Move and marry in Colombia

caulfield2 says on Mar 27, 2006, 14:49:

Be careful what situation you are getting into...the ex might try to extort you for money if you ever want to leave Colombia.

If you are ready to live in Colombia for the next 9 years, well, then by all means, go for it. I have lived here for almost 8 months (in Armenia) and I really love it.

OTOH, buying property can be very complicated, there have been a number of threads on this subject the last week or so. Someone can probably link one or two of them, or you can search back over a page or two of threads and find them yourself.

You do not need dual-citizenship. You will have up to 180 days with your first visa, upon marriage, I am 99 percent sure you can get your cedula and work visa through the relationship with a Colombian spouse.

I have thought of 10 different ways to start a business on the side and, while there are many needs, there's no easy path...lots of restrictions, red-tape, government interference, problems with workers (if you're a foreigner)...it CAN be done, but I would say the success stories here are well outnumbered by stories of dramatic failure, many times having nothing to do with the viability of the original business proposal.

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vicshere says on Mar 27, 2006, 16:05:

nicadj Hey nicadj you may want to do a seach on my handle i have done a lot of writing on living in Bucaramaga



listo
"con mucho gusto"
Vic

listo

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nicadj says on Mar 27, 2006, 16:49:

Thanks for the quick response I have so many emotions right now. I honestly think that the 2 of them will never be able to come to the states. We are very much in love and I find myself not being able to live without her.

I know I am being naive, but at 42 I think I should be able to do this rationally.

The dream would be to build a house and run a business out of it. Are you saying there are tremendous obstacles? What in your mind is the 1st step?

Thanks for your input.

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Blue says on Mar 27, 2006, 18:55:

Read some of the recent posts from guys who live in Colombia. Sounds like a pretty harsh place to live. Hire a lawyer and meet with the father to work out an agreement so you have other options. Pay the father something if this will change his mind. It sounds like you're going to have to deal with the father at some point anyway. If you can't make this simpler now it probably only gets more complicated later.

Blue

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Wastelandlive says on Mar 27, 2006, 19:30:

Run for your life, man. Change your name, disconnect your telephone. Leave no forwarding address.

Wasteland

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Rubiazo says on Mar 28, 2006, 01:30:

Why not spend a month or two down there to see if you really like it or not and then make a decision? Nobody on this forum can tell you where to live and where not to live!

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caulfield2 says on Mar 28, 2006, 05:23:

Having gone through this process myself, you need to spend as much time together as possible...since you cannot get a K3 visa for her because she cannot leave her child behind, which is my assumption, to live with you for 2-3 months in the US and decide to marry, you are going to have to find a way to be with here down here.

If she were willing to leave her child behind to come to the US, you would probably still not be certain how things would be if you were together as a family unit...and you wouldn´t know what it was like to be a family unit in Colombia, either.

When this situation has presented itself in Colombia, I avoided it completely because the mother went on vacation for 3 months and left her child behind...I didn´t like that...and I like the idea of being extorted even less. If you love her and are in too deep, then it´s much more complicated. If the father of the kid gets any idea of what kind of money you have or are willing to pay, it´s going to be a hell of a decision for you to make. OTOH, it might even be more costly, both directly and indirectly, to live in Colombia for 9 years. Starting a sustainable business without any network in place never is easy...it takes a year, 18 months to understand a city, to gain confidence and feel like you are a part of a community. And that´s more difficult as a gringo, obviously.

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