Club Colombia AOS!

[Ken y Leidys 20]

Any additions to the AOS for Club Colombia??

I am now lurking...not chiming in, just lurking as I save $$ for that plane (one-way Avianca) plane ticket from Barranquilla to Los Angeles in another 3 weeks. I'll be back on a more consistent level after the new year.

[HAL 9000 96]

[Ken y Leidys 20]

Leidys and I are now full-fledged members of Colombia Club AOS. We ordered our Social Security Number on Wednesday and were told to wait, "7 to 10 business days for its' arrival." From there, I will be able to include Leidys on my benefits at work. We will apply for our AOS papers by the end of this month.

-Ken

[Vi Mazzella 4]

Ken how is she doing? how is she adjusting to the States???

[Ken y Leidys 20]

Ken how is she doing? how is she adjusting to the States???

To know Leidys' adjustment to her new home is to visit her Facebook page!

She received her Social Security card YESTERDAY

and she is so HAPPY!!!

We have more paperwork to complete, but this is something that makes her happy.

Here are a few photos of her new home.

Christmas at my Mother's house

Las Vegas

[parkpapa 0]

Hello all! (at least I hope some are still monitoring this...lol)

We are approaching the time to renew Lorena's 'green card' at the two year threshold. She is wanting to go visit her family in Colombia after school is out in May. Our 90-day renewal window will begin in June (renewal date is in September). Question is this... Does she need to be present in the country when the renewal is reviewed? I don't know if there will be another interview or what. Any guidance on this will be appreciated.

Charles

[buck501 0]

Hello all! (at least I hope some are still monitoring this...lol)

We are approaching the time to renew Lorena's 'green card' at the two year threshold. She is wanting to go visit her family in Colombia after school is out in May. Our 90-day renewal window will begin in June (renewal date is in September). Question is this... Does she need to be present in the country when the renewal is reviewed? I don't know if there will be another interview or what. Any guidance on this will be appreciated.

Charles

Hi Charles. I have the same questions as you. We will be able to submit our docs on Feb 6th.

One big question I have is...........The affidavit letters, are they absolutly nessecary? We are living in our 3rd state since she arrived. OR, WA and now FL. It is not that we do not have any friends but we do not have any friends that we hang out with on a regular basis. I work from home so I do not have any daily interaction with people at work. Most all the people we have know or know now are immigrants, not US citizens or just plain illegal. I really do not think it will be possible for us to get those 2 letters. Asking someone in OR to write one and then take it to be notorized will not be very high on thier priority list and the odds of them following through would be next to none.

Thanks for any info. As with everything else in this whole process that started years ago, I will be glad when this is over!!!

[parkpapa 0]

Hi Charles. I have the same questions as you. We will be able to submit our docs on Feb 6th.

One big question I have is...........The affidavit letters, are they absolutly nessecary? We are living in our 3rd state since she arrived. OR, WA and now FL. It is not that we do not have any friends but we do not have any friends that we hang out with on a regular basis. I work from home so I do not have any daily interaction with people at work. Most all the people we have know or know now are immigrants, not US citizens or just plain illegal. I really do not think it will be possible for us to get those 2 letters. Asking someone in OR to write one and then take it to be notorized will not be very high on thier priority list and the odds of them following through would be next to none.

Thanks for any info. As with everything else in this whole process that started years ago, I will be glad when this is over!!!

De acuerdo!!! haha

From what I read, the letters are not required but are probably a good idea. We wrote a letter for a couple we met in Bogota when we were having the visa interview. Lorena talks to the Colombian half of the couple at least once a week by phone so we keep up with them and can vouch for the marriage - even though we live several hundred miles apart. Maybe your lovely wife could talk with Lorena about doing this (we might ask the same!). We do have a variety of friends here that can vouch for our marriage. These friends developed through work, school and church, though none of them are "buddy buddy" with us. Some of the closest friends we have kind of fall into the groups you mentioned. However, I would think that anyone here as a legal resident would be qualified to testify to the validity of your marriage.

Keep in touch!

Charles

[buck501 0]

De acuerdo!!! haha

From what I read, the letters are not required but are probably a good idea. We wrote a letter for a couple we met in Bogota when we were having the visa interview. Lorena talks to the Colombian half of the couple at least once a week by phone so we keep up with them and can vouch for the marriage - even though we live several hundred miles apart. Maybe your lovely wife could talk with Lorena about doing this (we might ask the same!). We do have a variety of friends here that can vouch for our marriage. These friends developed through work, school and church, though none of them are "buddy buddy" with us. Some of the closest friends we have kind of fall into the groups you mentioned. However, I would think that anyone here as a legal resident would be qualified to testify to the validity of your marriage.

Keep in touch!

Charles

Well Charles I am plenty willing to "scratch your back" if you scratch mine, ours I should say. Paola's phone gave up on her and I am not sure she has Lorena's number anymore. PM me with your email addy and phone number and we can talk about it. Thank you

[Ken y Leidys 20]

Quick question for Club Colombia --

If I don't file for an EAD for early travel authorization, or a Early work permit, how much longer will all of this take? The additional fees total nearly $800!

Thanks for any info...

-Ken

[Ken y Leidys 20]

My 90th day is Saturday February 20th...I have 8 days to get the forms to Chicago's Lockbox and on that day, I plan on being in the desert running the trails with our Jeeps. Craziness. I'll let everyone know how the paperwork pans out. Today, I have a visit with a local Civil Surgeon ($170). Do they think we're rich???

[subguy812 1]

Quick question for Club Colombia --

If I don't file for an EAD for early travel authorization, or a Early work permit, how much longer will all of this take? The additional fees total nearly $800!

Thanks for any info...

-Ken

Ken,

Those 2 things are generally the quicker items I dont think your saving any time...and if you file for your travel, work concurrently with with your AOS it is included in the $1010.00.

Edited February 13, 2010 by subguy812

[Nikita2Charles 32]

Ken,

THe 90 days requirement is to get married before that time frame, it's always best to get the AOS as soon as you can, but there's no negative effects of filing after the 90 days, hope you guys adjusting well in so cali.

My 90th day is Saturday February 20th...I have 8 days to get the forms to Chicago's Lockbox and on that day, I plan on being in the desert running the trails with our Jeeps. Craziness. I'll let everyone know how the paperwork pans out. Today, I have a visit with a local Civil Surgeon ($170). Do they think we're rich???

[Ken y Leidys 20]

Ken,

THe 90 days requirement is to get married before that time frame, it's always best to get the AOS as soon as you can, but there's no negative effects of filing after the 90 days, hope you guys adjusting well in so cali.

Charles,

Thanks again for your phone call after our wedding ceremony in December! I was told that our paperwork would be placed in an 'X FILE' for AOS applicants that sent their paperwork late. I will still try to get this paperwork out early Wednesday and arrive by Friday during business hours. Thanks everyone for your help with this.

As for adjusting, Leidys is very happy here. We took photos last night in our Carnaval t-shirts. Here's a sample!

Edited February 15, 2010 by Ken y Leidys

[parkpapa 0]

Posted this in the club forum but thought it might be worth a shot here, too...

Hi all...

Been a while since I last posted. We are getting close to the date for "removal of conditions". Is there a current forum that everyone is using or will use?

Everything I read here and at USCIS says NOT to mail the packet for removal of conditions before the 90 day window opens. My wife has a friend who says she and her husband sent the papers in a week before the 90 day window and it was accepted. Lorena wants to do the same with ours (the 90 days begins June 8 and she wants to send the packet on June 1).

Anyone know if this will really be an issue? Was her friend just lucky? Any advice will be appreciated.

Charles