Colombia Club Part IV

[andrea y arturo 14]

Lobox,

Yes, if you're able to attend you can go with her and just show your US passport so they can let you right in. In fact, it's best if you go should the CO have any questions regarding your application.

Please feel free to ask any questions in this thread which is filled with all kinds of info regarding the process in Bogotá, Colombia.

Diana

Diana,

Interesting that you mention that the USC show his/her passport... I found it interesting that they did not ask for my passport or any form of ID prior to entering or even afterwards.... of course in the events of any security breach technically you are always outside of the building....

[Mononoke28 135]

Diana,

Interesting that you mention that the USC show his/her passport... I found it interesting that they did not ask for my passport or any form of ID prior to entering or even afterwards.... of course in the events of any security breach technically you are always outside of the building....

Really? They asked to see my passport when I showed up with my husband, then they asked me if I was the petitioner and then they put a green sticker on my chest, the same one they gave him.

Oh well, it's best to go prepared just in case.

Diana

[D N Medellin COL 75]

Another productive week in our K-1 visa journey process, thanks in part to this forum and you all! Got registered online, printed out the deposit slip, sent my fiance to pay the fee in person at Helm bank in Medellin, then very quickly and effortlessly checked the website calendar and scheduled the interview for June 7, 2012 at 7 AM.

1. This next week need to schedule her exam in Bogota. Being that the interview date is on a Thursday June 7th I am thinking of scheduling the exam for Tuesday June the 5th. Any comments or suggestions?

2. Does my fiance need to complete any form electronically and submit to the Bogota US Embassy?

3. Need to find a apartment or hotel room for the week starting June 4, 2012. Any suggestions of where others have stayed?

4. A few other items I have on the radar - police clearance report, medical/vaccination records, other specific documents that she needs to complete for the interview itself.

Thank you in advance for your answers.

[andrea y arturo 14]

Really? They asked to see my passport when I showed up with my husband, then they asked me if I was the petitioner and then they put a green sticker on my chest, the same one they gave him.

Oh well, it's best to go prepared just in case.

Diana

Yes, most definitely --over prepared is best.

[Jon&Clau 1]

Another productive week in our K-1 visa journey process, thanks in part to this forum and you all! Got registered online, printed out the deposit slip, sent my fiance to pay the fee in person at Helm bank in Medellin, then very quickly and effortlessly checked the website calendar and scheduled the interview for June 7, 2012 at 7 AM.

1. This next week need to schedule her exam in Bogota. Being that the interview date is on a Thursday June 7th I am thinking of scheduling the exam for Tuesday June the 5th. Any comments or suggestions?

2. Does my fiance need to complete any form electronically and submit to the Bogota US Embassy?

3. Need to find a apartment or hotel room for the week starting June 4, 2012. Any suggestions of where others have stayed?

4. A few other items I have on the radar - police clearance report, medical/vaccination records, other specific documents that she needs to complete for the interview itself.

Thank you in advance for your answers.

Hi D N Medellin, you can schedule the medical work and interview on the same week...Clau had her medical on a Wednesday with the interview on a Thursday and all was fine, but, no guarantee the doctor will have open appointments that same week, so I would have your fiancee get on the phone with them first thing on Monday to check, otherwise, you will be forced to reschedule your interview if you want to do both the same week. No forms to submit electronically to the embassy...just have the 156 and 156k with the bar codes ready. Also, you probably should have the DS230 complete as some other posters said they were asking for it even though it does not say you need it in any of the documentation provided by the embassy, so might as well be prepared in case they ask. You can have vaccinations done in her home city, but just get it done no more than a week prior to the medical exam, and bring the shot record book with you to the medical exam. For birth certificate, get an English version done and bring it with you. We did not submit the English version, only the Spanish Verison with her baptismal certificate and they never asked for English translation, but at some point, you will need an English translation when you get to the US.

Can't think of anything else, post another note if you think of anything else.

Jon & Clau

[Mononoke28 135]

3. Need to find a apartment or hotel room for the week starting June 4, 2012. Any suggestions of where others have stayed?

We stayed at www.welovebogota.com which was recommended by other VJ members. It's a three bedroom apartment with all the amenities, 10 minute walk from the embassy and in a nice, save neighborhood. You can rent each room separately or the entire apartment if you wish. I highly recommend it.

Diana

[GoingCrazy2012 16]

We stayed at www.welovebogota.com which was recommended by other VJ members. It's a three bedroom apartment with all the amenities, 10 minute walk from the embassy and in a nice, save neighborhood. You can rent each room separately or the entire apartment if you wish. I highly recommend it.

Diana

Hi Diana. A quick question: I went to the website above and took a look at it but didn't see a way of booking anything. How do you book? DO you have to call to Bogota to book a room/apartment? or how did you guys do it?

Thanks!

[D N Medellin COL 75]

Hi D N Medellin, you can schedule the medical work and interview on the same week...Clau had her medical on a Wednesday with the interview on a Thursday and all was fine, but, no guarantee the doctor will have open appointments that same week, so I would have your fiancee get on the phone with them first thing on Monday to check, otherwise, you will be forced to reschedule your interview if you want to do both the same week. No forms to submit electronically to the embassy...just have the 156 and 156k with the bar codes ready. Also, you probably should have the DS230 complete as some other posters said they were asking for it even though it does not say you need it in any of the documentation provided by the embassy, so might as well be prepared in case they ask. You can have vaccinations done in her home city, but just get it done no more than a week prior to the medical exam, and bring the shot record book with you to the medical exam. For birth certificate, get an English version done and bring it with you. We did not submit the English version, only the Spanish Verison with her baptismal certificate and they never asked for English translation, but at some point, you will need an English translation when you get to the US.

