Updated November 12, 2026

US Visa for Colombians: Visa Types, Bogota Embassy Process, and Interview Rules

Colombian citizens must obtain a U.S. visa in their passport before traveling to the United States, because visa-free entry applies only to nationalities in the Visa Waiver Program. For temporary trips, you submit Form DS-160, pay a non-refundable application fee, and schedule through the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, which opens new B1/B2 tourist visa interview appointments every Tuesday at 9 a.m. Under USCIS rules, an approved visitor visa lets you seek admission at a U.S. port of entry for an initial stay of 1 to 6 months when you show a legitimate purpose, sufficient funds, and binding ties to Colombia.

Do Colombians need a US visa? Where and how to start

Under State Department and U.S. Embassy in Colombia rules, a citizen of a foreign country seeking to enter the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa placed inside a passport issued by their country of citizenship or nationality. Only travelers who meet the requirements of the Visa Waiver Program can travel visa-free, so Colombian passport holders need a valid U.S. visa before boarding a flight or arriving at a U.S. port of entry.

Your path starts with deciding whether your trip is temporary or permanent. Nonimmigrant visas cover temporary stays for tourism, medical treatment, business, temporary work, study, or exchange programs. Immigrant visas are issued to foreign nationals who intend to live permanently in the United States.

Applicants for U.S. nonimmigrant visas should schedule their visa interview appointments at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence or nationality. In Colombia, consular visa services take place at the U.S. Embassy Consular Section at Carrera 45 No. 24B-27, Bogotá, D.C. You may also see an embassy notice about Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 1, 2026 and suspends or limits entry and visa issuance for nationals of 39 designated countries and travelers using documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority. Check the State Department website if you hold dual nationality or travel documents covered by that proclamation.

• Temporary travel (nonimmigrant): Complete Form DS-160 online, pay the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee in your country of residence, and schedule through the U.S. Embassy in Bogota.
• Permanent residence (immigrant): Start with a qualifying USCIS petition such as Form I-130 for a family relative, Form I-140 for an immigrant worker, or Form I-526 for a standalone investor, then complete Form DS-260 for consular processing.
• Already inside the United States in valid status: Eligible applicants seeking to extend or change nonimmigrant status file Form I-539 with USCIS, while eligible Green Card applicants inside the country file Form I-485 for adjustment of status.

Which US visa category fits your trip from Colombia?

Picking the right visa classification matters because every interview question tests whether your planned activities match the rules of that category. Most Colombian travelers apply for a B-1/B-2 visitor visa, which covers B-2 tourism, family visits, and medical treatment alongside B-1 temporary business activities of a commercial or professional nature.

If you plan to work temporarily in the United States, USCIS rules (last updated August 20, 2026) state that your prospective U.S. employer must generally file a nonimmigrant worker petition on your behalf with USCIS, using Form I-129, before you apply for a visa at the embassy. Only a few classifications allow temporary work without a prior employer petition, including E-1 treaty traders, E-2 treaty investors, and, in certain instances, F-1 and M-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors. The U.S. Embassy in Bogota processes new E-1 and E-2 investor visa applications and requires your complete application on your scheduled document drop-off date, or you risk significant delays and rescheduling.

Pay close attention to family rules when applying together. Under USCIS rules, spouses and children of a B-1 business visitor are not eligible for a dependent visa, so each accompanying family member must apply separately for a B-2 visitor visa. By contrast, temporary worker categories provide derivative visas for qualifying spouses and children, such as H-4 for H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, and H-3 workers, L-2 for L-1A and L-1B intracompany transferees, O-3 for O-1 workers, P-4 for P-1, P-2, and P-3 performers or athletes, and R-2 for R-1 religious workers. Since January 30, 2022, USCIS and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issue Forms I-94 with codes E-1S, E-2S, E-3S, and L-2S to qualifying E and L spouses as direct evidence of employment authorization without needing to file Form I-765.

