Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	HELLO EVERYONE, DOES ANYBODY HAVE A CURRENT PACKET 3 OR 4 THEY COULD SEND ME? I SEE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ADDITIONS LIKE THE CERTIFICADO DE MIGRATORIO. ALSO, WOULD TAX TRANSCRIPTS BE GOOD ENOUGH OR DO I NEED OFFICIAL COPIES OF MY TAX RETURNS? I CAN GET EITHER ONE FROM THE IRS BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL TAKE A WHILE. I AM DEFINITELY GOING FOR THE INTERVIEW AND HOPING I CAN GET AN INTERVIEW DATE IN APRIL INSTEAD OF MAY. THANKS FOR THE HELP, GLENN It will be just as easy to make copies of your own returns, but I believe they need to be notarized. If you want the transcripts, they will take several weeks.	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2007-03-12 20:28:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Hola a todos! I'm fairly new to VJ and just today found the Colombia Club. I hope I can join in the festivities (especially the festivities of having my bride's visa approved soon!!!). VJ has already been a valuable guide to me, I've tried to read most, though not all, of the posts here at the club, and I'm sure I'll be asking some of the same questions that have already been covered. Please bear with me. If I did things right, my timeline should show up below. If not, someone may have to clue me in. Welcome! Your timeline is missing the I-129F info by the way. Took me three trys to figure it out, but I think I finally got it. Thanks!	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2007-03-08 14:51:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club	Hola a todos! I'm fairly new to VJ and just today found the Colombia Club. I hope I can join in the festivities (especially the festivities of having my bride's visa approved soon!!!). VJ has already been a valuable guide to me, I've tried to read most, though not all, of the posts here at the club, and I'm sure I'll be asking some of the same questions that have already been covered. Please bear with me. If I did things right, my timeline should show up below. If not, someone may have to clue me in.	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2007-03-08 14:41:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	Thanks Diana. Your good wishes mean a lot.	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2010-11-08 17:53:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	Not sure if there are still any out there who know me or that I would know, but here is what is likely my last update on the site: Final note on our "journey". Lorena and the boys went to Colombia in June for a funeral. When they returned in August, we recieved notice that their ROC for the full ten years had been approved. About a week later, Lorena informed me that our marriage was over and she was moving out. I received the divorce papers about a week after that. None of this has anything to do with Colombia or Colombians (at least I don't think so). It does have to do with the stresses that come with adjustment to a new culture (hers to mine and mine to hers) and the complications of adding children into the mix. None of this is for the faint of heart. It takes a lot of time, love, commitment, patience, commitment, work, and commitment. And then more work and commitment. Best of luck to all!! Charles	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2010-11-06 11:53:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	Charles, In case you need to change the biometrics appointment, you just have to send a letter with the original NOA (mark with an X the box "request for reschedule") to the Application Support Center and mail copy of the letter and NOA to the USCIS Service Center where you applied for ROC for their records. We had to reschedule our biometrics and they sent us a new date. Initially it was on May 28th and we need to be there on June 14th. Our letter just said: To Whom It May Concern: We kindly request you to reschedule our appointment for biometrics for the next available date after June 11th, 2010. Silvia Gracias que me contestes. (I hope that was right...haha)	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2010-06-09 20:06:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	Okay... I sent off our ROC packet this morning. I know that Lorena will have the ability to travel after we receive the NOA acknowledging they got the packet. Question is, if she is in Colombia at the time I receive the letter for the biometrics appointment, can the biometrics be postponed until she gets back? She is still desperately homesick but we don't want to screw up the process since we've made it this far. I've done some searching on-line and here on visajourney, and have found nothing difinitive on this. Any ideas or insights? Charles	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2010-06-07 18:39:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	A note for those that might be going over to the AOS side soon: We just received written notice from USCIS that Lorena and the boys need to apply for removal of conditions. What's unusual (to me, at least) is that all info I've read says that USCIS does not send out such a notice. Is this something new? Or, are we just special? ;-) Charles	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2010-05-14 12:25:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	Thanks Troy and Diana. One of Lorena's friends said they got confirmation that the package was received within a week of sending it. Personally, I doubt that it went that fast but now Lorena's expectations of prompt movement are very high (unrealistically so I'm afraid). Anyway, thanks for the advice! Charles	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2010-04-26 21:06:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	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? I can't seem to locate the AOS forum that was specifically for Colombia. Pending that information, I'll go ahead and ask a question here. 