COLOMBIA now I month visa

[Slowandtru]

Well, according to Luz the word at the university is that the United States adopted the new "one month vs. six month" Colombian visa yesterday. Really a blow for me since we had planned on getting married over here this summer. Back to the research sites. Guess I will have to get a lawyer involved now. Sucks.

[mck]

... in response to COLOMBIA now I month visa, posted by Slowandtru on Apr 11, 2002

Whatever you do do not get married within the 30 day span if she only has a tourist visa any marriage within 30 days is PRESUMED fraud by INS. You are better off waiting 60 days, if she can get that on a tourist visa.

[Pete E]

... in response to COLOMBIA now I month visa, posted by Slowandtru on Apr 11, 2002

Just do a fiance visa.You don't need a lawyer to fill out the papers for you if you are dilligent with it yourself.Search the state dept.web site for the country  she will get the visa in for imformation,or the INS web site.
You can ask here also,alot of guys have done them.
The fiance visa gives you 90 days to marry her or she has to return.Since tourist visas are almost immpossible to get out of Colombia,for 1 month or 6 months,many guys here have done the fiance visa or spousal visa.

Pete

[Slowandtru]

... in response to Re: COLOMBIA now I month visa, posted by Pete E on Apr 11, 2002

Thanks for the advice, Pete. Luz has had a tourist visa for quite some time now. That's why I wanted to get married over here. It seems to be easier. Also, in Colombia the custom now is for the woman to retain her maiden name and I don't want to explain our status forever, plus she says she "would be honored" to have my name. In Colombia if your name is "Jones", her name would become "de Jones"...or "property of Jones" which is really an irritant now for many of the ladies...consequently they don't want to give up their maiden names.

I may have to go for the K-1 eventually, but still would prefer the K-3. She won't have any trouble coming here but one month seems like a short time to get married and submit the papers and I will definitely not have them telling her she has to go back for bureaucratic BS reasons.

Colombian passports are discriminated against all over the world. They can't even go to Mexico or Spain without a visa. We cruised to the Bahamas during her Christmas visit because that is the only place that would take a Colombian without a visa and even then they "confiscated" her passport aboard ship until she left. I know that things have to be tightened up since 911 but I can't see Osama Bin Laden disguised as Juan Valdez.

[Pete E]

... in response to Re: Re: COLOMBIA now I month visa, posted by Slowandtru on Apr 11, 2002

Its good she already has a visa.The new 30 day rule applies to old visas also.Is it really law yet or are they still discussing it?
About the last name,my wife came in on a spousal visa.We had her maiden name on all the papers.When the green card shows up she now has my last name.As the green card is so are the social security card, drivers licence,checking acvcount and credit cards.So she now has my last name officially.She didn't like the idea at first but she is OK with it now.
I don't know if it is possible for her to keep her maiden name on a green card if she comes in on a fiance or spousal visa.If you marry on a tourist visa you have to do an adjustment of status process and your last name could get attached there maybe.
Maybe they just did it the way they thought right but it could be different if you ask.

Pete

[Slowandtru]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: COLOMBIA now I month visa, posted by Pete E on Apr 11, 2002

I don't know how all of the little details work but I am surprised that they changed the name on the marriage license without consulting you both. Usually it is not that the Colombians dislike having the name of their spouses, it is the "de" thing...a left over from the not-too-long-ago days when a wife could not own property or inherit property without it going to her husband (since she WAS property). I can't really blame them for being angry at that. There was also the "name of the father and name of the mother" deal to consider. If she was Maria Consuela Concha Patino, what gets left out now that she is Maria Jones? Does she dump her father's family or her mother's family? Logically she dumps her mother's family, but those with only one last name have been born out of wedlock and there is an element of discomfort attached to that.

Whew! That's why I said in another posting that we have more in common with Europeans than with the cultural traditions of Latins. What seems simple to our minds can get complicated to theirs.

Oh...the 1 month thing is law now as I understand it but it applies to EVERYONE, not just Colombians. I guess that will do in all of the Germans buying condominiums down here in South Florida.

[Pete E]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: COLOMBIA now I month vis..., posted by Slowandtru on Apr 11, 2002

They didn't change the name on our marriage licence,the INS just gave my wife my last name on her green card.Everything else,including the visa application was innher maiden name.Even the visa was stamped in her Colombian passport with her maiden name on it.
Most europeans didn't need visas before,so I don't know if you don't need a visa if you are limited to the one month stay.People from the more wealthy european countries could probably stay her no problem,particularly if retired,Masybe some permission would be needed.

Pete

[Wayne]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: COLOMBIA now I month..., posted by Pete E on Apr 12, 2002

Yea mine too,

My wife was reluctant in the beginning about having my last name.  But, when it went on the green card, she started to warm up to the idea, and now likes it.

I was not thrilled with my wife keeping her own last name.  It stinks of feminism, and fat mouthy American women.

Wayne

[Red Clay]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: COLOMBIA now I m..., posted by Wayne on Apr 12, 2002

Amen, brother, LOL

[Slowandtru]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: COLOMBIA now..., posted by Red Clay on Apr 12, 2002

I second that AMEN!

[Michael B]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: COLOMBIA..., posted by Slowandtru on Apr 12, 2002

Actually, keeping her apellido (name) has nothing to do with "feminisim" nor "not willing to assimilate" and has everything to do with 1000+ years of her tradition and heritage. If she wants to take your name, good for you, if she wants to keep her name, don't make an isuse of it. Keeping her name is NOT the same thing as not trying to learn English or not adapting to "the American way".

[Darkstar]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: COLO..., posted by Michael B on Apr 13, 2002

I don't think that is what they meant with concern to their spouse...the remark was in regards to the AW viewpoint.

Tim.