I'm Freakin Out!!

CrazyGirlPerez says on Jan 23, 2006, 14:51:

what website is it that you can view when the interview will be?

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mireland511 says on Jan 23, 2006, 15:10:

Website http://bogota.usembassy.gov/wwwfivad.pdf

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rjstuff says on Jan 23, 2006, 17:53:

you have some confusion - the medical exam and the lab work alltogether is about $235 and the visa fee is another $100 (these are 6 month old rates from my fiance's trip); additionally you pay for any vacinations that you may need - can be another couple hundred dollars depending on what all you need. Total cost of trip (for my fiance) was $1000 including airfare (from Barranquilla), hotel - La Flor's, and other expenses. Good luck

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silviat says on Jan 23, 2006, 18:53:

he needs to get a packet 4 Tell him to buy one pin (I think it needs to be done in Banco Colpatria) so he can schedule an appointment to pick up the packet 4 himself... that way he won't be depending on if it ever arrives... Thought that means he wil have to travel to bogota.

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Crazy4Cali says on Jan 23, 2006, 20:43:

Ditto... no packet 4 = no interview.

Packet 4 contains the intervie invitation/appointment letter. Without that you're nobody. You can't get your lab work, you can't go to the bank, you can't get your physical and the won't let you into the embassy.

Also, I think Silvia's got here currency mixed up. The lab and the physical were $235,000 COP together or about $100 US. The visa fee is $100 IN COLOMBIAN PESOS!!! (or about $230,000 COP).

Look around on this site and Visa Journey. I know several people have posted narrative descriptions of their interview adventure. Have your novio read them so he has an idea of what to expect. He'll want to arrive Sunday so he can do all the lab work, physical, and pay at the bank on Monday before his interview on Tuesday. Then he'll probably want to wait around until Wednesday to pick up the visa (assuming all goes well at the interview).

As far as forms, don't rush so quickly you miss something.

You don't have time to order tax transcipts if you don't have them already so you'll need photocopies of your tax returns. Without the tax transcripts, you'll probably want to include more supporting documentation to prove your claims on the tax returns (W-2's: DEFINITELY, if you can include the last pay stub of each year with the year-to-date totals, that probably wouldn't hurt, either).

Also, include whatever "Proof of an ongoing relationship" you have to offer. Photos, e-mail logs, sample e-mails (not the juicy ones, of course), telephone bills showing phone calls to his number, airline tickets, etc. They may not ask for them, but it's better to err on the side of caution.

And finally....

Be sure you and he discuss your wedding plans (even if they are just temporary ideas). If he looks the least little bit like he doesn't plan to get married to you and you haven't talked about it (i.e. made plans) that is grounds for denial. (or so I've heard)

I was asked what our plans were when I talked to the Consuler Officer so I'm glad we had our story straight ('cause they asked her, seperately).

All in all, our interaction with the people at the embass was "Business-like" at its worst and friendly at its best so if you go in with everything in order, you shouldn't have a problem.

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mireland511 says on Jan 27, 2006, 07:20:

Still Waiting... Well he still has not gotten his Packet4 yet. But I'm going to give it to the middle of this upcoming week since his interview was just posted on Monday.
Does anyone know if he ends up having to get a PIN to go pick up his Packet4 in Bogota, how long it will take him to get it. Is there a certain wait time or will they just let hom come anytime to get it. Will his interview time be delayed any if he has to go pick it up himself?
Thanks again Crazy, and everyone else, for all your advice on everything. I am working hard to get everything together in the next few days and FedEx it down to him.
I'm hoping that if we have everything in order he won't run into any problems during the interview. But, we've had such a bumpy road I can't help but be nervous.

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Peter Miami says on Jan 27, 2006, 11:33:

Hi mireland511,

He definitely needs to buy a “pin” and set-up a date to get his packet 4. He will get packet 4 on the time and date that was set-up with the pin. His interview date will not be change. He must get everything done; Doctor’s, Lab, paying the bank and getting to his schedule interview time.

You should have gotten all the documents, paperwork, pictures and everything else to him already!

Good luck,

Peter Miami

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utopiacowboy says on Jan 27, 2006, 13:36:

Complain to your senators and congressmen about not receiving the packets from the embassy and that you had to buy a pin to get them. Nice little money making racket they've got going there.

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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mireland511 says on Jan 28, 2006, 06:01:

Good News! He got his Packet4 yesterday with all the instructions. Thank God! Now at least that is out of the way.
The reason he doesn't have everything from me yet is because he never got his Packet3 so we had to download everything online and fax it in. We never received all the instructions from the embassy about what I needed. Plus, all this happened just last week, we haven't had much time to get ourselves together. But I am going to spend the extra money and FedEx it down there so the delivery time is guaranteed. I know...I'm cutting it a little close. :) Thanks your help!

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