get maintenance done on the one they have? It would be great if when they said 4 pm the next day, they meant it.

I completely doubt its just a printer malfunction given the frequency with which it happens... someone probably just wanted a tinto with buñuelos...but luckily all of us that had to be turned away yesterday got what we were told to pick up yesterday... just a day late. Don´t you just wish the rest of the US Government was as relaxed with following time as this particular branch of the State Deparment??

Its a great feeling watching your girl come out of the compound with the visa paperwork in hand!!

Again, lucho, SMILE your way through this... it will make things much easier for you. Caballero de los Jedi, gracias también, que la Fuerza les acompañe... Jay, yeah dude, it was a good experience... your observations paid off in my analysis of the people there.

FYI- approximately 200 people got denied on Monday.

Lets send Parkpapa some good vibes for what I hope will be some great news as well!

Congrats Mavi!!! It is always great to hear another success story.

Lucho, hang on my man, it may seem like a long time, but it will happen soon.

Chester, welcome.

I wonder if this printer malady is the actual deal. I would really like to know what is up, because I can't picture a printer problem consistently occurring. What, the US Gov can't buy a new printer or get maintenance done on the one they have? It would be great if when they said 4 pm the next day, they meant it.

I'm going to call their bluff if that printer ####### comes up. I will tell them that i'm a networking engr. and offer to fix it for free right then and there. I cant wait to hear their response.

Jajajajajaja

[HAL 9000 96]

Maviwaro congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lucho was freaking out, THEN he got me all freaked out too thinking that you didn't get the visa. Note to self: don't freak out when Lucho freaks out.

And yes the stupid printer malady sounds like a lame excuse to not having the paperwork ready on time. Who do they think we are, newbies?!! Puh-lease... like we like to say in Colombia "nosotros ya veníamos cuando ellos apenas iban". And Lucho it's all on you to call them on it.

Good tip about the being affectionate part. I'll promise not to be on my husband like a dog in heat but I'll be sure to give him a kiss or two as soon as the CO looks our way.

Congratulations once again!

Diana

Diana, its pretty chilly in Bogotá!! Being on each other like puppies well... is pretty much OK in my book. Call it a way to stay warm in that partially covered waiting area. Its not ugly at least and the bathrooms are much superior to Colombian standard (think toilet paper in each stall, WITH toilet seats...). The capuccino is not that bad either.

Sit around like-minded folks and share the good vibes with everyone else. That will help relax everyone.

Thanks for the congrats!

[HAL 9000 96]

Problem here. Wendys middle name was spelled wrong on her cedula. She never had that changed and all her life has been using the misspelled middle name. However, her registro civil and partida de bautismo has her middle name spelled correctly. Will this be an issue at the interview??

Correct middle name = Baudtilia

Incorrect middle name = Bautilia

All K1 forms = Bautilia

Passport = Bautilia

Cedula = Bautilia

Registro civil = Baudtilia

Partida de Bautismo = Baudtilia

Hopefully she´ll get a phone call to clarify. My girl has a double Z in her last name but a dodo in Registraduría Civil put it as an S and a Z on her Cédula. She got a call the day after the fax asking about it. The explanation was that she goes by the double Z but has given up on the locals on correcting the mistake appropriately. As a consequence, her US Visa now has the incorrect spelling even though her birth certificate and batptismal certificate are correct.

As long as the cedullary numbers match the ID of your finacee with the spelling on the forms, and you are both there at the interview date, things should be OK IMHO.

[lucho562 0]

Problem here. Wendys middle name was spelled wrong on her cedula. She never had that changed and all her life has been using the misspelled middle name. However, her registro civil and partida de bautismo has her middle name spelled correctly. Will this be an issue at the interview??

Correct middle name = Baudtilia

Incorrect middle name = Bautilia

All K1 forms = Bautilia

Passport = Bautilia

Cedula = Bautilia

Registro civil = Baudtilia

Partida de Bautismo = Baudtilia

Hopefully she´ll get a phone call to clarify. My girl has a double Z in her last name but a dodo in Registraduría Civil put it as an S and a Z on her Cédula. She got a call the day after the fax asking about it. The explanation was that she goes by the double Z but has given up on the locals on correcting the mistake appropriately. As a consequence, her US Visa now has the incorrect spelling even though her birth certificate and batptismal certificate are correct.

