Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Procedure for permission for child to leave Colombia	My stepdaughter is currently in Barranquilla and is returning next week. This is her second trip to Colombia since she arrived in the US. I will ask my wife what was done and get back to everyone. TonyS	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2009-03-24 11:46:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	Happy holidays to all Attached Files  Picture.jpg   667.26KB   16 downloads	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2010-12-28 10:40:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	I feel that for once it would be nice to not get flagged and have my luggage be the first one out on the carousel .	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2010-11-02 06:52:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	Thanks Ken for the information and pictures. You guys look awesome! We will probably do a getaway early next year and check out the southern California area. I'm looking at future employment at SONGS next year after my wife graduates college and finishes here summer internship. Maybe you guys could show us around. I'll PM you later. TonyS	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2010-10-29 12:58:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	There are less issues when it comes to official forms or papers, etc. My Ex-wife kept her name and hyphenated mine. That wasn't good enough when it came to picking up mail from the USPS. She needed to carry a copy of the Marriage Certificate when she picked up mail with my surname attached. Going to the Bank is less of an issue, because the names line up. Less questioning overall has been our experience. Who has times for hassles, anyway? I'm with you Ken. I used to work shift work so I got 7 days off every 5 weeks. I loved international travel so I would take off for 3-5 days overseas. I guessed my travels were not considered normal so I started to get hassled. I have been held up for questioning in Norway,Iceland, Canada and here. I told my wfe to always be prepared for "additional screening" as I think my passport is flagged. Now that I have a Colombian wife I feel it made things easier if our last name lined up. By the way how is California treating you? I'm considering the San Diego area in the future.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2010-10-28 10:20:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	[quote name='Mononoke28' timestamp='1288276017' post='4259755'] I think most people are pretty "old school" when it comes to this type of situation and expect the wife to take on the husband's name. The good thing is that it is changing and you see more women choosing to keep their last name or hyphenate it with the husband's. I personally think that places like the post office, immigration, banks, etc., need to stop being so ####### when it comes to proving you're so and so's wife just because your last names don't match. Like I said before, I now have my husband's last name for personal reasons, but just because we have the same last name does not automatically make me his wife, I could be his sister, cousin or just a friend who happens to share the same last name. It's ridiculous. TonyS, In Colombia women add the "de (last name)" after they marry but it's not really an official last name. It's just a term they use so people know they're married to so and so, but their documents such as cédula and passport still show their maiden name info. By the way, did you know that "de (last name)", means "property of (last name)"? It has always been used because centuries ago women were considered a man's property, along with his land, houses, carriages, horses and cattle, and she was not recognized as a real person, much less an intelligent human being. So if you're wife's name is María González and your last name is López, her new name would María González de López, which means María González property of López. Pretty messed up, isn't it? Diana Thanks Diana. My wife's name was Grey Rolong. She told me her name would be Grey Rolong De Smith and I was a little confused. You mean you are "Greys of the Smith?" Now I understand. Yeah it is messed up! I was happy and honored that my wife chose to take my last name but I would have been fine with it hyphenated. Like I said earlier, with some of the issues with the immigration process, I just feel having the same last name makes it a little easier.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2010-10-28 10:13:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	I was concerned about Leidys keeping her Paternal name 'Guzman' because of the USCIS, but I didn't want her to have an identity crisis the way my ex-wife did when she took my surname along with hers. In the end, Leidys is known in the United States as 'Leidys Cooke'. In Colombia, she is Leidys Fontalvo G. Her Nombre de Cedula is unchanged. The USCIS? Check your email I sent you last week. The interviewer was a complete Jerk. With Leidys taking my surname, I am happy and proud that she did things "old school." My feeling is that it just makes everything easier having the same last name. Of course a woman does not have to take her husband last name but we are dealing with immigration here. What about keeping her last name and adding the new surname at the end. I thought it was fairly comon in Colombia to do that.