Advice for my girlfriend's interview in Bogota.

[Tim413]

Hi everyone!!!!!!!

My girlfriend has her interview in Bogota on January 18th. We are very excited and happy!!!!!!!

Here are a few questions.

What is your advice for my girlfriend? Can you recommend any reasonable places for her to stay? How can she get from the airport to the hotel? What should she know about the interview? Since I am not going with her to the interview, what should she do during her free time?

Everyone on this board has helped me in the process. Thanks!!!!!!!!!

Tim

You might contact Bogota Bob. I believe the website is: http://www.colombialodgingresources.com

The last time I was in Bogota I stayed at a place called Plenitud or something like that.

[Tim413]

Encinoman,

Thanks for the tip!!!!

Tim

[Clay]

don't sweat it man, you will do fine, especially if you go with her.

[Lostagain]

Tim, my advice to you is get your booty to Bogota to accompany her to the interview. If she goes alone, you reduce her chances of a successful interview. If you are with her, you have a very good chance of success, plus you get to have some fun in Bogota with her.

[Rick11]

Tim L.

Just went through the interview last month. I did attend the interview with Silvia and she is now in the states. Here is my experience.

I did attend the interview with Silvia. I think it helped that I was there. I did think the interview would be different. I will try to
explain.


6:30 Silvia and I get to the embassy for a 7:00am appointment. I think maybe 400 people also had a 7:00 am appointment.

6:50 About 5 colombian girls arrive barking instructions in Spanish. Basically forming a few different lines.

7:00 am enter the first checkpoint. Make sure you have your Passport

7:05 am stand in line for checkpoint 2.

7:15 go through metal detector

7:20 go to window 1 area and sign in with colombian girl who gives Silvia a Brown folder with K-1 on the outside. Inside this folder is
instructions on how to arrange the documents. Sit and wait.

There are about 30 windows with telephones for people to talk with embassy officials. The K-1 visa area is windows 1 through 6. You stand in front of a bullet proff window and talk with the embassy officials.

No smoking at the embassy......Wierd because you are outside...... Just a cover in case it rains.

9:45 Silvia is called up to Window 6. (5 minute interview) She is asked when she has seen me last. She tells the lady I am with her.
She looks over documents and hands back extra documents not required. Tells Silvia she will need to have fingerprints and be interviewed

1:30 Called to window 3. Counselor ask Silvia a couple of questions then ask when she saw me last. She tells her I am there. She ask to
speak with me. This is the first employee I have spoken with that actually speaks English. No guards or colombian girls spoke English.
She tells me her Spanish is not that good. Wants to know when and where we meet. How many times I have visited her in bogota (looks at
my passport stamps). Looks at our pictures and ask who are the people family members) and what city (some bogota and some from Villa De
Lavia) they were taken. Tells me everything looks ok and our visa will be approved. 10 minute interview only due to the fingerprint device not working. Very nice lady.

The next day (Tuesday)at 4:00 pm we arrive to pick up visa. Visa is not ready due to a satellite problem.

The next day (Wednesday)we arrive at 4:00 pm and the Visa is ready for her and her son (9 years old).


I did see a couple of people denied Visa's

1. No employment letter
2. No tax returns
3. No proff of ongoing relationship.
4. One lady lied about being divorced. I thought they were going to arrest her for a minute. I think the only thing that saved her was her son crying.
5. No pictures

I believe only 2 of the 9 people there for k=1 visa were approved first time.

If your missing a document they will allow you to come back the next day and submit the document.

Three of the people denied were at the embassy the second time I went to pick up the Visa and also were picking up there passports with a Visa stamp. So they were allowed to submit the documents the next day.

If your not fimiliar with Bogota wear a coat. It's cold and sometimes wet.

