Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	You can also try Delta. If the planets line up and you search at the right moment, you can get a fantastic deal. I flew from NY to Bogota for $260 TOTAL!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-10-01 20:22:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Just checking in to say hi and wishing everyone good luck. I had the misfortune of BOTH of my computers dying! Hang in there and see y'all on the AOS side of things.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-09-26 11:45:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	QUOTE (parkpapa @ Sep 13 2007, 12:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (TonyS @ Sep 12 2007, 04:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (BYRON-LEIDY @ Sep 12 2007, 01:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks jpine....yeah i figured it shows a solid relationship traveling together.....Guess i better start looking for Panama flights.. Good idea Byron. I was going to meet my wife there last year and most likely I will visit in the future ( looking for a Latin America home for the future).I have heard some good things about Panama. I recommend checking with COPA Airlines. I took a couple of flights to Barranquilla with them. They were out of JFK with a short layover in Panama. I liked the airline. Also something you may want to check on. I believe you will need to send your novia about $500 to bring with her or she may have a difficult time with Panama's immigration. She may have to prove she is just visiting, even if she tell them that she is meeting you. There is some prejudice against Colombians in Panama as some people view them to be criminals, illegal aliens or prostitutes. Tony, that's interesting that you guys are thinking of Panama also. Lorena and I have talked about moving there in four or five years. Panama seems to have benefits that both of us are looking for: relatively low costs for most everything (my retirement check would pretty much cover a very nice lifestyle), people speak both Spanish and English (more than in most countries), and it's close to Colombia (and not too far from the US). Yes I also believe foreign income is not taxed (retirement), dollar is the currency and no property tax for 15 years. But I believe one has to move relatively fast as the foreigners are driving the prices up. But I'm looking at other places Argentina, or some hidden jewel LOL.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-09-13 12:29:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	QUOTE (BYRON-LEIDY @ Sep 12 2007, 01:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks jpine....yeah i figured it shows a solid relationship traveling together.....Guess i better start looking for Panama flights.. Good idea Byron. I was going to meet my wife there last year and most likely I will visit in the future ( looking for a Latin America home for the future).I have heard some good things about Panama. I recommend checking with COPA Airlines. I took a couple of flights to Barranquilla with them. They were out of JFK with a short layover in Panama. I liked the airline. Also something you may want to check on. I believe you will need to send your novia about $500 to bring with her or she may have a difficult time with Panama's immigration. She may have to prove she is just visiting, even if she tell them that she is meeting you. There is some prejudice against Colombians in Panama as some people view them to be criminals, illegal aliens or prostitutes.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-09-12 16:22:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Congrats Luish!!!!!!!!!!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-09-12 07:16:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	QUOTE (Entonces... @ Sep 8 2007, 11:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Chester when they asked you how many times did you go to Colombia..and you went seven times ... will my one time be a problem... Rafael In my opinion Rafael this is something you must account for. When I was at my interview there was a young lady who was not approved. The reason......her fiance had only been to Colombia once and she brought for evidence a grand total of SEVEN EMAILS. Remember you have to burden of proving the relationship is real. I you can go to the interview then by all mean do and saturate them with evidence! Mucho pictures, emails and phone calls!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-09-10 08:15:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Congrats Chester!!!!! You guys went through one hell of a interview and kicked culo! I guess the CO's assume a young pretty Colombiana working/visiting another country is.......well I will just say "doing unhonorable work". I am very happy for you two and it shows how it is better to "over " prepare for the interview. See ya on the AOS side.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-09-08 00:50:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Congrats Chester and Monica!!!!!!!!!! Sounds like a weekend of partying to me !!!!!!!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-09-06 22:31:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	QUOTE (buck501 @ Sep 5 2007, 02:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Mononoke28 @ Sep 5 2007, 10:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks everybody. And Buck, I'll see if I can spot her in there on the 27th. Good luck to you too! Diana Diana, she is fairly easy to spot. Look for a very beautiful women..............then see if she is all kinds of sexy................then see if she is about 5 ft tall and black. LOL>LOL. Hey Buck sounds like Cartagena to me LOL.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-09-05 13:50:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	QUOTE (BYRON-LEIDY @ Sep 1 2007, 11:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey everybody, just wanted to say hi and unfortunately drop some bad news...My fiance is in he process of a miscarriage.. ...everything happens for a reason...the embrio was formed but the heart never had a beat to it...Hopefully VCS can brighte up our lives with some good news this week coming up. My condolences to you and your fiancee. I'm sorry to hear this news. Hang in there!