Residency Visa based on Marriage

First of all you cant apply for a Residency Marriage visa right off the bat.

You have to first apply for a Migrant Marriage Visa first.

Which is good for 3 years then, since they recently changed tbe Law you have to wait 5 years with a Migrant Visa before you can apply for a Resident Marriage Visa which means you will have to renew your Migrant Visa one time .

And then if you qualify???

because you need to have provable income such as a Pension or some kinda of rent from an apartment or house you dont qualify they dont care how much money you have in a bank they wanna see provable monthly income.

I know that because I was not able to apply for my Resident Visa because I am not old enough for my pension, so I just renew my Migrant Visa every 3 years until I get a pension or I buy property in Colombia and rent it out then I can show provable income which is probably what I will be doing soon.

As far as how long do you have to know a woman that answer varies because everyone is different. I knew my wife for 3 to 4 years before I decided to get serious I would visit many times a year and she has US visa so she would visit me as well got to know both families really well before we got married.

buy property in Colombia and rent it out then I can show provable income which is probably what I will be doing soon. @Hutchx2020

I take it that provable income from a rental would be three minimum wages (1,160,000 pesos x 3) ?

@N.Barley

When it comes to Residebt Marriage Visa tge a.ount does not matter it can be 100 bucks

@N.Barley
When it comes to Residebt Marriage Visa tge a.ount does not matter it can be 100 bucks
-@HutchX2020

Savings accounts and some certificates of deposit pay interest monthly, at least in the U.S.  Could you use that to qualify?

@aparimi85 In Colombia you can also do what is called Union Libre.. My wife and I were married in USA and when I applied for my Marriage Visa I was denied every time after several attempts. Since we were not married in Colombia. So we went to a Visa office in Bogota and hired them to help. They set us up with an appointment with a judge to do Union Libre to get it without doing an entire new ceremony. The judge of all people we met with said according to him we just met in the past several months and signed off on our documents which then had to go to the Notary. Good luck its an even bigger mess now with the new rules. We had to have our residency and address already established in Bogota as well even though I couldn't technically live and work here yet. Its a fun problem to navigate.

@N.Barley

Yes I could but its a big hassle, easier for me to keep renewing every 3 years, because they are very hard ass where the money comes from because of money laundering laws, you would have to have certification letters from the bank stating where the mobey cane from everything apostilled and translated already went thru it I'm good until 2025.

I should have my apartnent bought before I have to renew again so I will rent it out and then I can Apply for the Resident Visa which with the new laws its only good for 5 years anyway you still have to file paperwork to trespass the Visa every 5 years

@Mateo&Ximena

Yes but with the new laws the Union Libre have to keep renewing every year now and need 5 years before you can apply for Resident Visa and alot more requisites now too for that Visa I would never go the route now better to apply for student visa instead

First of all you cant apply for a Residency Marriage visa right off the bat.
You have to first apply for a Migrant Marriage Visa first.
Which is good for 3 years then, since they recently changed tbe Law you have to wait 5 years with a Migrant Visa before you can apply for a Resident Marriage Visa which means you will have to renew your Migrant Visa one time .
And then if you qualify???
because you need to have provable income such as a Pension or some kinda of rent from an apartment or house you dont qualify they dont care how much money you have in a bank they wanna see provable monthly income.
I know that because I was not able to apply for my Resident Visa because I am not old enough for my pension, so I just renew my Migrant Visa every 3 years until I get a pension or I buy property in Colombia and rent it out then I can show provable income which is probably what I will be doing soon.
As far as how long do you have to know a woman that answer varies because everyone is different. I knew my wife for 3 to 4 years before I decided to get serious I would visit many times a year and she has US visa so she would visit me as well got to know both families really well before we got married.
-@HutchX2020

Here is my plan. I'm planning to come to Colombia during the fall of this year on a tourist visa and stay for 90 days and then extend it for another 90 days. During these 180 days, I would like to find a Colombian lady and get married to and apply for a Migrant Marriage visa and move forward from there as you said and apply for Resident Marriage visa after 5 years.

I have a steady monthly rental income of $1000 and would like to live off of that till I find other avenues of making additional money living in Colombia.  I'm in my early fifties so I don't qualify for social security/pension so I'm not eligible for a retirement visa. I don't have the money ($80K USD) for a real estate investment visa so I don't qualify for that and the same for a business visa ($26K). Don't want to be on a student visa as it does not qualify for a residency visa. So, the only option I have is a marriage based visa. If you guys think of any other option please share.

My first question about knowing the Colombian woman - Is there a minimum time period criteria set by the Colombian immigration authority that we should know each other to get married to qualify for the Migrant Marriage Visa? In other words, will the Colombian immigration authorities create an issue if we know each other for 1-3 months and got married and deny the Migrant Marriage Visa? I hope this time I have been clear.

I'm tired of living in the US and want to move, marry and live the rest of my life in Colombia so please provide workable suggestions. Thanks much in advance!

@HutchX2020

Can't you apply for citizenship after been 5 years on a resident visa instead of renewing it?

Is there a way I can change my handle on here?

@aparimi85

I do not want to apply for citizenship because I am already a dual citizen Portuguese and American and I would have to give up one to get the Colombian and I am not doing that.

Another thing is you can pretty much do anything with a Migrant Visa like you can with a Resident Visa only difference its 5 years instead of 3 and like I said if everything works out, I will have it before I have to renew it.

because they are very hard ass where the money comes from because of money laundering laws
-@HutchX2020

That is true also when transferring money to Colombia in order to buy property, so I have read. I assume if you have wired money to Colombia, you have already experienced that.

@aparimi85

When you apply for the Marriage Visa they will defennetly ask for an interview and both have to go to Bogota we had to show pictures and emails from years back showing a solid history, so that could be a problem for you.

