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Post by jabberwocky on Nov 26, 2016 17:15:04 GMT -5
The wife wants to try ( again) for a tourist visa for the oldest daughter and granddaughter - she is 22 and in nursing school - but no real income , the nina is 4.
Wonder if anyone has gone through the process lately or has heard if it has tightened or loosened up?
She is worried with Trump coming in that things might get tougher - don't really agree - Trump will crack down on illegal immigration but I don't think he will cut back on legal Visas from Latin America - but still a big unknown
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2016 19:18:00 GMT -5
As Colombia is going downhill economically--they will be looking harder at visa applicants---
Assume your wife may not be an American citizen / and not your 22 yo biological daughter
22 / no income / with a 4 year old kid-----the red flags are flying high ---
Try to get the 22 year old one without her kid--maybe she might convince the embassy she would actually return to Colombia---
Nothing personal----this is a floundering ship of the obvious to the embassy in these economic times ---
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Post by dandl93 on Nov 27, 2016 7:41:25 GMT -5
I know of some friends that was a single mom with a young daughter that got their visas to the USA this last year.She has a business land and money in the bank.With that said it will be or atleast should be very hard for a single mon with no ties to get a visa for her and her child.
You mite get lucky if you apply before Trump takes office,Most of the immagration workers know their jobs are on the chopping block and mite just sit back till the new admin takes over.
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Post by jabberwocky on Nov 27, 2016 8:04:43 GMT -5
The wife will be eligible to become a US citizen in a year - from my understanding she can then petition to have the daughter and granddaughter move to the US, not something I have been following that much, 2 more Colombianas in my house - figure will just let it play out, until yesterday thought she had given up on the tourist visa idea ( for the short term) - don't really have an issue with it - it just gets expensive - she got turned down about a year ago, its going to cost another $400 or so to give it another shot for the both of them ( you don't get it back if you get turned down)
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Post by dandl93 on Nov 27, 2016 8:51:50 GMT -5
If she was turned down a year ago her chances are slim.The last few years has been the easiest time to ever get a tourist visa.
Once your wife gets her citizenship and the Trump policies are in effect she mite get a tourist visa then.The laws will have been stabilized by then.Some friends of mine petioned for their parents but the list at the time was over 5 years before they could have a meeting with immagration.
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Post by james on Nov 27, 2016 9:03:48 GMT -5
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, whenever we need to deal with immigration problems (visas, passports, etc.) We always use an immigration management company. I use GESTICOL in Medellin. After going through the hassle of going to Bogota and fighting the bureaucracy, I tried them and their service is excellent. Their pricing is VERY reasonable, and when you figure in the cost of doing it ourselves (bus fare, hotel, food, etc, etc), it's actually a bargain. Their consults are free, and they can tell you up front what your chances are of being approved. Much better than spending $400 US, and then getting rejected. Just my 2 pesos worth. Good luck.
- JAMES
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Post by jabberwocky on Nov 27, 2016 9:15:48 GMT -5
We have the process down pretty well - its just at times seems like a pure crapshoot as to who gets approved - sometimes comes down to if the examiner is having a good or bad day. I figure it is a long shot - but it does show the oldest daughter that we are still fighting to get her here - she did not come originally due to having a new baby and being in love with the father - who of course ran off a few months after the wife and her 2 sisters moved to US. She made a bad choice and has been paying the consequences since, she will eventually get here. And of course the wife would like to have all her daughters here ( along with granddaughter), I figure they will all be here within the next 3 years - 5 Colombianas in my house - will need to get a bigger boat so I can live on it when all the estrogen in the house gets to be too much.
If my 2 stepdaughters would just be more like gringas they would want their independence and move out after graduating high school - so far 0-1 on that - soon to be 0-2.
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Post by flynnflanagan on Nov 27, 2016 9:21:17 GMT -5
I agree with James. Here is another in Medellin. www.inter-col.com , 310 359 40 64 or 4444 659.
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Post by elexpatriado on Nov 27, 2016 13:43:55 GMT -5
Nothing will happen until a few months after he gets in..then it will clamp down dramatically..strike while the iron is hot..
If its any consolation, I am sure ourBeta Boy PM will take anyone in Trump rejects.
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Post by elexpatriado on Nov 27, 2016 13:45:42 GMT -5
As Colombia is going downhill economically--they will be looking harder at visa applicants--- Assume your wife may not be an American citizen / and not your 22 yo biological daughter 22 / no income / with a 4 year old kid-----the red flags are flying high --- Try to get the 22 year old one without her kid--maybe she might convince the embassy she would actually return to Colombia--- Nothing personal----this is a floundering ship of the obvious to the embassy in these economic times --- You would be surprised who they have let in in the last few years..
