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| Bogota, Colombia |  Review on June 9, 2008: |
mathlady
Rating:  | Review Topic: General Review
I have been in the US embassy 3 times already sponsoring family members and here are my experiences (k1 for me, then me bringing mother, then me sponsoring student visa for sister, then me again sponsoring sister).
1. K1: I met my husband in Bogota. No pictures together. No records of our phone conversations. He was 18 years older! (I was 21; he was 39 and never married). The day of the interview there were many k1 visa girls who got the visa denied because they did not have enough proof, pictures, etc. They were sad and crying. I was surprised. I knew my visa was going to be denied as well (and I did not care). I was inexperience and did not know anything. I did not know anything about the process, the questions, etc. The day of the interview I told the truth. I said I was going to the USA to know him better and to meet his family. I was surprised that the consul approved my visa, and told me that I had 3 months, and if I did not get married in those 3 months I had to come back; and I said O.K. Treatment was good. With all the experience I have now, I will not recommend what I did. Bring plenty of proof of your relationship (unlike mine); I highly recommend that you bring your future spouse. I have seen many cases there in which K1 visas were more likely to get approved in your fiancee was there. They tend to give more problems to K1 recipients who go alone.
2. Non-Inmigrants (Tourists): If you go for a tourist visa, the treatment is bad, and it is mostly luck. I know many people who are honest middle class and upper class and got their visas denied, and I know other friends who have fake papers, and they have gotten their visas! There is no rule for non-immigrant visas. Sometimes, the consul just look at you and don't resquest any papers and you get it. The consul was rude to me when I went to request a student visa for a my minor sister; even though I had all required paperwork, but the consul denied her visa because she has a pending immigrant visa.
3. Bringing Mother:
Treatment is much better. I went with my mother for her immigrant visa (US citizen sponsoring mother). There were many people in front of us (200 at least); but I think that arriving early does not help because once inside; they called us first. People are separated according to their visas. I was with a small group. I thing this was only for family members. No long waits. My mother went to buy coffee when she was called, so I went alone to the window. The female consul asked for my mother, and I told her that she went to have breakfast; she said no problem and began the interview with me. I brought a ton of papers (employment letters, proof of bank account, properties, etc.) But she did not request anything extra; she asked few questions; I think that since I spoke English to her and, I had graduated from a top US university and my husband and I made good $$$; she said that everything was fine. (My mother was still gone, and I started to worry). I apologied for my mother not being there. She said fine. Then my mother came, and she did not ask my mother questions, and took her fingerprint. She told me to come back in the afternoon for the visa. Very fast and they treated me very well.
4. I will be in the embassy again very soon because I am the agent of choice for my minor sister; so I will post that experience in the near future.
Good luck.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #2985