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On Gary Bala's website at:

http://www.usaimmigrationattorney.com/colombiamarriage.html

When a USA Gringo is doing a wedding in Colombia to a Latina, he indicates one of the documentation requirements for the "Colombian Lady Bride" is:

"2. Colombian Passport (copy notarized) of bride and children"

Gary also provides the link for Colombian Wedding requirements as indicated by the U.S. Embassy in Bogota:

http://bogota.usembassy.gov/wwwsmare.shtml

The embassy requirements don't mention the Colombian girl needing a passport, and I can't figure out WHY a girl would need a passport to get married in her own country???

Is this a glitch on Gary's website,
or are there just some details left out,
or am I overlooking something obvious???

Gracias

... in response to Wedding in Colombia, Latina needs Passpo..., posted by Looking4Wife on Aug 8, 2005

Thank you for pointing that issue out, L4W.

What we actually intended to say in the Colombia Marriage article is that a Colombian lady and her children securing a Colombian passport, as part of the marriage process or immediately following it, is a "recommendation", rather than a "technical requirement" to get married, in order to advance the U.S. visa process along.

You are quite correct that the Colombian lady does not "need" a passport to get married. However, our experience is that 90% of the married couples after marriage want to move as expeditously as possible to secure the U.S. visa after marriage, and the U.S. Consulate will not issue a visa without her passport.

Thus, we see no strategic advantage to waiting until the last minute before the Consulate stage to secure the passport, especially to settle-up any problematic issues such as if there are kids involved which may require an "objecting" natural father's signature or initials on the kids' passport applications.

We have clarifed our article to reflect the above information.
http://usaimmigrationattorney.com/colombiamarriage.html

Good luck with your research,
GB

PS#1
You have asked several visa questions lately on these discussion forums, and I know that you have sent me a private e-mail in the past, LW4.
You are welcome to just call me for a few minutes, 610-446-VISA (8472).

PS#2
NBC is processing some K-3 visa petitions very quickly now. I had three come back in 30 days or less after filing, one in about 2 weeks.
Thus, the K-3 visa option may be worth re-considering for some filers.

... in response to Re: Wedding in Colombia, Latina needs Pa..., posted by Gary Bala on Aug 9, 2005

I agree with getting it BEFORE you get married. I too filed for a K3 visa. We got married in November. My wife did NOT have an intl passport. She applied for it & it she got it in MARCH. That's 4 months LOST!!!! That's 1/3 of a year man. NOt good.

... in response to Wedding in Colombia, Latina needs Passpo..., posted by Looking4Wife on Aug 8, 2005

My wife did not have a passport until shortly before her visa interview at the embassy and that was a good six months after we were married.

... in response to A misunderstanding of some sort, posted by utopiacowboy on Aug 8, 2005

Your probably right. That's why I said speaking only for my situation in Ukraine. Anyways in Ukraine the passport is a BIG deal over there. I thought it was VERY interesting that my wife was VERY excited when they stamped it on my so "people know you are MY husband & you are married". Well she failed to realize almost NO ONE in America or anywhere would understand it as the stamp is in Cyrillic!!

... in response to Wedding in Colombia, Latina needs Passpo..., posted by Looking4Wife on Aug 8, 2005

NOt sure about Colombia but I got married in Ukraine & in that country when you marry the stamp you passport with a stamp stating you are married on such & such a date etc & you sign it. I got that on mine as well. Perhaps Colombia is the same?