Common U.S. visa categories for Colombian applicants (from co.usembassy.gov, travel.state.gov, and uscis.gov, as of November 2026 )

Step-by-step application process at US Embassy Bogota

Every Colombian applicant follows a structured sequence through the State Department's online forms and the Colombia visa appointment portal. Working through the steps in order prevents mismatched records and wasted travel to Bogota.

If you live outside Bogota in cities such as Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, or Bucaramanga, confirm every appointment date, biometrics or document drop-off instruction, and passport return option inside your Colombia appointment account before booking flights or hotels. The U.S. Embassy in Bogota also maintains additional DHL courier locations for applicants in Venezuela, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao.

• Step 1, Complete Form DS-160 or Form DS-260: Fill out the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application (Form DS-160) for temporary visas, or the Online Immigrant Visa Application (Form DS-260) for permanent residence cases, making sure your trip dates, work history, and family details are accurate.
• Step 2, Register on the Colombia appointment service: Open an account on the U.S. visa appointment portal for Colombia (which has separate paths for nonimmigrant and immigrant visas) to review required documents, current fee amounts, scheduling steps, and courier delivery services.
• Step 3, Pay the MRV application fee: Pay the nonimmigrant visa application (MRV) fee using one of the payment methods available in the country where you reside. Under U.S. Embassy in Colombia rules, visa application fees are strictly non-refundable and non-transferable.
• Step 4, Check Interview Waiver eligibility or book Bogota appointments: Follow the U.S. Embassy in Bogota instructions on its visa page and appointment portal to see whether you qualify for the Interview Waiver Program or need an in-person appointment at Carrera 45 No. 24B-27, Bogotá, D.C.
• Step 5, Adjust social media settings if required: If you are applying in one of the 21 designated student, worker, exchange, or K visa classes listed by the embassy, set all social media accounts to public before vetting.
• Step 6, Attend your interview and wait for visa issuance: Answer the consular officer's questions honestly and wait until your passport is returned with the issued visa before locking in non-changeable travel plans.

How to book or move up your Bogota appointment (Tuesday 9 a.m. rule )

High demand for B1/B2 tourist visas in Colombia means initial interview dates at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota can sit well ahead of your preferred travel window. You can check current estimated wait times for Bogota nonimmigrant visa interviews at any time through the wait times link on the U.S. Embassy in Colombia visa page.

To give applicants regular chances at closer dates, the U.S. Embassy in Bogota opens new interview appointments for B1/B2 tourist visas every Tuesday at 9 a.m., and may also release extra slots outside that weekly schedule. If you already hold a confirmed B1/B2 appointment, you can log into your Colombia visa appointment account on Tuesday mornings to search for an earlier day and reschedule. Because tourist visa demand is very high, not everyone looking for an earlier date gets one immediately, but the embassy notes that every Tuesday brings a fresh opportunity to try again.

Worked example written by our team (invented applicants): Mateo, an engineering manager in Medellin, needs to travel to Chicago to negotiate a supplier contract and wants his wife and young son to join him for sightseeing afterward. Because USCIS rules bar spouses and children from getting a dependent visa under B-1, Mateo applies for a B-1/B-2 visa while his wife and son each submit their own Form DS-160 and apply separately for B-2 visas, paying non-refundable MRV fees for each person. When their first available Bogota interview date falls later than Mateo's contract meeting, they check the Colombia appointment portal at 9 a.m. on consecutive Tuesdays until an earlier family slot opens, then fly to Bogota together for their interview at Carrera 45 No. 24B-27.

B-1/B-2 visitor requirements, ties to Colombia, and stay limits

Under USCIS B-1 Temporary Business Visitor guidance, permitted business activities include consulting with business associates, attending a scientific, educational, professional, or business convention or conference on specific dates, settling an estate, negotiating a contract, and participating in short-term training. Certain travelers transiting the United States, deadhead air crewmen, and qualifying personal or domestic employees accompanying nonimmigrants or U.S. citizens stationed abroad may also use B-1 status. Working for a U.S. employer outside approved B-1 activities violates status.

