ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionDS 2100 & DS 230
I wrote in the answers in black ink because I was having the same issue as yourself. There were no problems with that.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-10-07 14:33:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionCo-sponsorship during the interview with the consulate

<!--quoteo(post=3482859:date=Nov 11 2009, 08:21 PM:name=The_Sage1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The_Sage1 @ Nov 11 2009, 08:21 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=3482859"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Sometimes people don't know how exactly how hard it is to go through this. To be in love with someone that you can't regularly see in person and have no certainty that she'll ever get here. I'm always getting discouraged by things like this. I work full time and get paid 9 dollars and hour and I can't even find a higher paying job where I live. If I could, I'd be on that right now. I only make a little over 14,000 a year after taxes; I just calculated that one. I know that my cousin got married to a Filipino man, she just graduated at high school and still lived with her parents...and they still accepted their co-sponsorship. Hmm.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Wait! Before you said you made $13K per year. Now you're saying you make $14K <i>AFTER TAXES</i>. It's not your "take home" pay that matters here. It's your gross income. Presumably, someone making 125% of the poverty level, with a filing status of "married, filing jointly", would pay little if any actual income taxes. They realize your tax liability is going to go down after you're married. Maybe you are closer than you think. What is your gross income?

As far as your other comments, trust me - everyone here knows how hard it is to go through this. I don't have the financial "red flags" that you've got, but I have other red flags that me and my fiancee have to overcome, in addition to having to deal with one of the toughest consulates in the world. I make a comfortable living, but that isn't going to make any difference to the consulate. They don't generally suspect the petitioner of visa fraud - they suspect the beneficiary.

This process will try your patience, and you have to be willing to accept that it might take a lot longer than you would like. In my case, we could get shot down at the interview, or they may ask for additional evidence. After submitting the additional evidence, we may get shot down or put in AP. After the AP, we may get shot down and have the petition sent back to USCIS. The reality is that this very well could take years to successfully complete. But, as I was explaining to my fiancee this morning (she's very nervous about the interview) the US government can only delay us - they cannot stop us. We will succeed eventually. I told her she should go into the interview with the attitude that she's just there to drop off some documents, answer some questions, and pick up her blue slip. If she can think like that then she'll be a lot less nervous about failing, since a blue slip would not really be a failure. Even a white denial slip would not be a failure, since it wouldn't stop us from proceeding - it would just add more time to the process.

In your case, a denial would mean either waiting until your income situation improves and filing again, or getting married and going with a CR1. As long as you're reasonably careful and don't make any serious mistakes, they can't stop you from eventually getting your SO to the US. They can only delay you. Just be patient, and be prepared to respond to whatever happens.



This was very comforting. Thank you.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-11-12 15:08:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionHow to work for the Consulate or Embassy?
I looked into it the other day http://careers.state.../career-tracks. It seems to be a lengthy process but oh, man I would do anything to work as a consulate officer anywhere! It'd be amazing. Completely immerse yourself in another culture, get good pay and be able to transfer once a year would be my ultimate job. I would never pass the test though (they have sample tests at this site)...I know absolutely nothing of politics =( Check it out though, let me know if you apply!
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-11-28 22:57:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III
Almost a whole week with my husband in the US! We've been relaxing and sight-seeing. Ah. It still feels surreal to have him here. Good luck to all those out there still on this journey!
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-12-09 15:14:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III
two days is ideal, just in case anything goes wrong. You can go to your medical right now if you wanted to but it's not necessary.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-11-28 22:17:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

Does anyone know the rules/laws about my fiance (or even me as I'm going to fly to Colombia so she doesn't have to enter into the US alone) bringing into birth control? I.e. Yasmin. Can we bring as many boxes as she wants? i.e. A year supply or so.

Anyone see a problem with putting a few boxes in her carry on, a few boxes in my carry on, a few boxes in her checked bags, and a few boxes in my checked bags? Is that a problem?

She was also told by a friend, who is a doctor, that if he writes her a prescription for the pills that she won't have any problem entering the US with as many month supply as he writes on the prescription.

