Backlog in Bogota Embassy

[James & Helga 15]

14 hours ago, EA and MK said:

I believe it is open, as they are offering routine American Citizens Services, as well as emergency appointments for IV and NIV cases, and of course limited services on student visas. They may have just said they are closed for routine visa services. 

Thanks...!   It sounds like specific parts of Bogota are locked down.  The embassy must be located in a neighborhood that is locked down.  Hopefully it will be lifted soon.  
 
Looking forward to seeing some movement!

[Bri&Alejandro 82]

I check the embassy twitter and Facebook about once a week and I have seen comments over the last month or so about people trying to reschedule their interview and nothing is available earlier than 2022, has anyone else seen this? Of course, I have no idea what visa type they are waiting for. It is interesting (or odd?) because we have seen in this forum that people are getting rescheduled and have had their interview, but then a handful of people are also reporting that they can’t schedule anything sooner than 2022. Any ideas? Every day I wish the embassy would just come out and tell us what the current plan is or what is going on. 

[James & Helga 15]

45 minutes ago, Bri&Alejandro said:

I check the embassy twitter and Facebook about once a week and I have seen comments over the last month or so about people trying to reschedule their interview and nothing is available earlier than 2022, has anyone else seen this? Of course, I have no idea what visa type they are waiting for. It is interesting (or odd?) because we have seen in this forum that people are getting rescheduled and have had their interview, but then a handful of people are also reporting that they can’t schedule anything sooner than 2022. Any ideas? Every day I wish the embassy would just come out and tell us what the current plan is or what is going on. 

The lack of transparency is remarkable.  

[Bri&Alejandro 82]

2 hours ago, James & Helga said:

The lack of transparency is remarkable.  

It truly is. I don’t understand what the big deal is with just telling us what is going on. Even if it is just to say “we’re trying to catch up”...give us something. We are all sitting around wondering and they could very easily clear it up and put an end to some of the questions they are getting. Maybe they have no idea what they are doing either 😂

 

 

[EA and MK 48]

38 minutes ago, Bri&Alejandro said:

It truly is. I don’t understand what the big deal is with just telling us what is going on. Even if it is just to say “we’re trying to catch up”...give us something. We are all sitting around wondering and they could very easily clear it up and put an end to some of the questions they are getting. Maybe they have no idea what they are doing either 😂

 

 

We are all trying to make sense of what they are trying to do. Not sure why it's so hard for them to acknowledge that the health emergency in Colombia is driving the closure, or perhaps they are understaffed, etc. Why is it so hard to say what the plan is?! Personally, I think it is the health emergency. I suspect if they say something, people will start pressing the local government - but that's just my supposition. Every other government entity from USCIS to the IRS, has been able to figure it out.  Also, why are student visas even a priority over family reunification? They can manage to schedule those visas, but not family reunification visas?

 

*Sorry for my venting*

 

I am sure it's the case for everyone going through this, but watching all the embassies in the neighboring countries open (except Brazil, of course) is just disheartening. It just makes me and my wife feel hopeless at times. Let's keep our spirits high; I wish strength for everyone in this boat.

[Tacos 69]

5 hours ago, Bri&Alejandro said:

It truly is. I don’t understand what the big deal is with just telling us what is going on. Even if it is just to say “we’re trying to catch up”...give us something. We are all sitting around wondering and they could very easily clear it up and put an end to some of the questions they are getting. Maybe they have no idea what they are doing either 😂

 

 

 

It’s like being in the military, or even at my job. The left doesn’t talk to the right hand, neither hand sends out the memo, and you’re the one in trouble for not knowing what they know. 

[Bri&Alejandro 82]

5 hours ago, EA and MK said:

We are all trying to make sense of what they are trying to do. Not sure why it's so hard for them to acknowledge that the health emergency in Colombia is driving the closure, or perhaps they are understaffed, etc. Why is it so hard to say what the plan is?! Personally, I think it is the health emergency. I suspect if they say something, people will start pressing the local government - but that's just my supposition. Every other government entity from USCIS to the IRS, has been able to figure it out.  Also, why are student visas even a priority over family reunification? They can manage to schedule those visas, but not family reunification visas?

 

*Sorry for my venting*

 

I am sure it's the case for everyone going through this, but watching all the embassies in the neighboring countries open (except Brazil, of course) is just disheartening. It just makes me and my wife feel hopeless at times. Let's keep our spirits high; I wish strength for everyone in this boat.

No need to apologize for venting. I think we all feel the same way. I know for myself, I suffer from general anxiety and these months of unknowing has caused me many issues. I have developed severe anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, etc. Hopefully this doesn’t sound too dramatic, I realize that anxiety isn’t always rational. But much of this unknown has really contributed to a decline in my mental health. I try to keep all of this more in the back of my mind, continue to be patient, and trust that things will happen eventually. But truly, it is not knowing anything that really gets me. I would just love any explanation from the embassy, even if the explanation changes every week..I just want to know what is going on. 
 

