Colombia Club Part IV

[GoingCrazy2012 16]

Thanks for the info GoingCrazy2012, it helps out a lot since the embassy's Instructions Package still say that it can be obtained from the DAS' website and I'm sure a lot of people will be confused with that information.

As for CR1/IR1 members, they're all part of the Colombia Club thread. Even though most have filed for K1 visas you'll find a few that filed for a spousal visa in this thread, myself included. So if you have any questions, ask away and one of us will make sure to get you an answer. I also created a CR1/IR1 thread in Spanish if that helps: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/257024-colombianos-con-cr1/

Diana

Hi Mononoke and Thanks for offering me your advice you are so nice. I have a couple of questions after reading the NV Shortcut Guide at http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/LingChe_NVC_ShortCut

SITUATION:

I do have in my possession the DS-3032 (Choice of Agent) and the DS-230 (IV Application) forms all filled out and ready to go. The problem is the Signature because they are to be signed by the Applicant (My wife who is currently in Colombia), I'm the Petitioner and I'm in Florida. I do also need TWO passport photos of her to accompany the DS-230. I do have ALL the rest supporting documentation already with me.

QUESTIONS:

1. While NVC receives my I-130 Package from USCIS (it was approved yesterday) and it is enter in their system, Can I go ahead and send the DS-3032 and the DS-230 filled out forms to my wife in Colombia for her to sign? or ...

2. Do I have to wait for these forms to be generated by NVC? ... (I am NOT referring to the Barcode Sheets that are generated by NVC, but rather the forms themselves)

3. Are the ones I have and the ones they generate the same?

If the forms I have work, then I could send them to my wife, have her sign them, and return back to me along with the photos (while NVC does its magic), so this way when the barcodes are generated, and all bills shown as paid I would have everything ready to ship out.

Am I in the right track? Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

[andrea y arturo 14]

Not a problem. I have a question for you though. I received my I-130 approval notification (NOA2) this morning and I know for my case (CR1 Spousal Visa) everything that was currently in USCIS's possession will now be forwarded to NVC for further processing. I was looking at your timeline and I noticed you have a date for (NVC Received and NVC Left) ... how do you know when NVC got it from USCIS and when it left to the Embassy in Bogota?

Thanks!

The date of receipt by NVC and the date it lewaves NVC can be obtained by calling NVC. If you go to the Colombia Portal and then rthen go to the Embassy Information Section the phone number for NVC can be found there. You can start calling them after you receive your NOA2. Usually after 6 days after NOA2 is a good time to start calling. When ytou call you need to have ypour case receipt number, bene=ficiaries and petiotioners: name, address, DOB, email adresses. They may tell you that they have not received the case or they may tell you that they have received it. If they do not have the case they will tell you to call after 15 days from the NOA2. Just politely agfree to do so and keep calling every day until you know that the case has been received by NVC. You will know it has been receievd because after you givethem the receipt number then they will ask for the other confirming info. If after you give them the receipt info they don't ask for anything else you know it has nbot been received and they will tell you so. Usuallyu cases are forwarded to the embassy after 3 days at NVC but some may take longer...

[GoingCrazy2012 16]

The date of receipt by NVC and the date it lewaves NVC can be obtained by calling NVC. If you go to the Colombia Portal and then rthen go to the Embassy Information Section the phone number for NVC can be found there. You can start calling them after you receive your NOA2. Usually after 6 days after NOA2 is a good time to start calling. When ytou call you need to have ypour case receipt number, bene=ficiaries and petiotioners: name, address, DOB, email adresses. They may tell you that they have not received the case or they may tell you that they have received it. If they do not have the case they will tell you to call after 15 days from the NOA2. Just politely agfree to do so and keep calling every day until you know that the case has been received by NVC. You will know it has been receievd because after you givethem the receipt number then they will ask for the other confirming info. If after you give them the receipt info they don't ask for anything else you know it has nbot been received and they will tell you so. Usuallyu cases are forwarded to the embassy after 3 days at NVC but some may take longer...

Great deal of information thank you! Could you please help (only if you can) answering the questions I posted regarding the signatures on the DS-3032 and DS-230 please?

[Jon&Clau 1]

Hello everybody,

Please try to use this thread to keep all Colombia Embassy topics (in English) together so that it's easier for all members to find info/answers to their questions. If individual topics are created, they tend to move down to other pages due to other threads being created or due to being too old for other members to read them.

Thank you!