Thoughts?

Has this topic ever been discussed and/or has anyone else been in this similar situation?



I have brought all types of medicine from Colombia (in copious amounts) to the U.S. I did get prescriptions just in case but no one even asked to see those. I came back without any issues. I also don't see any issues with birth control. Smart of you to think ahead. That stuff's expensive here!
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-11-19 21:25:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

How long are people waiting for interviews? My case (CR-1) was closed and all back in October. No interview for November, they told me that I missed the cut off date by a few days.

I just called, no interview for December either. He told me that there was no space available from the "slots" they get assigned. He suggested that I call back during the 3rd week of December and see if there is sa January interview.

I know the BOG based people have a huge advantage scheduling the interviews. Anyone else in the same boat? Any fact based predictions on an interview date?

Thanks



Look at the recent timelines.

My case was closed August 19th. I did not get an interview date until September 30th. Our interview was November 16th.

January sounds about right for you.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-11-17 11:12:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

His x-ray was sealed? That's odd.


I might've not heard him correctly. We haven't talked much because we really have no way to communicate now that he's in Bogota.

That's exactly one of the reasons why I hate these doctors, especially Dr. Roa because he told my husband and everyone who went to see him that day that they needed "new" vaccines because they ones they had gotten previously were too old. No if or buts about it, they had to get them again, in his office and nowhere else or he wouldn't approve the exam. #######. :angry:

Diana



He IS a #######! I wish I would've asked people's experiences before I told my husband to go to him. Dr. Roa just sounded like a nice name :whistle:
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-11-14 22:43:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III
My husband just went on friday. They gave him the exam results in a manila envelope and the x-rays. Both are sealed. They told him he was healthy but made him retake DtaP and MMR vaccines even though he took them both about a month and a half ago. He went with Dr. Roa.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-11-13 22:05:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

My wife spend some time researching, I just told her to get as close as possible to the embassy, then from there we priced them all out. We got down to about $50-60 a night if we paid the four nights up front - see "Suite Bogotá Colonial" below.

HOTEL: Casa Embajada
TELÉFONO: 269 48 38 – 438 81 20
DIRECCION: Cll 24 D # 44 A – 97 Barrio Quinta Paredes Detrás de la Embajada
PRECIO: 154.000
CON DESCUENTO: No ofrecen
COMIDAS: Desayuno, cafetería
HABITACION: Tv, Internet Inalámbrico, Cama doble y Sencilla, teléfono, trasporte, seguro Hotelero
DA LA INFORMACION: Adriana Romero – reservación con dos días anticipación


HOTEL: Casa la Embajada Colonial
TELÉFONO: 244 79 94 – 269 44 22
DIRECCION: Kra 44 A # 24 A – 60 Barrio Quinta Paredes a 1 cuadra de la embajada
PRECIO: 120.000
CON DESCUENTO: 110.000
COMIDAS: Desayuno
HABITACION: Tv, Internet Inalámbrico, Cama doble y Sencilla, teléfono
DA LA INFORMACION: Nubia La Verde –


HOTEL: Suite Bogotá Colonial
TELÉFONO: 368 26 82
DIRECCION: Cll 24C #52 - 34 Barrio Quinta Paredes a 1 cuadra o 2 de La Embajada (son 2 hot)
PRECIO: 154.000
CON DESCUENTO: 100.000 Pagando las cuatro noches de contado
COMIDAS: Desayuno
HABITACION: Tv, Internet Inalámbrico, Cama doble y Sencilla, teléfono


HOTEL: Casa Lozano
TELÉFONO: 269 31 18
DIRECCION: Kr 44 A # 24 – 07 Barrio Quinta Paredes a una cuadra de La Embajada
PRECIO: 132.000
CON DESCUENTO: 125.000
COMIDAS: Desayuno
HABITACION: Tv, Internet Inalámbrico, Cama doble y Sencilla, teléfono


Great info, thanks! The only one that we've looked at is welovebogota.com. Hubs is staying with his cousin/aunt but just in case. (he'll be in Bogota until he comes on the 3rd so two and a half weeks). We don't want him to overstay his welcome at his aunt's.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-11-04 10:24:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

Wait a second. Can people have their labwork and xrays done anywhere they want? I thought you had to get them at the one place they mention. It's the vaccines they offer four choices and people also get beforehand elsewhere. I could be wrong. I never even considered doing the labwork and x-rays elsewhere as I didn't think it was an option.