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	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2010-04-25 16:01:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	Just a quick visit to wish everyone a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Is the AOS thread still going? Anyone heard from Buck? I'll try to get back with an update soon. Charles	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2009-12-22 20:07:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	QUOTE (subguy812 @ Sep 17 2009, 01:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ken, The CO's can be a little hard to read when you are at the window..the only thing I got stuck on was when I was divorced, I couldn't remember...lol. But I asked her if she could help me if she had my divorce decree in front of her. The other thing they grilled me on was how we communicate. She asked me that like 3 different ways and I explained I speak Spanglish and Alexandra went to school for 15 months for English. But she was as cordial as she could be and I did not feel the least bit intimidated, near the end we engaged in a little bit of small talk about Bogota. Alexandra went to the window first and the CO wrote down all of her answers, verified and marked through the answers on her notepad as she ask me the same questions. I was very upbeat and very smiley during the entire process. They do watch your interaction together while you are waiting for your turn. You will be fine... I would try to avoid the "not look in your eyes" guy Joe had From what I recall of the experience (more than two years now - wow!!), I tend to agree that the decision has been made before you arrive at the embassy. I also am pretty sure that they watch people in the waiting area to see how couples interact. The lady at our 'first window' was neither rude nor friendly, but she was moderately accomodating when we discovered we were missing one document (the 157 I think). The CO we had was the same, neither rude nor friendly. He did look at us, at least, when we talked to him. We got some of the same questions about communicating. My Spanish was awful (only a little better now) and Lorena spoke almost no English. I told the story of how we met and how it seemed that I could understand Lorena from the first word, when I had so much trouble with virtually everyone else. My guess is that for the majority of these embassy folks, they are just putting in their time until something better comes along. I suspect it would get INCREDIBLY tedious and boring to be asking the same questions day after day of literally thousands of (eventually) faceless and nameless people. Almost like working in a factory. Not making excuses for anyone's behavior, mind you, just trying to envision what it would be like. As I'm sure has been stated here a hundred times or more, be yourself, be honest, be calm, and be attentive - both to each other and to the officials at the embassy. If your relationship is real, it will show. Charles	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2009-09-17 14:25:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	(I posted this on the Colombia AOS page also, but thought some things might be of value here.) Been too busy to visit or post lately. I hope everyone is doing well. Update on our situation... We are on hold for our own personal troubles, taking one day at a time. Most of our issues revolve, in one way or another, around my relationship with Lorena's two sons - mostly the older boy. Funny thing is that when the older boy and I are home alone (like right now while Lorena and the younger boy visit her sister out of state) we get along just fine. He is generally respectful and does as I ask. When she is at home, he can be insolent, disrespectful and just plain rude. Not so atypical for a 13 yr old, though. Lorena has no experience with 13 yr olds up to now so she places almost all of the responsibility on my shoulders since I am the 'adult'. We've been to a counselor and he basically said what I already knew - 13 yr olds are almost ALL insolent, disrespectful, and just plain rude. It's part of growing up and testing newfound independence. All of this is simply further complicated when a step-parent is involved as the young teen usually sees this person as an outsider and even potentially a threat to his/her relationship with the biological parents. We'll either work it out or she will do the same as Margara and go back to Colombia. Time will tell. Just as a word of advice to anyone marrying someone with kids (Colombian or not). Do NOT underestimate the potential issues of 'instant family'. The older the child(ren) the more potential problems exist. Your spouse or future spouse WILL choose his or her children over you every time. And that is how it has to be. Just be aware of the fact. On those cheery notes.... until later. Charles	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2009-09-05 12:27:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	QUOTE (Mononoke28 @ Apr 7 2009, 01:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (caliboylost27 @ Apr 7 2009, 09:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> My fiancee told me something a little off from the normal proceedings I hear about concerning the CR1 Visa and Colombia specifically. She was talking to her sister and her sister had mentioned one of their cousins who is already in the USA said the CR1 visa to Colombia really takes 2 years. He claims that the Colombian process of marriage validity takes the biggest chunk of time because the USA needs to recognize the marriage. The route we are going he said will take a lot more time than I think. Now correct me if I am wrong but we are marrying April 30th and upon arriving