In the last week of 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Colombia introduced a proposal to change the current visa system in its entirety, this will not only affect those who are planning to apply for a new visa but also all current visa holders. You will need to renew your current visa in the future. If you have a current permanent resident visa this applies to you as well. I strongly recommend you to continue reading for full details.
If the proposal is not modified and is approved as it is as far as today it brings some new types of visas as the digital nomad's visa, entrepreneur TLC, promotion of internationalization, seasonal farmworkers, stateless, Andean migrant, and peace special resident visas.
However, the proposal also brings a detriment to some of the current visas available, for example, the Rentista ( rentier ) visa, and all undergraduate and graduate student visas are downgraded from Type M- Migrant visa to Type V - visitors visa, hence there will not be an accumulation of time towards achieving permanent residence for those visa holders. Parents of Colombian Citizens are being downgraded from obtaining a type R - Permanent resident visa to a type M - Migrant, hence they will have to accumulate five years in the country renewing their visas among other requirements to qualify for permanent residence. Also, the accumulation of time required for married couples ( with a Colombian citizen ) will increase from two to three years, and those on a Unión Libre or (the facto union) from two years to five years to qualify for permanent residence. Those planning to apply for a visa for being on a "Union Libre" with a Colombian citizen will have to wait one year after the union is legally declared to qualify for a visa shortly.
Another big ball drop in the proposal is for foreign investors, currently investors in real estate or commercial companies investing more than six hundred and fifty ( 650 ) minimum Colombian salaries ( around USD 160,000) qualify for a permanent residence visa, but under the new proposed law all investors will qualify for an M - migrant visa regardless of the amount invested, however, the minimum amounts for investing on either a commercial company or real estate remain the same, one hundred ( 100 ) minimum salaries or three hundred and fifty (350) minimum salaries respectively.
Those who are holders of Permanent Resident (R) type visas in force and granted under previous regulations, must carry out the visa transfer within the following two (2) years from the date of entry into force of this proposal.
Another big change coming is requesting international travel insurance with a health coverage policy in the national territory against all risks in case of accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalization, Covid, death, or repatriation. For current visa holders that will have to renew their visas, you must have your EPS up to date.
Some of the rules are still very ambiguous, and the proposal should enter into place 90 days after its publication, assuming it won’t be adjusted or even so, the expectation is that around April or May 2022 will enter into force.
Visas issued before the entry into force of this Resolution will remain valid, but when to comes the time to renew the visa it’ll be done under the new requirements.
I recommend to those whose visas are about to expire to apply as soon as possible for renewal, keep in mind you can apply for a new visa up to 60 days before its expiration date, that way you can get a renewal under the current laws.
I do offer phone consultations for USD 70 for 45 minutes. That way I can better understand your overall situation, answer all your questions and provide you with the best course of action. Payment can be done via Zelle in USD to ojtaylor@icloud.com or $285,000 cop. pesos to Banco Davivienda savings account 4573 7020 1594. After payment, we can schedule a date/time for an interview.