About brson

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Female

Currently Lives:

Citizen Of:

United States

Education:

Oberlin College
  2012 to 2012

University of California
  2012 to 2012

Stanford University
  2012 to 2012

Some Forum Posts:

Colombia: CELLULAR FROM US:

A notable wrinkle: Don't plan to ship your phone from abroad. They are now prohibited.

Colombia: double taxation ?:

Now this is puzzling. Been here for years, filing timely tax statements. Never was asked for US tax return ever. What is the reference for this requirement. Paying quarterly property taxes is also news. I can't imagine obtaining the 10% annual property tax discount if you paid quarterly. Been to Ecuador, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama etc. etc. Wouldn't trade Colombia.for none never (triple negative, ya lo sé). -- Priscilla

Colombia: Colombia labor laws - cleaning lady replacement:

Dears, Be very careful with disputes with domestics, as the labor laws heavily favor the workers in Colombia. You do not need any kind of contract to establish an employer-employee relationship the worker can seek to enforce. And, by the way, have you paid into this individual's social security benefits? Last reading, employers of part-time workers are expected to pay a pro rata share of such assessments. Not having done so may give the worker certain leverage over you, and penalties can be onerous. Best tack is to settle amicably on both sides. Best luck-- Priscilla.

Colombia: online pension visa:

Hi Soy. As far as we know, that version is not "official." You must go to Bogota to have it properly emplaced in the passport. Unless things changed. Again. Cheers. Priscilla.

Colombia: Santa Marta - Connecting my 10 year old son with friends...:

Simple. Aguardiente is our ouzo. Champeta, our horos. Other variations ad lib. Yamas! -- Priscilla

Colombia: Whats to Like about Colombia?:

Eso no es nada. Entrega de la MJ a mi banco del parque.

Colombia: Bribing the police:

Remember all: They have a powerful regimen of "Denuncios" in Colombia which encourage not paying bribes and reporting those who attempt to extort them from you! == Priscilla

Colombia: Mail forwarding from the U.S.:

Thanks for the interesting info on mailforwarding.com. Checking them up, they are a membership company charging $150.00 per year (or $240 prepaiid for 2 years for their service. Plus freight, duties and insurance, I'd assume on packages forwarded on.. For two years, we've been using Via Al Exito Envios (www.viaalexito.com) out of Orlando (or Kissimmee). They charge no membership fees at all, and recent freight packages were charged between $1.60 and $1.90 per pound plus $5 insurance. Let me remark, they are basically a mail and package forwarding service and do not scan and evaluate your mail at all. They merely send it on to you. (For those services, mailforward.com is undeniably the better choice. But I wonder what they charge for freight...) With Via al Exito, you may propose amounts for "Declared Value" customs purpose on shipped items. DIAN usually agrees with your declaration. Except for electronics goods, which they will often re-assess at near-retail values and collect additional duties. Another plus I've found is Via al Exito succeeds in shipping items on the Colombia forbidden import list (like fertilizer/plant food) with no problem. Some companies I cross-checked with wouldn't even touch our benign medicines, which are perfectly legal to ship in country (as I verified with DIAN's medical authorities). I'm curious, what are others' experiences?

Colombia: Colombian Resident Visas law change?:

Sorry, Fecherklyn, for not more fully answering your question, but we're just ourselves coming up to speed on what the current requirement is. Apparently, the process of "trespaso de visa" is available on the Sistema Integral de Trámites al Ciudadano (SITAC), Cancilleria of the Exterior Ministry. Visit: https://tramitesmre.cancilleria.gov.co/tramites/enlinea/solicitarVisa.xhtml Register on SITAC and so far that's all I know. A visit to Bogota is probably avoided, but I'll bet you must go in person to the local immigration office to pick up the new visa when it's ready. -- Priscilla

Colombia: pensioner visa:

Importantly, it should be noted that the US Embassy's Federal Benefits Office routinely issues official letters in Spanish confirming government pensions that are acceptable to immigration and don't need apostille. Just write them a request in Bogota, including reference information (pension number, SS number, etc.) and a copy of the ID pages of your passport and they will mail back the letter. Good luck--Priscilla

Date Joined:

8/9/2012

Total Posts:

159

Posts/Day:

0.09