CR-1/IR-1 Colombia Club

[cartagena2112 0]

i'm leaving the 2nd of july for bogota and yes, if all goes well my beautiful wife will be flying back with me afterwards. i wouldn't be surprised if they pulled the printer problem on us but really, the printer is the least of my worries now. i'm nervous about not getting the appt letter and packet 4 before i leave so that we can have it before the doctor interview. the nvc sent my wife's copy directly to her in barranquilla so she may not get it before leaving for bogota. the nvc told me yesterday that since they sent my wife the packet directly that the embassy wouldn't have a copy of it so i wouldn't be able to get a copy from the embassy.

Hey Dude,

I have it on good authority that you will receive your package by next Wed. so you needn't worry any further.

Have a safe flight on the 2nd.

Cheers!

George

P.S. Where are you staying in Bogota? I can't decide on either the apartment or the hotel that people here have used.

[jediknight 0]

hey george, just checked my mail...got the packet!! all is set. thanks bro, gotta call the mrs.

JK

[lucho562 0]

hey george, just checked my mail...got the packet!! all is set. thanks bro, gotta call the mrs.

JK

Congrats Jedi!! I too will be flying into Barranquilla July 1st and into Bogota July 2nd. Good luck!!

[jediknight 0]

good luck lucho, let us know how things go. george, i'll be staying with my wife's relatives in bogota.

update, i called the nvc on friday and they told me that copies of packet 4 were sent out to my wife and me on the 20th and to the embassy on the 21st which confirms that the information i was given by that impatient, nasty witch at the nvc was of course wrong.

she said it would be impossible to get a copy of the appt letter and packet 4 from the embassy in bogota because my wife and i would be the only ones getting a copy. i knew that was ridiculous and i should have gotten her name and control number to complain to her supervisor but i just let it go, knowing that if i called later i would speak to someone who was more willing to give me the right info. well, since we know about the difficulties of getting mail in a timely manner in colombia, especially in smaller cities, people should have a back up plan to get the appt letter to their loved ones so that they can goto the doctors appt and interview.

one option is to mail the packet through fed ex or dhl, stay away from ups at all cost. the second option,which was suggested by several nvc reps is to fax or email a copy of the appt letter. this is much quicker and cheaper but i don't know if the doctors in colombia would accpet this and not the original. does anyone know? a third option is to request a copy to be picked up at the embassy in bogota. another option would be to wait until you get your copy here and take it with you when you fly down to be with your loved one. another would be to follow in james's footsteps and create a shortcut for the appt letter. i'll be posting my copy in my photos but it seems like one can be generated just like the ds 230 because there isn't anything special about it. it has a barcode, interview date, time, your names and other info that is given to you by the nvc like the date it was sent, also the seal on top is in black and white,there isn't even a signature so this may help someone out if they are in a bind. what do you guys think?

anyway, i'll post it soon and let james or someone who is word savy put it together.

JK

[cartagena2112 0]

update, i called the nvc on friday and they told me that copies of packet 4 were sent out to my wife and me on the 20th and to the embassy on the 21st which confirms that the information i was given by that impatient, nasty witch at the nvc was of course wrong.

she said it would be impossible to get a copy of the appt letter and packet 4 from the embassy in bogota because my wife and i would be the only ones getting a copy. i knew that was ridiculous and i should have gotten her name and control number to complain to her supervisor but i just let it go, knowing that if i called later i would speak to someone who was more willing to give me the right info. well, since we know about the difficulties of getting mail in a timely manner in colombia, especially in smaller cities, people should have a back up plan to get the appt letter to their loved ones so that they can goto the doctors appt and interview.

one option is to mail the packet through fed ex or dhl, stay away from ups at all cost. the second option,which was suggested by several nvc reps is to fax or email a copy of the appt letter. this is much quicker and cheaper but i don't know if the doctors in colombia would accpet this and not the original. does anyone know? a third option is to request a copy to be picked up at the embassy in bogota. another option would be to wait until you get your copy here and take it with you when you fly down to be with your loved one. another would be to follow in james's footsteps and create a shortcut for the appt letter. i'll be posting my copy in my photos but it seems like one can be generated just like the ds 230 because there isn't anything special about it. it has a barcode, interview date, time, your names and other info that is given to you by the nvc like the date it was sent, also the seal on top is in black and white,there isn't even a signature so this may help someone out if they are in a bind. what do you guys think?

anyway, i'll post it soon and let james or someone who is word savy put it together.