back I can file for her CR1 in May asap. The only requirement I gather to marry is what Diana and everyone else has told me in prior posts (which we have accomplished all this to even arrange for a marriage date in April.) Then after we marry we can file for a CR1 which we would definately like to do when I arrive back to the states and get everything ready. It seems ludicrous to think that there is some other requirements that we are missing out on because I failed to see all that. Bottom line if we marry in Colombia we can move right away to file for a CR1 and should not be under a much longer wait time. At least this is what I am hoping for. Please feel free to comment if you have words of wisdom and put my worries to rest. Our Wedding is in April 30th and we will be honeymooning in Cartagena May1 to May5th. Maybe we will see other peeps from VJ too . *wave* James Her cousin is 100% wrong. The US does not need to recognize a marriage that took place in Colombia because it's already valid, that's why you need to submit a copy of the marriage certificate with the translation along with the I-130. We got married in January 17th, 2007, I filed for my husband on February 5th and everything was approved without an RFE. The only Spanish thread is the Colombian K1 visa thread found in the Latin American section of VJ. Diana Ditto to what Diana said. A marriage that is legal in the country in question is legal in the United States. A marriage license from Colombia is what you need. You will also, at some point, need to provide 'proof' that the marriage is 'real' - in other words, photos of the two of you with family, friends, different places, over time, as well as letters and/or correspondence, phone bills showing calls to Colombia, etc., etc. Please read up on the looooong list of information on VJ regarding this. The CR-1 route should only take a couple of months more than the K-3 route. We did the K-3 and my wife was here about nine months after we married. Charles.	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2009-04-13 19:28:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	Welcome Pat! I'm glad to see you're going the CR-1/IR-1 route. We did the K-3 and it's been a royal pain. You'll avoid many of the headaches the way you're going. Charles	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2009-02-25 20:41:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Colombia Club Part II	QUOTE QUOTE (apeters @ Feb 24 2009, 09:29 AM) sorry i dont think i made it clear, i was wondering if it is really necessary to be at the interview. I am trying to get a full time job at this moment and not sure how easy it will be to get vacations at the time of the interview whenever that is...but if it means the difference between being getting a visa or being denied a visa for my fiancee, it would be worth going no matter what Just wondering what all of your experiences were with that, I read the reviews and most people who went through Bogota said it would be a good idea for the sponsor to be present. My 2 cents worth is that, if you can afford to go and have the time, it is well worth it. This is especially true if there is ANYTHING about your relationship that may raise a red flag with the CO. Like what? Age difference, short-term relationship, children, etc. I haven't had time to go back and study recent histories on this site (we've been busy with the boys, school, jobs, etc. - life happens!), so I apologize if I'm restating stuff you already know or doesn't apply to you. I was asked several questions at my wife's visa interview, such as how we met and how had I ended up in Colombia in the first place. I think that, if you want the absolute BEST chance for your SO to get her visa approved, you should go to the interview if at all possible. I asked the same question you did because my wife's interview was in the summer when my job is at its busiest. I'm convinced, though, that she wouldn't have been approved if I hadn't gone. There's another reason to go.... two reasons actually.... First, you show your SO, in a very concrete manner, that you are very, very serious about everything you are doing. More importantly, you show you are very serious about everything SHE is doing to make things happen. The second reason to go is to demonstrate to her family your real intentions with her. Remember that Colombia, like all Latin American countries, is VERY family oriented. Her family will be watching very closely how you treat her, both before and after you are married. Best of luck to you both, whatever you decide. Charles Edited by parkpapa, 24 February 2009 - 09:54 PM.	parkpapa	Male	Colombia	2009-02-24 21:50:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Past use of weed medical exam	I hope everything turns out okay for you. I really do.	johnnyv	Male	Canada	2013-08-22 23:43:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	DS-160 photo upload	It states you'll need to upload a photo of yourself. Does my finacee need to have a digit passport photo taken of herself, or can she just take a standard photo? What is acceptable for this?	johnnyv	Male	Canada	2013-10-21 16:58:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Medical check	You should be just fine!!! Edited by johnnyv, 27 November 2013 - 07:34 PM.	johnnyv	Male	Canada	2013-11-27 19:34:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	AP after interview	No one can give you a sold answer. Some are a few days, some are weeks, some are months, and in a rare case, years. Just keep checking CEAC's website.	johnnyv	Male	Canada	2014-03-14 18:51:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Only went and got ourself a bloody K-1, didn't we!	