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-09-03 05:16:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	I have a stepdaugther and the migratorio is not required for children.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-30 15:43:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Welcome Jmarsh	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-29 22:31:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Hey good luck to Luis and Chester!!!!!!!!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-25 16:28:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Hey Scott check with your state. Here in CT a foreign license is good for 1 year but must be accompanied by a international drivers permit. The IDP is just basically a english translation of the license. The Colombian license is easy to get, as with many things there...you just have to pay. The IDP is a bit more of a pain in the ###. I think you have to get one from the ACC De Colombia. I guess it is like our AAA. I believe the ACC is only in Bogota. If anyone knows any better please speak up. Also the same applies here, my wife will need to take a exam and road test for her CT license.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-25 12:53:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Excellent advice Mike! As always great advice. Scott, personally I would wait for your novia to come to the US before she learns how to drive. You have been to Barranquilla....remember how they drive?!? You want her to learn GOOD habits. I said to my wife that there are no driving rules in Barranquilla. She replied " There are rules but the people choose not to follow them." Here in CT, a person over 18 is allowed to drive without a drivers permit as long as the instructor has held a CT license for 4 years with suspension. I started to teach my wife after the second week she was here. Now she is doing very well. As Mike mentioned, I got a spanish language driver's manual. My wife speak very good conversational english so it was not very difficult to teach her. I do suggest a spanish speaking drivers school for the novias/esposas who only speak spanish. I however did run into a bit of a bump in the road. I applied for a ss number 2 weeks after my novia arrived. The SS office here screwed up and did not get a ss number in time. ( Remember for K-1 visa, one should wait 2 weeks after arrival to make to apply but not to late. Most SS office will not let you apply 2 weeks before expiration of the I-94. ) So now I have to wait for approval of the EAD or AOS. We really need her to drive as her classes are starting soon and preschool for my daughter. I could however pay for a Colombian drivers license and International drivers permit. She could use these til next March.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-25 11:50:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Byron and Scott I know how everyone feels. I was fortunate and my process went like clockwork. I used the time to prepare for my new familie's arrival and in hindsight, I didn't prepare enough. I have spoken with a few friends and we all were so focused on the visa approval and marriage that we were not ready for the AOS. I suggest using "free" time now to prepare. Check out english classes (ESL), physicians and driving classes for example. When you have the interview date and are ready, then shift your goal ahead a little and start looking at the AOS application. Look to see if there is anything that you should work on getting now. Look to see if there is anything she will need to get before she lives Colombia. Just my 2 cents. Tony	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-25 09:19:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Hola Scott You are correct. You do not need to include assets if your income meets the guidelines. The instructions for the I-134 states that you only need a statement from your employer. Of course you can always include tax transcripts as extra proof and it won't hurt. They are easy to order from the IRS. If the Embassy doesn't need it they will trash it ( most likely the unhappy looking paper ####### at the first window ). Beside you will need 1-3 years of tax transcripts for the AOS so you can order them now. Tony	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-23 06:54:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Congrats to all. Hang in there Buck..only 2 more weeks!!!! Your interview was not a failure, just a slight delay.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-17 22:34:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Welcome all and good luck Buck!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-15 11:45:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Excellent guide Lucho! This forum just getting better and better. I really like the fact that there are Colombianos contributing.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-08 16:07:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Congrats to Chester and Willie! . Buck...relax man you are ready.