We Got Out K-1 Visa, But They Didnt...

[outstretchedarm 0]

...ask us to pay Domesa or anything. When I arranged for the visa appointment two days before, they asked us to select the DHL location closest to my fiancee. We did that; we picked the DHL location closest to her in Cali, Colombia.

But after approving the visa (the lady behind the window stamped it and everything) they didnt give us further instructions for getting her passport (with the visa stamp)

Questions:

1) is the passport (with the visa stamp) being shipped to her now included in the cost of the visa?

2) what do we do now? the next steps weren't made quite clear

Thanks in advance for any help

[Inky 1,111]

Sounds like you have to pick it up at the DHL location that you selected.

[outstretchedarm 0]

Sounds like you have to pick it up at the DHL location that you selected.

thanks. I'm thinking so too.

But does anyone know for sure, who has been through the process since they switched to the new system?

[outstretchedarm 0]

anyone?

[dukeandduchess 141]

I got an email from the Embassy and DHL with a tracking number which they called the Waybill number. It was emailed to the address I had on all of my forms.

You can also log on the website you used to book the interview to get the waybill number once your visa is ready. (for me, anyway)

[outstretchedarm 0]

I got an email from the Embassy and DHL with a tracking number which they called the Waybill number. It was emailed to the address I had on all of my forms.

You can also log on the website you used to book the interview to get the waybill number once your visa is ready. (for me, anyway)

hmm. thanks. let me check that out

[outstretchedarm 0]

well, I went to the site as suggested. However, it says "There is no information on the DHL Waybill Number at this time." I guess it takes a few days to show up.

[dukeandduchess 141]

well, I went to the site as suggested. However, it says "There is no information on the DHL Waybill Number at this time." I guess it takes a few days to show up.

Yes, I had my interview on Oct. 7 and nothing showed up until Oct.13. It may have taken longed because we had a Canadian Holiday during that time period. Not sure. But it did take about 3 business days for anything to show up.

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

...ask us to pay Domesa or anything. When I arranged for the visa appointment two days before, they asked us to select the DHL location closest to my fiancee. We did that; we picked the DHL location closest to her in Cali, Colombia.

But after approving the visa (the lady behind the window stamped it and everything) they didnt give us further instructions for getting her passport (with the visa stamp)

Questions:

1) is the passport (with the visa stamp) being shipped to her now included in the cost of the visa?

2) what do we do now? the next steps weren't made quite clear

Thanks in advance for any help

DHL? Since your interview was in October I am curious with the other changes recently if they have switched from DOMESA to DHL???

[outstretchedarm 0]

DHL? Since your interview was in October I am curious with the other changes recently if they have switched from DOMESA to DHL???

Big changes. Be prepared for a stressed out day when you come to bogota. You will be paying your visa fee at banco helm (or online if you insist on paying in dollars). The problem with paying with banco helm is: although they are the official bank of the embassy in this matter, they don't take dollars. You will have to go somewhere else (I went to the Casa de cambios, which is on the third floor of the nearby mall, Grand Estacion, to turn my via payment into pesos, then went back to banco helm to make my visa payment).

truth be told, this by far was the most stressful, unexpected aspect of four day visa trip. not the doctors' appointments, not the embassy, but paying banco helm in this new unexpected way.

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

Big changes. Be prepared for a stressed out day when you come to bogota. You will be paying your visa fee at banco helm (or online if you insist on paying in dollars). The problem with paying with banco helm is: although they are the official bank of the embassy in this matter, they don't take dollars. You will have to go somewhere else (I went to the Casa de cambios, which is on the third floor of the nearby mall, Grand Estacion, to turn my via payment into pesos, then went back to banco helm to make my visa payment).

truth be told, this by far was the most stressful, unexpected aspect of four day visa trip. not the doctors' appointments, not the embassy, but paying banco helm in this new unexpected way.

Luckily for that part I a not a K-1 (spousal visa) so no more visa payments to make I am curious about the DHL switch.. I was counting on picking up the visa at the DOMESA office and had a pretty good idea of the timelines but when I made those assumptions I did not realize there were two holidays in there for Colombia (11th and 14th) which has cut two days from what I was assuming and now adding the DHL switch I am downright worried....

Edited October 17, 2011 by OnMyWayID

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

Big changes. Be prepared for a stressed out day when you come to bogota. You will be paying your visa fee at banco helm (or online if you insist on paying in dollars). The problem with paying with banco helm is: although they are the official bank of the embassy in this matter, they don't take dollars. You will have to go somewhere else (I went to the Casa de cambios, which is on the third floor of the nearby mall, Grand Estacion, to turn my via payment into pesos, then went back to banco helm to make my visa payment).

truth be told, this by far was the most stressful, unexpected aspect of four day visa trip. not the doctors' appointments, not the embassy, but paying banco helm in this new unexpected way.

Sorry just through of another question.. Did they charge you for mailing the visa DHL? Did they give you an expected time frame?

I also noticed there was an update for visas at the Colombia DHL Website

Generic but some useful info:

To pick up your passport with the visa at the DHL Service Point you selected you must have a tracking number related to the appointment you had at the Embassy or Consulate. You can find the tracking number in three ways:

• With the email you will receive communicating you the tracking number and confirming that your passport has been processed for delivery.
• By visiting www.usvisa-info.com and entering the user ID you used to request your appointment. Remember that in order to track the status of your visa on this page you need your passport number.
• By calling CSC Customer Service Center.

Your tracking number will become available 2 to 3 business days after you had your appointment. To track please go to www.usvisa-info.com. When you get to the <a class="arrowLink" href="http://www.dhl.com.co/en/express/shipping/find_dhl_locations.html" target="_self">DHL Service Poin please remember to present:

1. Your tracking number and your government issued ID
2. If a third party is picking up the passport on your behalf; she needs to present her ID, a copy of your ID, and a notarized and authenticated power of attorney from you (if both are adults).
3. In case of passports belonging to minors, parents must bring copy of the birth certificate of the minor. In the event that the person picking up the passport is not the parent; she will have to present a notarized and authenticated power of attorney and a photocopy of the identification of the legal representative issuing the power.
4. If the person is disabled, a third party can pickup the passport following steps on point 2.

You will have10 days to pickup your passport (from the time it arrived to the DHL Service Point)

[Ready to do it 101]

Yes it looks like they have gotten rid of Domesa and now it is DHL. Fortunately the Banco Helm part is no longer part of it either. Now we simply go online and enter our credit card info into their website.