Minimum Pension Requirement

Gator says on Feb 9, 2008, 07:52:

Basically the below says you need regular income from a foreign government or business equal to ten time the Colombian minimum wag, roughly $445.000 peso a month, for pensionado visa. If it is income from investments etc., etc, you might consider a rentista visa. BTW these rules may NOT be cast in concrete and exceptions are made. But you need to appear in person to argue your case.


Here it is in Spanish:

DECRETO 2371 DE 1996
(diciembre 27)
Diario Oficial No 42.952, de 8 de enero de 1997

CAPITULO I.
RESIDENTE PENSIONADO.


ART�CULO 136. Para los efectos del presente Decreto, considérase pensionado al extranjero que percibe ingresos regulares y permanentes, no inferiores a diez (10) salarios mínimos legales mensuales, cuantía que se aumentará en un (1) salario mínimo legal mensual por cada beneficiario, provenientes de un gobierno, organismo internacional o empresa particular extranjera, por servicios prestados en el exterior.


ART�CULO 137. El solicitante de la visa residente pensionado, además, deberá presentar certificación expedida por la autoridad competente del Gobierno, organismo internacional, empresa pública o privada, en la que conste que prestó sus servicios y que se le paga pensión vitalicia en un monto equivalente al establecido en el artículo anterior.


ART�CULO 138. El residente pensionado no podrá ejercer actividades remuneradas por cuenta propia o en relación de dependencia, a menos que fuera autorizado por el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, previo concepto favorable del Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social, o pretenda prestar servicios al Estado o entidades oficiales en materia de su especialización.


If anyone is interested in ALL visa rules, etc., etc. here it is from MRE (all in Spanish, of course).

http://www.dafp.gov.co/leyes/D2371_96.HTM

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

Atrevido says on Feb 9, 2008, 14:25:

Ok so roughly $2305.00 US at current exchange rate. I´d be curious to know where on the MRE site you found that info. I certainly couldn´t find it near the "visa" option. Also since the salario minimo has been climbing at over six percent a year for the last several years that minimum income requirement for the pensionado is climbing fast.

lpdiver says on Feb 9, 2008, 16:23:

Atrevido...move your decimal space one place to the left. Assuming you are thinking monthly income.

t

"cook some rice!"

LDW says on Feb 9, 2008, 16:45:

I have to suppose that the terms of this law apply to only non Colombians. No government can prevent one of its own citizens from relocating there, including that citizen's spouse.

$2300 per month would be a pretty comfortable living in most parts of the country. One could easily get by with much less.

Atrevido says on Feb 9, 2008, 16:50:

Ipdiver I don´t follow. You´re saying the monthly income requirement in US dollars is $230.50?

lpdiver says on Feb 9, 2008, 16:52:

LDW...You are mistaken. The United States government can and regularly does prevent the spouses of it's own citizens from relocating there.

t

"cook some rice!"

Atrevido says on Feb 9, 2008, 16:55:

LDW Comfortable yes but not rich. I see a lot of people in estrato 2 barrios earning well over a million pesos a month. Of course that income out in the country would indeed be big bucks...err pesos.

lpdiver says on Feb 9, 2008, 17:00:

Yes but $2,300.00 is over 4.4 million pesos per month.

t

"cook some rice!"

Atrevido says on Feb 9, 2008, 17:23:

And the decimal point?

lpdiver says on Feb 9, 2008, 17:34:

OOPs my bad I interpreted Gators post to be post multiplicative of the ten times minimum wage. Leave it where it is. Seems like the Colombian government has set the bar awfully high if I understand correctly.

If the US applied the same rules one would have to show over $8900.00 dollars per month income.

t

"cook some rice!"

Atrevido says on Feb 9, 2008, 17:42:

It is high and what about the more than six percent annual increase in the salario minimo and falling dollar?!

lpdiver says on Feb 9, 2008, 17:47:

Well,
I married a paisa so I have other options. However, the general economy will dictate my future residency.