So so so happy...one of the best days of our lives and this is just the start. Thanks to all on this board. AOS is up next, so we will be back very very soon!!!I wrote a review for anyone whose interview is coming up soon. Hope you find it helpful. http://www.visajourn...e=1&dfilter=5Ta ta for now! Congratulations! Great review, made me feel a lot better (I'm waiting on my interview date!). Oh and totally agree, big credit to Nich-Nick for the K-1 guide. We have been following it to the letter. It's the best guide we have found and so easy to follow. Good work Nich-Nick	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-03-05 17:42:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	DS-156K...now or later?	London K-1 Guide Follow this London K-1 guide, you can't go wrong Edited by Nigel&Meggie, 07 March 2011 - 01:25 PM.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-03-07 13:24:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	DS-156K...now or later?	Just a quick question to make sure I am going to do this correctly. Step One from London says "Complete the Form DS-230-Part 1, Form DS-156, and DS-157" and return them promptly. Step Two says to send them the Readiness Form 2001. My question is when do I send in the DS-156K, or do I just take it to the interview? The 156K says that birth and marriage certificate, divorce decree, police certificate, evidence of engagement, and evidence of financial support (I-134) should be attached. We do not yet have some of the required DS-156K documentation together, so we were thinking of mailing this form off with copies of all of the above when we send in the Readiness form, but, I would prefer to get the first three forms (from Step One) sent off ASAP. What did everyone else do? Send all the forms from step 1, including the DS-156K. You do not need to send any docs with the DS-156K for London, they will collect them at the interview. Once you then have all your docs gathered and are ready to tell the Embassy you would like to interview you can then send in the Readiness Form 2001.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-03-07 13:21:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	MRV Receipt	Are you supposed to send a signed copy of the MRV receipt to the Embassy? I know you have to take a copy to the interview but on the MRV it says to send it in with your application, otherwise the application will be returned unprocessed. I've already sent in my packet 3 paperwork. On the US Embassy website for London it does not mention anything about sending it in, only bringing it with you to the interview. Thanks.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-03-10 12:07:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	DS-156 Barocde	Great Idea! It had been open for days, haha! I closed, opened, filled out again and it still says 'barcode'. It is doing this because you downloaded the form. Fill it out directly from a live internet link and it should work fine...like from your embassy site.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-03-13 09:00:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Gould Pharmacy, London	They taged it and took it to a secure area where customers werent allowed. Thanks for the swift replies	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-03-23 17:43:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Gould Pharmacy, London	Yes, they stored by overnight bag Cool, thanks! What do they do, put them in lockers or something?	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-03-23 17:39:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Gould Pharmacy, London	Hey everyone, I've read many posts on here from people saying they left their mobile phones at Gould Pharmacy while they went to their interview. Does anyone know if larger items can be stored there, like a laptop in a backpack? Thanks.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-03-23 17:16:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Vaccination Records for UK medical	I have never been a poorly person, and never had any major illness or hospital visits, and haven't had any vaccinations since I was at school (I'm now 29). Can I just go to the Medical without any of this information, or am I going to have to try and find a new GP for the 3 months I plan to still be in the UK?Thank you for any assistance you can provide. Yes, you can go without the information. I too had not had any vaccinations since I was at school and so at the medical when they asked me if I had my vaccination records I just said they are all out of date and she said that was fine. You would only need the records to prove that you did not require the shots. As TwoCats said it's just those 2 shots you need and they offer them at the medical. I declined and said I would go to my GP. They are cool with that, all they do is remind you that you need to have them done for the AOS.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-03-23 17:35:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	London Packet 3	Which forms do I send to the embassy, which ones do I sign, and do I need to send any evidence like the I134 DS-230 Part 1 only (pages 1&2) sign it; DS-156 2 copies, sign it; DS-156K 1 copy, do not sign it; DS-157 2 copies. Also if you are ready to proceed for an interview, include DS-2001. No need to send any evidence in with Packet 3. Take the I-134 & transcripts etc with you to interview.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-04-12 12:31:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	London Packet 3	How do I contact DOS? DOS (202)663-1225, press 1, then 0 to speak to a person.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-04-12 11:53:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	London Packet 3	I was wondering once the NVC issue me a number, and the consulate get the information, can I send the packet 3 things before they send me packet 3. Yes, as long as London has keyed you in to their system. Calling DOS can confirm this for you.