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2010-10-27 12:25:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	Hi Colombia Club! I am back from Medellin, my boyfriend arrives Aug.30th at the Ft. Lauderdale airport. Our interview was super easy we arrived at 6:40am. We got all the paper work ready in the brown folder they gave us. and Juan was called up at about 9:00am to check all the paper work it was a Colombian lady she wasn't so nice she checked everything and told us to go have a sit on the other side of the room. About an hour later he got called up for fingerprints. And we waited about 45mins until they called him to window 6 for the interview it was an American lady super nice, I went up with him and she asked him who I was he answered. And she asked him when we met, than she asked to talk to me. she asked me in English where I lived, who I lived with she also asked me when we met. Then she told me that we sent a lot of evidence and that she can see that we have more to show her but that she doesn't want to see it because she believes in our relationship and she can tell we love each other and then she asked to talk to him again. He got on the phone and she said VISA APPROVED YOU MAY GO PAY DOMESA. We kissed and hugged each other and cried everyone around us looked happy for us kept giving us the thumps up because it was seriously like 2 mins. We were super nervous because everyone before us got denied we were the first couple to get approved that day! We left the embassy at 11am. ? thank you everyone for all your help! We wouldn't of been able to do it without you. Congrats to you guys! It has been a few years for us but the experience was awesome. I remember vividly the unfriendly ladies at the first window .	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2010-08-10 10:44:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	Hello all! We have reached the stage in our journey where it is time for lifting conditions and it has cause me to pause and reflect. My wife and I have accomplished a lot over the past 3 years. My wife has learned to drive and is a honor student and scholarship recepient in college. My step daugther is bilingual and going to the first grade. It has been a very challenge eperience but also very rewarding. Visajourney helped me so much and we have made very dear friends due to this forum. I would like to wish all good luck in their journey and hope they are as blessed as I have been. Tony	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2010-07-27 11:56:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	Hi Chester, all is good here. Moved to South Florida, love it. Check was cashed for ROC March 5th. I hope this is not a pain like everything else. I am dreading going to Miami for the Bio Metrics. I have heard it is a very busy place. Congrats Buck on your move. Glad to see y'all are doing well.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2010-03-09 08:32:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	QUOTE (jpcanon @ Apr 8 2009, 04:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Howdy- just wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a place to stay for like 3-4 nights for the interview at the embassy in Bogota? I found these in older posts: http://www.bogotacolombialodging.com/ and http://www.welovebogota.com/ Just wondering if anyone has stayed in any of these or have any other places to recommend? Thanks, Joe Sorry I can't recommend a place to stay. My wife's mother works for the government so we stayed at a one of their lodgings. I can however recommend a excellent taxi driver for your time there. Tony	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2009-04-08 06:32:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	Joe looking at your time line you should be getting a interview date soon. I don't know if things have changed now but I remember calling the embassy and never getting through. The website really suck too as far as updating. I remember there is a number here in the US you can call and easily get the interview date. Anyone here remember?	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2009-03-24 14:27:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part III	Hi all :-). Im moving to Florida soon. Any folks around the Port Saint Lucie area?	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2011-10-18 20:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Proof of ongoing relationship..	hey y'all-- since i'm in the beginning stages of all of this, i'm trying to document everything well from the start. right now i've been using a phone card i put money on online, because it has the best rates i have found.. but all it offers is a history of payment, like when i put money on the card, not of itemized calls... do you think this is a problem? just wondering what phone services/phone cards/etc you all have used to keep in contact with your love ones and have proof.... thanks, and happy new year : ) I think having records of calls to your love one is extremely helpful for proof of the relationship. I use vonage, which has good international rates and also records of calls. Other users have used phone cards that keep records. I would pay extra for the itemized calls. Just my advice. Tony	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2006-12-30 18:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Tax transcript question 1040 and 104A	I'm a little confused. You can order your tax transcript for free from the IRS. It takes about 2 weeks to receive.