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Title: Problems w/Fiancee Visas Post by: yc on October 01, 2001, 04:00:00 AM I just got some distrubing news from a friend of mine. I had introduced him a few weeks ago to this method of finding a bride. After being convinced or just out of curiousity, he decide to give it a try. He ordered some addresses from LatinEuro and sent emails to two Colombianas. One of them responded. She resides here in the US on a work visa. Well in talking with her, she revealed to him some shocking news. She said, that the Colombian authorities do not recognized fiancee visas. She stated that a friend of her became engaged to a gringo during her stay here in the States. When she returned to Colombia, the guy started the process of getting her a fiancee visas. When everything was completed, he flew down to Colombia in order to bring her back to the States. Well when the couple got to the airport, the Colombia authorities detained both of them and would not allow her to board the plane. The authorities claimed that her paperwork was not in order. He(the guy) told the authorities they must be mistaken. They said, that in order for her to be able to board the plane, he would have to pay them $200 - $300.
My friend is concerned because if the two of them hit it off, would he have to go through the same thing. She is here on a work visa. But that visa expires in two months. She is not sure if she can get it extended. If push comes to shove, she will have to return to or be departed back to Colombia. If she goes back to Colombia and can not get another work visa, they might have to try for a fiancee visa. He is worried that he might encounter the problem with the Colombian authorities. She said, the bribe is sometimes even more money. It all depends on what the Colombian authorities would settle for. Has anyone had this experience with the Colombian authorities? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Title: and you are surprised at this?? Post by: Clevelander on October 01, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to Problems w/Fiancee Visas, posted by yc on Oct 1, 2001
the authorities are always looking for a quick buck. stop you in your car Officer why did you pull me over??? Officer, "I'll give you 50,000 reasons why" get the hint? Title: Re: and you are surprised at this?? Post by: jim c on October 02, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to and you are surprised at this??, posted by Clevelander on Oct 1, 2001
entonces payaso when was the last time you bribed a cop. I am sure you will have interesting information to provide us with. welcome we are waiting with baited breath. jim c Title: Re: Re: and you are surprised at this?? Post by: JunFan on October 02, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to Re: and you are surprised at this??, posted by jim c on Oct 2, 2001
sorry, he just smelled like somebody that used to post on here.... Title: thank you for that heartwarming welcome Post by: Clevelander on October 02, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to Re: and you are surprised at this??, posted by jim c on Oct 2, 2001
is everyone so cynical on this board?? I'm going to Colombia for the first time soon. It seems it wouldn't take much to have a more interesting trip than what you recently posted. Title: Re: thank you for that heartwarming welcome Post by: jim c on October 03, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to thank you for that heartwarming welcome, posted by Clevelander on Oct 2, 2001
I am sure you will bozo, with your pointed brilliance and wit you will just floor those 18 year olds. The green sharks are just waiting for you, when they finish you will kiss all those corrupt cops you know. Not everyone is as cynical as I am, the worst ones are on vacation. I'm just a puppy, a retired cop with an attitude. jim c Title: Re: thank you for that heartwarming welcome Post by: JunFan on October 02, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to thank you for that heartwarming welcome, posted by Clevelander on Oct 2, 2001
that was a little uncalled for...POS Title: Re: Re: thank you for that heartwarming welcome Post by: jim c on October 03, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to Re: thank you for that heartwarming welc..., posted by JunFan on Oct 2, 2001
I think he looked up Payaso Title: Re: Problems w/Fiancee Visas Post by: JunFanTX on October 01, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to Problems w/Fiancee Visas, posted by yc on Oct 1, 2001
That was an example of corruption, ie extortion. The first person you show your paperwork to are the airlines people. They don't issue a boarding pass if you don't have the right stuff in your passport...sure, they check everything at security, but I have never seen any of these types of problems. It seems these types of games are played in Bogota, Cali & Medellin....I have never seen anything like that in Cartagena or BQ....Mike Title: are you saying that Cartagena is free of corruption?? Post by: Clevelander on October 01, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to Re: Problems w/Fiancee Visas, posted by JunFanTX on Oct 1, 2001
my understanding is that since Cartagena is such a huge tourist place, they are plenty of people trying to scam the tourists. more so than a non-tourist place I would wager. Title: Re: are you saying that Cartagena is free of corruption?? Post by: JunFanTX on October 01, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to are you saying that Cartagena is free of..., posted by Clevelander on Oct 1, 2001
No, that's not what I said....I said I have never seen that sort of thing, based my experiences. Matter of fact, I have not heard of that from any other people that I know who have been to Cartagena or BQ...but then again, what do I know...I have only been there 6 times in the last year. What about you? Have anything to add, besides heresay? Mike Title: Re: Re: are you saying that Cartagena is free of corruption?? Post by: jim c on October 02, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to Re: are you saying that Cartagena is fre..., posted by JunFanTX on Oct 1, 2001
Hey mike don't pick on the boy he's new. Corruption is rampant through out the world and I have been ripped off all over the world. The first by a murphy man in Detroit.( if anyone dosn't know what that is, ask for a private e mail)I have payed $2.00 for potato chips marked $1.69 in New York and was told take it or leave it. Taxi drivers all over the world never have change from Pattaya to Cali. If anyone gets ripped off in cali do the math its probably for .25 . Colombians are no more corrupt than Americans. These people work for nickles, just consider your loss a tip. If you are upset about american prices try Cuba there you pay in dollars and the Cubans pay in pesos it costs you one dollar it costs them a nickle. As to I know a, who knows a, that saw a. Several of us have lived in Cali for periods of time and I have never heard these outrageous events happening to them, why? Jim C Title: Re: Re: Re: are you saying that Cartagena is free of corruption?? Post by: Cali vet on October 02, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to Re: Re: are you saying that Cartagena is..., posted by jim c on Oct 2, 2001
