Questions about marriage visa

am a US born citizen interested in marrying a Colombian national in Colombia. I have been in a relationship with my fiancee for 5 years now. I have looked throughout your website and others for information but still have some questions that concern me. I hope you can help me.

1. I intend to marry her through the Roman Catholic church. I understand that my religious certificates need to be apostillized and must also have a civil marriage. Is it necessary for them to be in Spanish translation? Must I be approved for a special visa to marry in Colombia?

2. I live in the US and only have visited Colombia to see my fiancee. Is there a period of time that I should live with her in Colombia if married over there? What is the quickest way to marry her over there and bring her back with me to live in the US?

3. Is it necessary to hire an immigration lawyer to handle the process? Do you reccommend it?

4. A BIG concern for me is this. I will try to make the LONG story short. She has traveled to the states before where we met. We kept seeing each other and fell in love. She had to leave because her visa was about to expire. She was denied her visa validation when she reapplied. This was a huge dissapointment for both of us. I tried seeing her as much as possible but problems occurred and through time I had to end the relationship. This was 2 years ago. We've maintained contact due to the love but I was involved with another. We both started seeing other people. She met an American who became involved with her for the past year. He proposed to her and she accepted. He filed a petition for a fiancee visa recently. The application was approved. She received her package through the mail to begin the visa process but I reappeared in her life. We both knew that we were still in love. I saw her again, she broke off her relationship with the American to be with me. I've been with her since and know she is the love of my life. We both realized we do not want to lose each other again. She never filled out the documents in the package from the fiance application nor has she given any type of reply. All we know is that she was approved. Does she need to contact anyone to let them know that the application will no longer be necessary? Does this affect us and our plans to marry?

5. My dream is to marry in Colombia. Do you reccomend this? Is it still possible to ask for a petition for fiance if she was approved for one by another? Please help because we will do everything possible to be together and follow regulations.


6. Please if possible, mention step by step the process I must take to begin our dream.


Thank you all in advance for your help. I will keep my fingers crossed for good news and suggestions.

Danny R

By DannyRui on Nov 8, 2004, 21:34 in Visa & paperwork.

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utopiacowboy says on Nov 9, 2004, 07:31: Have a look at this web page from the Colombian Consulate in Houston for the requirements for the Colombian marriage visa: http://www.colhouston.org/english/visas/marriage.htm For a good rundown on what documents you need to get married in Colombia for the civil and Catholic weddings, see this web page from the US embassy in Bogota: http://usembassy.state.gov/colombia/wwwsmare.shtml You may want to see an immigration lawyer - her prior fiancee petition does make your situation a little more complicated than most. 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.

DannyRui says on Nov 9, 2004, 17:13: I checked out the pages and they were very helpful. I'll check with a immigration lawyer for consultation regarding the approved petition. Thanks! 0 funny, 0 helpful.

DannyRui says on Nov 10, 2004, 18:07: Any other opinions? I could sure us some help here. All input is truly appreciated! Thanks. 0 funny, 0 helpful.

mark says on Nov 10, 2004, 21:48: hire a lawyer and drink a BUD.. not smoke.. drink If she's worth it spend a couple grand.. find a lawyer for example that does many for the military boys who hook up with foreigners. check yellow pages near bases , these guys are experienced and dont fool around.. having a lawyer takes all the stress away.. nowadays it can take as little as 5 to 8 months on a fiancee visa.. 0 funny, 0 helpful.

DannyRui says on Nov 11, 2004, 12:05: I'll have a couple of more Buds, please... 5-8 months seem about right especially from what I've been reading in other discussions. Does anyone have a similar experience with a repeat petition? My girlfreind faxed over to the Embassy a statement indicating that she no longer needed those papers. We've gotten no response yet. Hopefully this does not cause conflict. If worse comes to worse and no visa is granted, I'm packing my bags and heading out there!! 0 funny, 0 helpful.

conyper says on Dec 27, 2005, 17:58: sounds like my story .............tell me did you finally got married with this girl 0 funny, 0 helpful.

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