Travel Visa To USA

Dan says on Aug 12, 2004, 04:31:

Try this This would probably be a good if not best start in looking.

http://usembassy.state.gov/colombia/

The site shows what requirements the US embassy need. I'm assuming from "Travel" visa that you are referring to a Tourist/Visiter visa. Just look for the links for the visas.

God Bless America!

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locolombia says on Aug 12, 2004, 07:42:

I have first hand experience with this area. I don't want to assume the worst case for you but the reality is that very few young women get travel or "Tourism" visas. The colombian Embassy is very selective with these visas and the general guidelines are that

1. she have property or land in her name or be a physician, lawyer.
Reason being they think that if you have something of value, ie a house, land, or maybe a career that you have put alot of time and effort in, you are more likely to return to Colombia when you are supposed to.

2. If she doesn't have any land, house, or professional career, she is more likely to simply overstay her travel visa and just live in the USA illegally. The numbers seem to show that this does happen quite often.

3. Has she ever tried to get one before?
4. Does she have any criminal record?
5. Does her family or relatives have any ties to Narco-traffikers or Guerillas?

These sound like crazy questions, but this is what she is up against with the "tourism" visa. Pretty much the best way to see her on US soil is a K-1 fiance visa, Or k-3 married in Colombia visa. You might look at entry requirements for tourism visas for Canada. I have heard they are slightly more open with the border......Funny stuff really, I spent loads of cash, spent 9 months doing paperwork, and finally got the k-1 visa finished up, but when I look at the Home Depot parking lot at 6:00 am, I see 20-30 illegals standing there waiting for daywork....Why does the US customs make it so difficult for the honest citizen to get a visa when there are millions of illegals here already?....just my rambling opinion....

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 12, 2004, 07:45:

Locolombia is right. My brother-in-law met all these requirements - he is a law professor in Bogota with several houses, cars, you name it - he's travelled all over the world. They turned him down. In fact I am surprised that your girlfriend did not tell you that her chances were zero. A few people do get tourist visas but it's complete luck.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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Miguel says on Aug 12, 2004, 16:08:

Gracias Dan, Loco, y Utopia I did check the US Embassy site, Dan; Loco, I saw a thread that alluded to your comments;, and Utopia, the girlfriend said she knew it was difficult. I appreciate all of your input. Could a Republican buddy of the US Ambassador down there be able to have him cut her some slack? God I hate politics, but I would play the game in this situation. Cuidate amigos---

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 12, 2004, 16:21:

Play the game, dude! Put your $100 down and spin the roulette wheel - with some pull and some luck, it may come up a winner.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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daver says on Aug 12, 2004, 16:47:

As far as the suggestion of trying to get a travel VISA to Canada first... they are worse than the US. There are Colombians who have lived in Canada for years (who are now citizens), and they have to get thier relatives to get travel VISAs to the US and then drive to meet them in Buffalo NY. Maybe the restrictions are less, but they simply deny people for no reason at all... all the time.

Dave

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Rico says on Aug 20, 2004, 15:28:

Student visas... Student Visas: This could be the easiest way for a Colombiana without property, etc. However, the person must enroll in a college or university and really study.

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beto el feo says on Aug 20, 2004, 16:50:

Someone posted above that it is easier to get a travel visa to Canada. From my experience this isn't true. my wife and I have recently made two attempts to have her sister come visit us in Canada and each request was denied. The reasons for the denial was that she doesn't have enough reasons to return to Colombia. She is in her final year of law school and after her parents have sacrificed so much to get her this far in her education you'd think that's reason enough, but no. I found the reason a bit ironic since when I'm returning to Cananda I can't find enough reasons not to stay in Colombia.

As far as the gov't not having reasons for denying Colombians travel visas....Although I don't like to admit it they have good reasons.

My wife recently recieved a phone call from a friend of a friend who recently immigrated to Canada. Well not quite immigrated...they showed up at the Canadian border in Buffalo NY and claimed refugee status. I don't know how this works in the states, but here the first thing the gov't does is put them on welfare, pay for housing, english classes, food vouchers etc. etc. All this sounds fine by me if they are truly refugees, but after discussiung it awhile they tell my wife they made up some story about thier life being in danger in Colombia. If it were true I wouldn't have a problem with my tax dollars being spent on this, but as the story goes they made it up and said that if things don't work out they will go back to Colombia and that this will give them a bit of a sabbatical# at ?!. To top it off they lied and said they have no money....meanwhile they own (outright) a beautiful condo in Colombia. These kinds of things are why it is so hard for honest Colombians to get visas.