I've had good experiences with Cali taxis and bad. Once I asked a taxi to take me to the theatre Jorge Isaaks so I could pick up some tickets for a performance later. I told him it would just take me a minute and asked him to wait and take me back. We arrived at a theatre and I hopped out and went to the ticket window only to be told there was no such performance there but perhaps at the other theatre. The driver had deliberately taken me to the wrong theatre with the meter running and insisted the confusion had been on my part. He added distraction by chattering away in English like it was such a novelty. Got me. On the other hand on one of my first trips to Cali when I didn't know my way around at all and didn't speak much Spanish I was returning to Avenida Cascajal in Ciudad Jardin from the North and the driver couldn't find it. We just kept heading south and eventually came to a carretera with a military checkpoint and I realized if we kept going we'd be in Ecuador before long. We turned around and he finally found the place. I thought he's really going to try to clean me out but to my amazement he said well that was his fault and charged me exactly the price it should be with out the excursion. So there're good guys and bad guys in Cali just like anywhere else. Title: Similar experiences Post by: rafael on October 02, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to Re: Re: Re: are you saying that Cartagen..., posted by Cali vet on Oct 2, 2001
In the DR, most cab drivers will try and charge you the Gringo rate. I hardly ever argue, but many will really pile on if they think they can get away with it. Once my wife an I took a cab to a restaurant. the Gringo rate should have been 80 pesos as I've made that trip a bunch of times. The guys tells me 200. Now this was above and beyond the normal Gringo "tax". My wife started ripping into the guy. I calmly got out of the taxi, threw him 80 pesos and closed the door. Of course he did not follow me in! Later that same trip, my buddies GF took a cab to the same restaurant from probably 2-3 times as far away, on New Years Eve 1999! I was picking up the tab, and was prepared to get reamed. the guy rolled down the window and said 50 pesos! He was charging me the non Gringo price, on NewYears Eve! Since he was the first guy to not "tax' me I gave him 100 pesos. He was extremely happy with that "huge" tip. I figure reward the honest guys,and Title: Re: Similar experiences Post by: Billt2 on October 16, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to Similar experiences, posted by rafael on Oct 2, 2001
Isn't 80 pesos 25 cents? How far can you ride for 80 pesos? I keep seeing the ride from the Cali airport to downtown is about $15.00 US? Title: I doubt most people see it... Post by: Clevelander on October 01, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to Re: are you saying that Cartagena is fre..., posted by JunFanTX on Oct 1, 2001
but it does happen. however, it's not just the authorities, merchants will try to sell you stuff for more, taxi drivers charge you more, hotels the same. I was on a bus in Honduras and the guy told us he was going to charge us more because we were tourists. at least he told us he was going to rip us off. I have never been to Colombia but I will be going shortly. I definitely will be going to Cartagena but I know enough to be on guard. I tend to make generalizations about traveling. One generalization is: people will try to scam or sucker you. and I would expect this to occur more frequently in tourist areas than off the beaten path. surely you were swarmed by shoe shine boys, taxi drivers, tour operators, maybe even dudes that "have a friend" that can get you a hotel, drugs, girls. Title: Re: I doubt most people see it... Post by: Cali vet on October 01, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to I doubt most people see it..., posted by Clevelander on Oct 1, 2001
If you visit El Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas (the fortress) in Cartagena you as a foreigner you will pay double the price a Colombian pays. To avoid this stand to the side and have your girlfriend go up to the ticket window. Title: Re: I doubt most people see it... Post by: JunFanTX on October 01, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to I doubt most people see it..., posted by Clevelander on Oct 1, 2001
Sure, all that goes on. I never had any trouble. The only thing I ever got ripped off on was when I bought a pack of Marlboro Lights from a street guy, and there were a bunch of Kool Menthols inside--LOL. I had corresponded with my wife for months before I went down there, so I knew someone before I got there, which turned out to be a HUGE advantage. I got there on a Thursday night, and the hotel had transportation so I didn't get ripped off there....and the next day I met her, so she made sure WE didn't get ripped off the entire rest of my trip. If you have a local you can trust, whether it be a friend, potential girlfriend, or recommended translator, you will cut alot of that BS out before it starts.... Mike Title: Re: I doubt most people see it... Post by: Cali vet on October 01, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to I doubt most people see it..., posted by Clevelander on Oct 1, 2001
I just call it the "impuesto gringo". Many taxis like to charge it. Title: Re: Problems w/Fiancee Visas Post by: denvermike on October 01, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to Problems w/Fiancee Visas, posted by yc on Oct 1, 2001
Sounds like a shake down to me too. If a couple of hundred bucks fixes the problem, it was a bribe situation, not a legal situation. Maybe I'm wrong, but the VISA is to get into the USA not to leave Colombia. His mistake may have been to travel to Colombia and return with her, and those yucks at the airport saw and opportunity to shake down the "rich" gringo. mike Title: Re: Problems w/Fiancee Visas Post by: El Diablo on October 01, 2001, 04:00:00 AM ... in response to Problems w/Fiancee Visas, posted by yc on Oct 1, 2001
I've personally never heard of this happening with a fiancee visa although bribes for a variety of things are common in Latin America. If I were your friend I wouldn't give it a second thought. I think it's extremely unlikely to happen to him. El Diablo |