I stayed at Lloyds aparta suites in Bogota ($40.00 USD per night). 30 minute taxi ride to embassy (cost 5 USD). It is not that close to the embassy but is close to Atlantis Plaza (Hard Rock Cafe), Zona Rosa (great places to eat) and Andino Mall.

http://www.lloydsapartasuites.com/home.htm

Rick

[Bala]

Here is another choice of place to stay in Bogota.
I have sent a lot of my clients there.
Good luck.

Casa de Huéspedes Doña Flor
THIS IS A HOSTAL NOT HOTEL.
(Two blocks from U.S. Embassy)
Senora Flor de Garcia, Gerente
Carrera 44C #22A-16
Barrio Quinta Paredes, Bogotá
Teléfono 011-57-1-269-8694, 011-57-1-269-7436
Telefax: 011-57-1-269-3926
(About $35US per Night with Breakfast)
[This is a Bed & Breakfast style House or Hacienda with 7 rooms,
which others have said is homey, safe with an on-site lady owner
24/7 who has helped other visa applicants before.]

[Tim413]

Thanks everyone for your help!!!!!!!!!

I will be going to Colombia from December 29th to January 10th. During this time I will give my girlfriend all the papers for her trip to Bogotá. I am not able to get off from work to go to the interview.

Many have said that it helps when the girlfriend is accompanied by the US citizen. Since I am not able to attend the meeting with my girlfriend, I will have to pray more!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Rick for the detailed report about the interview with your girlfriend!!!!!!! Your advice about needing copies of your 1040 tax forms is very helpful. The form I 134 says that you only need to have copies of the 1040 if you are self employed, but the Colombian web site says you need the form I-134 with copies of the 1040.

Gary, you must always be confused since different government departments do not know what it needs or wants!!!!!

Thanks again for all your help!!!!!!!
Tim

[Clay]

"Since I am not able to attend the meeting with my girlfriend"

Maybe it's just my way but I'll be doggoned if I'm gonna fly all the way to a different country to sit down and watch my fiancee go to a bullet proof window get run over by some halfassed uneducated colombiana(I'm not talking about the consular). I have been through the process twice and every time, I went to any appointments,I was present accompanied with my fiancee during all conversations.
Please note, I used the word "fiancee", not girlfriend.
This last time I had a problem and complained to my state senator. One of his aids aparantly an expert in immigration told me things were very similar(i think gary told me this also) in Bogota and Lima embajadas. She also said that they might ask me things like what is her birthdate and so on. Ever little scrap of information helps and cards, fotos of the two of you together, printed e-mails etc etc etc.
I think you are lucky enough just to arrive at that bullet proof window before all these new laws are passed.

[Rick11]

Tim

My advice is to go with her. A picture is worth a 1000 words but your presence at the interview is priceless. If you can't make it to the interview be sure to have all your paper work correct and plenty of documentation that there is an ongoing relationship.

Clay is correct. Every little thing helps. The process is very easy if you have all your documents. Make sure you fiancée arrives in time to get her medical and lab work done plus pay the fees at the bank before her interview date.

Clay is also correct in saying that all it takes is one dumb ass to make your life miserable.

A short story:

The guy at the bank must have thought he was a visa expert. silvia arrives at the bank to pay the visa fees (100 USD). Form DS 156 is required for this. The embassy web site tells you the form can be downloaded but it must be printed on both sides of the sheet. Task accomplished the DS 156 is on one sheet of paper.

The bank guy refuses to stamp the form and refuses to accept the money because when he turns the paper over page two is upside down. Plus the form is in English.

I am thinking English is OK; after all it is an application for a US Visa. Plus who cares if the page is upside down. The embassy did not care. The page is only upside depending on how you flip it over.

The Bank official requires Silvia to fill out two DS-156 forms in SPANISH and then collects the money.

ALWAYS REMEMBER THE GUY WITH THE STAMP IS IN CHARGE……

I asked the counselor at the embassy about this and she said it did not matter. She also thought the guy at the bank was an idiot.

Be prepared for little inconveniences.

Good Luck and have a safe trip.

Rick