Diana

So the embassy packet says they want "Proof of Relationship" as part of the documents we are to provide at our interview. Is this "proof" ALL the proof I have since the beginning of our relationship, or the proof since the petition was filed?

Thanks,

Jon & Clau

[GoingCrazy2012 16]

So the embassy packet says they want "Proof of Relationship" as part of the documents we are to provide at our interview. Is this "proof" ALL the proof I have since the beginning of our relationship, or the proof since the petition was filed?

Thanks,

Jon & Clau

Since the beginning of your relationship

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

So the embassy packet says they want "Proof of Relationship" as part of the documents we are to provide at our interview. Is this "proof" ALL the proof I have since the beginning of our relationship, or the proof since the petition was filed?

Thanks,

Jon & Clau

You should take the proof you have though many times they simply go with what you originally sent in with the I-130.. seems relatively few people are asked for anything more at the interview.

[Mononoke28 135]

Not a problem. I have a question for you though. I received my I-130 approval notification (NOA2) this morning and I know for my case (CR1 Spousal Visa) everything that was currently in USCIS's possession will now be forwarded to NVC for further processing. I was looking at your timeline and I noticed you have a date for (NVC Received and NVC Left) ... how do you know when NVC got it from USCIS and when it left to the Embassy in Bogota?

Thanks!

GoingCrazy2012,

andrea y arturo filed for a K1 visa which is a completely different process than the CR1/IR1. K1 visas are only given a case number (BGT #) and then forwarded to the US embassy right away, the NVC does not process anything for them so all K1 cases only stay with the for a few days.

Diana

[Mononoke28 135]

Hi Mononoke and Thanks for offering me your advice you are so nice. I have a couple of questions after reading the NV Shortcut Guide at http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/LingChe_NVC_ShortCut

SITUATION:

I do have in my possession the DS-3032 (Choice of Agent) and the DS-230 (IV Application) forms all filled out and ready to go. The problem is the Signature because they are to be signed by the Applicant (My wife who is currently in Colombia), I'm the Petitioner and I'm in Florida. I do also need TWO passport photos of her to accompany the DS-230. I do have ALL the rest supporting documentation already with me.

QUESTIONS:

1. While NVC receives my I-130 Package from USCIS (it was approved yesterday) and it is enter in their system, Can I go ahead and send the DS-3032 and the DS-230 filled out forms to my wife in Colombia for her to sign? or ...

2. Do I have to wait for these forms to be generated by NVC? ... (I am NOT referring to the Barcode Sheets that are generated by NVC, but rather the forms themselves)

3. Are the ones I have and the ones they generate the same?

If the forms I have work, then I could send them to my wife, have her sign them, and return back to me along with the photos (while NVC does its magic), so this way when the barcodes are generated, and all bills shown as paid I would have everything ready to ship out.

Am I in the right track? Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

Actually, the best guide to follow is the EZGuideSpouse. There you will find that you don't need to mail the DS-3032, you only need to email it to them so they know who the Choice of Agent will be. When you call the NVC and enter the USCIS receipt number, they will give you a BGT case number if they have it, if they do, ask to be transferred to a live agent so you can give them your email address and ask for the IIN (Invoice Identification Number), this way you will be able to not only pay all fees online, but also print all the coversheets as soon as the payment is processed, so you no longer have to wait for them to mail you anything. This will make everything move a lot faster at the NVC.

While we waited for the NVC to give us a case number, I told my husband to print out and fill out form DS-230, sign Part I ONLY and send it to me with all the civil documents. He shipped it via Deprisa and I got it within five days, all ready for when I had to send the DS-230 with the supporting documentation.

Diana

[Mononoke28 135]

So the embassy packet says they want "Proof of Relationship" as part of the documents we are to provide at our interview. Is this "proof" ALL the proof I have since the beginning of our relationship, or the proof since the petition was filed?

Thanks,

Jon & Clau

Jon & Clau,

Take all the evidence you can think of, pre and post filing, the more, the better.

Diana

Edited February 23, 2012 by Mononoke28

[andrea y arturo 14]

GoingCrazy2012,

andrea y arturo filed for a K1 visa which is a completely different process than the CR1/IR1. K1 visas are only given a case number (BGT #) and then forwarded to the US embassy right away, the NVC does not process anything for them so all K1 cases only stay with the for a few days.

Diana

Thanks Diana!

