I need to predict about when to expect the interview.

[aliendroid]

My fiancee is ready to fax and mail her papers to the embassy and now we will be waiting on her interview.

What is a typical time frame from the time she sends them in to the interview day. I really need to coordinate things around my education, which I can move things around, but I need to plan in advance.

[GrizGator]

If you haven't been there already, check out "visajourney.com." You are way ahead of me, but from what I have read, the time between the faxing of the paperwork and the visa appointment depends on when the fax or delivery gets to the embassy. The cut-off is somewhere around the 16-20th of each month. Based on what you've said and given today's date, I guess that would mean a December interview. If you go to Visajourney, look for posts by "Peter in Miami" and under the caption "Club COlombia." Pete has been through the K-1 process and seems to know the process pretty well.

Peter is a good friend of mine. The information above is correct. You can save a bunch of time by sending them packet 4 paperwork before they send it to you..cut's off a month of waiting..assuming your sending packet 3 now

Law, my interview came exactly three months after filling and in the most crowded immigration hub offices in the US. Now, it would take much longer, I´m guessing at least six months.

A lot of us have been thru the process. I did it back in 2001 and remember every step of the way. I thought seriously about adding a K1 chapter to the now discontinued Two Gringos Guide. Check the archives, they have everything you need to know about the process.

Looking back, my two cents, I would not do it again. We have a lot more to lose than her, the paperwork, attorney fees, waiting, prenups, it was just one big hassle. For me it was just to much and this indirectly affected my relationship. Back in the day, mid-late 1990´s to say 2001 things were different. The process was MUCH easier with way less hassles than today. The US Government and Colombian embassy eventually caught on to things and like everything else in life, they found ways to make money off this stuff. Also, the K1 is a pressure cooker as stm once posted. A student visa, work visa, or tourist visa is way better than a K1 but you must have the means and know how to get her a work/student visa. These alternate visas can be done but it´s not cheap but there´s minimal deadlines, and no pressure cooker like the K1.

Law, good luck but if things go south with your fiance, don`t sweat it. My advice is find yourself good work, a profitable occupation, work your ass off 15, 20, 25 years then when you`re 45, 50, 60 you can retire and live in Latin America. The key is wait to have kids and manage your money correctly. Living in LA any younger than 35 is inadviseable as Latin women in general prefer older men.

[aliendroid]

Originally posted by Gringos.com:
Law, my interview came exactly three months after filling and in the most crowded immigration hub offices in the US. Now, it would take much longer, I´m guessing at least six months.

A lot of us have been thru the process. I did it back in 2001 and remember every step of the way. I thought seriously about adding a K1 chapter to the now discontinued Two Gringos Guide. Check the archives, they have everything you need to know about the process.

Looking back, my two cents, I would not do it again. We have a lot more to lose than her, the paperwork, attorney fees, waiting, prenups, it was just one big hassle. For me it was just to much and this indirectly affected my relationship. Back in the day, mid-late 1990´s to say 2001 things were different. The process was MUCH easier with way less hassles than today. The US Government and Colombian embassy eventually caught on to things and like everything else in life, they found ways to make money off this stuff. Also, the K1 is a pressure cooker as stm once posted. A student visa, work visa, or tourist visa is way better than a K1 but you must have the means and know how to get her a work/student visa. These alternate visas can be done but it´s not cheap but there´s minimal deadlines, and no pressure cooker like the K1.

Law, good luck but if things go south with your fiance, don`t sweat it. My advice is find yourself good work, a profitable occupation, work your ass off 15, 20, 25 years then when you`re 45, 50, 60 you can retire and live in Latin America. The key is wait to have kids and manage your money correctly. Living in LA any younger than 35 is inadviseable as Latin women in general prefer older men.

I know what you mean. I used to be worried about, what if's with her. What if she were using me for a visa, what if she cheated on me, what if... Now I figure if she did, I'd be a single man again and knowing what I know now, the next time I'd get tied down would be when I'm living down there. I love this little woman to death, but I'm not holding on too tight and she's about to have a pretty serious test of her relationship. I'm not afraid to hire private detectives and I plan on doing so during the times when I'm the most busy. Just to see what's up. I trust her a lot but right now I realize that anything can happen and it's always better to have plan A, B and C just in case. If she screws up then I'll help her get independent and then wait out on marrying again until I can move down there. I think she's open minded to retiring with me down there when we're older.