here is my sitution I am from the USA and my wife is from Colombia, she has her resident card here in the USA and is currently working/studing, I on the other hand want to head to Colombia to start a career teaching english as a second language and get my resident card in Colombia, I know I will need a work visa but here is also a spousal visa ,if I can get which if I live in Colombia for 3 years under the visa I then can appy for my resident other wise it is a 5 year process, so my question is does my wife have to be also living in Colombia for me to get the visa I will be living with one of her sistes or with friends there while working. I want to get my resident there and start a career teaching english so when she finishes school we can choose which country we want to live. Any advice /information would be great

OK... I'm a lettle confused here, you said you are from the USA. If so, you don't need a visa or green card/resident card. Being a US Citizen you can live anywhere you like.

I think we need a little clarification.... or is it just me that don't understand?

Griffbos,

You should ask that question in this forum http://www.poorbuthappy.com/ The US citizens that live in Colombia should be able to help you out.

Diana

That's not entirely true. Just because US Citizens can travel anywhere without visas does not mean we can stay and live wherever we'd like. If that were the case, I'd simply go to Spain or France and work/live there and get all the benefits.

I'm not sure why, but I've been told Colombian immigration isn't very easy. (And here we all think the US had strict immigration laws.) It would be worth checking out the site Mononoke gave.

Hi griffbos

I lived in Colombia for more than a year, and I know many fellow Americans living there, so I can tell
you my experience and of those I know...

Yes you are correct, you will need a visa. By law, your can stay in Colombia for 6 months but NOT without
going to DAS in Colombia MANY times trying to get added time to your passport, they will NOT give you
6 months at one time and quite often, will give only 2 months at a time. No probems that many calls
and letters to your U.S. Embassy can't solve! Colombia and it's people are very friendly to Americans,
D.A.S is NOT. Get a visa.

Ok, for starting out, a work visa for you is not easy as you will need a job lined up already and a referral
letter from your Colombian employer to get things going, obviously a "Catch-22" scenario.

But since you are married it is relatively easy. You can get a spousal visa for a year which is easily
renewable, anually. You will need the usual papers, proof of wedding etc.. but as far as paperwork
goes in Colombia it was a piece of cake for my wife and I. We had a local travel agency do it for
a modest fee, they helped us collect all needed papers then they sent the application to Bogota,
I received my visa 4 days later!

For you, this is the way to go.

As far as teaching in Colombia, please be careful. Schools here will promise you things such as airfare
to and from and other things, they will insist you sign a very complex and many times ill-advised contract.
Be very cautious, business is conducted very different there. If you are serious you definitely should
contact some foreign teachers in Colombia who have experience, so you will know exactly what you
can expect.

I hope this help.

Best,

George

wpaulino, being a us citizen does not give you the right to live anywhere or stay anywhere for as long as you like. in colombia, for example, you are allowed to stay 3 months, after that you have to get permission, not only from the local authorities but from the us gov't also to extend your stay.

mi hermano george has given you good advice, especially with the heads up on working in colombia.
good luck
JK

Jediknight... could you clarify on that US Govt permission for stays longer than 3 months? I lived there for 3 months earlier this year and heard nothing of it... Maybe you're referring to US Military/US Govt personnel that want to travel/live down there...

Saludos!

And finally...

would the OP be willing to part ways with his señora so soon in their marriage??

Sounds strange to me...

But for what its worth, if the OP has a university degree in education he can apply through Educational Career Fairs at several American Schools down there and make a lot more cash than by going through a local English teaching company down there that will expect you to work several weeks for free at the beginning of the teaching contract.

Oh no, you just slipped through the cracks maviwaro, but I'm not surprised since this is Colombia we're talking about. Any foreigner who wants to stay in Colombia for more than... actually I think it's more than 180 days, but it could be 90, needs to go to the DAS and get approved to stay longer. It is against the law to not do so. But in Colombia that is a very shady line people cross all the time.

I got no worries about DAS... just curiosity with the US Govt limitation on being in Colombia that jediknight is alluding to...

Even that one time I was sitting down on the steps of La Camara de Comercio in Bucaramanga... right in front of a bank... I was reading for a bit waiting for my fiancee to meet me and of course... the bank HAD to call the police on poor old me, sitting there reading a science paper of all things. Even then the machine gun-clad officers were super friendly, even before they saw the blue passport from gringolandia.

Regarding their more administrative side, my fiancee has only decent things to say of them in spite of their lagging with our Migratorio a bit.

hey guys, i remember reading this on the state dept web page..
foreign entry requierments:
COLOMBIA - *Passport and proof of onward/return ticket required for tourist stay of up to 180 days. Upon arrival the Colombian Immigration authority stamps a stay authorization, normally no longer than 90 days (extendible up to 180 days).

mavi, i forgot we were speaking about us citizens. my comment was for residents who are thinking of staying outside the us for a considerable length of time, thanks for catching that.
JK

Oh I see...

Anyway, if it really was a US citizen limitation we'd probably already know about it. Even thought it is strongly recommended you leave an official registry of your stay in the country regardless of length of stay at the Embassy. It is not yet the safest place on the planet. US Military and govt personnel obviously have to play by another set of rules while down there.

Later!