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| Bogota, Colombia |  Review on September 26, 2008: |
ARTY AND LILI
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
(Note: tips at the end of this review)
First things first...get there early. Others on this thread have suggested that getting there before 6:45 doesn't make any difference. We got there at 5:45, maybe 30 people in front of us. Most of them got into line 1 when we got to the embassy entrance. We went into line 3 which is the proper place for K1 visas. The embassy shuffles people to the correct lane at about 6:45. By that time, 90 percent of the people for k1's and k3's were behind us. We were intervied at 9:40. In that cold waiting area, which is open air, time stands still. Cases are taken in order after people go to the windows. Having your paperwork complete makes getting the paperwork from the first window to the biometrics window faster. The person at the first window has to arrange all of the paperwork, hands you back the non-essential.
Some people are cold, some are warm. Don't worry about the personality, just go there with everything in order and you will get the job done. I showed up with my fiancee and they asked her few questions. I smiled at the officer, he made a brief comment to him, and then my fiancee handed him our wedding announcement and our photos. We had mountains of evidence (I visited her 9 times this year) but they didn't ask for it.
A few tips:
1)When you initially go into the area (line 40), there is a long winding bench. Sit there, close to the lectern. That is where the first line starts and until the person there says something, most sit at the comfier wire chairs.
2)Make sure that you have every document, and don't believe that you don't need the DAS Certificate. Some documentation out there suggests that it is optional. Even if your fiancee has never traveled out of the country, she needs it.
3)The K1/K3 colors are Green. Those are the lines that you will be called to.
4)We were handed back our I-184, it appears that you don't need it, but some documentation suggests that you do.It doesn't hurt to bring too much, but bringing too little is going to make them delay your case.
5)The elderly and people with children go first. I was proud that our Embassy keeps this tradition. It's polite, and something that in some cultures is lost.
6)Make sure that your finacee is up to date on immunization. Getting immunizations done at the doctor's office is more expensive, but will be necessary if insufficient immunization document is brought.
7)Get there early. Does waking up at 4:45 in the AM stink? Yes. Does getting out of the embassy maybe 3 - 4 hours earlier make it worthwhile? Yes!
8)Don't wait to get your paperwork. Start well before your visa makes it's way from the NVC. All of the forms are available on the embassy's site.
9)If possible, get a copy of the documentation sent to your fiancee to see for yourself. Some of it is in Spanish. You can hand in either English or Spanish versions at the embassy. All staff are bilingual.
10)If you share a common language, make it known right away. It takes away a lot of the questioning. We saw couples that could only say a few words to each other.
11)We found inexpensive and safe appartments at colombianservices.com. For 65 a night I have a two bedroom apartment with kitchen and wireless internet. For 650 dollars, I stay 10 days and get free breakfast every day, and there are other services available and bilingual staff. The driver is very affordable and it made doing a few last minute things much easier for my fiancee before I got there. They even picked her up at the airport. It's close to the embassy and the airport.
12)Dress warm, bring something to sit on. The seats are very cold.
13)Dress well. If you are the sponsor, don't look like you are just getting by in life.
14)If you are going the K3 route, make sure that you spend time together frequently. From what I heard from K3 filers, not seeing each other frequently is a red flag.
The embassy runs the process well. Read other posts to hear the whole process.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #3381