Visa requirements

Requirements to how to get a US visa from Colombia

The United States remains the quintessential destination of Colombians. Whether for business or for vacations, the US offers a wide range of options for different segments of tourists. However, an important and prior step must not be omitted to be able to carry out the trip to satisfaction: Correctly process the American visa from Colombia. Obtaining the American visa is mandatory for any citizen who wants to enter the United States.

Making the application for the American visa in Colombia is similar to the rest of the procedures carried out in other Latin American countries. It is a fairly easy process and, in most cases, the approval of the US visa to Colombians is satisfactory and successful. Regularly, the only inconvenience that arises is the time it takes to process the visa and its different steps to process it.

Next, we share the requirements and steps to get the American visa in Colombia.

US Visa application in Colombia

In detail, we share the requirements and steps to obtain a visa in Colombia:

• Select your visa:

The first thing we should do is identify which visa you need, since there are different types of American visas. The most frequent is the type B tourist visa, with which you can spend up to 90 days in the United States.

Diligence of your visa:

Once you know which visa you need, you must fill out the DS-160 application form to begin the process. You can find it on the website of the American Embassy (or Consulate). You can find more information about form ds 160 here.

Digital user at the embassy:

Once the DS-160 application has been completed, you must create a user account on the embassy or consulate website and upload a photo with specific characteristics (skip this step if you have already done so previously).

Define where you want to receive your visa: When filling out the form, you must indicate the place where you want your passport to arrive with the American visa. You can pick it up at the offices that DHL has throughout the country or you can ask to get it to your home, but you should consider that this has an additional cost.

Payment:

Having filled out the form, you will receive a confirmation code to make the payment. You can pay by credit card on the website of the embassy or consulate. You can also pay in cash at Itaú bank (the only official bank for payment) by taking the payment form and the payment will be made in three business days.

Define your US visa appointment for the interview:

Once the payment is registered, you can request an appointment with the United States Embassy on the day and time you prefer.

Interview:

Afterwards, you must attend the interview on the day and time you have previously defined, presenting yourself at the embassy with your passport and the required documents. If you want to know some suggestions on how to dress the American consulate for your American visa interview in Colombia, click here.

Confirmation of the application:

This is the most anticipated moment for all those who are carrying out their process, because at this time you will be notified if your visa was accepted, if you are still pending for requiring additional information or an administrative process, or if your application has been rejected

Receiving the visa:

If your American visa was approved, you only need to wait to pick it up. You can track the shipment from the embassy or consulate website. The average reception time is usually 8 business days.