Hi Steve,

Congrats on getting the package. Now you are all clear to travel. We are happy for you.

Looks like the interview letter is nothing special, so a copy or a self-generated one should be fine, obviously only my opinion, but as I used

self-generated copies of almost all the other letters, I see no reason why it would not work as well.

In the package 4, was there an inventory sheet as to what you need to bring for the interview? Obviously things are different now than

the other inventory letter that was posted here, as you and I sent the NVC all the other documents that prior peeps brought to Bogota with them.

Thanks for posting your interview letter!

When are you gonna post a picture of you and your wife???

Best,

George

[Mononoke28 135]

Hey guys,

Did you use James' shortcuts to generate the new DS-230? I've been trying for over an hour to get the small barcode to look right but every time I paste it onto the small box, it comes out with a nasty, thick, black line right underneath it. I just want to pull my hair out!!

Thanks!

Diana

[jediknight 0]

diana, since i was the guinea pig i ended up waiting for mine. george, the packet just had the appt letter, photo requierments and a mention of bringing original documents if not previously provided to the nvc. everything is the same as the list below that was previously posted EXCEPT there is no mention of the ds230, baptismal certificate, marriage certificate for parents and certificado migratorio

1. 4 Photos (newer front view passport style)

2. Beneficiary Passport

3. Finished DS230 I and II, unsigned.

4. Registro Civil de Nacimiento

5. Baptismal Certificate

6. Some type of certificate if Beneficiary does not have Baptismal Certificate

7. Certificates of Birth for Children of Beneficiary

8. Certificates of Birth for Brothers/Sisters of Beneficiary if they live in the US.

9. Certificado de Matrimonio of Petitioner/Beneficiary

10. Divorce Records of Beneficiary

11. Certificate of Death of previous Spouses of Beneficiary

12. Certificate of Marriage of Beneficiary's Mother and Father (never figured this one?!?!?)

13. Completed Affidavit of Support (assuming this is the one already submitted with application?)

14. Certificado de DAS (Certificado de Policia - from everywhere Beneficiary lived 16yoa to now)

15. Certificado de DAS (DAS Colombian entry and exit records)

16. Certificado de Tribunales y Prisiones (if ever previously convicted or incarcerated of a crime)

17. Deportation Papers (If ever entered and deported from US)

18. Medical Examination Results w/complete vaccination records.

there is a sheet that lists the items that you have submitted but that is all. there is of course the medical information but again, no mention of the ds 230. i have everything except the certificado migratorio and we're going to get that in bogota. i'm taking everything just in case. the way they change things i'm not taking any chances. hopefully we wont need them but you never know.

JK

Edited June 25, 2007 by jediknight

[cartagena2112 0]

Hey guys,

Did you use James' shortcuts to generate the new DS-230? I've been trying for over an hour to get the small barcode to look right but every time I paste it onto the small box, it comes out with a nasty, thick, black line right underneath it.

Hi Diana,

I had the same trouble. It's a M$ Word thing. I don't recall excatly how I fixed it, but I recall importing the bar code I made into Photoshop

and cropping it real tight, then I saved it as a gif and then in the DS-230 word doc, I replaced it. Yeah I spent a few hours on that, getting

the stupid space and black bar to go away.

My barcode was a tad bigger then the original letter, but it worked fine for me.

Best,

George & Leydi

[dougyceci 0]

Just a simple good luck to you guys heading on down to Bogota in July. Everything is fine in the world for us.

Right now in Denver and doing a meet the family tour of the US. Left LV on the 12th and will get back the end of next month. Life is great, you guys will love having your wife here (or hubby Diane). Again good luck. A quick note for you guys. I had checked for them to send Ceci's SS card once she entered the country but it never happened. We had to go down and spend the day at SSA and apply for one. The POE people never sent it to SS. I guess for me, I would say it might be quicker doing it yourself.

