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Pension Visa

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sparry829
  3/12/2014 16:29 EST

I will be moving to Medellin in the next year or so and, even though my wife is Colombian, feel that the pension visa is my best option. My question is what restrictions are there, if any, about entering and leaving Colombia once the visa is granted?

leona
  3/19/2014 11:08 EST

Well I was hoping to see a reply since I am applying for mine as well. It is my intention to get mine at the Consulate Office in Chicago prior to moving down. I also looked at Pension vs Spousal and decided on Pension since my wife and i were married in the States and if I read the Spousal requirements correctly you must have been married in Columbia. From talking with the very nice lady at the Consulate Office it appears to be a painless undertaking. As to the restrictions I believe you have to live in Columbia 6 months out of the year in order for your Pension Visa to be good. I may be confusing this with another type since I looked at so many.

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sparry829
  3/19/2014 14:23 EST

Thanks for that Ieona. If that is the case it suits me perfectly. I want to stay in Colombia for 6 months before returning to the UK to finalise my move. I was afraid that if I got the pension visa I could not do that and if I got the tourist Visa initially I would not be able to return for 6 months.

ColombiaGringo
  3/19/2014 22:08 EST

you dont have to be married in colombia to get the marriage visa. the advantage with the marriage visa is you can get up to 3 years with this visa, and just 1 with the pension visa. with the pension you can not work either.

after 3 years with a marriage visa you can get the 5 year residency visa, but with the pension it takes 5 years to qualify.

your marriage outside colombia has to be registered and legalized in Colombia,which if your going to live here you may want for otherthings such as insurance, etc.

i hope that helps.

James Lindzey
www.ColombiaVisas.com
www.Facebook.com/colombiavisa

leona
  3/20/2014 06:28 EST

ColombiaGringo you are 100% correct. The lady from the consulate called us yesterday and advised us to go for the Spousal Visa due to the reasons you pointed out. We can actually register our marriage at the Chicago Consulate and then apply for the Spousal Visa. Just takes two trips but Kansas City to Chicago is not a bad trip. I really recommend this Consualte Office. Can't say enough about how helpful she has been.

spank12
  3/20/2014 07:52 EST

Visa,, we were married in the states, she is back in Colombia. It took a hand full of papers and two visits to the Consulate in the states, but got my visa. You have to get the papers translated and notarized, a letter from her requesting you to live in country, her birth certificate, power of attorney and many copies of passport and cedula. Prepare an things will happen.

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briloop
  3/22/2014 11:15 EST

My Colombian wife and I are moving to Medellin approximately the 1st week in June. Could I do everything related to Spousal Visa in Colombia? Thanks

JohnnyD
  3/22/2014 14:19 EST

Yes, it can all be done in Colombia. Mine was accomplished in Bogota. I do not know if Medellin has the same capacity. I had to obtain 3 visa before receiving my residential visa. The first temporary visa was valid for 1 year, the 2nd for 2 yrs, and the 3rd for 3 years. Lots of waiting in lines so be very early. Regardless of that the internet says, the visa office takes your photo so don't waste your money buying a photo on a street corner.

hlwalsh
  3/22/2014 14:33 EST

My company is asking me to relocate to Medellin. My wife is Colombian. In addition to a full time job, I receive social security and and a disability pension. What type of visa will I need? Will I want to get a work visa or attempt to get permanent resident status? Is this something I should put in motion at the Colombian consulate locally before I go or does it need to be done in Colombia?