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-08-19 07:38:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Arriving in the US from Colombia on a CR-1 Visa	Everyone here on VJ and on the Colombia Clubs have been very helpful with the sharing of information regarding the visa process but I've noticed that the final stage of the journey is sometimes not included. It's completely understandable that with the excitement, relief and joy of having your spouse finally here you might not post on this forum as often as before. It would help alot of people if, as soon as you are able to, to please post your arrival immigration experiences here. Some questions that I have that I hope you will include answers to are: 1) Did your spouse travel alone or were they accompanied by the USC spouse? 2) Which form did your spouse fill out on the plane before landing? 3) Where was your spouse's Point of Entry (e.g. JFK, Miami, Atlanta etc)? 4) What line did your spouse get on when they got off the plane? Visitors, Resident? 5) Did the immigration agent speak in Spanish or attempt to speak in English to your spouse? 6) What documents did your spouse have ready to hand over? Passport,Visa, MBE(Mysterious Brown Envelope) 7) If traveling with the USC spouse, were you split up or was your USC spouse with you the whole time? 8) What kind of questions did they ask your spouse? 9) Were the immigration officers friendly, rude? 10) How long was the whole process? If your spouses would like to write their first hand experiences in Spanish, please feel free to do so, thay way we can pass on the message and information to our spouses in Colombia. Mil gracias, JK I will be glad to share out experience. 1) Travelled alone ( with daugther ) 2) I-94 and customs form 3) JFK 4) Visitors 5) spanish 6) passport, MBE 7) n/a 8) No questions 9) The first officer's demeanor was a little rude but he did not speak. The remaining officers were friendly. 10) The whole process for us took about 2 hours from the time the plane landed. For my fiancee, it was mostly sitting and waiting. Her picture was taken and she was fingerprinted. Of note, she was given the EAD stamp without asking for it.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-04-23 19:45:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	We are approved!!!!!!	I got the NOA2 today! 27 days! VSC is da bomb! Thanks to everyone!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2006-12-22 21:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	We are approved!!!!!!	I got the NOA2 today! 27 days! VSC is da bomb!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2006-12-21 15:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Birth certificate VS passport?	Hi everyone! Just putting the finishing touches on the I-129F packet. I have a birth certificate, but it doesn't seem "official" enough. It's not notarized and it's just a copy of what they gave my parents at the hospital. It has my name, date of birth and location, my Mom and Dad's names, occupations, birthdates and birth locations. Is this acceptable or should I copy my passport? If I copy my passport, do I need to copy ALL of the pages and the front and back cover? It just seems like a lot of photocopying, especially since the middle part are "stock" pages that everyone else has in their passports. Thanks! Hello I recently received my NOA2. I just copied ALL PAGES ( did not copy the cover ) of my passport and everything was fine. . The hospital birth certificate is not official, just something nice for mom and dad. I learned this when I went to get my son's passport. With the passport there are no questions of validity. Hope this helps. Edited by TonyS, 26 December 2006 - 10:41 PM.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2006-12-26 22:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	What is best, to have a lawyer or not with the K-1 Visa??	Please, tell me your opinions what is best to hire a lawyer or do it yourself. We have a lawyer in our K-1 visa but Im thinking if we should still hire a lawyer when filling for Adjustment of Status once at the US already. I appreciate all your comments and suggestions. I don't think a lawyer is needed for a "uncomplicated" K-1 application. I used this website and I have a book, " Fiance & Marriage Visas, A Couple's Guide To US Immigration". Things have gone well so far.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2006-12-24 22:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	A few questions about the K1 process	[quote name='ladykelia' date='Dec 28 2006, 10:57 PM' post='638523'] Oh I have a quick (kinda dumb) question- Both VJ and the official instructions say to get any digital photos printed at photo lab I think.. but is there any particular reason for this? Would pictures printed on a high quality photo printer from home be good enough? I'm assuming so... but the instructions kind of throw me off. [/quote I high quality photo printer will do fine. It would also be helpful if you could time stamp the photos.