My day at the Embassy in Bogota

utopiacowboy says on Dec 12, 2005, 06:13:

The first thought that comes to mind is "Unbelievable!" but then the whole episode is quite believable. You need to go back home and write to your 3 congressman and bitch them out hard. If enough US citizens start complaining about them, they'll start to feel the heat and begin to take their responsibilities seriously. They are a disgrace to their nation.

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.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte says on Dec 12, 2005, 06:20:

i've said it before... but my heart goes out to anyone who has need to use the consular services in bogota.

when i got the passport for my youngest daughter in bogota, she was eight days old and it only took three days.

sure wish you and your wife luck with that group. they are worse than incompetent, they are insulting and power crazed. they seem to get their kicks by hassling folks like you and your wife.

all the best. follow up on uc's advice...bitch to your congressmen.

dw

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Miguel says on Dec 12, 2005, 07:06:

My experience with the US Embassy in Bogotá While my situation was not nearly as important or as frustrating as the OP's, they treated me right. I was dealing with, and still am dealing with a stolen passport scenario, and have been communicating with them and DAS on a on-going basis. Passport theft is big business in Colombia. I am %100 gringo, six two, light skin with green eyes, so my passport is only worth about 5k on the black market. If I were five nine with dark skin and brown eyes, it would be worth close to 20k. I am very impressed with the help given to me by both the US Embassy in Bogotá and DAS.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lucia Rojas says on Dec 12, 2005, 07:45:

If you feel that way being an american, you can`t even begin to imagine the interview for colombians. It is very degrading........

0 funny, 0 helpful.

ElPadrino1 says on Dec 12, 2005, 09:50:

I agree with Miguel and furthermore Due to Past Scams at the US Embassies in Colombia, this is one of the major reasons for what transpires today in Bogota. The US Embassy in Colombia is not without some blame(inefficiency ect)but there is blame that should be proportioned equitably. Due to 1000s of OVERSTAYS by Colombian Nationals(on tourist,work and student visas) in the USA in the past and continuing right up to the present; place the appropiate share of blame on the shoulders of these folks also who absconded and broke US Law and remained here illegally in the USA.. This is an Overiding factor why Colombia has NOT been invited to participate in the US Visa Lottery for the past several years--all these past 1000s of Overstays are factored in the decision NOT to invite Colombia to participate in the Visa Lottery. This Viewpoint is never presented; one would think from reading many posts here that blame is all one sided and belongs only to the US side but that's not accurate nor fair. The next time one writes "Oh I feel so sorry for that person here out of status and they cannot find a good job" stop and think", There goes a person who, by their propensity to disrespect US Law, has made it more difficult for me to bring my fiancee or has made it so difficult for my brother to obtain a US Tourist Visa to visit me here in the USA". These Lawbreakers have deprived Law abiding Colombian Citizens the oppurtunity to participate in the Visa Lottery extended to other Nations, due to the disproportinately high number of Visa Absconders. . BTW, this Website is Read on a Regular basis by more then a few of the Employees employed at the Embassy in Bogota....

0 funny, 0 helpful.

kernow62 says on Dec 12, 2005, 12:59:

You mean he has an inflatable doll for a wife?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mr. Hollywood says on Dec 12, 2005, 13:01:

What were they supposed to do? I curious, did you really expect them to give a passport without you even having the baby present? Personally, I think they'd be entirely negligent not to ask to see that you really have a child before you are issued an American birth certificate and passport.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

utopiacowboy says on Dec 12, 2005, 13:36:

Actually, the US embassy's web site does not specifically say that the presence of the child is necessary:

"To register a U.S. citizen born in Colombia and to obtain a report of birth, the following documents are needed:

Original or certified copy of the Colombian birth certificate (Colombian notaries issue two types of birth registrations; we require the "long form" of the certificate)

Original or certified copy of parents' marriage certificate

Proof of the termination of any previous marriages (death or divorce certificates)

Current and all expired passports (U.S. and foreign) of U.S. citizen parent(s)

If only one parent is a U.S. citizen, he/she must provide proof of physical presence in the United States before the child was born. For children born before November 14, 1986, ten years of physical presence in the U.S. prior to the birth of the child are required. Of those 10 years, five must have been after the parent's fourteenth birthday. For children born after that date, five years are required, two of which must have been after the age of 14. Proof of U.S. physical presence can include previous and current passports, income tax returns, school records, W-2 statements, rent receipts, pay stubs, etc. A statement attesting to the parents' residence or work status is not sufficient."

It doesn't say anything about being interrogated about the nature of one's relationship with the mother of the child which IMHO is completely irrelevant.

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.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mr. Hollywood says on Dec 12, 2005, 13:53:

Policy Well, you can't get a passport at a US passport office without the baby, either, so the embassy just fucked up on their website. I agree about the relationship questions. On the other hand, at least they're not demanding a DNA test. Anyway, as others have noted, this is NOTHING compared to the way Colombians are treated when trying to get a visa for just about anywhere. And, frankly, compared to the difficulty of getting just about ANYTHING done in Colombia, like signing up for cable or buying a house, it's nothing.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

bbattiste says on Dec 12, 2005, 13:54:

Thanks UC I read the website before going..I think that page and another page which said nothing about the child being present. I also called the 877 number twice that costs $15 and they said that the parent with US citizenship must go to the Embassy for the passport. Neither time was I told to bring my wife and baby. When I returned, there was some obscure page on the website that at the bottom said you must bring your baby.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

silviat says on Dec 12, 2005, 13:55:

when I was 16 yeas old I wanted to travel to the US to learn english.

Well the guy who interviewed me was an A**Hole. He asked me like 80 times if I was planning to immigrate, and he looked at me as if I was carrying drugs or was a terrorist or something. He made some comment that he didnt understand why we all wanted to go and use his country's resources (I wanted to yell at him but then I knew Icould be made unelegible for a visa for x amount of years). And he did other offensive comment until he made me cry (no one was never such a jerk with me before that). Then he of course denied.

So at least with you they were decent... They are bloodless people...

Anyway I am sorry all of this happened... Ihope you can get the papers for your wife and baby soon. Anyway what matters is that now you are a proud dad and that you'll be all together in your home soon.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Tinto (Moderator) says on Dec 12, 2005, 14:11:

I have a dumb question What do they do about photos for the passport of a baby or a younger child? Since the passports are good for ten years, it seems like the photos would need to be updated much more frequently?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mr. Hollywood says on Dec 12, 2005, 14:19:

five years My recollection is that kids passports need to be renewed after 5 years.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Crazy4Cali says on Dec 12, 2005, 15:06:

photos? When my wife renewed her daughter's U.S. passport, she needed to bring in the baby book and photo album to show she was still the same person, only older.

0 funny, 0 helpful.