2023-09-02 22:27:23
The Embassy of the United States has recommended those who wish to begin the visa renewal process to apply two years before the document expires, given the number of applications they have.
Photo: AFP Agency
Given the high demand in Colombia to obtain the US visa, the Embassy of the North American country announced that more than 50 consular professionals, from different offices around the world, came to the country to offer their services. The intention with this is to expedite the visa process, since some people say that it can take up to two years to obtain an appointment for it.
In Bogotá, staff from Argentina, Brazil, Belize, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Namibia, Mexico, Serbia, Suriname and Venezuela met, places from where They traveled to help process more than half a million visa applications, the diplomatic institution reported through social networks.
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The idea behind this is to be able to guarantee efficiency in consular services, since, according to the Embassy, Colombia ranks number one in visa printing. The purpose, according to consular officers, is to reduce wait times for first-time applicants to enter the United States.
The steps and times to obtain the United States visa
The first thing to do is fill out the DS-160 form online, which is a nonimmigrant visa application. This form is critical to the visa application process, as it is the information that will be used to schedule the appointment at the US Embassy or Consulate.
The Embassy of the United States has recommended those who wish to begin the visa renewal process to apply two years before the document expires, given the number of applications they have. In Bogotá, appointments take 801 days, that is, 26 months, the equivalent of two years, but this time can vary weekly. This is one of the longest wait times for this procedure in the world, and it all depends on the incoming workload and the staffing of the Embassy.
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Given the recurring problems in the process, María Elvira Salazar (Republican of Florida) and Susie Lee (Democrat of Nevada), representatives to the United States House, in mid-August once more presented a bill to expedite the process.
The specific objective is that the immigration authorities describe specific steps to reduce waiting times and not ignore the problem. Salazar and Lee suggest redeploying staff to diplomatic posts where wait times are longer. The reason for the interest of women legislators in solving these problems seems to be both economically and socially.
“Many prospective tourists to the United States have to wait more than two years and five months just to get an appointment to see if they are eligible for a tourist visa. This damages our economy and prevents families from seeing their loved ones,” the representatives stated. On the economic side, Lee emphasized, saying that “with wait times for tourist visa processing often spanning several years, places like Las Vegas are seeing fewer travelers and less business, hampering economic growth and also impeding May many Nevadans host family members from around the world to celebrate some of life’s most important moments.”
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