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Post by elexpatriado on Nov 27, 2016 13:53:51 GMT -5
We have the process down pretty well - its just at times seems like a pure crapshoot as to who gets approved - sometimes comes down to if the examiner is having a good or bad day. I figure it is a long shot - but it does show the oldest daughter that we are still fighting to get her here - she did not come originally due to having a new baby and being in love with the father - who of course ran off a few months after the wife and her 2 sisters moved to US. She made a bad choice and has been paying the consequences since, she will eventually get here. And of course the wife would like to have all her daughters here ( along with granddaughter), I figure they will all be here within the next 3 years - 5 Colombianas in my house - will need to get a bigger boat so I can live on it when all the estrogen in the house gets to be too much. If my 2 stepdaughters would just be more like gringas they would want their independence and move out after graduating high school - so far 0-1 on that - soon to be 0-2. No offence, but I thought i was freaking crazy.....I am small potatoes compared to you... Thanks, just gave my self esteem a big boost..
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Post by coolcoil on Nov 27, 2016 14:28:32 GMT -5
I first applied for a tourist visa for my wife and at the time stepdaughter (now formally adopted) six years ago. I talked to the visa specialist from one of my senators' offices, and they told me we would be unlikely to be successful. He said that having family, particularly a spouse, parents or siblings, in the USA is a huge red flag, as it is highly likely the applicant wants to join them permanently. He further went on to say that the goal of the non-immigrant visa team is to find people who are going to come to the USA, spend money and leave. He thought we would not have a prayer of getting the visas, but recommended that we provide as much proof as possible that I was permanently living in Colombia and had no intention of moving back to the USA. I did gather a lot of evidence of that, and we got the visas.
We had a friend in a similar situation to yours last year. She wanted to visit Disney with her small daughter, but had been rejected once. She is a primary school teacher with little savings and no property. She originally came to me to ask me to write a letter inviting her to the USA, but I advised her that would be the worst idea. I suggested that she reapply and not admit to having any relatives or friends in the USA. In fact, she does not have close relatives in the USA, but had told the interviewer that she had very close friends there. I further recommended that she make it very clear that her intention was to visit tourist attractions and spend money. It was still a crapshoot, but it worked in her case. She did get the visa on the second try.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2016 14:48:35 GMT -5
As a citizens daughter over 21--the daughter would fall in to the "family preference category"--
so would not qualify as an "immediate relative"--or able to go to the head of the line--as would a citizens mother / father or child under 21--
So with a family preference category--will take some time---a brother or sister now takes 8-10 years
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Post by nickdanger on Nov 27, 2016 21:51:16 GMT -5
We have the process down pretty well - its just at times seems like a pure crapshoot as to who gets approved - sometimes comes down to if the examiner is having a good or bad day. I figure it is a long shot - but it does show the oldest daughter that we are still fighting to get her here - she did not come originally due to having a new baby and being in love with the father - who of course ran off a few months after the wife and her 2 sisters moved to US. She made a bad choice and has been paying the consequences since, she will eventually get here. And of course the wife would like to have all her daughters here ( along with granddaughter), I figure they will all be here within the next 3 years - 5 Colombianas in my house - will need to get a bigger boat so I can live on it when all the estrogen in the house gets to be too much. If my 2 stepdaughters would just be more like gringas they would want their independence and move out after graduating high school - so far 0-1 on that - soon to be 0-2. what exactly is the service they provide and what are the steps involved?
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Post by jabberwocky on Nov 28, 2016 8:01:46 GMT -5
8-10 years? That would actually work well - by the time the whole family is living in the States - I will be back living in Colombia or if the women in my life drive me crazy - a small island somewhere in the South Pacific.
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Post by bickmed on Nov 28, 2016 8:25:19 GMT -5
I know of two Colombian females who have received their USA B1/B2 visa in the last year, having been previously rejected.
First - a 28 year old lady who has her Mother / Father and Brother in the USA as perm residents. She had been rejected twice before and received hers late last year on attempt number 3. I was very surprised - if anyone would be rejected it was her. No stable job, bit of a bimbo, no money etc. She is a prime eg of someone who would overstay her visa , and is probably planning that.
Second - a 30 year old lady with a very good job, and very good income for Colombia (3,500,000 pesos per month) her own car. She had been rejected once and received hers this March (about) on her second try. I was surprised she was denied the first time.
For those recommending Gesticol and Intercol to process the B1/B2 visa, I don't see what the benefit is. You have to provide all your information anyway on the online system, and then pay, which is a pretty easy, ''monkey see monkey do'' exercise. You have to go to Bogota for the interview personally - so I am not sure what benefit they would offer in this case for a tourist visa?
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Post by livinginmedellin on Nov 28, 2016 8:44:48 GMT -5
Last year the tourist visa refusal rate in Colombia was pretty low at 15.52% - see: travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/Non-Immigrant-Statistics/RefusalRates/FY15.pdf. That's lower that in Mexico, which was 20.17%. Basically the agents at the embassy are supposed to be looking for evidence that the tourist visa applicant will return to Colombia (things like owns property, has a job in Colombia, money in the bank, has children in Colombia, enrolled in College, etc.) but some that don't have such evidence still can get approved. A friend of my wife was recently approved - a young 24 year old girl without a job or property or much money visiting her grandparents living in the US. So it depends on the individual agent.
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Post by wildstubby on Nov 28, 2016 12:45:16 GMT -5
I know of mother-daughter pair who both got their tourist visa for the US on the first shot! It probably helps that they were strata8~9, mom is a optometrist and daughter is in medical school. Mom also has a big chunk of real estate in Viturbo!
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