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 20, 2004, 21:28:

You're right, Daver. My wife has a friend who got a tourist visa to the United States, so what does she do? Yep, she is now working here illegally having overstayed her visa. Stuff like this makes it hard for everyone else who is trying to be honest.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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daver says on Aug 21, 2004, 00:19:

Chibchawannabe...

Canada is in the process of sending about half of the Colombian refugees back to Colombia... Once Colombians found out how easy it is to get refugee status in Canada, there was a flood...

The problem was, most were bullshit claims, and now Canada (finally) is on to them.

The problem is, that the Embassy in Bogota, is now the slowest, and most difficult Canadian embassy in the whole world (why not, they realize half the people claiming refugee status are lying about someone trying to kill or kidnap them) . So, my fiance and I will have to wait forever, and we may get denied immigration for no reason at all...

In addition, you cannot claim refugee status at the border anymore. The US and Canada agreed on this, and they will ship them to Bogota and make them apply for refugee status there.

If you somehow get to Canada "illegally" and then claim the status, they will detain you, put you in front of an immigration judge, and most likely ship you home.

I agree with Canada's refugee laws, but only if they are refugees. I mean, people who are starving in another country, living in a tent, but not people who are looking to short-cut immigration and make more money in Canada. (and get welfare, socially assited homes, food stamps, english lessons, free school, free health care, while my taxes are climbing through the roof)

Dave

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pointofview says on Aug 21, 2004, 07:46:

Daver Sometimes I think that the USA and Canada have forgot where the people came from (foreign countries) that settled and built their own countries.

For sure these original immigrating peoples extracted a big price on the indigenous (indigenas) peoples of the USA and Canada too. I remember studing the population of Vancouver Island before any contact with the outside world. Disease and conflict wiped out a huge population of Canada's orginal peoples of Vancouver Island (many 100,000s people).

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daver says on Aug 21, 2004, 10:04:

pointofview,There is no d pointofview,

There is no doubt about how terrible the native peoples of North America were treated. I believe it was almost as bad as what the Spanish did in South and Central America.

***Sometimes I think that the USA and Canada have forgot where the people came from (foreign countries) that settled and built their own countries***

I certainly have not forgotten. If I look at the last names of all my friends (and family) you get a spread of about 30 countries (and I really don't have a huge number of friends). That and my grandparents were born in Scotland.

In the past it was much easier to immigrate, but MUCH more difficult to survive. For instance, the Ukrainians who populated the Canadian praries (along with many other peoples) 100 years ago were given citizenship and free land. However, they were dumped on uncleared, wild land, with only small loans for tools, and a dreadful winter always approaching.

Now it is much more difficult to immigrate, but a much easier place to arrive as an immigrant. But, I think that people should follow the laws of the land. Canada has a huge social net, built by Canadains (immigrant or not), and it cannot be subjected to a total open door policy. We legally allow about 220,000 (from all countries) immigrants a year, which I feel is plenty given our population is only 30 million. In addition, immigrant families have many more children than Canadian born people, so if Canada wants a large diverse population, it cannot be all immigrants, as there must be consideration for the population growth of immigrant families.

In addition, you should come to Canada with the desire to contribute to what Canada is. Canada has much to offer, and if you don't do your part to maintain this great country, you don't deserve to live here. Showing up at the border with a fake refugee claim, collecting welfare because you lied about having no money, not worrying if they send you back because your story was fake and you have a nice condo in Colombia is not something I want to see happen to my country. Now a Colombian who is truely in need of asylum will be denied because of all the fakes.

Unless you come to contribute to this country, you should feel ashamed about reaping the many rewards of living here.

Dave

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Mr. Hollywood says on Aug 22, 2004, 16:36:

One detail I learned One thing I learned from a Colombian friend (young, female, educated, upper class background) is that when the US Embassy turned down her visa app, they told her it would help a lot if she travelled to other countries (such as in Europe) a couple times to show that she has a history of leaving and returning to Colombia. This person, by the way, had been to the USA on student visa before, but apparently the fact that she studied there for a year and returned to Colombia wasn't good enough.

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