brson
  3/22/2014 14:34 EST

Yes, the visa can be done in Bogota. Not in Medellin, however. Great advantage: you can actually get your visa by applying online. It takes a couple days to get it, but you must then go to Bogota to have the visa entered into your passport. Then you have 10 business days (I think) to register the visa with Immigration with all required paperwork (blood lab analysis, etc.). That CAN be done in Medellin. You can also pay a service to get your visa for you in Bogota and save you the trip if you want. Good luck. -- Priscilla

brson
  3/22/2014 14:36 EST

Yes, the visa can be done in Bogota. Not in Medellin, however. Great advantage: you can actually get your visa by applying online. It takes a couple days to get it, but you must then go to Bogota to have the visa entered into your passport. Then you have 10 business days (I think) to register the visa with Immigration with all required paperwork (blood lab analysis, etc.). That CAN be done in Medellin. You can also pay a service to get your visa for you in Bogota and save you the trip if you want. A Pensionista visa is TEMPORAL, so it is not good for getting credit cards or many POSTPAGO accounts and must be renewed every year for 5 years, when you can apply for PERMANENT. Good luck. -- Priscilla

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masterita
  3/22/2014 19:26 EST

Hlwaslsh, if your wife is Colombian than don't waste your time with other visas, just get your Spousal Visa. Last I checked your visa will be good 2 years before you need to renew (your id might be 1 year so they can get extra $$ from you). However with your spousal visa you will be able to work any job that doesn't require a special license (ie: doctor, lawyer). You will be able to open bank accounts, get your driving license, get insurances, jump queues, interrupt sales clerks, etc. You just won't be able to vote.... legally.

Just be sure to bring 3 recent certified copies of your marriage certificate (certified divorce paperwork if applicable) and any 1 extra of each document they tell you will need (just in case). Better to be over prepared and extra early, just incase. IF you can do it in the states, I would recomend doing there.

Best of luck!

masterita
  3/22/2014 19:26 EST

Hlwaslsh, if your wife is Colombian than don't waste your time with other visas, just get your Spousal Visa. Last I checked your visa will be good 2 years before you need to renew (your id might be 1 year so they can get extra $$ from you). However with your spousal visa you will be able to work any job that doesn't require a special license (ie: doctor, lawyer). You will be able to open bank accounts, get your driving license, get insurances, jump queues, interrupt sales clerks, etc. You just won't be able to vote.... legally.

Just be sure to bring 3 recent certified copies of your marriage certificate (certified divorce paperwork if applicable) and any 1 extra of each document they tell you will need (just in case). Better to be over prepared and extra early, just incase. IF you can do it in the states, I would recomend doing there.

Best of luck!

masterita
  3/22/2014 19:30 EST

corrections the visa is good for 3 years from the date you receive the visa. Mine is up in November :O I hope the renewal online process is easy enough, since I now qualify for a residential visa (because my son was born in Colombia).

ElinglesLoco
  3/24/2014 01:45 EST

Or, if you have children by a Colombian wife, they should be registered as Colombian. Then you can go straight for the Resident Visa, (RE), which is valid for five years, will permit you to work, will enable you to get a Cedula de Extranjero, and when it expires, you can go straight for your citizenship. No need to keep renewing or changing types of visa, and probably much cheaper in the long run.

As Priscilla rightly says, you must register your stay with the authorities if you are going to be living in Colombia. The rule is, if you applied for your visa in the States, then you have 15 days from the time of entry. If you obtain it in Bogota, you have 15 days from the date it was approved. If you fail to register as an extranjero, you are in for a big fine.

soystar1
  3/25/2014 16:43 EST

Greetings people:

Not to go sideways here but has anyone ever had the Consulate's Office certify your pension letter? I don't seem to get any responses from them by email.

As always, any information is appreciated by anyone.

"in the absence of the requirement for an apostille or legalization of the above document, the diplomatic mission or consulate of the foreigner’s country or where the pension was obtained, accredited before the Colombian Government, may certify that the foreigner receives a pension from a public or private entity of that country of an amount no less than the equivalent of three (3) minimum legal monthly wages in force. - See more at: http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/en/content/special-temporary-pensioner%E2%80%99s-visa-0#sthash.9Gk60HvY.H8SLigWm.dpuf".


By the way, go for the spousal visa and avoid my headaches. Two more years to go. Yahoo!

ColombiaGringo
  4/11/2014 14:41 EST

pension visa, to maintain this visa you must not leave colombia more than 180 days in a year, its renewable every year.

http://www.colombiaretirementvisa.com

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