Tourist/Student Visas

ujay says on Oct 10, 2008, 12:35:

60 days at a time up to 180 in any one year,
its colombia you dont have to leave to get your visa,get it while here,
in fact you dont even need get one ,just pay fine when you leave ,wont cost a lot more than the visa.

http://www.jukelightning.com

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rocinante says on Oct 10, 2008, 12:38:

This gets talked about every week and there's tons of information here. For starters ask for a 90 day stamp when you enter - you might just get it. If you are only staying for 3 months the school won't give you a letter for a student visa. But they will give you a letter that will force DAS to give you the 90 stamp on arrival.

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Not that the US president actually runs the US." Feb 5, 2008

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Saltador says on Oct 10, 2008, 12:51:

And good luck at the Chicago consulate! The first time I got a visa, I called them for days on end and only heard a busy signal. Finally I drove the 2.5 hours one way to their office, paid the 25 dollar parking fee, and walked in to the consulate. I told them why I was there, they then informed me that I had to call first to make an appointment. DOH!

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JimM says on Oct 10, 2008, 12:51:

search eh? novel concept. Thanks for the arrow. This noob will search before asking next time. Thanks guys!

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rocinante says on Oct 10, 2008, 13:20:

It's not a problem. There's just great information already here. If you are only staying for 3 months just walk in, ask for 90 if they stamp you for 60 when you have about a week left, go to DAS and fill out the forms, go to the bank deposit money and return to DAS for a 30 day extension stamp in your passport.

No leaving the country, no Student Visa or paying for classes up front, no going to the consulate in the US....

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Not that the US president actually runs the US." Feb 5, 2008

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Tejeringo says on Oct 10, 2008, 13:37:

that's crazy ! why to fly thousand of miles just to learn frigging Cachaco Spanish ? no Spanish-speaking people in the U.S will understand your Spanish when you get back home, to much SSSSS ! better go to Monterrey, Mexico righ here across the border.

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JimM says on Oct 10, 2008, 14:06:

Sorry should have clarified. I'm planning on going there for three months INITIALLY - networking, finding a gig, improving my spanish. Figured a spanish class/student visa strategy would be a good way to stay in the country whilst I seek NGO employment (currently do HIV/AIDS advocacy here in Chicago.) So three months was just a ballpark until I can gets me a job and re-enter with a work visa.

Some girl from Bucaramanga stole my heart - so I'm in it for the long haul. :)

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Tejeringo says on Oct 10, 2008, 14:26:

sweet!!! I'm pretty much in the same boat, networking, business oportunities or whatever comes up, but with no girl yet. Coincedentally I had thought in traveling to Bucaramanga but change plans and picked Medellin.

lucky you!!

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rocinante says on Oct 10, 2008, 14:34:

So you are leaving the country after ballpark three months. No need for a student Visa if within that three months you will be securing a position with a company that will sponsor your work visa.

But it seems you are not sure how long it will take.

Even if you plan on going to the school the entire three months, the school will not give you the paperwork for a student visa - that's just too short of a time, 3 months. The student visa is only good for the amount of time you have prepaid for classes. You need to decide how long you are going to be in schooll, pay the money and then comes the paperwork from the school that you bring to the consulate to get the visa. You can't play it by ear. You can't enroll in the school and say I ballpark 3 months and they give you the paperwork good for a year long student visa.

You need to prepay the school for what you want to attend and it's best to do that in the US and get the student visa there and enter Colombia with that visa already in your passport. After you land you have 15 days to get to DAS to go through the other stuff which is getting a temp cedula. It's the law.

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but so many people come here thinking they can just land in Colombia, sign up for a class, pay $200 and get a year long student visa. You have to pre pay the school. Also the time frame from when you first contact the school and to when the Visa is in your passport is about a 6 week minimum process.

I won't even address work and work visas at this point.

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Not that the US president actually runs the US." Feb 5, 2008

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JimM says on Oct 10, 2008, 15:12:

Sorry - the original post has led to confusion. I didn't assume I would be able to show up and get a student visa. In fact, I imagined it would be more difficult! I'm arriving three months before the class I'm interested in taking starts. Its a year-long sequence of spanish for foreigners which is ten hours of instruction a week. The pre-paying and six-week time frame info is super helpful. Looks like, if this course even qualifies for consideration, I should be able to take care of things before the end of January. Regardless, I'm more interested in strengthening my embarrassingly weak spanish than in exploiting a student visa. Like I said, I'm in it for the long haul. I'm expecting this to be a long process - with plenty of bouts of me being back here in the States. This is just one of several routes I'm exploring. Thanks again though this has been very enlightening.

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rocinante says on Oct 10, 2008, 16:29:

The course qualifies if there are 10 instruction hours a week or more. The school also has to be "on the list" meaning they supply a letter that says they are a school and a letter that says you will be there for 10 hours a week starting April 1st 2009 through December April 1st 2010.

So you in the coming weeks, Pay the school shortly thereafter, the school sends you papers that you receieve a few weeks later, you download the Visa application from the web, do all the stuff the consulate asks. Go to the consulate with the letters from the school and the other stuff you need and get your visa.

OK this is the snag in your particular scenario. There is an issue date on the Visa itself. IF you went to the Consulate in December for a class that starts in March and they issue you the visa right then and there then the valid date would be Dec until whenever the school's letter says last class date.

In effect you would be getting 3 months "free". I don't know the procedure for getting the visa here in Colombia and you may be forced to do this because of the gap in time from when you want to arrive as a tourist and when you want to start school. Please talk to your consulate (good luck).

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Not that the US president actually runs the US." Feb 5, 2008

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