K2 Follow to Join Visa question

Gator says on Jan 31, 2008, 08:42:

A K2 visa, ONCE IT IS ISSUED BY THE EMBASSY, is valid only for six months. However, the K2 child is permitted to "follow-to-join" for up to an year of the date of issue of the K1 visa. When the child is ready to join you, you should contact the consulate and request the consular section to start the processing.

The K2 visa must be issued within one year of the issuance of the parent K1 visa. The child will then have 6 months to enter the USA. So stretched it to the maximum (which is never a good idea) the child would have almost 18 months to enter the USA after the original issuance of the K1 visa. (I would never try to cut things that close and I assume the child was listed on the original I-129F petition/application.)

The child will need a Colombian passport and other paperwork to receive the visa

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

Mononoke28 says on Jan 31, 2008, 10:31:

Right. But I think the question is how do they file a petition for the children to have the K2 visas issued? Do they have to file I-129Fs for the children? Do they contact the NVC to have them make an appointment with the embassy? Do they have to go to the embassy to make the appointment?

Diana

chester says on Jan 31, 2008, 10:47:

yes, the children were listed on the original K1/I-129 petition, and we were advised about the Follow to Join option within one year.

but, I cannot get info or contact from the visa office at the embassy in bogota.

only on wednesday afternoons from 2 to 4 pm, and even then, the line is always busy.

I did look on visajourney. com and believe I have to complete 2 DS-156 forms per each child and Part 1 of DS-230 form for each child. along with valid passports and six photos per child.

all the other forms are supposed to be with the original petition still on file with the embassy.

Then, I'm guessing, I have to mail or fax each form to the embassy and wait for an interview date. also, I believe the embassy uses the colombian public mail system, and who knows how long that may take for an appointment letter to get from Bogota to Cali.

we would like to get the visa this early summer before the one year anniverary of the original visa in July 2007.

and yes, I am confused if we only have to apply before the one year anniverary or if we have to actually have the K-2 visa in hand before the one year anniversary of July 2007.

and, if the entire process takes a long, long time. then how much time do I have left to apply?

I even paid the 16 dollar fee to talk to a call center aqent where I was told to make an appointment to go to bogota in person from the USA and ask in person what forms and procedure do I need to follow.

it seems a bit extreme to make a US citizen travel to another country just to pick up some forms and get verbal instruction.

I know that the US embassy in Bogota is busy, but there has to be a way to get the required info and forms without having to actually travel there.

chester says on Jan 31, 2008, 10:49:

oh yeah, plus we have to go a few days early before any appointment date and get the required physical exams out of the way?

Mononoke28 says on Jan 31, 2008, 10:49:

Have you tried e-mailing the embassy. I think I read on VJ that some people where getting answers that way. It's worth a try.

Diana

Mononoke28 says on Jan 31, 2008, 10:54:

Chester,

I found this on VJ that will be very useful. It seems that all you have to do is call the US Embassy in Bogotá and tell them that the children are ready for the interview and they'll send them packets 3 & 4 and set them an interview date.

Link: http://www.visajourney.com/faq/k1k2visa-application.html

Sample Question:
My child did not move with me to the United States, but now he wants to move here. He was listed on the I-129F petition. Can he still get a K2 visa?

A..I included my Ukrainian fiance's 18 year son on the I-129f form. My fiancee went for her interview alone on Jan 27th, 1998. She immediately came to the US and we were married on Feb 21st. I called the US Embassy in Warsaw in July and explained that my Stepson was ready for his interview. He had 1 year to come the US on the k-2 visa. They set an appointment for him in 30 days. They mailed him the same forms as they did for my wife. He had to get the same documentation as my wife had to for her interview. As soon as he arrived in the US we applied for his change of status and work card.
(FAQ note: the son moved to the US in Sept 98, and even had the visa interview delayed a month due to problems obtaining an international passport. He was not even required to have a new I-134 affidavit, Although his step dad sent one to him.)

Diana

Gator says on Jan 31, 2008, 16:36:

The visa MUST be issued before the one-year-time frame is up so you must have it in hand.. Then it must be used within six months from the date of issue of the K-2 visa.

Valid passport (not needed if child is under 16 but have one issued in Colombia. Much
cheaper and easier than applying later in the USA at a Colombian consulate);
Non immigrant Visa Application (Form DS-156), in duplicate with two recent color
photographs meeting embassy requirements;
Official birth certificate(The full page from the notary who recorded the birth);
Permission to travel from other parent (To leave Colombia you MUST have this or a
court order from the Colombian family court allow the child to leave Colombia. There is
no exception and it is strictly enforced by DAS.);
Complete medical examination report.

A full letter and package will be sent by the embassy containing instructions and needed forms. Only certain medical doctors are accepted to conduct the medical examination all are in Bogotá.

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

chester says on Feb 13, 2008, 06:39:

we received an interview packet/notice from the embassy at the family home in Cali for the kids to be interviewed for Visas to Follow to Join their mother now here in the US

the interview is for next month, any idea how to best ask for a delay in the interview until the month of June?

we don't want to miss our one year cutoff date in the month of July, but we would like to push the interview date back from the month of March.

we are afraid the embassy may force us to go with the March date at risk of going past our cutoff limit of one year from July of 2007 and losing our automatic Follow to Join rights.

does anyone know if we can go to the interview in March and request for the Visa to be stamped with a June or July date, thus giving us till December 2008 (six months) to bring the kids?

orestesdd says on Apr 16, 2008, 15:43:

Question, if the child is already 19 and he will be 20 by the time he gets his K-2 visa, does he still need his father permission to leave the country? I am having a similar situation with my Colombian fiancee and her son.

Thanks.