The problem is twofold... not knowing how long it takes for the embassy to give DHL the passport, and hotels in Bogota are $150+/night. I want to spend as few nights in Bogota as possible.



Yes, you do HAVE to get them in Bogota. OnMyWayID is saying that his wife got them done before leaving for Bogota so she wouldn't have any surprises.

One quick thing: My wife talked to the lab and doctor in Bogota to find out exactly what they are testing for and went and had the same tests done in Medellin to make sure there were no surprises when she goes to the Bogota lab"
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-11-04 00:41:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

Even though my fiance does not live in Bogota, if we were to have the passport with Visa sent to one of the DHL facilities in Bogota would it just sit there until she picked it up? I'm trying to book flights and since she will be leaving colombia from Bogota on an evening flight it gives us time to go get it from the DHL facility in the daytime on the day of our flight. I am thinking that by having it sent to a DHL facility in Bogota might be smarter. On the other hand, what if it just sits there for a week... would they just hold onto it?


This sounds really dangerous - just leaving a few hours from passport pick-up to departing flight? Why don't you give it a couple of days? That way if Murphy were to sneak in, you'd have a little more cushioning to get things fixed. I believe there is a time limit for how long the passports are to sit at the DHL facility, I read it somewhere and now I cannot recall where. My husband will be picking his up at Salitre which is apparently close to the embassy. I hope you are able to figure this out!
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-11-03 23:53:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

Yeah that is correct.. NVC still schedules the CR-1... K-1s have an advantage there... I was a tad perturbed that weeks after I was told I missed October scheduling they opened up the Calendar for K-1s to schedule themselves and there was *still* October dates available.. If someone had told me when I received the NO2 in June that it was going to be November before an interview was scheduled I would have laughed in their face.

not that it matters now... being four days from leaving for Bogota it is hard to be mad about anything at the moment.. :blush:

Lab and Medical tomorrow!

One quick thing: My wife talked to the lab and doctor in Bogota to find out exactly what they are testing for and went and had the same tests done in Medellin to make sure there were no surprises when she goes to the Bogota lab.. The total cost for everything (including keeping the X-ray photos) ran 27 dollars.. That Bogota lab is really pricey!



Ridiculous how us Colombians like to squeeze every little bit of money out! =( These doctors must be making bank! I wonder what sort of requirement they had to go through to get "certified" to do such examinations for the embassy...
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-11-03 23:47:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

Today i got my Visa at DHL. My interview was on friday october the 14th, monday was a holiday here, and actually my visa arrived wednesday evening to the DHl that i chose. I picked it today thursday the 20th so was basically three business days. Pretty fast!

Which DHL did you choose?
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-10-21 22:02:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

Good deal! I went through the DHL site and they offer one day from Bogota to many locations so the time should not be too bad... I understand there is a problem for road transportation between Medellin and Bogota (so other locations in that route as well) that has added several hours to the drive time for buses for the near-term future. I'm not sure if this is going to effect the DHL schedule or not. I tried talking to them on the phone but no luck there so my wife is going to drop in on them today at the main Medellin office and see what the current expectations are and the normal wait time they have for visas (ie: they are open Saturdays but do they move packages in route on Saturdays, what holidays they observe, etc). The process is new for them in Colombia so they may not really have anything concrete as far as expectations/averages. I would not normally care down to that level but with two holidays in Colombia I did not know about when I purchased tickets (11th and 14th) and the switch to a new mail carrier I think I am cutting it a bit close!