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2006-12-29 00:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	A few questions about the K1 process	Thank you for the response Does anyone else have any ideas of what I can provide for evidence of us living together and having an ongoing relationship? It just seems like I have not much... You have plenty of pictures together, that is good. Pick 5 or 6 pics spread out over your 3 years together. Label the time and place on the back. I would provide evidence of enrollment at the university for the both of you. Copy of student ID, enrollment paperwork, etc. Also letters written to each other is excellent ( it is ok to black out sections that are too personal ), emails, cards, etc can all be used. Just be sure the provide examples spread out over the course of your relationship together. Just look around, there are probably many examples you can use . Tony	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2006-12-28 04:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Nice Surprise in Inbox	Congratulations! Congrats! I see VSC has done a good job again. Tony Edited by TonyS, 30 December 2006 - 06:20 PM.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2006-12-30 18:18:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Anyone waiting on Colombian K1 approval from CSC	[quote name='SkipperD' date='Dec 28 2006, 06:56 PM' post='638295'] Anyone on here that has applied for a Colombian K1 in past 90 days? Interested in hearing about your times and experiences. [/quote A friend of mine just received his NOA2 on Dec 21 thru CSC. I believe it took 2-3 months for him.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2006-12-31 08:53:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	I-134 Bank Statement Question	I am preparing my bank information for the affidavit of support and the form states that they need 3 things which are: Date account opened, total amount deposited for the past year, and present balance. I was able to get a letter from my branch for date accounts opened and present balance, but they could not give the total amt deposited for the past year and I was told to print out my statements for each month instead. Has anyone dealt with this and are monthly statements enough? My fiancee needs this for his interview and I am concerned that this will not be the documentation they are after. Hello Suzanne If your income is above the poverty guideline, then don't worry about the account information. Some people need the sum of their income and assets to reach the minimum level. My income is well about the poverty guideline so I'm not including my account information in the affidavit of support. Also it would add little value because due to my numerous trips to see my fiancee, my balance is not very large anyway LOL. Hope this helps. Tony	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-01-05 11:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	K-1 Visa for my fiance from Peru.	Well, everyone on here will tell you that you don't need an attorney unless you have unusual circumstances. If you have nothing unusual about your case (as in no divorces, convictions, etc) then you should be fine to do it yourself. I don't think even with having done everything you can totally say that it will be 100% that they will get a visa. But if you follow all guidelines, make enough to show you've over 125% over poverty level, turn everything in that they ask for and the non USC doesn't have any communiable diseases then you have a really high chance of getting the visa! There's a bit of red tape on everything it seems. As far as being denied at POE, i've not heard this before? Maybe someone else can tell you stories.. All very good information! Yes a person can be denied at the POE if the officer feels like something is not right. They have the final say. That being said, it is not anything to lose sleep over. Treat that stage of the process like any other, make sure all the paperwork is in order and everything will be fine.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-01-07 10:01:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	statement of intent	I didn't see where a letter of intent was required. It's right in the I-129F instructions under section 7 What Documents Do You Need to Prove That You Can Legally Marry?: B. Provide original statements from you and your fiancé(e) whom you plan to marry within 90 days of his or her admission Thanks for the correction and I apologize for putting out wrong information. I read a book and not the actually I-129F directions. Sorry everyone and KarenCee. Tony	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-01-08 02:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	statement of intent	We have our original letters of intent to marry but we only included photocopies of it in our original packet that we submitted. Why only photocopies? If I am not mistaken you should have sent the originals. REALLY? We didn't know. We thought it's ok to submit photocopies of the letters of intent. The only originals that we sent were the forms, my birth certificate, Divorce Decrees/Death Certificate and the rest, including the letters of intent