And yes, I feel the same way about the student visas. We all wish spouse and fiancé would be top top priority. I wish they would get creative...do interviews over zoom...find some kind of alternative to get moving again. I know we are all so tired of waiting. 
 

And that is my vent for the night 😅

[James & Helga 15]

7 hours ago, Bri&Alejandro said:

No need to apologize for venting. I think we all feel the same way. I know for myself, I suffer from general anxiety and these months of unknowing has caused me many issues. I have developed severe anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, etc. Hopefully this doesn’t sound too dramatic, I realize that anxiety isn’t always rational. But much of this unknown has really contributed to a decline in my mental health. I try to keep all of this more in the back of my mind, continue to be patient, and trust that things will happen eventually. But truly, it is not knowing anything that really gets me. I would just love any explanation from the embassy, even if the explanation changes every week..I just want to know what is going on. 
 

And yes, I feel the same way about the student visas. We all wish spouse and fiancé would be top top priority. I wish they would get creative...do interviews over zoom...find some kind of alternative to get moving again. I know we are all so tired of waiting. 
 

And that is my vent for the night 😅

I hope you’re feeling better soon.  Enduring being kept in the dark has caused us a great deal of anxiety for us as well.   It pisses me off to no end that there is no way to hold accountable the ambassador or the embassy.  What they are doing is shameful.  I seriously don’t know what to believe any more.  I now highly doubt they are working through the backlog.  

[Bri&Alejandro 82]

1 hour ago, James & Helga said:

I hope you’re feeling better soon.  Enduring being kept in the dark has caused us a great deal of anxiety for us as well.   It pisses me off to no end that there is no way to hold accountable the ambassador or the embassy.  What they are doing is shameful.  I seriously don’t know what to believe any more.  I now highly doubt they are working through the backlog.  

I can at least find comfort in knowing I am not alone in all of this. This little community has helped a lot because everyone here understands what it is like to be separated from your loved one. 
 

I certainly did not mean to make you question whether the embassy was doing anything, I’m so sorry! We do know for a fact based on someone in this thread that they did a handful of interviews which were originally scheduled last year. If I remember correctly, one of the officers even told the attendee that they were finishing up cancelled interviews for March 2020 at the time. So, I do think they are working through them. The monthly reports for the embassy also show that they processing visas, just not as many as they would if they were fully open. 
 

I have no idea why some people have tried to reschedule and are only getting options for 2022. Perhaps it could be their visa type? Or maybe the online scheduler is not what the embassy is relying on right now and they are setting appointments on their end? Who knows. Hopefully this month will bring some good news in one way or another. I am hoping the Biden administration will push embassies to start processing again. Until then, we keep taking it one day at a time. 

[James & Helga 15]

17 minutes ago, Bri&Alejandro said:

I can at least find comfort in knowing I am not alone in all of this. This little community has helped a lot because everyone here understands what it is like to be separated from your loved one. 
 

I certainly did not mean to make you question whether the embassy was doing anything, I’m so sorry! We do know for a fact based on someone in this thread that they did a handful of interviews which were originally scheduled last year. If I remember correctly, one of the officers even told the attendee that they were finishing up cancelled interviews for March 2020 at the time. So, I do think they are working through them. The monthly reports for the embassy also show that they processing visas, just not as many as they would if they were fully open. 
 

I have no idea why some people have tried to reschedule and are only getting options for 2022. Perhaps it could be their visa type? Or maybe the online scheduler is not what the embassy is relying on right now and they are setting appointments on their end? Who knows. Hopefully this month will bring some good news in one way or another. I am hoping the Biden administration will push embassies to start processing again. Until then, we keep taking it one day at a time. 

Don’t be sorry!  I was wondering if they were doing anything long before your post.  I didn’t mean to make you feel badly.  As you can tell my frustration with the embassy has boiled over.  And it’s more because they aren’t telling us anything.  Yes, you are not alone in this.  It helps to vent sometimes.  

[Bri&Alejandro 82]

Tonight I decided to start being proactive, because I too am frustrated. I wrote to my state representatives and briefly told them about the issues going on, how it is affecting me, and asked them to please help on finding a solution to reunite the hundreds of thousands of people waiting on immigrant visas.

 

I also wrote to an immigration journalist at The Washington Post. Again, briefly told my story, the issues going on, and asked her to consider covering a story to help shed light on all of this. As of today, I saw two other news sources which have written specifically about embassy closures and how it is affecting visas/keeping loved ones separated. Both of the articles I found were just published in the last couple of days, so it is nice to see some news outlets picking it up. 

 

If you feel inclined, I would urge you all to reach out to your state representative on the Judiciary committee, which includes immigration issues. I wrote to every rep listed, but have gotten generic responses from a few out of my home state saying that they can only respond to emails from residents within their state due to high volume. I don't anticipate a response from anyone, even my own rep John Ossoff, but I am going to keep trying. 