Doug and Ceci

Edited June 25, 2007 by dougyceci

[jediknight 0]

doug, thanks for the well wishes and i'm glad that things are great for the both of you. a question for you and anyone else that got the certificado migratorio in bogota.. what was the process like? did you have to make an appt? i remember my wife had to call in the day before in barraquilla for her cert. judicial and the automated system gave her a time and the window to goto. is it the same in bogota? how long was the wait? my wife will be doing the lab and das the same day and she says it's not enough time, i told her there is if she's one of the first ones at the lab. perhaps she can pay the fee in barranquilla and not have to do that in bogota?

thanks

JK

[Looking4Wife 0]

Just a simple good luck to you guys heading on down to Bogota in July. Everything is fine in the world for us.

Right now in Denver and doing a meet the family tour of the US. Left LV on the 12th and will get back the end of next month. Life is great, you guys will love having your wife here (or hubby Diane). Again good luck. A quick note for you guys. I had checked for them to send Ceci's SS card once she entered the country but it never happened. We had to go down and spend the day at SSA and apply for one. The POE people never sent it to SS. I guess for me, I would say it might be quicker doing it yourself.

Doug and Ceci

Thanks for the update, Doug, glad to hear you guys are doing muy bien!

Also, thanks for the feed back on the SS Card. My wife has not received hers either (although I haven't checked my mail the last couple of days). The SSA office isn't far from our house, so we'll probably head over there based on your experience and suggestion.

Dios te bendiga!

[cartagena2112 0]

doug, thanks for the well wishes and i'm glad that things are great for the both of you. a question for you and anyone else that got the certificado migratorio in bogota.. what was the process like? did you have to make an appt? i remember my wife had to call in the day before in barraquilla for her cert. judicial and the automated system gave her a time and the window to goto. is it the same in bogota? how long was the wait? my wife will be doing the lab and das the same day and she says it's not enough time, i told her there is if she's one of the first ones at the lab. perhaps she can pay the fee in barranquilla and not have to do that in bogota?

Hi Dude,

My wife did her's from Cartagena, so in theory your wife could do her's from Baranquilla, but there is not enough time. We had to wait a 3 or 4 weeks

for the papers to go from Cartagena and Bogota and back..

So you need to do yours in Bogota. My wife seems to recall that direct in Bogota it takes 3 days.

Here is the D.A.S person she worked with to get her's. It is a Cartagena number:

D.A.S. Sra. Nilsa Ariza 656-2524

Of course, keep the envelope that they give you, sealed.

Cheers!

George

[jediknight 0]

good tip on keeping the thing sealed. my wife will be paying for the certificate in barranquilla this week to save time in bogota. everything is pretty much set, i can't believe i's soooo close. just have to make sure i have all of the documents, even the stuff they didn't ask for. take care

JK

[cartagena2112 0]

Just a simple good luck to you guys heading on down to Bogota in July. Everything is fine in the world for us.

Right now in Denver and doing a meet the family tour of the US. Left LV on the 12th and will get back the end of next month. Life is great, you guys will love having your wife here (or hubby Diane). Again good luck. A quick note for you guys. I had checked for them to send Ceci's SS card once she entered the country but it never happened. We had to go down and spend the day at SSA and apply for one. The POE people never sent it to SS. I guess for me, I would say it might be quicker doing it yourself.

Doug and Ceci

Hi Doug,

It is nice to see you around here. We are glad that things are going well for the both of you. Yes, I can't wait for Leydi to be able to go to

all the places in the USA with me. First stop, my favourite east coast pizza restaurant and then next for some good Chinese food!

Thanks for the tip on the SS card.

Best,

George & Leydi

[Mononoke28 135]

Doug, enjoy the weather in Denver this week!! It's a bit hot right now but we'll have low 80s the rest of the week.

George... thanks for the tip. I'll try my best to get rid off that stupid black line. It drove me crazy last night.

JK... the migratory errand is not that bad in Bogotá. My husband got there early and he was in and out with no problem. He also paid the day before so it made it faster. Then he went 3 days later to pick it up and it was ready for him.

Diana