to marry were all photocopies. Well darn it, I guess we should anticipate an RFE in the coming days. Like I mentioned earlier, don't sweat it. The letter of intent is not required. I do feel it improves the overall package but is it not critical. I didn't send one for my fiancee and there was no problem. Approved in 27 days. This depends on the Consulate too. It's not fair to say it is not required because you do not know how each Consulate works. What worked for you may not work for another. Just MHO. Maybe I miss understood the question. I thought the question pertained to submitting a I-129F. I'm sure like many other people, I used various reference sources to complete my application. I didn't see where a letter of intent was required. But your point is well taken and I will be sure in the future to completely understand the question before adding my 10 cents. Good intentions may be bad advice sometimes. Eventually, at some point, the I-129F will be reviewed by the CO, am I not correct? IF this CO wants to see a letter of intent he or she WILL ask for it, and that could cause some delay. I am glad you got approved in such a short time and without the letter of intent. That is NOT always the case. When my husband received Packet 3 there was a list of things he needed to bring with him. An updated letter of intent was included. Had he not brought it with him and the CO asked for it, we would have been delayed. I am merely stating what the experience of some have been. You are free to add whatever comments you want to make. This is, after all, a public forum. Personally, I feel the OP needs to converse with those who are going through the same Consulate to get the best advice. The person here was concerned that the lack of a letter on intent would delay the I-129F approval. I was just stating that it is not required. Of course if I had a letter from my finacee I would have included it in the package. I even considered having here send it to me via courier, but in my research I could not find where it was required, even though I agree it is a excellent proof of intend to marry. As I stated in a earlier post, I did send a signed letter from myself and i didn't loose any sleep over the matter. What the Consulate requires for the interview is another matter. If that is the case. then the US citizen can send a letter with the the affidavit of support documents.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-01-07 16:33:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	statement of intent	We have our original letters of intent to marry but we only included photocopies of it in our original packet that we submitted. Why only photocopies? If I am not mistaken you should have sent the originals. REALLY? We didn't know. We thought it's ok to submit photocopies of the letters of intent. The only originals that we sent were the forms, my birth certificate, Divorce Decrees/Death Certificate and the rest, including the letters of intent to marry were all photocopies. Well darn it, I guess we should anticipate an RFE in the coming days. Like I mentioned earlier, don't sweat it. The letter of intent is not required. I do feel it improves the overall package but is it not critical. I didn't send one for my fiancee and there was no problem. Approved in 27 days. This depends on the Consulate too. It's not fair to say it is not required because you do not know how each Consulate works. What worked for you may not work for another. Just MHO. Maybe I miss understood the question. I thought the question pertained to submitting a I-129F. I'm sure like many other people, I used various reference sources to complete my application. I didn't see where a letter of intent was required. But your point is well taken and I will be sure in the future to completely understand the question before adding my 10 cents. Good intentions may be bad advice sometimes. Eventually, at some point, the I-129F will be reviewed by the CO, am I not correct? IF this CO wants to see a letter of intent he or she WILL ask for it, and that could cause some delay. I am glad you got approved in such a short time and without the letter of intent. That is NOT always the case. When my husband received Packet 3 there was a list of things he needed to bring with him. An updated letter of intent was included. Had he not brought it with him and the CO asked for it, we would have been delayed. I am merely stating what the experience of some have been. You are free to add whatever comments you want to make. This is, after all, a public forum. Personally, I feel the OP needs to converse with those who are going through the same Consulate to get the best advice.