On the bright side we don't have to fly back to Bogota to pick up the visa just to fly back to Medellin to get to the airport there to fly to Florida.. Good money savings there. I think the switch to pickup at the nearest DHL location is a very positive move - I would not have trusted DOMESA to get it to Medellin in any reasonable amount of time... and its free to boot!

Looking at my budget for this last round the airlines have taken a huge percentage (well more than half!).. seven one-way tickets and two two-way tickets through three airlines.. all during the November holiday season.. pain!


Intervew is exactly three weeks from today!


Wow. So your wife will be here on the 14th? It's crazy to think that interview time is getting so close! My husband isn't the most organized person, but he has surprised me with how well he has prepared for the interview. He has proof and paperwork that I never thought to even take! I did have another question for you though: when I chose the pickup location through the embassy website it obviously didn't have our interview date in the system, therefore, they do not know WHEN to actually mail out the passport. How will DHL know? How will we know that THEY know? I really wish they would have started this website about 4 months ago. :wacko:
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-10-19 18:57:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

After reading in another thread that DOMESA was no longer used to send visas from Bogota I sent a quick email to the embassy and asked about the IR-1/CR-1s and what they need to do since the K-1s are selecting delivery points when they sign up for interviews online.. This is the response I received today:

Thank you for your inquiry.

We now provide free delivery of the approved visa to a DHL office of your choice. And, to save time on the day of the interview, we ask that you make delivery arrangements online before the interview day. To make these arrangements, please go to http://colombia.usvisa-info.com and create an account. Once you’ve created an account (make sure to use the passport number – it appears in red on the back of the front cover as well as perforated on the visa pages), you will then choose “Schedule Appointment”, then “Immigrant Visas” then “Family-Sponsored” then “Immigrant Scheduled by NVC” and then “immigrant Register for Courier – Family Sponsored. From there, you will pick the most convenient DHL location.

Sincerely,

Immigrant Visa Unit
U.S. Embassy Bogota

I just signed in and tried it.. Seemed to work but I hope they have some sort of confirmation at the interview as the IR-1/CR-1 account setup and delivery scheduling does not seem to be connected to you actual appointment..


I'm so glad you got this information! I just signed up and have chosen where to pick up passport. I chose Salitre, it's the closest one to the embassy, I believe. I hope I didn't pick the one that is the slowest/messiest/the one that loses the most amount of things. We need yelp or something similar.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-10-18 00:18:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

Good info.. where does he pick it up? When you say relationship with the back what do you mean? I have a savings/checking account with WF..


The type of account you have may waive the fee. It can be picked up at Bancolombia, Davivienda, and BBVA. Try it out. It really is great. And if the fee isn't waived it's still only like 3.50 or something minimal like that. It's worth it.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-10-13 22:43:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

Thanks for the comments on the Vaccinations everyone.. She is going to call the doctors office in Bogota and see what they are going to charge assuming she has no vaccination card and then make a decision on the better route to take.

I've been using PayPal to transfer money (she has the world card so she can withdraw money using PayPal from ATMs for a $1.00 charge) and have found this the least expensive route for sending money... The big caveat with that is that the money you transfer from your account takes *5 days* to appear in PayPal - mind you its gone from your bank account in one day - Normally I just don;t worry about it but when the peso dropped at the end of last week to 1950+ to the dollar I put everything I thought would be needed for the trip into the account (doctor, vaccinations, spending money for when i am there, etc).. Just waiting for the money to transfer has reduced the value by close to five percent (down below 1900 now) and she can only take out about 500.000 per day so even if she started today (which she cat, PayPal still has not added the funds) it would still require a few days.

Pointless ranting I know but gaa! there always seems to be one more thing!



I always do my transfers through Wells Fargo. It's the most current rate, and I don't get charged anything (relationship with bank) to transfer to him and he doesn't get anything charged to pick it up. AND it's available like, an hour after I have sent it (of course, online). I love it.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-10-13 09:29:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III
My husband doesn't have any record of his shots so he has to get all of the required ones. He will do this in Bogota since the doctors there try to make you re-do them (so they can make more money off of you). We are not willing to pay them twice.

