Visa advise

Peter (Moderator) says on Dec 20, 2003, 00:05:

If you are not sure that you want to marry this person, then I suggest you continue visiting her in Colombia until you are sure. The process of getting a K-1 visa is so time-consuming and energy-consuming, that it's best left to those who are truly comitted. There are 4 service centers in the US which handle K-1 applications depending on where you live - three are slow as molasses and one is fast (Vermont) so if you live in the NE US, you have it made. For more info and the experiences of others, check this site: http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&forumid=35&x=8&y=8

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Peter (Moderator) says on Dec 27, 2003, 11:56:

I have read that there will be no problem for you to again apply for another fiancee visa with the same woman. Your prior applcition with her will not be a determining factor in granting another approval. If time or effort is actually a consideration, I suggest you are with the wrong woman then. No amount of time or effort should prevent you from marrying the right woman. Peace

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gstern says on Jan 2, 2004, 17:39:

K-1 Visas I can speak with some authority here being an American who married someone from Latin America and got her here on a K-1 visa.

#1 - There is NO WAY your girlfriend will get any type of visa to travel to the US unless she is from a wealthy family, owns her own business or works at a well-established company that needs her to travel to the US on business.

#2 - The US does NOT treat immigrants or immigration applicatants like they do Americans. Your rights as an American do not apply to those applying for visas. The US assumes that anyone applying for a visa to the US from a non-Western country plans to never return to their own country if they are granted a visa to visit the US. It is up to the visa applicant to prove that is not true. In other words, guilty until proven innocent.

#3 - The K-1 visa process is a lot of paperwork and plenty of fees. And you sign your life away with a document called the Affadivit of Support. In other words, you promise the US to support her until she has personally paid taxes in the US for 10 YEARS. If she ever ends up in a public hospital or on public assistance, you get to reimburse the goverment.

And it will take anywhere from 6 months to a year to complete. Once here your fiancee must marry or return within 90 days. Sure, you can reapply, but the process will be no faster, and while the US says that they will hold no predjudice on the second application, I would seriously doubt that.

#4 - The Department of Homeland Security has nothing to do with this. You will apply to the BCIS (former INS) who will process your application and then if approved send it to the US Consulate in Bogota, who will in-turn send your fiancee lots more forms to complete and then schedule an interview with you and her (technically, you don't have to be there for the interview but the chance of her getting the visa without you go down dramatically if you do not attend the interview).

#5 - You don't say whether you speak Spanish or she speaks English. One of the two needs to be true and your proficiency must be such that the Consulate will believe that you can effectively communicate with one another. That is one of the things they do in the interview, they ask you whether you want the interview in English or Spanish and then they talk to the both of you in the language you specify.

NOTE: all of the above represented my experience with a K-1 visa for another Latin American country. Each of the Consulates are allowed to set their own procedures on how they process visa applications, so your mileage may vary, but not by much.

Good luck! And you are right about desiring a mate from Colombia. Colombians are truly some of the most wonderful people on Earth and sure seem like they would make great spouses (yes, that is a generalization...)

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Peter (Moderator) says on Jan 2, 2004, 18:24:

I would agree with everything that gstern says above with one small exception. While it is extremely difficult for a Colombian to get a tourist visa, I personally met a young woman from Medellin who was returning from visiting her sister in Miami for 3 months. She had no job in Colombia, no husband there, no children there and actually I was a little surprised that she was even returning home. When I asked her how on earth she had managed to get a visa when so many others failed, she said it was just sheer luck.

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Peter (Moderator) says on Jan 9, 2004, 19:03:

Going to COLOMBIA I am trying to get a Student visa to Colombia to be an exchange student there and I don't know the first thing to do help me!

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TioCharlie says on Jan 9, 2004, 19:16:

K-1 Visa I'm a gringo too (for what its worth) and I found the jewel of my life in Barranquilla in 2000. We visited each other, talked on the phone, sent emails, etc. Finally in 2002 we decided that the time was right for us to get married. We began the process in Oct of 2002 and the proces was not completed until Nov 2003. The colombiana is going to have to go to Bogota to apply for any Colombian Passports, Visas, get a medical exam, pay a deposit to the Bank of Colombia, and then pass an a security/background check from the US dept of immigration and obtain an interview at the US Embassy prior to leaving Colombia. If you are going to apply for a K-1 visa for your colombana, then you must start that process here in the United States. Contact you local office of the dept of Immigration. They will be able to help you get on the right track.

Good Luck to you and God speed

:)

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Ronthen2003 says on Jan 10, 2004, 08:23:

Visa Is it true that you are better off if I can attend the interview with her? If we do everything else correctly, they could still deny her visa if she goes alone?

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Peter (Moderator) says on Jan 16, 2004, 22:22:

Helping my love make his dreams come true Please help me with this problem.I am a Gringo who fell inlove with a poor Colombian.He has graduated from the University of Antioqia (I think that's spelled right) with honors as a TV production diploma.He is a good and hard worker who wants to spend the rest of his life with me and work for one of the greatest news company. For example CNN. He is now getting ready to place the meeting in Bogota to ask for the visa. I can not marry him yet because I am too young (I am 18 he's 25) and we have both agreed to wait a little while longer before we come to any decision. But I still want him here to be with me. I know my visits to Colombia will stop the moment I start collage.

PLEASE! If you can give me ANY advice on which is the easiest visa he can get to come to the USA,what to keep in mind when they are asking him questions, what types of papers exactly must he bring with him,what requirements he should have inorder to have a better chance in getting a Visa and how can he stay in the USA?

Please help me..if you can also email me - Ivett16 at hotmail.com
I would greatly appreciate your help.
Thank you for your concern

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Peter (Moderator) says on Jan 16, 2004, 22:32:

Try to clarify something for me please I too have the same problem. Have a special other at COlombia and I am trying to help him get his visa. Is there any way a US citizen can do that would influence the visa dicision making?
And if my boyfriend does ask for the Visa, is the tourist visa the best and easiest one to get? Or would he better off studying for that Michigan exam and pass it so it get axcepted to a college. Also, he has graduated from a well known University in Medellin and would like to continue his job in the US. Do you think there is any good chance that if he emails me his diploma and his profetional card that I may be able to assist him on his job hunt? And if he does get a job will it make it easier or harder for him to get a visa to the USA..

Pleae help me with this BIG problem.

Thank you for your time

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