Updated November 12, 2026

US visa requirements for Colombia: Bogota appointments, visa-free rules, and family parole

Foreign citizens seeking to enter the United States generally must obtain a US visa unless eligible under the Visa Waiver Program. US Customs and Border Protection limits 90-day visa-free travel under the Visa Waiver Program to citizens of 42 countries. The US Embassy in Bogota opens new B1/B2 tourist visa interview slots every Tuesday at 9 a.m. for applicants scheduling or rescheduling.

Do Colombian citizens need a US visa, or is travel visa-free?

Under US Embassy in Colombia guidance, a citizen of a foreign country seeking to enter the United States must generally obtain a US visa first. That visa is placed inside the passport issued by your country of citizenship or nationality.

Certain international travelers may travel to the United States without a visa only if they meet the requirements of the Visa Waiver Program. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which administers the Visa Waiver Program for the Department of Homeland Security in consultation with the State Department, permits visa-free business or tourism stays of up to 90 days for citizens of 42 countries. Eligible Visa Waiver Program visitors apply through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), and CBP officers determine admissibility upon arrival.

If you are a US citizen traveling in the opposite direction, you do not need a US visa to re-enter the United States. When planning international travel to Colombia, the US Embassy notes that US citizens may need a visa or entry clearance issued by the destination country depending on the purpose and length of the trip. Confirm Colombia's current tourist stay limits and pre-flight forms directly with a Colombian embassy or consulate before departure.

US entry and travel pathways for Colombian citizens

US visa categories processed at the US Embassy in Bogota

Choosing the right US visa starts with whether your trip is temporary or permanent. Nonimmigrant visas cover foreign nationals entering the United States temporarily for tourism, medical treatment, business, temporary employment, study, or exchange programs. Immigrant visas and Diversity Visas cover foreign nationals who intend to live permanently in the United States.

The Consular Section in Bogota organizes temporary applications into Tourism and Visit, Business, Employment, Study and Exchange, Domestic Employees (B-1), Diplomatic Visas, and E-1 and E-2 investor visa categories. Tourist applicants apply in the B1/B2 category.

Bogota also processes new E-1 and E-2 investor visa applications. If you apply for an E-1 or E-2 visa in Colombia, the embassy must receive your complete application package on your scheduled document drop-off date. Submitting an incomplete file on your drop-off date can cause long processing delays and force you to reschedule your appointment.

Before starting any application, dual nationals should note Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 1, 2026. That proclamation suspends or limits US entry and visa issuance for nationals of 39 countries and individuals applying with travel documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority. Covered travelers may still submit applications and attend interviews, though they may be found ineligible for visa issuance or admission.

How to schedule and move up a Bogota visa interview

US visa interviews in Colombia take place at the US Embassy in Bogota, located at Carrera 45 No. 24B-27, Bogota, D.C., Colombia. Nonimmigrant visa applicants should schedule their interview appointments at the US Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence or nationality. Pay the application fee only once your travel category and filing post are settled, because US visa application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Demand for B1/B2 tourist visas in Bogota is high, so first-time applicants often see distant calendar dates when they first book. To give applicants regular chances at closer dates, the US Embassy in Bogota opens new B1/B2 tourist visa interview appointments every Tuesday at 9 a.m. through its nonimmigrant visa scheduling portal, and it may occasionally add appointments outside that weekly window.

If you already hold a confirmed B1/B2 appointment in the future, you can sign in on Tuesday mornings at 9 a.m. to try rescheduling to an earlier slot. High demand means not everyone looking for an earlier day gets one immediately, and you can try again on following Tuesdays. Before booking, check the Bogota Nonimmigrant Visa Wait Times page on the embassy website for current queue estimates by category, and review the embassy's Interview Waiver Program rules if you are renewing an eligible visa.

For passport return and document courier logistics, the Bogota Consular Section also supports additional DHL locations in Venezuela, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. If you need to contact the embassy about a visa case, submit your inquiry through the embassy's online Visa Navigator. Under international norms on diplomatic immunity, the Consular Section in Bogota does not respond to a Colombian Derecho de Peticion (right of petition) or a Tutela.

Mandatory public social media rules for 21 nonimmigrant visa classes

Many Colombian visa applicants overlook a mandatory pre-interview vetting rule published on the US Embassy in Colombia visa page. Applicants in 21 nonimmigrant visa classifications are instructed to set the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to public or open.

Consular officers review those open accounts during security and background checks to confirm your identity and establish your admissibility to the United States under US law. Adjust your account settings before your vetting and interview rather than waiting until the officer reviews your file.

