Colombia Club

[lucho562 0]

Buck,

Glad to help you out. If you have any other questions, even if you may think it is a "dumb question", feel free to ask. The following steps are very important. I asked the same questions twice sometimes three times just to be sure I have it down. Thanks to Mike, TonyS and others I am very confident that I have eveything needed for my interview.

[Mike and Adriana 0]

I think the folks at the bank had her sign the DS156....if I remember correctly. The bank put its little stamp on only one of the DS156s - not sure that it is that important....just recall that they put the stamp there.

We simply photocopied the DS156 to save time and effort. You can hand-write a second copy. Just be sure the information is identical.

Mike

Good idea. We have everything straightened out now. One thing, I thought that the ds156 is not to be signed until the interview? I believe packet 3 mentions this.

Does the 2nd copy of the ds156 have to have that stamp that was given at the bank? In other words duplicate it before or after the bank stamps it?

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Buck:

My advice, as I have given it to many, is to go back to November, 2006 and start reading forward. Take notes. Your question was a relatively simple one that has been answered many times. I imagine you are in a hurry now and needed a quick answer, but do yourself a favor and go back and read. You'll get LOTS of useful information about packet 3, packet 4, and the interview.

-By the way, when Luch is referring to DS230, he is referring to part I. You will not need part II.

DS-156 will be provided in packet 4. DS-156K is only for K1 visas. DS-157 is only for male beneficiaries between, I believe, 18 and 45.

Mike

Buck,

I will make this simple. I do not want to confuse you. I was very confused when I was at your step in this process.

Only include the following in Packet 3. TRUST ME

Cover Letter with the NVC issued case #

OF-169

DS230 pages 1 & 2

Copy of her passport (optional buy highly recommended)

That is all

All other forms like ds156, ds156k are to be filled out and given in person at the embassy.

Diana,

The ds156k is needed. Well only needed for K1 visas. Not needed for K3 visas.

[mystery 0]

Hello fellow Colombia Club members!!

Just thought I'd share with you all that my wife was just approved for her Residency. She should be getting her Resident Card in about 3 weeks!!!

Good thing about this whole ordeal is that we are one of the lucky ones that didn't get granted an interview for the Residency. We were just approved and all it took was 2 months!!!!!!!!

Best wishes to all

[buck501 0]

Buck:

My advice, as I have given it to many, is to go back to November, 2006 and start reading forward. Take notes. Your question was a relatively simple one that has been answered many times. I imagine you are in a hurry now and needed a quick answer, but do yourself a favor and go back and read. You'll get LOTS of useful information about packet 3, packet 4, and the interview.

-By the way, when Luch is referring to DS230, he is referring to part I. You will not need part II.

DS-156 will be provided in packet 4. DS-156K is only for K1 visas. DS-157 is only for male beneficiaries between, I believe, 18 and 45.

Mike

Buck,

I will make this simple. I do not want to confuse you. I was very confused when I was at your step in this process.

Only include the following in Packet 3. TRUST ME

Cover Letter with the NVC issued case #

OF-169

DS230 pages 1 & 2

Copy of her passport (optional buy highly recommended)

That is all

All other forms like ds156, ds156k are to be filled out and given in person at the embassy.

Diana,

The ds156k is needed. Well only needed for K1 visas. Not needed for K3 visas.

Mike, thank you, Luchco thank you. Mike, I have read all your posts for the last few months. I have read all the posts on the Colombia Club forum. Sorry, but by the time I get through all of that I get more confused. Even the respones to my first question today vary. Many folks ask the same question over and over. I think it's a miricle anybody ever gets through this process. It takes a while to sort out the good info from the incorrect info. This is one of, if not the most important thing we will do in life. Getting it right, double checking all the info and being nervous about it is only natural.

I hope that our journey will be succsseful and I will be able to post my experience to help others. I have founf that the folks that have been through this have the most accurate info.

With all that being said...........this site has been very helpful, has been my source of info through out. Even though I am using a lawyer, with out this site I do not think I would be this far. Thanks again to everyone!!!!!

[jediknight 0]

lucho or anyone else...what is the OF-169 for? i ask because i don't remember filling this out and on the list of documents that the nvc has received from us, this is listed as completed and reviewed. weird

JK

Edited June 25, 2007 by jediknight

[lucho562 0]

lucho or anyone else...what is the OF-169 for? i ask because i don't remember filling this out and on the list of documents that the nvc has received from us, this is listed as completed and reviewed. weird

JK

It is a delcration that the beneficiary has to sign. It basically states that the beneficiary has all the documents that are needed for the interview. Also it is an official request for the embassy to assign a interview date.

