One Year in Colombia

[Calipro]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: I have a ton to questions fo..., posted by Traveller on Jul 18, 2003

I thought you had to have a business visa (first)then you could buy or open a business not the other way around.

[Traveller]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: I have a ton to question..., posted by Calipro on Jul 18, 2003

Ah see, you're learning. Logic does not apply in the World of the VISA. Nope, gotta have a business first. Go figure, huh?

[cancunhound]

... in response to Re: I have a ton to questions for you., posted by Traveller on Jul 18, 2003

http://portal.minrelext.gov.co/portal/drvisapi.dll?MIval=po_tr_co_tramites.html

Careful with any consulate, doesn't seem like they're always on  page with Bogota.  (I guess if there was really only one set of rules and requirements then we'd never need to pay a little "grease money" to get things processed, and that just wouldn't be right)

[Cali vet]

... in response to Another link, posted by cancunhound on Jul 18, 2003

The consulate isn't always on the same page as the Ministry of Foreign Relations in Bogota. After many months of waiting that was supposed to be a few weeks the Colombian consulate in Chicago said my application was back from Bogota and was all set and my passport with visa Temporal TS would be in the mail in a couple of days. I said yippee and bought my ticket for Cali. Then I got a call from them saying well actually they also needed a police report (notorized and with apostille of corse) before they could send my passport and visa. Christ! I had to scramble and pay plenty of extra postage for the back and forth but did get it in the nick of time before my flight. The visa has to be registered within sixty days of arriving in Colombia which is a matter applying for a cedula at a DAS office. I decided to do it up in Tulua where I have a friend in a nearby village and the DAS office is nice and small with no long lines. The process didn't end up being any shorter though and was dragged out for reasons I didn't know at the time but I finally got my cedula. It turned out that DAS was investigating my friend and already planned to arrest him within a day or so and there we were sitting right in their office. Unknown to us they were calling higher ups for instructions as to whether they should 'cuff my friend and (one of the agents told me later) ME as a possible accomplice. We weren't arrested though and had no idea it was even being discussed and went merrily on our way back to Trujillo. (My friend was arrested a couple of days later on false charges made by his commonlaw wife.) But it wasn't over yet. A couple of months later a got urgent messages from the ministry that I must present myself in Bogota immediately to rectify a mistake on my visa. Turns out the Chicago consulate had given me a permanent resident visa when it was supposed to be temporary and renewable yearly for five years BEFORE becoming permanent. To save myself a trip to Bogota I sent visa/passport back to Chicago again and of course the new visa required a new cedula so back to DAS in Tulua which is when the agent told me I'd had a real close call. In Colombia you can be thrown in jail on the flimsiest  accusation then it's up to you to prove you're innocent. Anyway haven't had any problems since but hope I never have to depend on a Colombian consulate in the US again.

[cancunhound]

... in response to I agree, posted by Cali vet on Jul 18, 2003

That's some serious sh%t.  What's really amazing is that your visa was a priority matter for 'em to stomp out given the rest of the problems in the country.  My experience dealing with my Houston consulate is that I've filed lots of paper, paid lots of dinero - all for worthless crap that DAS never asked for in Colombia anyways.

[Cali vet]

... in response to Damn, you're sure to be the anchor star ..., posted by cancunhound on Jul 18, 2003

Sounds about right.

[thundernco]

... in response to One Year in Colombia, posted by littlebhuddha on Jul 17, 2003

Bhuddha,

contact me off line and I'11 be more than happy to share my insight and observations. -TNC

[Ralph]

... in response to One Year in Colombia, posted by littlebhuddha on Jul 17, 2003

Not everyone can do it, but spending more time in the country and more time with your future wife is never a bad thing. Speaking passable spanish before going would also help.

I am not sure on the costs to live in Colombia, but I am living in the DR for now and 12-15k would most likely not be enough to live for a year there. I travel back to the states, do some freelance, some seminars, some contract work and make enough to
stay down there some more. I am also doing some web based stuff that brings in a few bucks per month etc.

I probably need about 2k per month to live "ok". I live with my novia and her son, so on the one hand have more expenses. OTOH, if you will be dating etc while down there, that can certainly cost more than just living a "regular" life.

Getting laid off can be a blessing.  6 months of UI while spending some quality time in LA is a good thing.

It has been a great experience so far. I think you might find the same in Colombia. Good luck!