• A-3, G-5, and C-3 (if a domestic worker) nonimmigrant visa applicants.
• F, I, J, M, and Q nonimmigrant visa applicants.
• H-1B, H-3, H-4 (dependent of H-1B and H-3), TN, TD, R-1, and R-2 nonimmigrant visa applicants.
• K-1, K-2, and K-3 nonimmigrant visa applicants.
• S, T, and U nonimmigrant visa applicants.

A 6-step preparation plan before your Bogota visa appointment

Work through this 6-step plan from our team, built from US Embassy in Colombia and CBP procedures, before you head to Carrera 45 in Bogota.

• Step 1: Match your visa category to your real travel purpose. Confirm whether your trip falls under temporary B1/B2 tourist travel, Study and Exchange, Employment, E-1 or E-2 investor visas, or an immigrant visa.
• Step 2: Book in your country of residence or nationality before paying. Because visa fees cannot be refunded or moved to another person or embassy, verify your scheduling location and passport details first.
• Step 3: Check Interview Waiver eligibility and Tuesday 9 a.m. drops. Renewing applicants should check the embassy website for Interview Waiver Program instructions, while B1/B2 interview applicants can check the scheduling portal on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. for earlier openings.
• Step 4: Set social media profiles to public or open if your visa class requires it. Double-check every platform you use if you are applying for an F, M, J, H-1B, H-3, H-4, K, I, Q, R, TN, TD, A-3, G-5, C-3 domestic worker, S, T, or U visa.
• Step 5: Prepare a complete drop-off file for E-1 and E-2 cases. Investor applicants must turn in every required document on their scheduled drop-off date to avoid rescheduling delays.
• Step 6: Check embassy security rules and use the Visa Navigator for case questions. Confirm current entry rules and document lists on the embassy website before appointment day, and send case questions through the Visa Navigator rather than filing a Derecho de Peticion or Tutela.

What consular and CBP officers check at your interview and arrival

Your Bogota interview and your airport inspection in the United States both test whether your story, your application, and your travel purpose line up cleanly. Prepare the facts and records behind these core questions in your own words instead of memorizing a script.

• What is the purpose of your trip, and how long will you stay? The consular officer checks that your planned activities fit a temporary nonimmigrant visa rather than unauthorized work or permanent residence. Know your exact destination, travel dates, and specific reason for traveling now.
• What do you do in Colombia, and who is paying for this trip? Officers evaluate your ongoing work, studies, and family commitments in Colombia alongside how you will cover flights and lodging. Have accurate income figures and employment or sponsor details ready if asked.
• Tell me about your US school, employer, business, or petitioner. For F, M, J, H-1B, K-1, and E-1/E-2 applicants, the officer checks that your answers match your forms and any public social media accounts reviewed during identity and admissibility vetting.
• At the US airport, where are you staying and when do you fly back? A visa placed in your passport lets you travel to a US port of entry, and CBP officers determine your actual admissibility upon arrival. Keep your passport, return flight details, and US stay address in your carry-on bag.

Family Reunification Parole (FRP) for Colombians with an approved Form I-130

Colombian nationals waiting outside the United States on an approved family-based Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, may come across USCIS's Family Reunification Parole (FRP) process, first implemented for Colombia in July 2023. On January 24, 2026, the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a Preliminary Injunction Order in Svitlana Doe v. Noem (No. 25-cv-10495), staying parts of a December 15, 2025 Federal Register termination notice (90 Fed. Reg. 58032). Under that court order, previously granted individual parole and employment authorization for FRP parolees remain in effect through their stated end dates while the injunction stands, and affected parolees may disregard prior termination notices during the stay.

Colombian beneficiaries cannot apply for FRP on their own. The National Visa Center sends written invitations by email or mail only to selected US citizen or lawful permanent resident petitioners whose Form I-130 is approved and whose beneficiary had not yet been issued an immigrant visa when the invitation went out. Invited petitioners have a 12-month deadline to file a separate Form I-134A online through myUSCIS for the principal beneficiary, each derivative spouse or unmarried child under age 21, and any eligible add-on spouse or unmarried child under 21.

The petitioner must show income and assets at 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for their household plus the supported beneficiaries, and may include co-supporters with financial proof and a shared-support statement. Derivative children must be under age 21 on the date USCIS receives Form I-134A, and marriage disqualifies any derivative child or any child of a Green Card holder petitioner. DHS also bars Colombian beneficiaries who crossed irregularly between US ports of entry after July 10, 2023 (with a narrow exception for a single voluntary departure under INA section 240B or withdrawal under INA section 235(a)(4)), were interdicted at sea after July 10, 2023, or have a removal order from the prior 5 years or an active removal bar.

