how do i do this?

[Omar G. 4]

i am planning on starting the visa process for my wife and her daughter, i am a US citizen and we both live in Cali, Colombia. i now understand that we both qualify under the Direct Consular Filling (DCF). i wrote an email to the Immagrant Visa Unit of the US embassy in Bogota, Colombia; i asked if i qualify under DCF for us to start our processing. the response was........

Please contact our call center to make an appointment to file an immigrant visa petition for your wife and daughter. For more information, see our website at http://bogota.usembassy.gov.

Sincerely,

Immigrant Visa Unit

well this isn´t very clear to me. i went to the website but there isnt anything that says visa petition or anything. i assume i must contact their call center but whats the process im gonna have to do? is travelling to the embassy necessary for us right away or do we need to fill out the I-130 or I-129? and if i do need to do that where do i get them? do i have to go to the embassy to get them? by making an "appointment to file an immigrant visa petition for my wife and her daughter" how do i do this? call the call center and then go to bogota(the embassy)? please if anyone can clear out my doubts or has any advice it would be greatly appriciated. thank you in advance.

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

Looks like the nearest USCIS office to you is in Panama city. Maybe you should enquire with them if they will accept your application.

https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?action=of...r.statecode=amx

[MargotDarko 0]

i am planning on starting the visa process for my wife and her daughter, i am a US citizen and we both live in Cali, Colombia. i now understand that we both qualify under the Direct Consular Filling (DCF). i wrote an email to the Immagrant Visa Unit of the US embassy in Bogota, Colombia; i asked if i qualify under DCF for us to start our processing. the response was........

Please contact our call center to make an appointment to file an immigrant visa petition for your wife and daughter. For more information, see our website at http://bogota.usembassy.gov.

Sincerely,

Immigrant Visa Unit

well this isn´t very clear to me. i went to the website but there isnt anything that says visa petition or anything. i assume i must contact their call center but whats the process im gonna have to do? is travelling to the embassy necessary for us right away or do we need to fill out the I-130 or I-129? and if i do need to do that where do i get them? do i have to go to the embassy to get them? by making an "appointment to file an immigrant visa petition for my wife and her daughter" how do i do this? call the call center and then go to bogota(the embassy)? please if anyone can clear out my doubts or has any advice it would be greatly appriciated. thank you in advance.

No I-129f is used when doing DCF. When they say immigrant visa petition, they mean the I-130. So it sounds like all you have to do is call to make an appointment and then go in with the I-130 and all supporting documents. Getting to file in person usually really cuts down on the waiting time as well!

You are the one required to be there when filing the petition. It is fine for your wife and child to come along. When it comes to actual visa interview down the line, your wife and child would be required to be there and it should be fine for you to go along.

Edited October 17, 2007 by MargotDarko

[Omar G. 4]

so where can i get the I-130 forms? how much do they cost? do i need a lawyer to help me fill them out or are they pretty much straight forward? do i have leave the country to panama or can i do everything here in Colombia in the embassy? what do you guys think the process is for me? easy and maybe faster than the normal K-3 visa?

[Dakine 26]

so where can i get the I-130 forms? how much do they cost? do i need a lawyer to help me fill them out or are they pretty much straight forward? do i have leave the country to panama or can i do everything here in Colombia in the embassy? what do you guys think the process is for me? easy and maybe faster than the normal K-3 visa?

Yo Omar!

. You pay filing fee at embassy when you apply. G325A, I-130 plus other paper work that's asked for.

You do have to establish domicle in the US. Check out DCF here on VJ.

Get the forms here

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

No need lawyer unless you have complications. CR/IR visas are easy.

Edited October 17, 2007 by Haole

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

I had a longer post written out, but something happened, and I couldn't edit my original post, so I hope this works!!

You are in a great position because if you file in person you can ask them all the questions you need to at the appointment, and they will know if DCF is available to you.

So - just to make sure you're clear, DCF is not an official term, they won't know what your asking about if you refer to it by that term. You will have to ask if the petition and visa application can be processed in a regional office (rather that within the US). If they can, it will mean that the embassy will probablysend your petition to be processed in Panama, and then as with all of the IR-1/CR-1 applications, the interview will be in the embassy of the beneficiary's residence - that is in Bogota, Colombia.

If you can do DCF, you will probably find that it would be just as fast as a K-3, but would be an immigrant visa, so much better than a K-3. If you can't DCF, then you could consider a K-3, but this only becomes an option after you have your reciept of filing your I-130, so don't worry about it for now, again, the best people to ask will be the people filing your I-130 at the embassy.

[Omar G. 4]

so my best option is the DCF right? and not the K-3? i will call for an appointment and there i give my I-130 form all filled out right and ask any questions i have? but if i dont know i qualify im going to lose my trip to bogota right? what are IR and CR visa? are they different than the K-1 and K-3 mvisas that i always hear about? thank you

[Chica Yeyé 41]

so my best option is the DCF right? and not the K-3? i will call for an appointment and there i give my I-130 form all filled out right and ask any questions i have? but if i dont know i qualify im going to lose my trip to bogota right? what are IR and CR visa? are they different than the K-1 and K-3 mvisas that i always hear about? thank you

Absolutely -- if you both live abroad, you are elegible for DCF filing. So grab your documents, download the I-130 and the G-235 (or was it 325?) forms from www.uscis.gov - (the G one has to be filled in 4 times); and make the appointment for Bogota Embassy -- check out the Latin America forum and I'm sure folks there have gone through Bogota as well.

Bienvenido a VJ y buena suerte!

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

They really do explain everything. But to make things easy for you, I'll give you a crash course.

K-1 and K-3 are NON-Immigrant visas. They get your fiance (K-1) or spouse (K-3) to the US as a non-immigrant, and then you have to go through the lengthy and expensive process of Adjustment of Status to become a Legal Permanent Resident (when you get the green card).

IR-1 and CR-1 are IMMIGRANT visa's which allow your spouse (you have to be married) to go to the US and become a Legal Permanent Resident from the moment they arrive. They will be automatically issued their SSN and Green Card.

IR-1 (Immediate Relative -1) is issued to immigrants that have been married to their USC spouse for 2 years or more on the day the immigrant enters the country, the resulting green card is issued for 10 years.

CR-1 (Condidtional Resident -1) is issued to those married less than 2 years. It is exactly the same in all ways to the IR-1 with the single exception that the Green card is first issued for 2 years, and you have to apply to 'remove conditions' withing the 90 days before the 2 year anniversary of entering the country, and then a 10 year card is issued.

The I-130 is the application for the IR-1/CR-1 visa. You must apply for that. Even if you want to also apply for a K-3 you have to first apply for the IR-1/CR-1. There is no way to apply for the K-3 without first having applied for an IR-1/CR-1

Edited October 23, 2007 by Poiteen