The U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia,
adjudicates Nonimmigrant and Immigrant Visas for Colombian Citizens and certain
Third Country Nationals. In October
2017, the U.S. Embassy Bogotá was designated as the processing post for Cuban
IV applications. NVC has begun
transferring current immigrant visa applications to U.S. Embassy Bogotá, and
scheduling immigrant visa interviews there for Cuban nationals. The transfer of applications takes several
weeks. Your client will receive
instructions from the NVC, KCC, or Embassy Bogotá once their case is ready to
be processed. Given the volume of cases,
the Embassy asks that you limit your case-specific inquiries until after your
client has received instructions.
Fraud Concerns
The post has a very active
Fraud-Prevention-Unit. The Consular
Section of the Embassy encourages the public to report any fraud activity
to: FPMBogota@state.gov. A report can
include the perpetrator’s full name and birthdate as well as the nature of his
or her wrongdoing. You can also attach
relevant, electronic documents (like cell phone photos of visas, ID, passport
pages, etc.)
No DHS Offices in US Embassy in Bogota
There are no USCIS/ICE/CBP offices in
the Embassy. The USCIS Office in Lima,
Peru has jurisdiction over immigration matters in Colombia.
Contact the Embassy
You may contact the embassy by
providing the full name, date of birth, and case number of your client at:
• For
Nonimmigrant Visas Issues: NIVBogota@state.gov
• For
Immigrant Visas Issues: IVbogota@state.gov
• For
Fraud Prevention Issues: FPMBogota@state.gov
Appointment Service
Passport delivery issues: asa_contactus+co+courier+es@visaops.net
Fee payment issues: asa_contactus+co+mrv+es@visaops.net
Technical and account issues: asa_contactus+co+info+es@visaops.net
Telephone Numbers (only for
registration, scheduling, and delivery process):
In Colombia: (571) 5088165 – (571) 5088185.
In the United States: (1)7032494652
Nonimmigrant Visa Procedure
Most of the nonimmigrant visa
processing in Bogota is status quo. The
Embassy has low wait times for interviews, so applicants have little need to
request expedited appointments - - though the process is in place and
efficient.
E applications --the most notable element of the nonimmigrant visa
processing in Bogota is tied to our E 1 and E2 visa load. The Embassy recently moved from paper to
electronic submissions and require at least one year of legal residency in
Colombia to take the next available appointments. Electronic submissions should be no longer
than 100 pages.
Travel history Requirement
The Embassy requires all applicants, regardless of
nationality, to submit their travel history in Colombia for the year prior to
their application (or in the case of renewals, the year prior to their travel
to the US) to ensure priority is provided to Colombian residents and not to
residents of other countries who are venue shopping. If the travel history is
incomplete, the Embassy will require an update before the E Visa can be
adjudicated.
Immigrant Visa Procedure
For further information about the
transfer of Cuban Cases, go to: https://cu.usembassy.gov/frequently-asked-questions/
Prepared
by Tammy Fox-Isicoff Partner in Rifkin & Fox-Isicoff P.A. in Miami Florida,
and Chair of the Latin America and Caribbean Chapter of AILA.