Check it out here, it is page 5 on the attached K1 packet 3 link

http://bogota.usembassy.gov/wwwfck1instrucciones_temp.pdf

[Medellin2007 0]

Hello everyone! I am making travel arrangements for my fiance to travel next week and want to make sure that

she has all the necessary paperwork to leave Colombia (Medellin). Aside from her passport with visa and cedula,

what else will the Colombia officials (DAS) require at the airport. She will be flying out of Medellin. I have searched

this forum and cannot find any discussion on this.

Also, she received her Certificado Judicial over a month ago. How recent does it have to be? Does DAS at the

airport (Colombia) check it? I looked at it and do not see an expiration date, but she recalls that they told her

that it was valid for 30 days. I'm hoping she does not have to have it renewed again.

Any help here is very much appreciated. I want to make sure she has her papers in order.

Thanks

MDE2007

[Mononoke28 134]

Uhmm... she will need to have her visa with her when she gets here. That's #1.

But in seriousness, I flew out of Rionegro back in February and all they asked for was my passport, cédula and that was it, I used my Colombian passport for that by the way. Also, if she's not flying American Airlines, she will need to pay the Impuesto de salida.

Lucho,

Thanks for clarifying the DS-156 stuff, I really couldn't remember exactly what that one was for since I'm going for a different visa. You're a pro now!

Diana

[HAL 9000 96]

My girl will be shopping in Medellín for a couple of days, then she flies out of Rio Negro on American.

She should have her health examination X-Rays, even though nobody here has posted that she doesn't need them. People are told to just have them just in case somebody with a badge asks for them along the way.

My sweetie also will be leaving her passport stapled as left at the Embassy to the K-1 documents folder.

Aug. 6 is so near... I just bought a drawer chest to accomodate the future Mrs. Mavi

[Mike and Adriana 0]

It's a packet 3 document, which means it's not relevant to those gonig the CR-1/IR-1 route.

lucho or anyone else...what is the OF-169 for? i ask because i don't remember filling this out and on the list of documents that the nvc has received from us, this is listed as completed and reviewed. weird

JK

[Mike and Adriana 0]

I assume there is not child. If there is, she'll need documentation that it's OK to take him out of the country. It really doesn't take much to leave Colombia....it's getting into the U.S. Make sure she has her secret, unopened packet given to her at the embassy. Make sure she does not lose her I-94 that she'll be given upon arrival.

By the way, if she is flying Avianca, they have now included the exit tax with the cost of the ticket (at least they do when you buy the ticket from the U.S.). Avianca is eventually catching up with the rest of the U.S.

Hello everyone! I am making travel arrangements for my fiance to travel next week and want to make sure that

she has all the necessary paperwork to leave Colombia (Medellin). Aside from her passport with visa and cedula,

what else will the Colombia officials (DAS) require at the airport. She will be flying out of Medellin. I have searched

this forum and cannot find any discussion on this.

Also, she received her Certificado Judicial over a month ago. How recent does it have to be? Does DAS at the

airport (Colombia) check it? I looked at it and do not see an expiration date, but she recalls that they told her

that it was valid for 30 days. I'm hoping she does not have to have it renewed again.

Any help here is very much appreciated. I want to make sure she has her papers in order.

Thanks

MDE2007

[Medellin2007 0]

Thanks for the responses. Just wanted to make sure there was nothing we were overlooking.

[tommyesq73 0]

Hello...its been a while...but i thought id try and give back a little re my experience with the U.S. embassy en Bogota. We had our int on 5/31 and was approved almost instantaneously.

1) There is a farely new requriment for verification of all entries and exits from Colombia. Your fiancee will need to get this through DAS. This is separate from the police certificate. The main office is in Bogota. If you goto the DAS office in bogota to get it, it will take 3 days. So plan accordingly. Additionally, if you live in medellin or cali or any other city that has a DAS office you can go an dapply for one there. It will take about 30 days. Another option, which we chose, was to goto the DAS office in Medellin or Cali and apply for the document but ask them to have it ready for you in Bogota. My fiancee made this request and 2 weeks later we picke it up in Bogota witout problems.

