Extended travel visa?

Hello, I am a Ph.D. student at a research university in the United States and plan to conduct my dissertation research in Colombia for one year. I have spoken to other students and professors who have conducted research in Colombia and was told that the Colombian consulate would grant me a visa if i supplied them with a letter from my home university explicating the reasons for my extended visit. I've called the Colombian consulate in Los Angeles and was told that I would need a university in Colombia to sponser me in order to be granted a student visa, but that seems to be nearly impossible. Does anybody know what kind of visas I (a U.S. citizen) would be eligible for?

I would appreciate any thoughts!

By xochistar on Apr 23, 2005, 19:18 in Visa & paperwork.

adela says on Apr 23, 2005, 21:14:

sponsoring
"..and was told that I would need a university in Colombia to sponser me in order to be granted a student visa, but that seems to be nearly impossible"..my question for you, Xochi why it seems so impossible? Did you try to get first a researcher group who introduced you to the international office in the university you are planning to go?

I suppose you are planning to work in a paper with a Colombian research group-university-so, they would be interested in sponsoring you, isn't?

http://www.eafit.edu.co/EafitCn/relacionesInternacionales/english/study/index

Màs fe, màs abrazos, màs besos, màs disculpas, màs visitas a nuestros amigos antiguos nos haràn màs plenos cada vez.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

xochistar says on Apr 23, 2005, 21:38:

visa for extended stay in Col. Thank you for the response. Though i hope to share my research with a university in Bogotá while I am there, I am not presently officially linked to a Colombian university. I am a doctoral candidate studying anthropology, and hence, my dissertation research is largely independant and focused more on a specific community in Bogotá rather than in a university setting. Thus, my primary purpose in Colombia will be to work with this community, and not to take classes (though I would love to participate in a course at the Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia at some point during my stay). I have travelled to Colombia many times througout the course of my life (my father is Colombian and i have family there), but have never stayed beyond the ninety days allowed per a tourist visa. Hope this clarifies. Thanks again.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Dan says on Apr 24, 2005, 04:52:

something that came to mind I'm assuming that you are only a US citizen. You mentioned that your father is Colombian. Just that there, may get you eligible for dual Citizenship with Colombia too. Call the Consulate here in the US and ask about it. You would likely need documents supporting your request like your fathers birth documents, maybe copies of his passport (I'm not sure about this). Doing this, you can get a Passport and a Cedula Ciudadania, and be able to stay however long you want, because you would be a citizen. And having US/Colombia passports, you can pretty much travel freely between the two countries. I've heard of stuff like this happening, Check into it.

Hope this helps,
Dan

God Bless America!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Gator says on Apr 24, 2005, 14:18:

Dan is... correct. If one are both parents are Colombian citizens you are eligible. You stated, "my father is Colombian and I have family there" one problem, I think, is you have to establish residency in Colombia first. Best bet-run it by one of the Colombian consulates.

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

0 funny, 0 helpful.