The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently created Resolution 5477 that stipulates new rules for accessing Colombian visas and that will come into force as of October.
One of the main changes in this new regulation has to do with the study times of each request, which previously took up to five business days and now that time will be extended up to 30 days.
“Once the application has been completely filled out, with the provision of all the required documents and the corresponding payment for the study of the application has been fulfilled, the Visa and Immigration Authority will have up to thirty (30) calendar days to issue the pronouncement”, points out article 13 of this new resolution.
In addition, it must be taken into account that if the Foreign Ministry requires additional information or documentation, this period might be extended. In the event that the applicant does not certify or complete what is required, its approval will be at the discretion of the Immigration and Visa Authority.
“The Visa and Immigration Authority will have the power to request additional documentation and conduct interviews in cases where it deems it appropriate, in order to ensure the veracity of the activity that the foreigner has developed or aspires to develop in Colombia,” it says. .
The resolution also stipulates that those who apply for a visa to stay in the country must have a passport with a minimum validity of six months and adds that “if the foreign applicant is in Colombia, he must ensure that he remains in regular immigration status for as long as the processing of your application is prolonged, either under the protection of a valid visa, a safe-conduct or a residence permit.
Requirements for Venezuelans
Among the changes established by Colombia, is the incorporation of new requirements for Venezuelans who live in that country under the Temporary Protection Statute for Venezuelan Migrants (ETPV) and wish to obtain a Permanent Resident (R) visa.
To access the visa, Venezuelans must “have been the holder of the valid Special Permanence Permit document for 5 years, or a document that shows that they have been the holder of Temporary Protection Permit, PPT, valid for 5 years; or have completed 5 years of accumulated time between the previous two”. They must also have a valid Temporary Protection Permit.
This document allows its main holder to request a visa for beneficiaries, that is, for their spouse, permanent partner, children under 25 years of age or over 25 years of age with some type of disability that prevents them from having economic independence.
They also have an open work permit and their holder can carry out any lawful activity in Colombian territory. It loses validity when the holder is absent from the country for more than two uninterrupted years.
The permanent resident visa is valid for five years and its holder must transfer it every five years.
Venezuelans will be able to submit their application for this visa as of June 1, 2023, through the platforms of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Special Administrative Unit for Migration Colombia.
New visa categories
Another novelty that the resolution has is that it gives free rein to new visa categories, such as the Digital Nomad Visa, designed to “provide remote work or telework services from Colombia through digital media and the Internet, exclusively for foreign companies such as independent or linked to employment or to start a digital content or information technology venture of interest to the country. This will be valid for two years.
The Visa for the Promotion of Internationalization is also presented, which will allow the development of “productive activities of innovation or research, aimed at the adoption or adaptation of technologies that complement or develop products, processes or services that contribute to strengthening the country’s competitiveness. ”. This is ideal “for foreigners with training at the master’s, doctorate or postdoctoral level in applied basic sciences or engineering or mathematics and the like that meet the priorities required by the country in its internationalization plan.”