2) Medical exam/Labs...There was already a line of about 9 people when we arrived for the LABS. A few people showed up after us. The lab opens at 7 am. We were out of there by 10. The funny thing is taht someone arrived at about 9:30 and tehy left at 10 as well. I believe the lab is only open until 11. I know most are anxious to get there bright and early like we were....but now that we look back on it and when we do it again for my fiancees daughter...we too will get there at about 9. There is absoultey no wait at that time because every1 gets there so early. No one can enter with the applicant. Meaning the US citizen must wait outside and it can get pretty cold. Small children were permitted to enter. you have the choice between a male and female DR. We had to go with the male because of scheduling conflicts. Once again only the Colombian applicant can enter. There is a coffee shop to wait. The DR. will provide your fiancee with a sealed envelope that you cannot open and a second that has an x-ray. the x-ray is for your records. Keep in mind that if you stay at a hotel or apartment close to the embassy that the medical exam is about 45 minutes away. Plan accordingly espeically if your appt is close to traffic hor time.

3) When we got to the embassy there was alredy a huge line and we were there at about 6:45. I don't think being first in line gets you out of the embassy sooner than the person who got there after you and here is why....

When you get to the embassy there is a separate line...to the far left for us....for fiancee visa applicants...You all enter in order and wait in another line inside the main yard of the embassy. There you will get a folder with instrucions to put you application and forms in the order that is listed. Once you complete this you tyurn it in...and you are seen by an employee at a window in order that your foler was submitted. So as you can see even thoguht u were first in line, you might not finish first etc etc....Once you are called to the window...the clerk will review your docuements to make sure you ahve everything in order. If you dont have all your documents your done and thats it!!!If you do have everything in order tehy send you to anotehr part of the main yard where they have windows for your interview with the consulate. First a clerk calls your name to check you in. There didnt seem to be any rhyme or reason as to the order. Forexample, ppl who were after us at the first widow got their interviews before us...but we too went before ppl that were ahead of us...anyways...we waited about 2.5 hrs for our interview. There were about 15 ppl that went before us...this includes interviews for all rsdient visas...not just finacee...From the first 15 id say only 1 was approved and each int lasted about 15 minutes to 1 hour. Our interviews lasted 5 minutes if that. What our consular was interested in were photos. Photos from differente periods of time. She didnt even care about phone records emails etc....granted you should still take everything to have everything covered...

Once our visa was approved we went back the next day at 4pm to pick up our visa. Just to give everyone an idea....id guesestimate that there were atleast 700 individuals at the embassy that day trying to get a visa....of all types....When we went back the next day at 4pm...only about 20-25 ppl were there to pick up visas...the majority were k1-k3.....

I'd rec...alot of photos and for both fiancees to be at the embassy for the interview. Hope this helps...GL to all.

[Mike and Adriana 0]

TO ALL OF YOU NEWBIES.......READ THIS...................

I've been around since last October. Wife got her K-3 visa in January, so I've been there and done that. Don't hang around as much anymore because I got lots of other stuff to do. However, I want to give you some advice (advice that I've given to many others). If you are going through the Bogota embassy, you need to read this thread in detail and take notes. Go back to November, 2006 and read forward. You will get just about all of your questions answered and get other information that you did not even know you needed.

Buck 501 raised a good point. In some cases, the information he read conflicted. He is right. Sometimes it does. In some cases, it is a matter of different experiences. In other cases, it's just outright misinformation. When it comes to the content of the petitions, the content of packets 3 and 4, the embassy interview process......this stuff has not changed. If you want to feel comfortable about the information you are reading, check the source.....read the timeline of the person who posted at the time. You want to read posts by people who have been there and done that. You do not want to read posts by folks who are speculating or who are repeating information they got from others that may or may not have remembered correctly. I think everyone on this board is sincere. However, that doesn't mean the quality of the information is always great. So be careful. Further, DO NOT be impressed by member status (junior member, member, senior member, etc.). Status has only to do with the number of posts, not the quality of the posts. Further, it doesn't differentiate between posts that ask questions, posts that answer questions, or posts that really do nothing other than take up space.

If you have a question you do not see answered on the thread, either as it...or PM someone on the board whose previous posts seem to make sense. There are still many of us around who may not read the thread every day, but who will still receive and reply to PMs.

Good luck to all of you. See you on the Colombia Club thread on the AOS forum some day.

Mike