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Spanish classes really valid for student visa?

The information I have read here conflicts with what I heard in Bogota. I heard that it was not possible to get a student visa for studying Spanish. Any other language was okay, but not Spanish. Can anyone confirm that this information is in fact wrong? I just would like some further confirmation before I completely change my plans of trying to get a work visa with my [cough] limited qualifications. To me being able to stay in Colombia virtually indefinitely studying Spanish (and later maybe Japanese when my spanish is good enough) would be like heaven. It's so much easier to be a student than a teacher.

By pariahdog on Dec 31, 2007, 23:07 in Visa & paperwork.

bickerss says on Dec 31, 2007, 23:12:

My friend did it in Medellin via Eafit. 1 year visa. Speak to the girl in the language department there (although it is probably closed until late Jan).

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Robert Jorge says on Dec 31, 2007, 23:24:

That's news to me. I figure a student is a student. Do and should they even care what the course of sudy is? Seems wierd.

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Medellin Traveler says on Jan 1, 2008, 00:01:

I've also heard about several gringos in Medellin signing up for Spanish classes with the understanding that they have no intentions of actually showing up because they have no interest in learning Espanol, they just want the student visa.

This has been worked out with the school administration.

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tomtom33 (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jan 1, 2008, 02:31:

I study Spanish at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellin Laureles. One of my classmates just got a student VISA for taking Spanish classes(minimum 10 hours per week in class). His particular VISA is good until June of this year.

You do not get a student VISA by just signing up for class. And the VISA is conditional upon actually attending the classes. If you don't go to class, your VISA is voided.

Classes resume at UPB on Jan. 15. You should be able to contact someone there on Jan. 15. http://convena.upb.edu.co/cdelenguas/ele.html

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Medellin Traveler says on Jan 1, 2008, 09:15:

TomTom33-

Don't forget there are several Spanish Language Schools in Medellin, and more importantly this is Colombia.

I know a few gringos in Medellin have aquired the student visa through the methods mentioned in my post above. I do not know which language schools they signed up with. But, from what I have heard, it's a common method.

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tomtom33 (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jan 1, 2008, 13:12:

There are many store-front Spanish schools. From what I understand(third-hand at best), MRE is tightening up on student VISAs. But of course this is Colombia. I have no doubt that MRE can be bought under the right circumstances.

The law reads no classes, no VISA. I prefer to always follow the law as best I can.

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JChrisusa says on Jan 1, 2008, 14:18:

You can get a student visa for studying spanish. I was in Bogota for 3 months on a student visa studying spanish with NuevaLengua in the Universidad de la Sabana. It was expensive, but I thought it was worth it.

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pariahdog says on Jan 1, 2008, 22:26:

at JChrisusa: Do you recall how much it was? As for some of the other comments, I would very much like to study Spanish. That's why being able to get a visa that way seems almost too good to be true. Glad to see that my local source was wrong. I don't speak it very well and I could use all the help I can get. Actually I usually end up spending most of my time in Colombia studying spanish from books anyway. I would say at least 50% of my waking time in Colombia was studying spanish last time I was there.

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tomtom33 (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jan 2, 2008, 04:33:

You need to go to Bogotá to get the VISA. So where you are in Colombia makes a difference. You can use a service and not travel to Bogotá, but that will cost as well.

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eltoro says on Jan 4, 2008, 12:26:

That's bullshit. I got a student Visa to take Spanish (in Bogota) and it wasn't even at a University. I went to a basic spanish teaching school called British Alliance. As soon as you're here, go and pay for your classes and they'll give you the paperwork to get the student Visa.

Good luck

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tomtom33 (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jan 4, 2008, 13:31:

What, exactly, is bullshit? MRE in Bogotá issues the VISA. You can use a service to get the VISA from MRE in Bogotá. The school cannot issue VISAs.

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hbratovich says on Jan 4, 2008, 15:12:

Hi there...We teach Spanish at our language center (ISSO - International Student Services Org. - www.estudiosexterior.com ) in Cali, Bogota, Medellin and Barranquilla. If you enroll in our program and take at least 10 hours a week, then we can provide you with all of the paper work to get your student's visa (6 months or 1 year). We also offer our TEFL/TESOL Certiticate for people interested in teaching English in Colombia or anywhere around the world. The cost of the visa is $120,000 pesos, you pay that to DAS (Gov. agency). We have had many students go through the process and haven't had any problems. It must be an accredited academic institution with the Colombian Education Ministry or else you will not be able to get it. So make sure that the institution is accredited so that you won't have any problems. If you are in other cities we will help you because the process does have to be done at the MRE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Contact us at tefl at estudiosexterior.com or visit www.estudiosexterior.com - Spanish For Life

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bickerss says on Jan 5, 2008, 06:46:

Hbratovich - how much are your one to one classes per hr - I couldnt see the price there; only the price for your small classes.

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eltoro says on Jan 23, 2008, 08:56:

I didn't mean the school issues a Visa. The school provides you with the paperwork to go and receive a Visa at the Visa office near Parque 93. The bullshit I was referring was to the original post saying that they heard that they can't get a student Visa for just studying Spanish because I did.

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Lon7 says on Aug 2, 2008, 09:36:

In order to get a student visa, do you have to have a certain amount of $$ in a bank account? How much?

And a US bank account statement is ok?

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tomtom33 (☼Travelguide writer) says on Aug 2, 2008, 10:07:

I don't think that a student VISA requires any dollars in any account. I think that it requires paid tuition.

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rocinante says on Aug 2, 2008, 10:29:

You need money in the bank to show that you can sustain yourself for the time you're in Colombia. They want to see a bank statement. This among MANY other jump through hoops things needed for the student visa when you hit the consulate.

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Lon7 says on Aug 2, 2008, 10:34:

How much?

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rocinante says on Aug 2, 2008, 11:38:

See other thread. I think it's really just a formality based on pride - como si hubiera tantos puestos aca que te alguien ofrecerían. Sobre todo!

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