As long as the cedullary numbers match the ID of your finacee with the spelling on the forms, and you are both there at the interview date, things should be OK IMHO.

Thanks! Is the registro civil the same as the birth certificate?

Also,

Wendy just had her baptismal certificate changed to match passport, cedula. Now all we need is to have the registro civil changed tomorrow morning.

All K1 forms = Bautilia

Passport = Bautilia

Cedula = Bautilia

Partida de Bautismo = Bautilia

Registro civil = Baudtilia

[jediknight 0]

MIERCOLES!! 200 denials?? thanks for the details mavi, i'll try to remember to keep on smiling

yes lucho, registro de nacimiento is the birth certificate

JK

[Mononoke28 134]

No interview date yet, JK?

[jediknight 0]

not yet. the nvc tells me to try calling the second week of june when they'll make the appointments for july. i'm hoping that since our case was completed at the cut off in may that we maybe in line for one of the first appts. in mid july. lets see what happens but since the beginning we've put everything in God's hands, prayed for guidance and He's never failed us so we're not worried.

JK

[parkpapa 0]

Add another member to the Colombia club!

It's really comforting seeing so many of us here. The experiences of others has taught me to be patient and be more prepared for the upcoming steps.

Does the Packet 3 sent to the beneficiary contain Spanish versions of the instructions or forms?

Mi novia, no habla Ingles. Yo hablo espanol y ingles. I would like to have these so she can practice on them.

Muchos gracias!

Chester, everything my wife received was in Spanish - notifications, forms, and all. It is a good idea to at least read the forms and instructions ahead of time so you know what to expect. Some you can even fill out in advance and have them ready to send when the time is right.

[parkpapa 0]

First of all, congratulations to Maviwaro!!!!!!

Second, his account of his embassy experience was pretty much right in line with ours. The only exception being that the lady who checked Lorena's documents was very pleasant and helpful.

Third (but actually the most important for us) is that WE GOT APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!

Wow!! But was it ever a comedy of errors all week. I'll give a couple of addtional pointers here and try to do a more detailed update next week.

MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT ALL OF YOUR DOCUMENTS ARE APPROPRIATELY AND COMPLETELY FILLED IN!!!! By this I mean not only your documents, but also documents you receive from others, such as DAS. Lorena had her police report from DAS, but when the consular officer saw it, he said that she needed either to have DAS date it or get another - and that she could come back another day with that document. Then he gave her a pink slip. She was able to get the document dated that same day, but it was a minor setback. She told me later that when the DAS representative in her hometown of Florencia gave it to her, he was very busy flirting with the women in the office, and that's probably why he forgot to date it. Also, be sure to mark N/A or NINGUNO, as appropriate, in any and all blanks in forms that do not apply to you.

This may be addressed elsewhere here, but we were caught by surprise when the lady who reviewed the documents said we needed TWO copies of the 156 for each immigrant, with a photo for each. Thank God we had extra photos with us, or we'd have been screwed. She gave Lorena blank forms and we filled them in by hand.

When you put together your documents, use the Anexo B listing (as Maviwaro said) because it was identical to the form taped to the inside of the folder given in area 40. Don't bother to bind or clip the documents together unless to keep them neat prior to the interview. You will end up removing any clips when you put the stuff in the folder. Apparently, however, you can have individual, multiple-page documents stapled together, such as the I-134 and supporting documentation.

Lastly, again as Mavi said, be yourselves, smile a lot, and show affection as a couple without overdoing it. This is, after all, a professional setting about a very personal thing. A suit is absolutely NOT essential. So-called "casual dress" is fine - slacks and a nice shirt for the guy, something simple but neat for the woman. Dress like for a job interview at a department store, rather than a job on Wall Street.

More later when I have time!