Can't think of anything else, post another note if you think of anything else.

Jon & Clau

Thank you Jon for the suggestions! WE will be scheduling the doctors appointment on Monday.

[Mononoke28 135]

Hi Diana. A quick question: I went to the website above and took a look at it but didn't see a way of booking anything. How do you book? DO you have to call to Bogota to book a room/apartment? or how did you guys do it?

Thanks!

In the Main Menu you will see two links that say "Contact Martha" and "Contact Alberto", when you click on them you will see their phone numbers and email info. Martha is the owner and is married to an American, you can email her and they'll get back to you, I believe they live in Medellín. Alberto is Martha's brother who will meet you at the front lobby of the apartment complex, give you the keys and walk you through the apartment.

Diana

[Mononoke28 135]

Hey all-

I'm sure this is covered elsewhere, so apologies for the redundancy. I'm going to Colombia to be at my fiancee's interview, and am trying to determine what documents to bring. I've read very inconsistent data so thought I'd try a new topic here. For example, some people say you need the I-864, while others say I-134. Seems like I-134 is correct, but can you imagine how much it would stink to get there and realize I didn't have the correct doc...? Also: Bank statements, letters of employment, criminal background check, etc...what is needed, what isn't. For both her as well as for me.

Your help is appreciated!

ek50,

You can find all of this info in the K Visas Instructions Package located in the US Embassy in Bogotá web site. The List of Documents starts on page 2.

You can also use this thread for any other questions you may have regarding the US Embassy in Colombia.

Diana

[GringoD 33]

Hola a todos!

Jus a moment, to chime in here and say that my lady arrived in eeuu, safe and sound, last Saturday, in Houston Intercontinental Airport.

Her plane was scheduled to land at 1 p.m.

I was figuring ... I should be there to meet her no later than 2, but arrived about 1:40.

The Easter Weekend proved to be a good time to travel for this purpose, as she was FINISHED WITH IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS, and seated, waiting patiently for me ABOUT where we had planned, using a map of the terminal for planning a meeting place.

SHE WAS FINISHED AND WAITING BY 1:30!

Now... for more processing, eh?

Edited April 10, 2012 by GringoD

[Mononoke28 135]

Hola a todos!

Jus a moment, to chime in here and say that my lady arrived in eeuu, safe and sound, last Saturday, in Houston Intercontinental Airport.

Her plane was scheduled to land at 1 p.m.

I was figuring ... I should be there to meet her no later than 2, but arrived about 1:40.

The Easter Weekend proved to be a good time to travel for this purpose, as she was FINISHED WITH IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS, and seated, waiting patiently for me ABOUT where we had planned, using a map of the terminal for planning a meeting place.

SHE WAS FINISHED AND WAITING BY 1:30!

Now... for more processing, eh?

Congratulations!!

Diana

[Ryan76 46]

Probably a bad question...but i've been leafing through the forums and didn't see an answer.

Will my fiancee's interview in Bogota be conducted in Spanish (or at least hopefully by a bilingual interviewer)?

My spanish is pretty good and that's always been our primary communication together. She's been taking english classes for over a year now but I would worry about her being questioned and having to respond solely in English.

Also, at this point just 1 day after receiving NOA2, is there anything I should have my fiancee doing before her packet arrives from the embassy?

I'm assuming it's okay to tell her to start gathering her items...birth certificate, 6 more passport size photos, etc.

[andrea y arturo 14]

Probably a bad question...but i've been leafing through the forums and didn't see an answer.

Will my fiancee's interview in Bogota be conducted in Spanish (or at least hopefully by a bilingual interviewer)?

My spanish is pretty good and that's always been our primary communication together. She's been taking english classes for over a year now but I would worry about her being questioned and having to respond solely in English.

Also, at this point just 1 day after receiving NOA2, is there anything I should have my fiancee doing before her packet arrives from the embassy?

I'm assuming it's okay to tell her to start gathering her items...birth certificate, 6 more passport size photos, etc.

Yes the interview will be conducted in Spanish. While all of the consuls and/or interviewers are bilingual there are varying degrees of fluency. Sometimes it is difficult to understand the name of the person that is being called to the window. Have you scheduled your interview on the website? You can go ahead and do this if you do not foresee any security or other red flags at NVC. It's never to early to have all the info put together. You can go to the embassy website and get the packet 3/4 and have al;l the forms ready to go.

[Mononoke28 135]

Probably a bad question...but i've been leafing through the forums and didn't see an answer.

Will my fiancee's interview in Bogota be conducted in Spanish (or at least hopefully by a bilingual interviewer)?

My spanish is pretty good and that's always been our primary communication together. She's been taking english classes for over a year now but I would worry about her being questioned and having to respond solely in English.

Also, at this point just 1 day after receiving NOA2, is there anything I should have my fiancee doing before her packet arrives from the embassy?

I'm assuming it's okay to tell her to start gathering her items...birth certificate, 6 more passport size photos, etc.

Ryan,

You should never wait for the embassy to send anything because it may never arrive. You need to call the NVC about a week after your NOA2 to get your BGT case number. Ask them when they plan on sending it to the US Embassy in Bogotá and wait about 2-3 days for it to arrive. Meanwhile you can get the Instructions Package from their web site.

In a different post you asked about the police certificate. Since the DAS does not exist anymore the National Police Department now issues this certificate. You can find more info in their web site, Antecedentes Judiciales.

Diana