Here is the list of members on the Judiciary Committee. https://www.senate.gov/general/committee_membership/committee_memberships_SSJU.htm

 

As they say "the squeaky wheel gets the oil". I'm going to keep reaching out and be that squeaky wheel.

[Bri&Alejandro 82]

On 2/6/2021 at 1:52 AM, Bri&Alejandro said:

Tonight I decided to start being proactive, because I too am frustrated. I wrote to my state representatives and briefly told them about the issues going on, how it is affecting me, and asked them to please help on finding a solution to reunite the hundreds of thousands of people waiting on immigrant visas.

 

I also wrote to an immigration journalist at The Washington Post. Again, briefly told my story, the issues going on, and asked her to consider covering a story to help shed light on all of this. As of today, I saw two other news sources which have written specifically about embassy closures and how it is affecting visas/keeping loved ones separated. Both of the articles I found were just published in the last couple of days, so it is nice to see some news outlets picking it up. 

 

If you feel inclined, I would urge you all to reach out to your state representative on the Judiciary committee, which includes immigration issues. I wrote to every rep listed, but have gotten generic responses from a few out of my home state saying that they can only respond to emails from residents within their state due to high volume. I don't anticipate a response from anyone, even my own rep John Ossoff, but I am going to keep trying. 

Here is the list of members on the Judiciary Committee. https://www.senate.gov/general/committee_membership/committee_memberships_SSJU.htm

 

As they say "the squeaky wheel gets the oil". I'm going to keep reaching out and be that squeaky wheel.

Back with an update (mostly because I am bored and have no one to talk to about these things 😂). I received an email and a phone call from my state congresswoman asking to speak with me. I have to send them an authorization form so she may gather my information. It is nice to see her reaching out about our issue. I am not holding any high expectations but you never know what can happen or what connections someone might have. 
 

I also spoke with a journalist on Monday who is writing a story about visa delays. We had a really good chat and she also spoke with my fiancé. She is hoping to have a story for this week. It is not a huge news source, but they are partnered with USA Today and it could potentially be posted there. It would be pretty cool to see more National news covering this issue. 
 

I have nothing else to do these days...waiting has me feeling bored. So I am just going to keep emailing/calling anyone I can. If nothing else, maybe I can help shed some light on what we are all going through. 

[James & Helga 15]

On 2/10/2021 at 12:40 PM, Bri&Alejandro said:

Back with an update (mostly because I am bored and have no one to talk to about these things 😂). I received an email and a phone call from my state congresswoman asking to speak with me. I have to send them an authorization form so she may gather my information. It is nice to see her reaching out about our issue. I am not holding any high expectations but you never know what can happen or what connections someone might have. 
 

I also spoke with a journalist on Monday who is writing a story about visa delays. We had a really good chat and she also spoke with my fiancé. She is hoping to have a story for this week. It is not a huge news source, but they are partnered with USA Today and it could potentially be posted there. It would be pretty cool to see more National news covering this issue. 
 

I have nothing else to do these days...waiting has me feeling bored. So I am just going to keep emailing/calling anyone I can. If nothing else, maybe I can help shed some light on what we are all going through. 

Great work...!!!  You guys are really stepping up.  I’ll contact my congressman.

[MedellinCOUS 24]

On 2/10/2021 at 9:40 AM, Bri&Alejandro said:

Back with an update (mostly because I am bored and have no one to talk to about these things 😂). I received an email and a phone call from my state congresswoman asking to speak with me. I have to send them an authorization form so she may gather my information. It is nice to see her reaching out about our issue. I am not holding any high expectations but you never know what can happen or what connections someone might have. 
 

I also spoke with a journalist on Monday who is writing a story about visa delays. We had a really good chat and she also spoke with my fiancé. She is hoping to have a story for this week. It is not a huge news source, but they are partnered with USA Today and it could potentially be posted there. It would be pretty cool to see more National news covering this issue. 
 

I have nothing else to do these days...waiting has me feeling bored. So I am just going to keep emailing/calling anyone I can. If nothing else, maybe I can help shed some light on what we are all going through. 

Amazing work!  I feel exactly the same and I wish I had time to do the same!  I just counted the months and this next month it will be 10 months since the NVC approved my case and not even a single update.  Every day is a struggle.

[Bri&Alejandro 82]

On 2/14/2021 at 11:09 PM, MedellinCOUS said:

Amazing work!  I feel exactly the same and I wish I had time to do the same!  I just counted the months and this next month it will be 10 months since the NVC approved my case and not even a single update.  Every day is a struggle.

It only took me about an hour of my time to write to the members of the judiciary committee. Granted, I have gotten no helpful response so far. The only response I have gotten is from my congresswoman who has requested more information. But, I also have insomnia so I am frequently up until the late hours of the night (like right now...it is 2:15 AM lol!)