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Getting a work visa & permit to stay: Don't do it!

["Colombia - Do not complain about why people dont go there!" The preceding sentence was removed from the title of the post...please try to keep them reasonably brief. -Moderators]

I am a Scandianvian resident and foolishly fell in love with Colombia, which I very much still am... though, as for trying to settle there - big mistake! For my part anyway. I have a friend there whose father, now retired was a top man in oil and construction.. anyway... me and a friend stayed with my friend for close to 6 months and when the DAS said it was time to apply for a visa I did..(my friend did not, as he planned to stay for a year and then go home). To apply for a business visa in Colombia you need to leave the country to do so... I went to Scandinavia, did all the paper work, applied, they never got back to me, so I had to wait for a very long... long time..

Since the time they guaranteed at the embassy was again and again changed, I left for Colombia anyway - to find out there that my application for a business visa had been rejected due to legal circumstances (I have a few years ago been convicted of not paying taxes and was sentenced to 30 days in an open prison). Though, they say this has nothing to do with anything - they still sent 3 guys from the DAS to my friends mothers house and warned him and his mother about "what suspicious company a young man can meet from abroad", That obviously did not go down to well with my friends family (we are diving instructors together in Thailand), and he was getting "a very serious warning about who he was hanging around with" - My friend asks why? The answer is: A guy with tatoos that chooses to stay in Colombia coming from the richest part of the world must be dodgy... My friends then says: He loves this country!.... Yeah..right..

Conclusion: My friends in Cartagena that did not want to start a business, but just dive. They stayed illegally for 8 months. I was given 6 days to leave the country after hours and hours of questioning, then shipped out of the country - but at the end "you are welcome back as a tourist next year" - My friends and everyone I have met have just given the DAS a few bucks - Silly me, I tried to do things after the book....

Well... that cost me 2 return tickets to Europe, fines, waste of time and being in the books as one of those "him you should look out for" (Oh..did I mention that I got held 2 hours in Bogota airport as well as 3 hours arriving Amsterdam...the best medical check I have ever gotten..)

I am sure the American "crack down on terroism/drug barons" aid package and their own general mis-use of power left over from some ancient violent regime - sort yourselves out first...your people are changing mentality, maybe it would now be time for the government to do so as well..?

By morten66 on Feb 26, 2005, 21:28 in Visa & paperwork.

gregshav says on Feb 27, 2005, 06:08:

Don't blame Colombia You're a convicted criminal who then tried to bribe DAS, and was hanging out with people who were violating Colombian law by staying in the country illegally, and you're upset with the Colombian government?

I know the US gov't has some issues to deal with but trying to bring them in on this one is a huge stretch.

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greenday says on Feb 27, 2005, 07:07:

I know many foreigners who have obtained work visas in order to work and live in Colombia. They have described the process to obtain them as surprisingly "painless". Maybe you should start blaming your problems on YOU instead of others. You my friend ARE a shady character...thank God that DAS is on the ball.

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Lauthra says on Feb 27, 2005, 09:00:

You should change the thread's name to: 'Getting a working visa & permit to stay - just don't do it if you are an ex-con like me!'
Nato

Nato (='.'=)

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greenday says on Feb 27, 2005, 11:10:

Lauthra great post!!!!!!!! LMAO!!!

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morten66 says on Feb 27, 2005, 13:36:

Well... If being convicted of lack of paying taxes makes me a hardcore criminal.. then I suppose there are a lot of us... I have never tried to bribe the DAS... I just mentioned that the ones that do, obviously have an easier life than the ones that try to do things right. I employ 18 people and are hardly a threat to society. I am just making a point out of how they handle their affairs and the unfairness/corruptness of it all... As for the US.. well, look at what the world is coming to...I dare to say that central/latin America would be in a fairly better state if they had kept at home..

Morten S

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fzrdan says on Feb 27, 2005, 14:04:

morten66 Oh yeah, I am sure Colombia would be better off without all the money the USA gives. You are so right............

Take a look at these numbers specific to Colombia.
http://www.ciponline.org/colombia/aidtable.htm

Now an analysis for the whole of Latin America
http://ciponline.org/facts/0410btl.htm

Damn USA should stay at home and don't bother helping anybody. Stupid USA government.

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fzrdan says on Feb 27, 2005, 14:21:

morten66 One more thing. You are a Scandinavian? What country exactly?

Finland, Sweden, and Norway nationals don't need a visa to visit the USA. I guess those governments 'bought and bribed' the US government for this privilege.
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html

What the hell does the USA have to do with you entering Colombia? Not a freaking thing. Want some cheese with that WHINE?

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morten66 says on Feb 27, 2005, 14:41:

History Somehow.. history must have passed you by... Look at your countrys (I take it you are American) involvement in Central America throughout the past few decades... And what are you talking about visa to the us? I went to school there and have one, what the hell has that got to do with anything? We are still talking about Colombia are we not?

You guys are great! ignorance is a bless - that is why the world loves you all!

Morten S

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morten66 says on Feb 27, 2005, 14:45:

Gringo in Bogota Please check out his profile "griongo in bogota" and his postings - I rest my case.. a rightwing, redneck that loves a bar fight and loves to see police "sort people out the way it should be", ex. military violent street boxer... I appreciated your comments - You are a true embassador of your USA as the world sees it these days! Unbelivable!

Rock on!

Morten S

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morten66 says on Feb 27, 2005, 14:49:

USA and their much needed "help" The only "help" the US has given the world this century is making the world a very unstable place... As much as I would love to discuss this with you - I really cant be bothered as everyone outside the US allready knows this...

McDonalds, Fighting terror, Guantanamo, Kyoto - Just keep it coming, after all we dont have a choice - we have to take it (you got the guns, so you are obviously right!) -

John Wayne for president!

Morten S

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