I have no desire to live in poverty.

t

"cook some rice!"

Gator says on Feb 9, 2008, 19:59:

"I´d be curious to know where on the MRE site you found that info. I certainly couldn´t find it near the "visa" option."

I went to MRE's site, went to "Buscar" typed in "pensionado" and then checked several of their listed sites until this came up.

DECRETO 2371 DE 1996
(diciembre 27)
Diario Oficial No 42.952, de 8 de enero de 1997

NOTA DE VIGENCIA: Derogado por el Decreto 2107 de 2001

MINISTERIO DE RELACIONES EXTERIORES

EL PRESIDENTE DE LA REPÚBLICA DE COLOMBIA,
en ejercicio de las facultades que le confiere la Constitución Política, en especial el artículo 189, numeral 11, y en desarrollo del Decreto 1050 de 1968, artículo 1o., Decreto 2126 de 1992, artículo 1o., numeral 16, y Decreto 2110 de 1992 artículo 6o., numerales 7o. y 8o.

Then I read the damn decree-if you have a problem or doubt what it says visit MRE in Bogotá at Carrera 13 No. 93-68 or call them at 640.8997 or 640.8987

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

arthur brode says on Feb 10, 2008, 08:20:

as long as you can prove to MRE in Bogota that you receive a "Pension" then you qualify for the pension visa.

but you will need to have your original pension document notorized/apostiled in the U.S. or a certified letter(in spanish)from the U.S.Embassy stating that your pension document is original.

i receive U.S.$700 per month social security disability and qualified for the pension visa

http://www.calirentals.net/

Gator says on Feb 10, 2008, 08:26:

Ah Ha! The exception proves the rule but look before you leap

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

arthur brode says on Feb 10, 2008, 08:31:

yeah,not everything is written in stone here

http://www.calirentals.net/

pedro says on Feb 10, 2008, 08:42:

The official minimum salary for 2008 is 461,500 pesos.

http://espanol.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/071228/latinoamerica/latinoame...

¡save pow wow!

Atrevido says on Feb 10, 2008, 08:58:

Arthur that is a lot less than the over $2000 supposedly required. Did you have to finagle at all at the MRE or did they just accept your pension letter straight up and give you the visa?

arthur brode says on Feb 10, 2008, 09:37:

Atrevido,it was buisness as usual at MRE.they didnt even blink an eye.

i go back in May for my third time.but now i found this Lawyer here in Cali that will take care of everything for me for like 500,000 pesos.so now i dont ever need to fly to Bogota again.my friend Bob just got his Pension Visa renewed a couple months ago by this Lawyer.so its legit.

http://www.calirentals.net/

Gator says on Feb 10, 2008, 12:58:

How much does he charge for the service.?

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

arthur brode says on Feb 10, 2008, 15:02:

500.000 colombian pesos(U.S.$250)

http://www.calirentals.net/

Lowell says on Feb 10, 2008, 15:58:

I may want to use him for my permanent residency application in August. Please provide contact info. Thanks.

Alfred E. Newman. "What. Me Worry?"

Atrevido says on Feb 10, 2008, 16:50:

Round trip airfare Cali-Bogota is about $400.000. Unless he´s going up by bus or shipping your documents to a contact there it sounds like he´s operating on a pretty thin profit margin.

tomtom33 says on Feb 10, 2008, 17:27:

The docs are sent by courier service to Bogota.

arthur brode says on Feb 10, 2008, 17:37:

yes,tomtom is correct.the passport is sent by courier service to an affiliate lawyer in Bogota

http://www.calirentals.net/

Gator says on Feb 11, 2008, 08:05:

We have a friend in Cali that is interested how does he contact the attorney? Who handles the transaction, the Cali attorney or the Bogotá attorney? Why the "middle man?"

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

arthur brode says on Feb 11, 2008, 08:14:

Gator,PM me and i will set an appointment for your friend with my attorney here in Cali and she can explain everything to him.

http://www.calirentals.net/