Colombia Club

[lucho562 0]

Byron,

That is not totally correct. According to the bank the DS156 has to be only on 1 sheet of paper, printed front and back. However the embassy accepts the DS156 to be on 1 sheet or 2 sheets. The bank just got nick picky with us.

If you want to do it on 1 sheet, go ahead. That way you will not get turned back like we did at the bank.

[paisita411 0]

Buck, I'm wondering if it was Ruth Urry who interviewed your friend? She was the CO that interviewed us and if you remember, she told me that my husband said 3 weeks for our honeymoon and that I said 3 days. It sounds sooooo similar that I suspect it was her. Anyway, you're probably correct about the CO theory...the line of questioning does have a direct correlation with WHO is interviewing you. The only thing you can do is be as prepared as possible and be ready to fight any adverse decision.

Dre

[BYRON-LEIDY 0]

Thanks Lucho, I'm going to do it just to be safe.

[LUISH 0]

Thank you Diana, right now that's what i'm working on, my fiancee's family have some people they know in the DAS department, hopefully they will be able to help her, if not she will have to go to bogota on Sept. 2nd, to have enough time to get that document.

[Bill y Bella 0]

It's 3:15 Bogota time. Where's Nydia?

[Mononoke28 135]

It's 3:15 Bogota time. Where's Nydia?

I was thinking the same thing.

[Entonces... 0]

Hope all is well with Sam and Nydia.

[buck501 0]

Buck,

But did they look legit? How where they together? Becasue it is odd that there are some that have 2 min interviews and out the door others a mountain of eveidence and get denied. I think all of this is case by case. Thats my feel on it.

Rafael

I never saw the pics so I do not know. He said that she grilled them over and over, his girl got confused and gave some different responses. It sounded like the CO was tring to trip them up. It may be that they were not well prepared. They got married 1 year ago, he has been here seven times. He said she thought the marriage was fake. She even asked how much money the chica paid him to marry her!!!!!

I talked to him again this afternoon. He was waaaaaaaayyyy mad. He called he embassy and demanded another interview, also demanded to talk to the US Ambassador. He got the interview, did not get to talk to the Ambassador. LOL. He told the person on the phone that he felt they were treated unfairly and the women was rude and tried to get them to admit the relationship was fake. The man agreed with him and gave him another interview for tomarrow. If I see him again I will find aout what happened.

[buck501 0]

This our account of the interview............................We arrived at the embassy at 5:40am, there were 10 people ahead of us. It was way cold, spitting some rain and the wind was blowing hard, everyone was freezing!! At 6:15am we were let into the compound, the first person in line went to sign #3, guess what?, so did everyone else LOL>LOL. There were about 60 or 70 people there by then. About 10 min later they annouced over the loud speaker what line to be in, by then there had to be over 100 people there. We were given our green sticker and told to go to area 40, we did. There we waitied maybe 15 min, were called to sign in and give the invitation letter to a nice lady. Paola's name was called in about 10 min. There we met the witch, she rifled through the papers and said to go to window 2. We went there and waited for about another 45 min. Paola's name was called for her finger prints. We wated till about 9:15am, Paola was called to window 5 for the interview. A nice man looked through her papers asked her 4 questions............when did we meet, how did we meet, do we speak each others language and how many times we have seen each other. That was it, he said all was good, he did not ask for any futher evidence. Then he looked throught the papers again and discoverd we did not have the police certificate from Panama. He then said we must have the certificate and wrote that up on a document, gave it to us and said all would be fine once we got the certificate. I bet we were not at the window 5 min. We were out and gone by 9:30am.

I do not know if being in the front of the line has any bearing on when you get the interview. There were others that were behind us that got interviewed before us. There were many others in the same place for different visas. We saw one couple thgat were applying for what I assumed was a K visa, they were at the window for at least 30 min. I do not think they got the visa. They did not look very happy. They did have a huge pile of pics and other stuff. Another couple was at the window for about 10 min, at the end she let out loud squeal and the jumped up and down, I think they were approved. They only had a very small stacl of pics and such. Who knows??????????? I think it is good to have a man give the interview. They seemed to turn people out faster. The women doing the interviews kept people at the window longer.

I hope all is well for us. I hope the man is correct saying that we are in good shape. I am concerened about abother interview. I will not be there for that one.

In one way it may be better. They can not cross examin you that way. They only have the person applying for the visa to question. In another way it could be bad. I have told Paola that if they ask why I am not there to to tell them about the interview and show them my plane tickets to prove that I was there on that day.

Thats about all I remember for now. If I think of more I will post it later.

[Bill y Bella 0]

Everyone is having troubles. Link to Other Thread

These two should have been in the Colombia Club a long time ago. Maybe they were and I don't remember. In any case, anyone have any ideas how to help them? I will tell them to look here.

[Mike and Adriana 0]

She was here previously. Posted some. Sent me some PMs. Seemed like she understood. NOt sure what kind of errors she could have made....but not everyone is good at filing out forms.

I'm just kind of shocked that they did not realize that the guy overstayed a previous visa....or, if they did, that this would be a problem. If I remember, there are questions on one of the forms about overstaying a visa....maybe it was the DS-230....can't remember without looking.

I wish them luck. I don't know anything about appeals/waivers for such things....but at this point a lawyer seems in order.

Mike

Everyone is having troubles. Link to Other Thread

These two should have been in the Colombia Club a long time ago. Maybe they were and I don't remember. In any case, anyone have any ideas how to help them? I will tell them to look here.

[Mike and Adriana 0]

Yes, based on my experiences and those documented in other posts from early 2007, your location in the line outside is not correlated with your interview inside.

I do not know if he is still there....but the CO we had was a bald black man. His mannerism worried us (rubbing his head, sighing, etc. - we watched him as we sat outside).....but he ended up giving my wife the visa without any questions at all. He was satsfied with what we had filed. Of course, you don't have an option as to who interview you. Too bad.

Mike

I do not know if being in the front of the line has any bearing on when you get the interview. There were others that were behind us that got interviewed before us. There were many others in the same place for different visas.....I think it is good to have a man give the interview. They seemed to turn people out faster.

I think you are wise to have a "front-back" DS-156. IF I recall correctly, that is what the instructions call for. It's certainly possible that the embassy is now taking two separate pages, but why risk it for something so simple to do. Why risk ticking someone off?

Mike

Thanks Lucho, I'm going to do it just to be safe.

[Entonces... 0]

Quick question Buck or anyone that ahs been through the process in the last few months months. Can anyone give me idea how much was spent without room and board. Expenses like passport, DAS, lab/medical, vacs. fees, etc. I want to have an idea of what to expect.

thanx guys,

Rafael

[Scott n Yenifer 0]

Found it (first bulleted link)

http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/co1/wwwsc...tructions.shtml

Thanks lucho...I was able to use the link to download both packet 3+4, emailed them to Yenifer...and she called last night from the internet cafe as she was printing and organizing the paperwork. This has given us a heads up as to what is ahead. We will work on this stuff together when I arrive on the 31st...(I can't wait) You have been a tremendous help!!!

Scott

[Mononoke28 135]

Quick question Buck or anyone that ahs been through the process in the last few months months. Can anyone give me idea how much was spent without room and board. Expenses like passport, DAS, lab/medical, vacs. fees, etc. I want to have an idea of what to expect.

thanx guys,

Rafael

Rafael,

These are ballpark #s in US dollars:

Lab ~ $75

Medical ~$68

Passport ~$100

Photos ~$15

DAS ~$130

Vacs ~$75-100

Since you're filing for a K1 visa there are other fees that apply, I'm not sure what they are but they're about another $100. Others can fill you up on that.

Diana