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-04-12 11:43:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	London K1	How soon after embassy rec are the forms processed for K1 visa? They got mine yesterday but not yet on system. Also, what address do I send packet three too once they process my case? They should have you on the system normally within a week or so. You can call DOS every couple of days to check if you haven't already. The address for packet 3 is: Immigrant Visa Unit 5 Upper Grosvenor Street London W1A 2JB	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-04-19 09:12:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Medical Questionnaire	No.Edit: Now I'm laughing because my husband says "They must be British. We're natural born fretters." Haha, natural born fretters alright...had my medical today and my blood pressure was 170 over 100!!! Man, I hate medicals. By the way, it's normally 120 over 70! Edited by Nigel&Meggie, 01 March 2011 - 04:42 PM.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-03-01 16:40:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Medical Questionnaire	Ok, this may be a really stupid question! On the UK medical questionnaire, question 1 - Have you ever been hospitalized? Now, does this mean having stayed an extended period of time including overnight in a hospital, or does it mean any visit to a hospital. I've been to hospital a couple of times but never had to stay overnight. For example I broke my wrist and had to go to hospital to have a cast put on it. Was in and out in like 3 hours, does that count as being hospitalized? I am presuming no, but would like some opinions, thanks.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-02-28 08:37:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Medical Question	Got my medical coming up in a couple of weeks so went to my GP to get my injections up to do I needed chickenpox, tetnus and MMR As I've already had chickenpox i don't need that one, as far as I know they take your word for that, is this correct? On the other two, tetnus is no problem, but for the MMR I need two injections, one today and another one can't be for at least a month Is this going to be a problem for my medical? I can get the second one done after that, but obviously it won't be up to date in two weeks when I have my medical in London Yes, they take your word for the chicken pox at the medical, no worries there. The MMR won't cause you problems at the medical. You can opt not to have any vaccinations at the medical. You only need proof of the vaccinations for AOS once in the US. I went to the medical having had no jabs done at all and said I would get them done before I went to the US by my GP. They are fine with that. Just make sure you get a print our from the GP showing you had them done, and get them to stamp it and sign if possible, that's what I did. This is because you will have to prove to a civil surgeon in the US that you have had them done.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-04-27 09:20:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	What to wear to the visa interview?	Hi, My fiance wanted me to ask whether or not it matters what you wear to the visa interview at the embassy. Obviously he knows not to look like a slob, but did you dress up? Did you wear your normal everyday clothes? Jeans etc? We are thinking it doesnt really matter... Whatever he feels comfortable in	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-07-05 09:16:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	When they ask my fiance where I work - what should he say?	Hi, I am starting a new job the day of my fiance's interview in London. The day of his interview! For the I-134 and sponsor paperwork I have a letter from my soon-to-be old employer, pay stubs, etc. Starting the new job the day of his interview...I wont have any pay stubs or letter etc from my new employer. So what should he say if the interviewer asks what do I do and where do I work? Should he say the old job or new job? We were in exactly the same situation! I managed to get a copy of her new contract to take with me just in case, and I was going to tell them the truth, but luckily London don't ask many questions so you'll probably find it will be fine. All they asked me was what she does for a living, so I told them her job title but mentioned nothing about who she worked for. They were completely fine with this and no other questions were asked about her job. I answered the question truthfully, but just didn't offer more information than what was required. You'll probably find they won't dig too deep, the London interview is very straight forward. And even if they do ask, people change jobs, I'm sure it won't be a problem.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-08-05 09:09:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	k-1 administrative processing times at London embassy	If you don't mind my asking did you turn in an I-134 or did you fail to submit any support / financial documentation? Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. It is highly unusual for them to ask for an I-864. This does not need to be submitted for K-1 applicants until AOS. I-134 is what is required at interview stage.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-03-16 14:20:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	DS-157 question - employer	DS-157 section 12. asks"Not Including your Current Employer, List your last Two Employers"If you are currently self employed, like I am, then you are your current employer, so you do not put your details here. They want your last two employers. Yes you are completely correct, and that is what I did. Sorry, I was getting confused with question number 32 on the DS-230 where it lists your employment for the last 10 years, which is where I put my company name.	Nigel&Meggie	Male	England	2011-03-05 17:13:00