[GoingCrazy2012 16]

Actually, the best guide to follow is the EZGuideSpouse. There you will find that you don't need to mail the DS-3032, you only need to email it to them so they know who the Choice of Agent will be. When you call the NVC and enter the USCIS receipt number, they will give you a BGT case number if they have it, if they do, ask to be transferred to a live agent so you can give them your email address and ask for the IIN (Invoice Identification Number), this way you will be able to not only pay all fees online, but also print all the coversheets as soon as the payment is processed, so you no longer have to wait for them to mail you anything. This will make everything move a lot faster at the NVC.

While we waited for the NVC to give us a case number, I told my husband to print out and fill out form DS-230, sign Part I ONLY and send it to me with all the civil documents. He shipped it via Deprisa and I got it within five days, all ready for when I had to send the DS-230 with the supporting documentation.

Diana

Hi Diana! Valuable info you provided me with thank you so much.

A couple more questions for you if you could be so kind:

1. I-130 was approved on 21 Feb 2012. About how long until NVC gets it and assigns a Case #? Do I just keep calling NVC and rely on what the automated system tells me? or Should I ask a live agent every time I call?

2. I already asked this second question but wanted a second opinion. I plan to have my wife sign Part 1 of the DS-230 and send to me tomorrow, but the current form has an expiration date is 2/29/2012. Will that be a problem for the interview? or Should I wait for a new version to come out?

Thanks!

[Mononoke28 135]

Hi Diana! Valuable info you provided me with thank you so much.

A couple more questions for you if you could be so kind:

1. I-130 was approved on 21 Feb 2012. About how long until NVC gets it and assigns a Case #? Do I just keep calling NVC and rely on what the automated system tells me? or Should I ask a live agent every time I call?

2. I already asked this second question but wanted a second opinion. I plan to have my wife sign Part 1 of the DS-230 and send to me tomorrow, but the current form has an expiration date is 2/29/2012. Will that be a problem for the interview? or Should I wait for a new version to come out?

Thanks!

The approved I-130 takes about 1-2 weeks to reach the NVC so keep calling and rely on the info the automated system gives you, no need to transfer to an agent unless the system gives you the BGT case number, which means they've received it. If you want to speak to an agent try to do it very early in the morning, at around 7:30 A.M. EST or late at night between 10 P.M. - 11:30 P.M. EST right before they close, that way you'll transfer without having to wait for hours for an available agent. I noticed that the night shift agents were a lot nicer and more willing to help and answer all kinds of questions than the ones from the day shift, but maybe it was me.

It's OK for her to use the current DS-230 form, if they wanted you to use a new one, they would have made it available on their website already.

Diana

[GoingCrazy2012 16]

Thank you very much!

[GoingCrazy2012 16]

The approved I-130 takes about 1-2 weeks to reach the NVC so keep calling and rely on the info the automated system gives you, no need to transfer to an agent unless the system gives you the BGT case number, which means they've received it. If you want to speak to an agent try to do it very early in the morning, at around 7:30 A.M. EST or late at night between 10 P.M. - 11:30 P.M. EST right before they close, that way you'll transfer without having to wait for hours for an available agent. I noticed that the night shift agents were a lot nicer and more willing to help and answer all kinds of questions than the ones from the day shift, but maybe it was me.

It's OK for her to use the current DS-230 form, if they wanted you to use a new one, they would have made it available on their website already.

Diana

Hi Diana,

I would like to ask for your advice. I took the precaution of gathering all my wife's supporting documentation that go with the DS-230 right after we got married in Colombia and brought everything with me back to the States (January of this year).

Now that the time for submitting all these documents is rapidly approaching, I am undecided about whether to send all the ORIGINALS to NVC, or to go to the nearest UPS Store, make copies and have them "CERTIFIED AS TRUE COPIES" and send those to NVC instead.

I am afraid of NVC REJECTING my entire IV Packet because I did not send them the ORIGINAL documents. I do plan, though, as a precautionary measure and once I'm all done Stateside, to send my wife and ACCORDION Folder that I built for her and that has ABSOLUTELY every single document, we have submitted from Day 1 so that she can have it for INTERVIEW DAY.

What is your recommendation? Should I send the ORIGINALS? or Copies Stamped as "CERTIFIED TRUE COPIES"?

[Jon&Clau 1]

Jon & Clau,

Take all the evidence you can think of, pre and post filing, the more, the better.

Diana

Thanks Diana, I intended to bring ALL my evidence from the beginning, but just submit evidence since the petition, but will just give them copies of everything at the iterview.

Jon