PBH / Colombia / Start Forums▼ (active) Travelguide Cheap hostels Pictures

In a bind- sorry just need to vent!

Well ive really done it this time!
NO STUDENT VISA FOR ME AND I NOW HAVE TWO DAYS TO WORK OUT WHAT TO DO!!!
My schools certification paper was "too old" So here I am in a major bind, my best friends flying into Colombia to visit me in a month with trips planned to San Andres and the other islands with me!, shes been saving for months for this!!
Its peack time so almost imposible to change my flights TO GO HOME anyway and my visa expires in two days!
My options??? Given to me by the Immigration officer:
Fly to Cucuta and cross the boarder by taxi and apply for a "we are getting married visa"
Or get my school to pay to renew its cert...(fat chance)
Moneys short I have a budget of about $1000 dollars for this and that means NO San Andres Island for me ....bummer bummer bummer.
Does anyone know, if I leave Colombia by what ever means I discover to be the cheepest and easiest, if I can just come right back into the country on a new tourist visa, or is there a time limit to when you can re-enter on the same visa you just used up?

By sydneygirl on Nov 17, 2004, 10:10 in Visa & paperwork.

Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 17, 2004, 11:51:

You can also try DAS in different cities: the "rules" (for getting extensions and such) often seem to differ per city. Try a search for "visa extension" on this site.

Good luck!

Poor but snappy

0 funny, 0 helpful.

adrimm (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 17, 2004, 13:21:

Why assume she has a US passport? Her handle is Sydneygirl, my first guess is Australian. Plus sounds like she's already there.

Peter's suggestion is good, I'm sure *someone* will be sympathetic. Be sure to emphasize how much you've enjoyed your time in Colombia, and that you still have sufficient funds to a longer stay.

Fingers crossed for you!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

emilyh says on Nov 17, 2004, 13:42:

Sydneygirl I don't know if I'm confused, but I am sure that when I was there and it was coming up to my sixth month of my tourist visa (and thus time to leave) I was told that I could simply cross the border (Ecuador, Venezuela anywhere!) and make sure I got my passport stamped and all and then if I returned in say two days, I would be eligible for 6 months again!

I am 95% sure that I was told that at the DAS and my boyfriend's sister who is a lawyer checked it all out and said that was correct.

I hope this helps!

Em :)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 18, 2004, 01:57:

This might help: What to do i This might help: What to do if you overstay your visa - check the comments on that page as well.

Poor but snappy

0 funny, 0 helpful.

sydneygirl says on Nov 19, 2004, 14:45:

thanks everyone Hey guess what im in Miami, mi novios dad bought me a ticket to Miami to stay with Mi novios sister and right now im looking out the window at the sun setting over the beach. Lovely...The family has really taken me in as one of their own, something ive never experienced beofore, they really care for me, i feel so loved, back to Bogota on wed! yeah
This is so wierd usually when i screw up that badly i have to suffer the reality of my mistake, this time one minute i was stessing about what I d do and the next I was on a plane. im really lucky to have such a wonderful Comobian family inlaw hey??

0 funny, 0 helpful.