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-08 08:06:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Question....If i submit 3 years of tax transcripts and w2 forms and a letter from my employer, is that enough...i just got a little worried because i make about 55k to 60k a year, varies with or without OT and bonuses...my problem is that after paying mortgage, car and all the regular bills, after taking all the trips to Colombia this year and sending my fiance money i blew a lot of my savings...around December i get like a 15k bonus and tax time i get a good refund and in March i get another bonus ...this one is only 3-5k....I live rent free and am really close to renting my property...my issue is that, the way things are moving, i might have an interview sometime before December and i will not have much savings in the bank...Is the bank letter a must , or are the tax transcripts and property values enough...Im a little worried now with this bank statement thing!!!!!! Byron, the letter from your employer and the tax transcripts are enough. Your income is above the guideline for 3 people. You only have to submit savings or other assets if you income is not enough. Its kind of funny, you must meet the minimum guidelines to be approved but the Affidavit of Support only covers the 90 days of the K-1 visa and has very little legal weight. The AOS Affidavit of Support is another story!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-06 08:40:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	I also ordered the spanish channels on DirecTV. I did it as much for me as I did for my wife. I must admit I enjoyed laughing at the folks on "Laura" ( A Peruvian female version of "Jerry Springer"). My 3 year old stepdaughter is a sponge and is already spanglish. She can count to ten in english or spanish! Connecticut also has a large latino population. Also because of the Casinos, there is a very large influx of immigrants, Polish, Russian, Armenian and especially Chinese. ESL classes are easy to find and my wife will be starting later this month. Oh yeah, thanks Dan for the info on Telephono Rojo, I'm liking the service! I also ordered the spanish channels on DirecTV. I did it as much for me as I did for my wife. I must admit I enjoyed laughing at the folks on "Laura" ( A Peruvian female version of "Jerry Springer"). My 3 year old stepdaughter is a sponge and is already spanglish. She can count to ten in english or spanish and Buck, she adjusted to life here...no problem! Mom was a different story. She arrived from Barranquilla to a cold and gray Connecticut. CT is just plain ugly in the winter! I could see tears forming in here eyes. Her second day here, there was a snow storm! I swear I thought I may have to get her return ticket to Colombia! She told me she would be strong and she quickly got over the culture shock. Now she likes it here. Her english has greatly improved and she has learned to drive. Connecticut also has a large latino population. Also because of the Casinos, there is a very large influx of immigrants, Polish, Russian, Armenian and especially Chinese. ESL classes are easy to find and my wife will be starting later this month. Oh yeah, thanks Dan for the info on Telephono Rojo, I'm liking the service!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-05 02:35:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	I also ordered the spanish channels on DirecTV. I did it as much for me as I did for my wife. I must admit I enjoyed laughing at the folks on "Laura" ( A Peruvian female version of "Jerry Springer"). My 3 year old stepdaughter is a sponge and is already spanglish. She can count to ten in english or spanish! Connecticut also has a large latino population. Also because of the Casinos, there is a very large influx of immigrants, Polish, Russian, Armenian and especially Chinese. ESL classes are easy to find and my wife will be starting later this month. Oh yeah, thanks Dan for the info on Telephono Rojo, I'm liking the service!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-05 02:24:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Quiet huh...well I will chime in for a second. No horror stories this time. We are all international travelers so we have develped ways to be smart when we travel in another country. Lucho, I'm down with the chiva bus too. I have to try it out when I'm in Barranquilla for the next carnival . Keep up the good work Byron. I can tell you will be ready when the time comes. Buck, I could recommend a taxi driver in Bogota if you like. He was referred to us by my wife's good friend and we used his services for a week. I also referred him to another "Colombia Club" member during their interview time. He is a good guy and doesn't drive like Juan Pablo Montoya.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-31 15:28:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Well for the record, I really love to travel by bus....but I also love to being a jetsetter!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-30 15:21:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Actually Lucho, I believe the Of-169 is the older form, but Bogota continues to use it. Many of us used the DS-2001 form because we could not find the Of-169.We would download the Spanish version from the San Salvador embassy web page. The DS-2001 basically says the same thing as the OF-169, that the require documents will be brought to the interview. It is a acceptable substitute.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-29 10:06:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	I always drive here, so I enjoy riding the bus too, but only for short trips ( 3 hours or less ) and definitely not on the side of a mountain!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-26 18:36:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Welcome home Oskar and Andrea . Buck, when I was in Colombia for the interview, my wife also had cousins traveling to Bogota ( for a tourist visa interview ) the same week. There were traveling long distance ( 14 hrs + ) by bus. The driver made a mistake and the bus plummeted over the side into a ravine. 7 passengers were killed.!. 2 of my wife's child cousins were killed. She told me bus accidents are common, so I recommend air travel. Plus you novia will arrive fresher and ready.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-26 17:06:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Oh yes...you definitely don't need professional translator. My advice was for people who may not have the luxury of family or friends to translate.