I'm so glad I'm getting my bonus from work soon or I would have no way of affording all of this!! It's getting expensive- and I'm not even going!
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-10-11 22:41:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

I don't have the luxury of staying there with her during all of this but I can definitely say it's gotten more expensive than before to stay there, but still cheap considering .

They have so many holidays in Colombia it's ridiculous! I always make fun of her about it.



lol. I ALWAYS make fun of my husband about it too. Every time he tells me that day is a holiday i say "oh, what is it this time? day of the duck?"
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-10-06 20:44:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

It's all about respecting the culture when it comes to taking days off :) November seems to be the month with the most holidays..

So the 14th is out, the 11th (Friday) is out.. You will be pushed back to the 10th! Has your husband found a place yet? I tried the welovebogota place for te 9th/10th but they did not have anything available (or at least the master bedroom was taken - sounded like the entire apartment was rented).

With the dollar up against the peso right now we are scrambling a bit to get anything paid (or the price solidified to put the pesos aside) that requires pesos (i.e.: the vaccinations, the apartment in Bogota, the fees for the medical, transportation to/from Bogota). Hopefully the uptick will last long enough to help us out...



Haven't found a place, but his cousin lives a few blocks away from the embassy. Hopefully we can work something out. He also has friends in Chia he could stay with but it's way too far away. Seriously, how do you get a job at the embassy? I'll respect anyone's culture if it gives me that many holidays off! lol
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-10-05 22:09:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

Yeesh! Well I am glad you mentioned it! She called up the doctor yesterday to see if could push out the appointment out to later in the afternoon and the woman who answered said "I am so glad you called back! the 7th is a holiday!".. The appointment had to be pushed back to Friday the 4th which really sucks as it means she has to fly in that morning, get the tests done, then fly back to Medellin then head back to Bogota the next Tuesday to get the results for the interview on the ninth..

So no doctor’s appointments/DOMESA delivery on these dates for November: 7, 11, 14, 18
No Visa interviews or work these dates in November for the embassy: 11, 14, 18, 24


Lots of landmines in November if you are wokring with time limits for travel or delivery expectations. Crazy!



Aw shucks! I was going to schedule the appointments on the 14th. I wish I worked at the embassy in Bogota. I'd have a holiday like every week.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-10-05 09:52:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III
Just booked the ticket. He will be here on the 2nd. I played it safe. Thank you guys for pointing out the holidays. This would have been a mess!
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-10-04 21:35:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

Is that Friday a Colombian holiday? Because it's not a holiday here in the US so the embassy should be working that day. Anyway, if his visa is approved on the 16th and he plans to fly on the 23rd he should have plenty of time. The visa is usually delivered/available in Bogotá 2-3 business days after the interview but if that Friday is actually a holiday, then yes, you'd be kind of pushing it. Also, I'm not aware of his layover time but if it's an hour like OnMyWayID mentioned, then he will most likely miss his connection flight to Nevada. Make sure he has plenty of time in between flights so he can go through customs and immigration and still catch his flight, I'd say between three to four hours.

Diana



Great. Thank you guys so much. I think I'm going to have to skip out on Spirit as well OnMyWayID. One hour isn't enough. I was planning on having him stay in FLL until 7 am where he could catch an early flight to lax but my poor husband, I don't want to make him stay in the airport that long. I guess I will be performing a miracle. Thanksgiving got in my way! grrrr.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-10-04 21:20:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

Ah! Thanks.. especiallhy for that last tidbit about people lining up at 6-6:30.. her doctors appointment is at 10:00am. Looks like a busy morning and a dull afternoon.



hmm...I'm falling way behind. I haven't bought my husband ticket yet and plan to do so soon (they're so expensive already!) but I wasn't sure when to buy them for. His interview is on the 16th (of November) and I'm planning on having him come on the 23rd through Spirit (sadly, this is probably our ONLY option for now). Is this enough time? The cheaper option is the 6th or 7th of December (by about $200) but I want him here NOW. I'm so impatient and I think it would be cheaper in the long run (Bogota is an expensive city!) I, unfortunately cannot go to the interview so he will be there by himself and he plans on staying in Bogota until he comes. Of course, he will be picking up the visa at the Domesa office in Bogota. Is this good? What do you guys recommend doing?
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-10-03 23:05:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

Looks like we have a Colombia October interview being reported: upcoming Interviews

woo! Going to be a fun next week next week!

