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| Bogota, Colombia |  Review on September 13, 2023: |
HuevosChicle
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
The only real downside for us was not being at all familiar with the embassy. We had a 7am appointment, and stayed at a hotel to the southeast of the Embassy. The entrance for visa applicants is on the north side along Avenida Carrera 50. We walked and arrived to the north side around 6:35am, and there was a large crowd waiting across the street, where there's a restaurant and photo booths, etc. We asked a police officer and they told us to wait there. A few minutes later someone announced over the loudspeaker and told everyone with several types of visa appointments at 7, 7:15, 7:30 and 7:45am to get in line along the fence and show credentials to enter.
We were right next to El Dorado and couldn't hear well, and thus were slow to react and were pretty far back in line. Eventually we made it in, were told to go to a location #3, where we were given a sticker to identify us as residential visa applicants, and waited in a separate line before eventually making it through security - phone must be off, and they will confiscate any electronics for you to pick up after the interview - and then you head into the primary area, where there are ~5 residential visa booths and ~25 tourist visa booths.
When arriving, they need you to organize your documents. This was already well documented via the medical appointment, but if you are unsure, see also the first video in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkLNF8160YYfaY-DAht5S8ecIzi4f3aO1. You need only:
1 - Original birth certificate of applicant
2 - Original marriage certificate
3 - Divorce certificate, if applicable
4 - Police certificate, full page
5 - I-864 and supporting evidence (tax return/transcript + W2)
6 - 2 visa style photos - 5x5cm - Be _very_ careful these follow proper guidelines
Other US visa websites had said to bring other documents - copies of the birth and marriage certificates, the visa letter, the complete DS-260, etc - but none of that was required, nor were any additional evidence of the relationship. I imagine in most cases, the embassy will have already reviewed your evidence and made a decision, and just need these last bits of documentation to finalize things.
In any case, after you compile the correct documents in order, you provide them to one of the booths, then they give you two papers - one about domestic violence and rights in the US, and another about the next step (paying for the green card) - then you take a seat and wait. There is sufficient seating, as well as a coffee stand in the area. We waited close to two hours. If you are not the nervous type, I would recommend bringing an old fashioned book to pass the time - multiple people were yelled at for using their phones. Eventually, we were called up to one of the booths for the "interview". It took ~2-3 minutes, and we were told the visa had been approved and it and the passport would be ready for pickup at the same site we had gone for fingerprinting on the prior Saturday.
Overall, a smooth process, not a lot to complaint about besides the procedure for entering, and approval is approval, so we are satisfied. We were back at the hotel by ~10:30am.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #32510