I just paid the lawyer $350

PRMello29 says on Aug 25, 2004, 17:11:

LOL For any of you Embassy and INS Spies who frequently monitor the random, poor but happy, forums waiting for one unsuspecting illegal to slip up!

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argtat says on Aug 25, 2004, 18:47:

well first of no lawyer is needed, but considering most lawyers charge 2000 ans uo you have come unscathed, i paid 150 for the first phase and 150 for the second, but the honest truth it is just to make sure once i saw her do it i was like my gosh i paid 150 for this?

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fennell01 says on Aug 25, 2004, 21:29:

how long How Long did it take you to bring your girl over for a visit? Do you think the lawyer was helpful?

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argtat says on Aug 26, 2004, 10:19:

for a visit in my eyes the whole process is lenghty and a hassle, so anyone who goes through this i am sure ( unless is a bussiness deal ) is doing it for more than a visit but rather for her to stay with you forever (pardon the undying romantic in me)
anyways, under the new laws and by what i have heard my self (my girl isnt actually here yet ) you fill he application they approve it that takes about 5 months in california, a lot less in the other service centers, judging by the processing dates, then they send the aproved appy to the american consulate in bogota, they send her forms she fill them she sends them back they send her an appointment and then she gets the visa 7 days later.. or not although the common consensus is unlees she is a criminal or he or has a drug or health issue denial cases are few. that process take another 2 months at the most it all depends on how quickly you gather the papers and how many people are doing it on that partivular case. so the whle deal is about 8 months long from sending the app to her being in your arms making sweet love to you.

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argtat says on Aug 26, 2004, 10:26:

lawyer are you planning on marrying this girl? by a visitors visa you mean a turist visa? the lawyer really only helps in the manner that he knows the lingo and will fill papers rigth but it wont increase you chances since there isnt any cout he will go to or any place he will represent you unless he has some secret contacts. a turist visa is very hard to get, i read on a site once, unless she is vey fat very ugly, married or has children or is incredibly wealthy chances are she will not get a tourist visa, if she is good looking and young they think she will accept the first invite for a date as soon as she steps off te plane and tries to marry to stay. so if you reall want her here is better to try for a fiance visa is more likely she will get it specially if your relationship can be proven

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vanwely says on Aug 26, 2004, 11:10:

I hate lawyers - except ONE I am also in Atlanta and am seeking a K-1 visa for my fiance. I did 99% of the work myself and just had the lawyer check over the documents. She gave me a few tips and saw me for 1 hour of which she talked on the phone about half the time. I paid $250 for the privelege. I just sent the papers this week and hope all goes well.
The lawyer I don't hate is my fiance, who is a lawyer in Colombia - but she worked with the juvenile delinquents in Bogota and before that in Cartegena. A lawyer here and a lawyer there are TWO different things.

Vanwely




Colombia - Tierra Querida

Colombia - Tierra Querida

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 26, 2004, 12:13:

I don't want to make anyone paranoid but K-1 applicants are denied in Bogota. I have never heard of a K-3 being denied (there are very few K-3s) but I have heard of plenty of stories of K-1s being denied. If they do not think the relationship is genuine or there is a large discrepancy in ages or the people do not share a common language, they will either deny the application or simply refuse to approve it. So I wouldn't count my chicas until their visas have been granted.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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junior says on Aug 26, 2004, 14:56:

denial due to age difference... whoa

that's something i haven't heard...somewhere in another post, utopiacowboy, you stated that when your wife went to her interview, you met an american man who was with his young colombian fiancee, and that they didn't sit together or act as if they were genuine about their relationship, yet, you stated that the girl was approved for her visa...

doesn't seem as if the age was a factor...maybe you could clarify what age difference is too much...

i love colombia...junior

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daver says on Aug 26, 2004, 15:12:

junior,

Age difference will be a factor, but not the end all and be all.

For instance, if there is a 10 year gap, but they show 150 emails, and 100 phone calls, speak a common language, money transfers, multiple visits, loving photographs in many places at different times, birthday cards, christmas cards, valentines day cards, easter cards, there is no real reason to deny them.

If you have just a few emails, and you don't speak a common language (the Colombian can't speak English, and AMerican cannot speak Spannish), one or two photos, and a few phone calls (which they will ignore as they know you can't communicate), only one visit, and you are the exact same age, you will likely get denied.

As much as everyone here is legitimate, the cases of "business deals" or a Colombian entering a relationship just to get to the US is common. The INS has to deny some people, so just make sure you have enough proof. If you are legitimate, and don't feel you have enough proof, write more emails, send more money, visit more, take more pictures, send more mail, and call more....

Dave

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 26, 2004, 15:22:

Junior, in that case the guy was about 60 and the fiance was in her early 20s. They did not get denied but they had to go to the embassy 4 separate times before he was finally able to convince them to give her the visa. I saw him arguing at the window with the consular officer. Personally I never would have given her the visa if he showed up there every day for the rest of what was left of his life. It seemed like a clear case of fraud to me. I don't think you need to worry - Daver is right. It seemed to me that the K-1 people had a much higher burden of proof than the K-3 people. For the married couples like us it was really a formality.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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James3 says on Aug 26, 2004, 16:54:

I was at the US Embassy in Bogota last week and the word on the street is that tourist visas are being rejected.

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junior says on Aug 26, 2004, 16:57:

money transfers... so sending money to your fiancee is another way of providing evidence to the embassy in colombia that a genuine relationship exists? i mean the paper work that proves money was transferred? i was concerned that it would be looked upon as something bad...most of us have sent our fiancees and spouses money, once marriage was the direction of the relationship...

in our case i have close to 400 pages of msn mesenger conversations and over 3,000 dollars in phone bills...from what you guys say this is pretty good evidence then? i can't imagine sending them 400 pages of conversation but will send some samplings, but if i have too, i will send all 400 pages though!

have only visited for apx 17 days in august, but plan to return for her mother's birthday in october and for apx 3 weeks in december, hope this will be sufficient for the united states embassy.

thanks guys for the insights...

i love colombia...junior

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