I have a question about the medical exams: Assuming that the interviews go out next week my wife is going to schedule her medical appointment on Monday so that she can get the medical and vaccinations taken care of - hoping to do it September 26th. Does anyone know the time limit on these things? I am hoping it is not 30 days if the interview ends up being past Oct 26th. Also how long does she wait to get results??



But this person looks like is K-1 and their case closed back in July. I hope this doesn't mean that this puts us at a November interview. I think I'm just being paranoid. I hope I am.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-09-10 21:50:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III
Not yet :( Next week can't come fast enough.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-09-10 10:47:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

The packet instructions say "Recently issued baptism certificate with marginal notes is required for all
applicants", have you emailed the embassy?



I have a question about the baptismal certificate. My husband got his recently but towards the end it says: "SIN NOTA MARGINAL MATRIMONIAL HASTA LA FECHA." Exactly like that. Bold letters and all in CAPS. We didn't get married in a church so of course it wouldn't show it, but as for the marginal notes...does this mean that they're not necessary since they don't have any? I'm not catholic so I have no idea what it's supposed to mean.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-09-08 20:28:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III
My husband got my DAS certificate yesterday. We paid for it a couple of weeks ago. Have your Colombian spouse go to the nearest DAS office and ask them. I'm sure they'll make an exception if you pay them a little extra...It is the Colombian way after all.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-08-31 10:41:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

Actually his visa will be an IR-1 since IR-2 visas are for children of the petitionary. :star:

As for traveling to Canada, all he would need is his passport and his green card. Same with traveling to Mexico.

Diana



LOL. Silly mistake, but you're right. Thank you for correcting me.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-08-24 22:08:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III

Hello...

I am not certain, but it seems like that's a lot of connections, and you're bound to encounter some problems especially with her VIsa Type..

I travel to Canada a lot, in fact, I'm in Canada now.. And their immigation is much tougher than US, beleive it or not, especially if they're on a K1.. I am not absolutely positive, but I beleive Colombians cant fly thru Canada without a Transit Visa, and they can be very hard to get for Colombians... Also, Very few US immigration officers understand our own K1 processes, so you cant expect Canadian immigration to understand it, and I wouldn't count on it.. I simply wouldn't risk it.. It could be a very bad day for your Fiancee, and if you're strapped for cash, you could end up loosing the the fare if she ends up returning to Colombia due to the confusion..

My suggestion is go for the higher fare, and save yourself a lot of headaches.. Continental goes through Houston, and American Goes through Miami.. If you can afford it, I would fly down there and return with her to the US..It may be worth it for her to have you with her on her big day..



Kenny



I had a question for you Kenny
My husband will be coming with his IR-2 visa in October. He has some family in Canada that he would love to visit. Would he need a visa to go sometime down the road? I read online that his green card was enough to go to Canada but I have read other articles that completely contradict that. Do you know?

Edited by kali1229, 22 August 2011 - 10:21 PM.

kali1229FemaleColombia2011-08-22 22:20:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III
I totally meant to type Vonage not Skype. Sorry for my mistake. I did read your post and did notice it did say NO skype. I must've been hung up on that one...
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-08-17 00:43:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionColombia Club Part III
USColombia, Have you tried skype? It's pretty easy and only $25 a month for unlimited calling to "fijos" and about $.10/min for cells.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-08-16 21:18:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN400 Decision cannot be made but sent more docs after interview
I may be a little late on this but....I'M HAPPY FOR YOU! Congratulations!
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-07-24 22:22:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN400 Decision cannot be made but sent more docs after interview
I was requested to send in more evidence and I did a couple of days after my interview. I heard nothing from them for a month and a half. After that I just got my Oath date.