If USCIS confirms Form I-134A, follow this Colombia FRP medical and travel checklist carefully so you do not trigger an automatic denial:

• Book an approved panel physician in Colombia: After receiving the USCIS CONFIRM notice, check Medical Exam Instructions on the US Embassy in Colombia website, contact an approved physician, and state that the exam is for USCIS's family reunification parole process.
• Pack every required item for your Colombia medical exam: Bring your valid passport, national ID card if applicable, USCIS CONFIRM notice showing your 9-digit beneficiary A-Number, vaccination card, relevant medical records and prescriptions, and a legal power of attorney if the examinee is under age 14 and neither mother nor father attends.
• Prepare the required white information sheet: Bring a white sheet of paper with your full name and 9-digit A-Number at the top, plus your Colombian home address, planned US residence address, email, phone numbers, and for women with children, a list of every child's birth date and country of birth.
• Never submit your myUSCIS medical attestation early: Wait until the panel physician finishes your exam, vaccinations, and any needed treatment and clears you of Class A conditions before attesting in myUSCIS. Attesting early blocks CBP One access and causes DHS to deny travel authorization for you and, if you are the principal beneficiary, for your derivatives.
• Fly commercially within 90 days to an interior US airport: After submitting your photo and details in the CBP One mobile app, an approved advance travel authorization is valid for 90 days for a single commercial flight to a US airport port of entry, never a land border. Principal beneficiaries must travel with or before derivatives, and children under 18 must travel in the custody of a parent or legal guardian carrying proof of relationship.
• Follow post-arrival parole rules: CBP considers arriving beneficiaries case-by-case for discretionary parole of up to 3 years. Once paroled, you can file Form I-765 under category (c)(11) for work authorization. You can also request a Social Security number in Part 2 (Items 13.a to 17.b) of Form I-765. You must report your US physical address if staying past 30 days and notify USCIS within 10 days of any move. You must also obtain Advance Parole via Form I-131 before leaving the United States, because departing automatically terminates your parole. Staying past your parole expiration without authorized status accrues unlawful presence, and accruing more than 180 days before departing triggers inadmissibility bars.

Global Entry eligibility and application rules for Colombian citizens

Colombian travelers can apply for expedited entry at major US airports through CBP's Global Entry Trusted Traveler Program. Citizens of Colombia are on CBP's list of eligible nationalities, subject to any additional requirements under Colombia's International Arrangement. Global Entry gives approved low-risk members expedited entry with reduced wait times, no processing lines, and no paperwork at major US airports.

Every Global Entry applicant must create a Global Online Enrollment System account, pay a non-refundable $120 application fee (cbp.gov, as of October 2026), and attend an in-person interview at a Global Entry Enrollment Center. There is no minimum age to enroll, and CBP waives the application fee for minors under age 18 when a legal guardian is already enrolled in Global Entry or in pending status. Applicants under 18 must have a parent or legal guardian's consent to participate and must have a parent or legal guardian present at the Enrollment Center interview, even if the guardian is not a Global Entry member.

Review CBP's strict background rules before paying the non-refundable program fee. CBP can deny Global Entry if you fall into any of these categories:

• Providing false or incomplete information on your Global Entry application.
• Having any criminal conviction, pending criminal charge, or outstanding warrant, including driving under the influence (DUI).
• Having violated any customs, immigration, or agriculture law or regulation in any country.
• Being under an ongoing investigation by any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency, or having been denied the purchase of a firearm.
• Being inadmissible to the United States under immigration regulations, including travelers holding an approved waiver of inadmissibility or entering on parole documentation, or failing to satisfy CBP of your low-risk status.

Practice example

What is the purpose of your trip to the United States, and when will you return to Colombia?

Start your answer by naming your exact reason for traveling, the US city you plan to visit, and your planned travel dates. Match every date, host name, and destination to the details you entered on your visa application. State clearly why your trip happens now, such as approved vacation leave, a medical visit, a business meeting, or a family event. Connect your return date to a specific commitment in Colombia, such as your job, your university classes, or family responsibilities at home. Know who is paying for your flights and lodging, and have your income figures ready in case the officer follows up. Keep your passport and supporting records organized in one folder, and hand over documents only when the consular officer asks for them.

The consular officer is checking whether your planned activities fit a temporary nonimmigrant visa category and whether your commitments in Colombia support a timely departure. Clear dates and consistent facts show you know your own itinerary without sounding rehearsed.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.