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| Bogota, Colombia |  Review on December 10, 2009: |
Kurt y Dora
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
We had our interview on December 9 and other than waiting a long time to reach step in the process that day, it couldn't have been easier. But thanks to all we had read here on VJ and the review posted by Mike and Fey, we were well prepared. We arrived at 6:00 AM and waited in the appropriate line (#3). The woman checking us in made certain we were in the correct line, gave us green stickers with #40 on them and then gave us an order form to pay Domesa (the company that delivers your completed visa if granted). After a few minutes they let us all into the Immigration area. We had to pass through a security hut and to leave behind our cell phones if they had cameras and pass through X-ray security scanning. Then those of us with K1/K3 visas we sent to area #40 where the process for the day was explained to us about 6:30 AM and we were given folders to organize our paperwork in. After arranging our paperwork, we lined up again and the woman made certain all was in order and then we were told to sit and wait for our name to be called. If anything, this was difficult because they would only call a persons name once and that was through loudspeakers with a very garbled voice.
The interview area is outside in a courtyard but under cover and it was very chilly in the morning. There are windows like secured bank teller windows marked 1 through 21 on one wall and 22-32 on the opposite wall of the courtyard. Windows 29-32 are for immigrant visas which is what K1 visas are considered. Along the third wall is a snack shop and bathrooms and the fourth wall is "blank" with a curved bench running the length of it. In the middle of the courtyard are (cold) metal chairs where everyone sits, a small snack counter serving coffee and tea and donuts and arepas and a small trailer which is the office for Domesa, the company that does the mailings of the visas.
At about 8:45 we were called to window #29 where we turned in Dora's paperwork: Forms D156 and D156K, photos, Passport, Copio del folio, judicial certificate, DAS Migratory certificate, Form-I134 and 1040 tax return and W2 certificates and employment letters and finally the Medical records. THEY DID NOT ASK FOR ANY PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP information! Dora signed the form D156 and D156K. Then woman asked Dora her address, if she intended to marry me and how many times I was married. Then she arranged the information in a folder that had much of the I-129 application information and we were told to go wait by Window #2. (Windows 1-6 are marked “For Immigrant Visas only”).
We then waited here until about 11:00 AM and a woman OUTSIDE of window #2 called Dora’s name and took her fingerprint and told her to wait again. At 11:30, we were called to Window #6 and the man there had the folder that was sent over from window #29. He asked Dora how we met (that information was in my Intent to Marry Letter) and then if we had 14 visits in 14 months and Dora corrected him and said 14 visits in 18 months and then he said “OK, your visa is granted”. And that was it! We hugged and kissed and then walked to the Domesa trailer, paid for the delivery of her passport (which will have the visa inside) and walked out of the interview area.
Total time from submission of the I-129 paperwork to the granting of the visa – 138 days.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #5384