getting visa for boyfriend

jinksmiester says on Aug 16, 2007, 12:33:

If this was canada i could give you advice...not sure how things work in the u.s.......only certain that its not that easy to get a visa.....im guessing that if he wants a work visa he may need a job offer first....in canada its a bit of a procedure and may be similar...here you have to advertise and prove the job can,t be filled by a citizen before you can hire a forien worker.
There is also a labour study before they give you the go ahead to hire...but as i said this is canada not the u.s. and may be different.
visiter visa,s are also difficult.......but you,ll find that out...he needs money...proof of having earned it himself ...property in colombia...and to convince them without question he will return before his visa exspires...need to convince them of that for a work visa as well....
Are you sure you want to marry this guy....sounds like you are not or why would you wait.
There are lots of people who want try on relationships probably because they are NOT so sure..........perhaps you should look into a fiancee visa...but im betting not that easy to get either........anyhow good luck

A man is not old until regret takes the place of dreams

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Conchale Vale!! says on Aug 16, 2007, 17:00:

You need to find a company that is willing to sponsor him. A very costly proposition for the employer to process all of the paperwork. Depending on what his skills are etc. Needs to generally have a skill that is in short supply in the USA. Or exceptional credentials. Very hard to get someone to do this in general.

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Gator says on Aug 16, 2007, 18:59:

As they say out West: "Your chances are slim and none and slim just left town."

You can't get the visa he must do it on his own. He will have to apply at the consulate section of the American Embassy, Bogotá. He will request one the the "H" visas and there is no formal appeal process for visa refusals.

A visa to work in the USA must first be obtained through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USA embassies or consulates abroad do not have the authority to grant work permits for a visa without the approval of USCIS first.. In all cases, the permission to work must be obtained in the USA by an employer who wishes to hire him. This can be a long and extensive procedure, requiring the employer to prove that there are no qualified USA workers available to do the work.

After his employment sponsorship has been granted approval by the USCIS, it is up to him to apply for a nonimmigrant visa by completing a Nonimmigrant Visa Application through the Embassy in Bogotá.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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manINred says on Aug 16, 2007, 19:05:

yeah, trying to get a visa for a colombian to canada is pretty hurting.

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jinksmiester says on Aug 16, 2007, 19:06:

Same process to the north in canada....

A man is not old until regret takes the place of dreams

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john_stark says on Aug 16, 2007, 19:45:

If you want to get him here, you have two realistic choices, marry him in Colombia and he can get his visa that way or he can get a fiancee visa to marry you here. Uncle Sam doesn't offer any "test drive" visas or "shack up" visas.

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raquel23 says on Aug 17, 2007, 15:16:

Ok, so from what I am understanding he should get a fiance visa? How would he get that when I am here and he is there? Right now he is going through alot of work and paperwork to get his tourist visa. He says then if I marry him here in the states after he comes, we can sign to get married and he will be granted a visa to stay here as long as he wants and to work. Is this correct? How can I help him when i am here and he is there?

Raquel

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muchacho_escondido says on Aug 17, 2007, 17:17:

." He says then if I marry him here in the states after he comes, we can sign to get married and he will be granted a visa to stay here as long as he wants and to work. Is this correct? How can I help him when i am here and he is there?"

NO, NO, NO. If a foreigner comes to the US on a B-visa while knowing someone and then marrying them there, that is called *visa fraud*. If there is any possibility that you two will marry in the US, fiance/marriage visa is the only legal way. Everything else is a recipee for a possible deportation.

The B-visa route might work but that is like Russian roulette. And if he's investigated for visa fraud, he may face a 10 year bar from re-entry to the US. Being married to an American and having kids will not help.

As far as HOW to get a fiance visa...file I-129F petition. Google it. Make sure you study the process very, very well or get a lawyar.

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Robert Jorge says on Aug 18, 2007, 01:00:

The whole point of the K1 or "fiance visa" is he doesn't have to be in the US. As a matter of fact, he can't be in the US. Go to visajourney.com

The people telling you "visa fraud" are correct. You will screw your chances of getting what you want doing it the other way. The 10 year ban is real, and does happen.

You make me wonder about your man's intentions with what you wrote about what he told you / advised you. He is at the very least, uninformed. But I have that weird gut feeling he is looking for a green card ticket. Only you know or will know if this is true. Please be cautious and trust your instincts. Don't ignore the gut.

There is no such thing as: Come to the US on a work visa, get married (premeditated), and then get a visa. Please do yourself a favor and take a step back and look at what you are about to do. Assuming you and he are for real, in love, he doesn't have any bad intentions, and you guys both want to live happily ever after: Trying to do this any other way than a K1 is frankly stupid. And I speak from experience. Good luck to you.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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jinksmiester says on Aug 18, 2007, 18:37:

Pay attention to what everyone here is telling you...doing things any other way will bring you a lot of grief.