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-01-07 16:14:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	statement of intent	We have our original letters of intent to marry but we only included photocopies of it in our original packet that we submitted. Why only photocopies? If I am not mistaken you should have sent the originals. REALLY? We didn't know. We thought it's ok to submit photocopies of the letters of intent. The only originals that we sent were the forms, my birth certificate, Divorce Decrees/Death Certificate and the rest, including the letters of intent to marry were all photocopies. Well darn it, I guess we should anticipate an RFE in the coming days. Like I mentioned earlier, don't sweat it. The letter of intent is not required. I do feel it improves the overall package but is it not critical. I didn't send one for my fiancee and there was no problem. Approved in 27 days. This depends on the Consulate too. It's not fair to say it is not required because you do not know how each Consulate works. What worked for you may not work for another. Just MHO. Maybe I miss understood the question. I thought the question pertained to submitting a I-129F. I'm sure like many other people, I used various reference sources to complete my application. I didn't see where a letter of intent was required. But your point is well taken and I will be sure in the future to completely understand the question before adding my 10 cents. Good intentions may be bad advice sometimes.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-01-07 14:50:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	statement of intent	We have our original letters of intent to marry but we only included photocopies of it in our original packet that we submitted. Why only photocopies? If I am not mistaken you should have sent the originals. REALLY? We didn't know. We thought it's ok to submit photocopies of the letters of intent. The only originals that we sent were the forms, my birth certificate, Divorce Decrees/Death Certificate and the rest, including the letters of intent to marry were all photocopies. Well darn it, I guess we should anticipate an RFE in the coming days. Like I mentioned earlier, don't sweat it. The letter of intent is not required. I do feel it improves the overall package but is it not critical. I didn't send one for my fiancee and there was no problem. Approved in 27 days.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-01-07 10:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	statement of intent	Original Actually it is a good idea but not required. I just sent my signed statement. Tony	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-01-05 17:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	just a thought	Since 3/5 people have some form of herpes, I would highly doubt this would be a grounds for a denial. Cold sores are a type of herpes so that certainly would be alot of denials!! Tests for hepres are not definitive - they only show past exposure to the virus. There is no exact diagnostic test for herpes. So tell your friend I think they are safe!! (And this isn't a case of answering the question based on what "my firend" said, I'm actually a registerd nurse...) thank you so much for the answer... you said cold sores certainly would get a denial? how about genital? will you get denials with it too?what type of tests will the US Embassy will take from a certain person to know he/she has it? blood tests? it can be known by blood tests too? The reason for the medical exam is to ensure the applicant will not become a ward of the state...in other words, a burden on US taxpayers. A debilitating (spelling?) disease...HIV, lupus for example or mental condition. More people have herpes than we realize. It is actually fairly common. She should not worry.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-01-12 23:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Addressing age difference in K1 Petition	No need at all to bring up the age difference in the I-129F. When it it time for the interview, you and your fiance should go over all possible questions. That way he will be prepared. Remember the CO only cares if the marriage is real or not. I will wish you good luck but you two won't need it...you will be fine Tony	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-01-11 15:32:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	G-325A Biographic Information Question	For my Fiancee's Father, we wrote "UNKNOWN". It is what it is!! Hey, so yours was approved with 'unknown' as your answer? That's great! I'll double check also just to make sure! thanks! I put "unknown" for my father. This is the correct response for the question. My I-129F was approved..no problems.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-01-13 20:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	emails in foreign language - proof of relationship	Hello - my fiance and I have over 150 emails between us - some of which we plan to use as proof of relationship. However, most of these are in Portuguese. My question is - would it be sufficient for me to translate these (as I am an American and native English speaker) or do they need to be done by a certified translator? What will the USCIS accept? Thanks for the help! Does not have to be a certified translator. You can translate or a friend but must include a statement saying that you are proficient in the language and must sign and date.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-01-15 02:13:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	A newbie with timing concerns!	Sorry Kym. My heart goes out to you. Your lawyer did you a great disservice. There is a very real possibility that you and your fiance would be together now if things were done right. Hang in there.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-01-30 00:29:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	A newbie with timing concerns!	