Wait on it for a couple more weeks, if nothing happens go to infopass and schedule a time.
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-05-29 23:01:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN-400 question about taking up arms in defense of the US
I just took my oath on the 20th of May and I said "no" to the questions regarding bearing arms and such. My interviewer wanted me to have proof which at the time, I didn't. I sent in a letter explaining my beliefs with my application but that wasn't enough. I passed the test and everything went well but my interviewer didn't approve me for my citizenship right away. She gave me a paper saying that I needed to bring more proof (such as a letter from the congregation stating that I was an active member). This process probably delayed me only one month which isn't so bad.

Your husband might want to get in touch with a Buddhist temple. Maybe they could write a (notarized) letter for him to send in as proof with his application. I don't think they'll just "take his word for it."

It's not a hard process and I hope it goes quickly for you guys!
kali1229FemaleColombia2011-05-29 22:56:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionWhat did you wear on your interview day?
Jeans and a sweater. Didn't get the feeling it mattered that much - i understood 'proper' attire to mean I shouldn't turn up in a mini skirt or ripped tank... wink.gif
rwjFemaleAustralia2009-03-23 23:04:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionNovember 2008 Filers
P[/quote]

Question: Did you have to give them your naturalization certificate (the original) to send off with your passport application?! That scares me! Also, can you tell me how you went about changing the restricions on your SS card?! That would be so appreciated.
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Hello,
At our oath ceremony one of the USCIS officers gave us a little talk on all that:

FIRST make a couple of copies of the certificate for yourself and keep them somewhere safe.
SECOND go to social security with the *original* naturalization certificate. You have to fill out a form as if you're applying for a replacement card (which you can print from their website) except you just tell them you're now a citizen. That whole process was really easy (and the lady was really happy to have a chat about the whole immigration thing instead of arguing with people about their welfare check! wink.gif
THIRD apply for the passport at the post office, and you have to give them the original to send off... also made me nervous, but there's no other way.

I also registered to vote, but you don't have to prove anything to do that, you can just do it but mail. It's weird that i no longer have to carry anything proving i'm here legally, I used to get so nervous about losing my greencard!

Hope this helps, all the best! smile.gif
Rosemary

ooh.. we replied at the same time - I didn't know that the passport office gave same day service! Unfortunately I live in Nevada so that wasn't an option for me.
rwjFemaleAustralia2009-06-15 14:40:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionNovember 2008 Filers
so... the journey is finally over!
I had to reschedule my original April oath ceremony as was travelling, so actually had it yesterday 5/29.

There were 48 of us here in Reno - the letter said to 'arrive promptly' at 9am. By 8.45 there were already lots of us waiting, but the USCIS check in desk was not manned until about 9.15... ah, how appropriate they make us wait again, one last time. But never again!!! kicking.gif

We were done in just under two hours - a little longer than I expected. It was very ceremonious, even a military color guard. But also quite relaxed, one of the officers was chatting with us while we were in our designated seats waiting for the others to be checked in, he was asking where we were from, joking around etc. There was one part where they played a song and showed a video with different landscape scenes from throughout the US. The scenes were beautiful, but they really wanted us to wave our flags along the the music, which I found a little strange. But all in all a pleasant event.

So... someone asked me if i'm 'an amercian now'... and I'd have to say no, i'll always feel 'australian' as my primary identity. But I am a dual US/Australian citizen now, and that feels good. good.gif

Good luck to all of you in your future journeys!
rwjFemaleAustralia2009-05-30 10:28:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionNovember 2008 Filers
...updating! Interview was very quick and friendly in Reno (in and out in 8 mins!) - got my oath letter today. Dang it, i'll be out of the country that week! So just sent a letter requesting a later oath date. Anyone know how often they schedule ceremonies?


Name.............Date sent....NOA1.....Biodate...Interview....Oath.....Center..Local Office..Check Cashed

rwj..............11/05/08...11/13/08...12/04/08...03/18/09...04/10/09...CSC....Reno, NV........11/13/08

rwjFemaleAustralia2009-03-23 23:18:00