Client Payment Portal

COLOMBIA: IMMIGRATION UPDATE

Dec 30, 2020 | Global

This article discusses the resumption of some immigration processing and requirements for complying with safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After a six-month wait, measures have been announced to resume air border traffic and migration processes. On September 19, 2020, the first phase of international commercial flights between Colombia and the United States began. Gradually flights to and from more countries have been added, including Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Bolivia. Humanitarian flights, as well as charters authorized by the government, continue to be scheduled and to transport travelers to and from Colombia.

With the gradual reopening of international air traffic, several measures were established to achieve better control and comply with biosafety protocols. Persons entering the country must:

  • Present a PCR test with negative result for COVID-19 no more than 96 hours before the flight;
  • Complete a Check-Mig form for entry and exit a maximum of 24 hours and minimum of 1 hour before the flight;
  • Download the Coronapp application and create a profile to report the traveler’s health status, in addition to complying with the mandatory use of a mask, frequent handwashing, and social distancing

On September 21, 2020, Migración Colombia resumed its services in all offices in the country to process foreigners’ identity cards, visa registrations, certificates of migratory movement, safe conduct, Special Permits to Stay for the Promotion of Formalization, and Temporary Permits to Stay. Considering the circumstances in recent months, the government has granted a transition period from September 21 to December 15, 2020. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs still is not stamping visas, which is why the registration of visas and issuance of foreigner’s ID cards can be done with an electronic visa, i.e., despite not being stamped in the passport.

To initiate any of these processes, it is necessary to schedule an appointment, download the Coronapp application, and fill out the health declaration form. Some users claim that they have not been able to schedule appointments for some procedures in Bogotá, or that if they could, they were assigned for a later month. Such delays will most likely lead to an extended transition period because many users will probably not be able to complete processing within the established time periods.

Related Posts:

Afghanistan in Crisis: Helping Refugees

President Biden’s decision to extricate the United States from Afghanistan has come with a cost: a humanitarian crisis impacting Afghan allies. The lives and families of interpreters, translators, and others who provided critical help to the U.S. in its two decades of war and nation-building, have been shattered by the Taliban’s takeover. U.N. Secretary General António Guterres urged people to “take notice of the impending humanitarian catastrophe” and help Afghans face “their darkest hour of need.”   WR Immigration is working on numerous Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) and helping with humanitarian parole applications, as well as advising on other visa options. Attorney Mitch Montgomery is one of the WR attorneys working with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) helping Afghan refugees. Mitch observes that, “Some Afghans who served alongside U.S. troops, diplomats, and other government employees as interpreters, translators, cultural advisors, are now at risk, along with their families, and we want to do everything possible to help these families.” Managing partner Bernie Wolfsdorf is coordinating the exit of a large group and helping individuals. “The biggest issue for those who have not been able to get out,” Wolfsdorf says, “is how to get to a safe place, and for […]

Read More

Canada: Fully Vaccinated Travelers to Enjoy Easing Border Measures

Canada has taken the first steps to reopening its border for non-essential travel. Starting on September 7, 2021, the Canadian government plans to open Canada’s borders to any fully vaccinated traveler. The traveler must have completed a Canadian government approved vaccine at least 14 days prior to entering Canada. As a test of this opening, fully vaccinated U.S. citizen and permanent resident non-essential travelers can expect to enter Canada starting August 9, 2021, provided said travelers have been vaccinated 14 days prior to entry. Further, most fully vaccinated travelers will not have to quarantine upon arrival in Canada, but a suitable quarantine plan is required. All travelers must use ArriveCan, the Canadian government’s portal for travelers, to submit their travel information. A pre-entry, negative COVID-19 test result is required for all travelers. A post entry COVID-19 test may be requested to randomly selected vaccinated travelers. This is a significant shift in travel policy for the Canadian government. Up till now, the bar to clear in order to classify travel as “essential” across the Canadian-U.S. border, and thus be granted entry into Canada, was extremely high, but Canada has managed to keep the COVID-19 numbers low, with a 7-day average of […]

Read More