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-26 13:17:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	I was there from July 4th to July 10th...she was due on Friday and her cycle didnt come..She said she is very punctual wit her cycle, so she went and go a blood test which showed hormones only found in someone pregnant. They said she is only a couple days pregnant. This in mind it gives me a little more time with the K1 process. Lucho i hope it goes fast like yours. Im doing all my studying and plan on taking all the shortcuts possible. I am hoping for a November interview which would give us great time for her to arrive only being 4 months into the pregnancy. This should also give me time to put her into my insurance. Thats one of my main concerns. I live two blocks away from Lenox Hill hospital in Manhattan New York and would love the convenience of being able to use this hospital. Good for you. Prepare yourself because a October or November interview is extremely likely if you use the advice given here. Wow your life is changing big time my friend!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-25 18:57:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Dre...............in all your post's about your denials I did not see a good reason for the denial. Now I am scared!!!!!!!! You two seem to be a perfect canidate for the visa. I am happy for you both!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I lit another fire under my sweeties hermosa culo tonight, she was beginning to slip back in to tranquility. LOL>LOL. Augist 17th is comming up fast and slow. I want it to be over with. I love the fact that you faced oposition and over came it. You do have fortitude!!! I am impressed. It's good that you are very focus Buck and culos are burning, but remember that Andrea "Super Paisa" faced prejudice and scrutiny because her husband is a little younger than her. We all know that older men and younger women relationships are very common in Colombia. I look at your time line and see that you have known your fiancee longer than I did with mine, spent more time together and visted her more times than my case. I know each case may be different but my approval was the "classic". I know you will be on the AOS side next month. Oh while I am on the subject, just a heads up for all the members getting ready for approvals. 1. You will need a english translation of the birth certificate. May be cheaper and easier to get in Colombia 2. May be good idea to locate a knowledgeable civil surgeon in your area. Can use the civil surgeon locator link from the USCIS website. K-1 visa holders do not need to have a full physical again but many civil surgeon will insist or charge high fees. Your esposa or esposo only needs to have the a vaccination supplement form fill out. They may however need a few shots. That all.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-25 00:05:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Congrats Lucho!!!! Happy for ya Dre.....I understand about the Paisas now!!!!!! I joke with my wife because a singer in a restaurant in Bogota called me a Costeno. I tell her I must be from Cartegena!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-24 19:26:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Congrats Dre!!!!!! I will see you in the AOS side and Buck, keep on top of them!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-24 00:56:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	GOOD LUCK DRE!!!!!!!!!!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-23 10:03:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	HEY ANDREA GO GET YOUR MAN!!!!! Best of luck of luck to you!!!!! Edited by TonyS, 20 July 2007 - 08:20 AM.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-20 08:19:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	I understan Byron. I was fortunate. Our visa process was pretty fast...Dec to Feb! I must admit the speed caught me by surprise so I was not where I wanted to be when she arrived ( still remodeling house, looking for second car,etc ). So relax, you two have a long life together. Prepare for here arrival. Get her ready by prepping her for the interview. Practice possible questions and get to know more about each other and your lives. The interviews are different, if the CO senses a red flag then they will ask many questions..so have her ready and confident. After ready many posts on VJ, i'm not a fan of visa lawyers. I know some cases warrant them ( visa overstays, criminal record, etc ) but for most I don't think they are worth it. But you anyway, you will be fine. Edited by TonyS, 18 July 2007 - 12:21 PM.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-18 12:20:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Mucho gracias! I'm wishing for a transfer to the CSC and one of those 2 month approvals but I'm prepared for the waiting game.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-17 05:10:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Hey Byron I took a look at the reported historical trends for K-1 approvals at the VSC. The trend shows a increase in April of approximately 30 days average approval time to a average now of 69 days! So the information given to you was accurate. Funny thing...... the other service center times did change. This kind of torpedoes my theory. My be the result of organizational and process changes. Anyway, let us know how the RFE trick turned out. Edited by TonyS, 16 July 2007 - 05:03 PM.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-16 17:01:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	TONY! Congrats on getting the NOA! As you know, we both started about the same time last year, so I use you as a benchmark to see how I'm doing. They received our AOS packet on July 6th, one week after they got yours, so I'm guessing we'll have our checks cashed at the end of this week or early next week. Thanks Dan We got the biometrics appointment letter in the mail today so things are looking good. Greys enjoyed talking with Silvia. Edited by TonyS, 16 July 2007 - 03:45 PM.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-07-16 15:41:00