Immigrating children

[zack]

Is the immigration process significantly prolonged if your lady is bringing her child with her? What about two children? I'm assuming it is a lot more comlpicated if a child or two are involved.

Zack

[DallasSteve2]

... in response to Immigrating children, posted by zack on Oct 9, 2003

My wife brought her two children.  It all went very fast (you don't want to know how fast, because now it's much slower).  However, my wife did have to spend more time gathering the documents in Colombia.  However, everything is about 3 times as expensive with 2 children.  Particularly since the main immigration cost is airfare.

Steve

[zack]

... in response to Re: Immigrating children, posted by DallasSteve2 on Oct 10, 2003

You got married only one year ago according to your profile. Has the process slowed down that much in such a short time?

Zack

[DallasSteve2]

... in response to Re: Re: Immigrating children, posted by zack on Oct 11, 2003

Yes.  I don't know why.  When I applied, there was another poster on LWL who applied at the same time (July, 2002) and we were both approved in about 5 weeks from the Texas service center.  2 or 3 months later people were saying that it was taking 6 months or more.  I'm usually a day late, but this time I got lucky.

Steve

[Michael B]

... in response to Immigrating children, posted by zack on Oct 9, 2003

Not really with two big IF's. 1) Any males 18 or over need to complete their military obligation or Colombia won't give them a passport (but you can 'pay the fine', my fiance
's son's fine was about $1100) 2) Under 18 they need the other parent's consent (good luck, bribes and threats seem to be the order of the day here if the father is not cooperating). Both of these restrictions are impossed by Colombia, the US doesn't care, just fill out the woman's paperwork indicating that she has kids and intends to bring them.

[zack]

... in response to Re: Immigrating children, posted by Michael B on Oct 9, 2003

How much time must be spent in the military to complete the military obligation?

[Michael B]

... in response to Re: Re: Immigrating children, posted by zack on Oct 11, 2003

Year and a half or two years, I think. But you can (quite leagaly) buy your way out by paying some special tax. The amount of the tax varries by family income.

[Stan B]

... in response to Immigrating children, posted by zack on Oct 9, 2003

My wife and daughter have been here 2 years now and we had no problem bring her here. From filing to there arrival was 6 months.

[zack]

... in response to Re: Immigrating children, posted by Stan B on Oct 9, 2003

Six months is faster than average from my experience. Did you do the fiancee visa or did you marry her in Colombia?

Zack