@HutchX2020

Years back? That sounds crazy. I understand that they want to prevent sham marriages but years back is a bit too much.

Is there a way I can change my handle on here?
-@aparimi85

Any help here please?

@N.Barley

There are banks here that accept big money transfers for direct investment in properties so that releases the proper forms for the goverment here not an issue using a lawyer in the process, have some friends who have bought properties so they showed me the way.

Is there a way I can change my handle on here?
-@aparimi85

Any help here please?
-@aparimi85

That would probably require an intervention by a moderator, if it can done. They will pass by eventually.

I have just contacted the Expat.com Home Office

in the Mascarene Islands.  I asked them to assist

Aparimi85 with obtaining a new username or handle.

cccmedia, Expat.com experts team member

Aparimi,

Your current income would apparently qualify you

for a professional visa in Ecuador, although that

option is not available for Colombia.

I would suggest you book a half-hour session (Skype

or phone) with Alan Gongora of the Langon Law Firm,

Medellin and New York.  langoncolombia.com

If anybody can figure out a way for you to obtain

Colombia visa(s) given your circumstances, it would

be Alan.  He is a bilingual attorney who graduated

from Harvard Law School before founding Langon Law.

I obtained a Colombia visa through Langon some

years ago .. and Alan also prepared my last will.

cccmedia

Is there a way I can change my handle on here?
-@aparimi85

Hello aparimi85,

I have sent you an email regarding this issue.

Do check it so that I can update your username

Cheers,

Yoginee

Expat.com team

I have just contacted the Expat.com Home Office
in the Mascarene Islands. I asked them to assist
Aparimi85 with obtaining a new username or handle.
cccmedia, Expat.com experts team member
-@cccmedia

Thanks. My username got changed.

@Yoginee

Thanks for helping me out.

@cccmedia

Thanks my friend. Someone else too suggested Langon Law Firm on a FB expat group. I have already sent them an email and awaiting a response. Let's see how it goes. How is living in Ecuador compared to Colombia? What is a professional visa?

What is a professional visa in Ecuador?

Since this is a thread on visas through marriage, I am

transferring this question to the Ecuador Mailbag

thread, clickable at the Ecuador forum welcome page.

cccmedia

@Adaptivemigrant

I can relate to your ordeal. I got married in the USA, registered my marriage at the consulate in Miami, and applied for a conjugate visa which I got for three years. Due to Covid 19 couldn't travel, and my visa almost expired. I came to Colombia and got it renewed for a year, waiting for June to apply for the residency visa. Unlike in the USA, where you must know the person for some time so that immigration can process your visa or residency. You must show how you would support yourself and not become a financial burden to the Colombian Government.

@Alcvrdan

Thanks for the response. I have sent you a private message so appreciate it if you could respond.

How is living in Ecuador compared to Colombia?

Adaptive Migrant posed this question to me above

on this thread.

For one thing, Colombia has casinos with both

machines and table games such as blackjack.

Ecuador outlawed the casinos ten years ago.

Some wagering terminals run by the national

lottery can be found, but there is no legal blackjack.

I discuss differences between two Expat-friendly

cities, Quito and Medellin, in a new post at

the Ecuador vs. Colombia thread which is

clickable at the Ecuador forum.

cccmedia in Quito

@cccmedia

I looked under Ecuador mailbag - https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=972626 but couldn't find the topic

At the Ecuador forum welcome page, use the

search function by entering Mailbag .. and then

click to the right of the word.

This will take you to a page where you can

click on Ecuador Mailbag.

The post is number 45 at the Mailbag thread.

cccmedia

I don't know about a marriage visa....I got my resident visa because I had a child on Colombia. Only thing I needed was my passport and a notarized letter from the mother saying she wanted me to live here. I used this visa service and got my resident visa in two weekshttps://www.gesticol.com/portal/inicio

@Adaptivemigrant

"I would like to find a Colombian lady and get married to and apply for a Migrant Marriage visa"

My coffee shot out of my nose when I read that one..LMAO

@nico peligro

Why seems like a good way to get an immigrant visa to live in Colombia.

Colombian women use the same tactic to get a visa to live in the USA.

I don't want to marry a Colombian woman for the visa but only if I like and love her. As I want to be in Colombia for the rest of my life I will apply for a migrant visa. I don't see what's the issue here.

I don't want to marry a Colombian woman for the visa but only if I like and love her. As I want to be in Colombia for the rest of my life I will apply for a migrant visa. I don't see what's the issue here.
-@Adaptivemigrant

They are going to think it is a sham marriage, assuming your story pans out.

@nico peligro "I would like to find a Colombian lady and get married to and apply for a Migrant Marriage visa"

If that isn't a formula for disaster I don't know what is!

@Adriana Gutierrez The poster obviously has a need. Sure, his approach might not be perfect in your eyes, and you said as such. However, can you ask him to elaborate, and then offer potential solutions or alternate paths?

"It's good to point out the Problem. It's even better to Be Part Of The Solution"

Just sayin'.

The original poster states that he has every intention of coming as a visitor and basically hunting down someone to marry so that he can remain in Colombia. I gotta agree with Adrianna that it is a recipe for disaster and his priorities are not in the proper order.

It seems like he does not have to financial resourced to migrate on his own from what has been posted so far. If it it just the Colombian women that attract him there are lots of them all over the world. Why not travel to Colombia as a tourist and just enjoy life and let nature take it own natural course on it's own timeline? Having a "need" for a wife based on immigration does indeed seem like a recipe for disaster. Especially with Colombiana's.

lp

@Lpdiver Yeah you're probably right. It's just that I am really sensitive to this topic, and so I like to give other people benefit of doubt. And yeah if the OP has the wrong priorities, he'll end up with the wrong Colombiana and it's not gonna end well.