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| Bogota, Colombia |  Review on May 18, 2024: |
Maitremathieu
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
We applied for a K1 visa for my fiancée and K2 for her 3 year old daughter.
The first appointment for ACS was Thursday at 8:00 am. Our hotel recommended we leave more than an hour in advance which turned out to be unnecessary and we got there way too early around 7:00 am. The ACS (Centro de Atención al Solicitante) was very easy to find, on the ground level of an outdoor office complex. Even though we were there early they let my fiancée in around 7:30 am. After waiting there it seemed like they let people in about an hour in advance of their appointment. I asked if I could go in with them as the petitioner but was told no.
The only documents necessary were passports, 2 passport photos and the confirmation page of the DS-160 form. No need to bring all of the other documents for the interview.
Right after 8:00 am my fiancée walked out because they rejected her daughter's passport photos because her bangs were covering her eyebrows. Conveniently, there is a passport photo shop right next to the center where we had them re-taken immediately. The staff in this shop were wonderful, and I highly recommend them. If you can time it right, it may just be best to plan to have the passport photos taken there right before the ACS appointment, since obviously no one is more of an expert in the subject than the shop right next to the ACS.
After getting the photos, my fiancée and her daughter went back in and were out in less than 15 minutes. She said the staff were very friendly, and only took fingerprints from her, not her daughter. They taped the approved passport photos on the other side of the bio page of their passports, and placed a sticker on the back of their passports with the info, date and time of their visa appointment the next day.
They also provided an information sheet of the order in which the documents should be arranged for the interview. (To my memory):
-Passport
-Birth certificate
-Police certificate
-Results of medical exams
-I-134 with tax info
*(marriage and divorce certificates were somewhere in that order but I don't remember since it was not applicable to my fiancée).
The next day we got to the embassy at 6:30 am and there were already several people waiting in the area across the street where they direct people. Before 7:00 am they made announcements on the loudspeaker that were hard to hear since they were quite far from the area where people wait, but people started crossing the street and lining up so we just joined them. Staff then came by people in the line to check their passports and ensure they had a valid appointment.
Once inside the embassy gates another staff member checked passports again and was ensuring that everyone had 2 passport photos with their names written on the back. We weren't aware that anything needed to be written on them, but thankfully I had a pen handy and my fiancée quickly took care of it. Once that was checked and ready to go they gave each of us green stickers to wear indicating that check had been done.
Right before security they checked passports again and verified them with a list of appointment times. At each of these checks I just explained I was the petitioner and showed my US passport, and it was no problem. They didn't ask any more questions or even open my passport.
We then went through security which was pretty easy. We had to shut off our cell phones and they were mainly concerned to check that we didn't have more than 1 cell phone each or any other electronic devices. We tried to minimize what we brought so my fiancée just brought a small purse and I brought a small bag to hold all of our documents. Based on what we saw we could have brought larger bags or more items if necessary.
Once past security we entered the visa waiting area which was a large open air area with stadium style seating facing the visa windows. It reminded me of an amphitheater. It was covered but still open air. Thankfully it was a very nice day but I can imagine it could be tough if it was colder or raining.
We then lined up at a table where staff checked that we had documents in the correct order. Once checked, we lined up at the visa windows to hand over the documents, and my fiancée was given the domestic violence pamphlet. She was then told to have a seat and that she would be called by name.
The waiting part is what we were most nervous about with a young child, but she did very well and we kept her entertained with a coloring book and some small toys. There were also 3 other children her age waiting, and staff were very tolerant of them moving around and calmly playing together. It's nice that the area is large and spacious.
We waited around two and a half hours and were then called up to the window. The officer was very direct and professional, and asked my fiancée the following questions:
-Has she ever lived in a country other than Colombia (no)
-Has she ever visited the United States (no)
-Has she been married before (no)
-How and when did we meet
-What I do for a living
-Do I have any children (no)
-Do I have any pets (no)
It seemed to last only one minute, and before we knew it the officer informed her that her visa was approved and she would receive an email in two weeks to 20 days with the information on where her passport would be sent. The officer didn't ask anything of or even acknowledge my fiancée's daughter or I.
She then returned to my fiancée the I-134 and, to our pleasant surprise, prints of the photos of us together that I had originally submitted with the petition!
Needless to say, we were very happy. I brought with us a TON of extra documents in case they were necessary: paychecks going back several months, taxes going back 3 years, more photos of us together including additional times since I submitted the additional petition, and a ton of other documents to show proof of relationship. In the end, none of it was needed.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #33186