A man is not old until regret takes the place of dreams

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raquel23 says on Aug 18, 2007, 20:21:

Thank you everyone for your input. Both of us for sure are in love and have been together for awhile now. We were already planning to get married and we will have our life in Colombia. We are just trying to get him over here first so we can save up alot of money before we settle our lives in Colombia. If that means we have to sign papers to get married sooner then what we planned to bring him over, then that is what has to happen. Does anybody know about how long this whole process takes? Months? Thank You

Raquel

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Robert Jorge says on Aug 18, 2007, 23:26:

A K1, "fiance" visa will take you guys 6 to 8 months. (From initial petition submission to interview) The K3 visa, or "spousal" visa, takes nearly an equal amount of time. BUT, remember all of the planning, travel expenses, wedding expenses, etc. before you get married. And then and only then, can you even start that process. So, the K1 is your quickest legitimate way to get you guys together. There are no papers that you sign that will magically get you two together instantly. I am sorry to give you that bad news. I STRONGLY suggest you go to www.visajourney.com and browse for a few hours. You don't even know what you are getting into. And there is nothing wrong with that. I didn't either, when I first started. But please do some research and be realistic. The good news is that if everything is legit, the process is straight forward and will most likely work. Hang in there, do some research, and don't be scared to come back here and ask a few more specific questions. Welcome aboard.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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raquel23 says on Aug 19, 2007, 08:21:

Thanks Robert, I went on visajourney.com. It is a good website and has really helped with a lot of info. I have really been researching this now and i'm going to file a petition with the I-129F form (K-1). I understand this will take time and money but..the things you do for love, huh? Anyways, my fiance's aunt lives in Miami and is a citizen of the U.S. now. She is originally from Colombia. So, she knows alot about the visas and is going to help us in anyway that she can. Thankfully we have her on our side. She also had a really good friend that works with the visas and she is getting in contact with him. Sadly, we were planning on having him over by November. I suppose even if we did everything exactly right and were on top of filing everything on time, November is not possible huh? Ok, well, on to filing the petition. First step.

Raquel

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john_stark says on Aug 19, 2007, 10:26:

November is not going to happen. I'd be thinking Valentine's Day in February.

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Crazy4Cali says on Aug 19, 2007, 20:06:

Just one anecdote for the hopper. I filed the first pile of papers (I-129F) in Feb 2005, my wife (then fiance) entered Aug 2005, we were married Oct 2005, she recieved her work permit in Dec 2005, and green card in Mar 2006. We did this all ourselves (i.e. no lawyer) and the cost for all this (not counting trips to/from colombia) was on the order of $1,500 (I don't recall, exactly), but I think they've gone up since then.

But my comment from the "cheap seats" is that I'd be careful of advice from friends and relatives or at least double and triple-check their work. The papers you'll be signing to sponsor your boyfriend carry some serious responsibilities and liabilities. If this aunt is the same one who has been giving your boyfriend advice, I'd be extra cautious. Also, be EXTRA careful of any shortcuts that might be promised (e.g. the come on a Tourist visa plan).

I don't know about you, but this is your future that you are gambling with. No Thanksgiving dinner party is worth the grief of taking a shortcut that results in deportation and a 10-year (or worse) ban on re-entry. Take your time, do it right. An extra month now seems like forever (many of us have been there), but it's much better than a lifetime of looking over your shoulder wondering which tax return or job application will be the one that raises the red flag.

Good luck!

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goin_south says on Aug 19, 2007, 20:47:

nice time line, Crazy.
being a statistical freak,...
I never stop reading those reports
to put in to my own casual database
and adjust what it is I am thinking/hoping for.

Ciao! Gustav. Bienvenitos, Ike.

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BAQ says on Aug 20, 2007, 10:45:

You cant GET him anything, he must do it ON HIS OWN, meaning he must meet all the requirements himself, or as the embassy likes to call it, THE APPLICATION MUST STAND ON ITS OWN MERIT

Semper Fidelis !

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raquel23 says on Aug 20, 2007, 15:12:

ok, well. next month i will be applying for the fiance visa. Thanks crazy4cali. your input helps. And no, the Aunt hasnt been giving him advice. He has just been trying to figure out everything his own. We will be doing all this without a lawyer and I have actually decided that for now on Im figuring out all the information we need. Its just a little difficult when he is there and Im here. Oh well, time will come soon eneough.
First step: File I-129F

Raquel

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Crazy4Cali says on Aug 20, 2007, 15:44:

Read VisaJourney over and over (and over again). You'll find new little nuggets each time.

RE: the application process:

1st: You fill out the I-129F (he has to send you a couple of things by delivery service like DHL of FedEx. DON'T use the Colombian mail.)

2nd: He has to collect a bunch of documents. Look up "Packet 3" for the list of what he'll need to provide.

3rd: You need to collect a bunch of forms and papers to send him for his interview at the embassy. Start looking up what you need and collecting them. Some can take a month or two to obtain.

4th: Get used to not hearing any news or any information about how it's going. 99 times out of 100, things are moving along just fine even if you haven't heard anything, but that doesn't make it any easier.

Good luck!

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raquel23 says on Aug 20, 2007, 17:59:

Wow, this is going to be more work than i thought. ok, its like $455 dollars just to file the I-129F? Funny, but i didnt find any of this stuff on visajourney.com. When i was visiting him in Colombia we did get a letter notarized about our relationship and everything that needed to be said on it. Is it possible you can send me your address just in case i need some more advice on this? Mine is raquelklayman at hotmail.com.

Thank You

Raquel

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Crazy4Cali says on Aug 22, 2007, 07:33:

Look at the "timelines" on VisaJourney. They have the differnt phases of the process listed by name.
Then rummage around the site for others who have recently finished or are in the process of getting a visa for a Colombian citizen. There're you'll get an idea of the different steps and what's involved.

For me, it was like doing my taxes: lots of detailed bureaucratic stuff but not particularly complicated.

Find a couple of couples on Visa Journey who are in the various phases of a Colombian application and follow their progress. That was a big help for me (and a great way to make new friends).

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