I am new to this site, found it out of desperation...trying to find answers to some of my questions. I am a US citizen and my fiance is coming over from Australia. We filed our petition back in June, 06 and our first notice date was on July 17, 2006. (Ours is at the California Service Center) We were assured by our immigration lawyer that we should have all this taken care of in no more than 6 months and he would be here in the states with me. So with that information, we thought an April wedding would be perfect. We have planned for a pretty big wedding on April 21, 2007. Yet, we have heard nothing! I have not received the second notice and once we do, we will still need to wait on everything to be done in Australia. Paperwork, interview, etc. I check the USCIS site daily for some updated info. The last 'touch' date shows Oct. 2006. I have read several timelines on this site from different members and it sure doesn't seem that any of the others have taken this long. Can anyone tell me if this timing seems a bit abnormal (we can not seem to get any info out of our lawyer, either)? Has anyone else had to wait this long? My biggest fear is that I will be standing at the altar without a groom. We have talked about rescheduling our wedding plans but we will loose a lot of money from venders with deposits and so much work will be lost. (Or if we just move the date back with all of our venders, they are so booked up now, it would be the end of 2007 or even 2008) I do feel we are close since the date for the I-129F on the USCIS site is July 17 (our date). But even if we are notified and things are sent to the American Embassy in Sydney in the next couple of weeks, I still don't know if we will have enough time to get him here by April. This has been the most stressful thing ever. If anyone has any suggestions for me, words of wisdom, or comments, I would love to hear from you. Thank you, Kym Wow Kym, i'm not familiar with Aussie timelines but sounds like a awful long time to wait for a NOA2. Sorry for your troubles. I highly suggest that YOU call your service center and acquire about the application. Many people get lawyers because they have legal issues, feel overwhelmed with the paperwork or don't have the time. In my opinion, even if you choose a lawyer, that it is important to understand the process. There are many folks on this forum who have complained about incompetent lawyers ( i'm not suggesting your lawyer is incompetent but just making a comment ). Anyway, I suggest you call and find out what is the status of your application. Good luck and I wish you good fortune. Hang in there! One day the two of you will look back and laugh at these times. Tony Edited by TonyS, 29 January 2007 - 09:14 AM.	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-01-29 09:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	We have started our long journey....	Me and my fiance mailed off our paperwork on 11/27/06 for a K-1 visa. We did the paperwork all on our own and I hope that I did OK. I haven't seen him since May of this year and it has been horrible. I feel like a part of me is missing. I miss him so much. I am American and he is Australian. I just pray that this process will be as painless as possible. I can't wait to be his wife and start our lives together, as we have spent too much time apart as it is already. Good luck to the both of you! I just got my NOA2 yesterday so I feel like I'm on a cloud . I understand about the phone bills. Phone cards, Vonage and www.futurephone.com helps me but my phone bills are still crazy! I have been to Sydney twice. Aussies are so cool. They have a laid back, fun view of life. I know the Aussies summer is approaching and high ticket prices, but sign up for Qantas email. Sometimes they will have a sale this time of year and United will match it. Also Cathay Pacific has a "All Asia Pass" which now serves Aus. I used the " All Asia Pass" once to travel east and I feel it's one of the best deals in travel. Once again best of luck to you and welcome, this site has been tremendous help to me. Tony	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2006-12-22 07:26:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Interesting article	I read this article about a K1 situation http://www.visajourn.../07/17/#more-17 It got me thinking about whether they just had a ceremony or whether they had handed in a marriage license. If they had got married in a Christian church or some other religion and just had a ceremony without handing in a marriage license would it still be classified as married? I mean what about separation of Church and State? Wowsers! This should be pinned with huge wording that says: DO NOT GET MARRIED BEFORE YOU GET YOUR FIANCE VISA!!! I feel bad for these folks! It won't matter if you pin it or what......someone always comes on here asking the same question. I kind of get irritated when I hear people trying to make excuses around the K-1 visa. If they want to get married before the visa is approved, REGARDLESS of the excuses why, then they should wait and file the K-3. It's really a no-brainer. Yet, it seems every day someone asks how they can get around the rules of the K-1. I do feel for them, BTW. I totally agree!	TonyS	Male	Colombia	2007-04-26 14:23:00