To qualify for a visitor visa and overcome refusal concerns, you must demonstrate five core points. Your trip must have a legitimate visitor purpose, last for a specific limited period, and be backed by sufficient funds to cover your travel and stay in the United States. You must also maintain a residence outside the United States that you have no intention of abandoning, have binding ties ensuring your return to Colombia, and be otherwise admissible.

Keep visa validity separate from your permitted stay. A visa in your Colombian passport allows you to travel to a U.S. port of entry and request admission. An immigration officer at the port of entry decides whether to admit you and sets your authorized stay on Form I-94. For B-1 visitors, USCIS lists an initial stay of 1 to 6 months in its stay schedule (with initial business admission authorized for the period necessary, up to 1 year maximum), and if you need to remain past your Form I-94 date without departing, you must file Form I-539 with USCIS before your stay expires.

USCIS stay and extension limits for B-1 visitors (from uscis.gov, updated January 25, 2025 )

What the consular officer checks at your Bogota visa interview

Consular interviews in Bogota move quickly, so clear, truthful answers that match your Form DS-160 or Form DS-260 carry far more weight than memorized speeches. The officer tests your purpose, your ties to Colombia, your funding, and any category-specific petition or qualification rules. Use the checklist below, written by our team, to organize your facts before arriving at Carrera 45 No. 24B-27.

• Trip purpose and dates: Be ready to explain why you are traveling, where you will stay, and your exact arrival and departure dates so the officer sees a specific, limited stay.
• Residence and binding ties in Colombia: Know your exact job title, tenure, monthly income, business registration, ongoing university studies, or immediate family obligations that anchor your permanent residence in Colombia.
• Trip funding: State clearly whether you, your employer, or a family member is covering flights and lodging, backed by verifiable income or bank records if requested.
• Petition or investor paperwork: For H, L, O, P, Q, or R work visas, know your approved USCIS Form I-129 details and employer role. For E-1 or E-2 treaty visas in Bogota, submit the complete application package on your scheduled document drop-off date.
• Security and arrival readiness: Check the Colombia appointment portal and confirmation instructions for prohibited electronics, bag restrictions, and check-in timing before traveling to the embassy.

Social media vetting rules for 21 visa categories

Before your interview or application review, check whether your visa classification requires public social media settings. Under U.S. Embassy in Colombia instructions, applicants in specific student, exchange, temporary worker, fiancé(e), and humanitarian categories must change the privacy setting on all social media accounts to public or open so consular staff can complete identity and admissibility vetting under U.S. law.

By our count from the U.S. Embassy in Colombia's visa notice, 21 listed nonimmigrant visa categories and dependent classes are subject to this public social media requirement, whereas standard B-1/B-2 visitor visas and E-1/E-2 treaty visas do not appear on the list.

• Domestic and diplomatic service employees: A-3, C-3 (if a domestic worker), and G-5.
• Specialty workers, trainees, and dependents: H-1B, H-3, and H-4 dependents of H-1B and H-3 holders.
• Students, media, and exchange visitors: F, I, J, M, and Q.
• Fiancé(e)s, spouses, and children of U.S. citizens: K-1, K-2, and K-3.
• Religious, treaty professional, and law enforcement categories: R-1, R-2, S, T, TN, TD, and U.

Accessibility, accommodations, and contacting US Embassy Bogota

The waiting room and restroom of the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota are wheelchair-accessible. If you or a family member has a disability or medical condition, the embassy encourages you to request a reasonable accommodation immediately after scheduling your appointment.

Available accommodations depend on individual needs and include scheduling an alternative appointment time in a quiet private space without distractions, allowing nonverbal responses with pen and paper if you cannot speak, permitting a sign language interpreter if you are deaf or hard of hearing, and providing communications in large print for low vision. Applicants unable to give fingerprints because of birth defects, physical deformities, or skin conditions may qualify for a fingerprint waiver for certain fingers. Medical interview waivers are granted only in extreme situations, such as a condition requiring transport in an air ambulance.

If you need to contact the Consular Section in Bogota about your case or an accommodation, use the embassy's online Visa Navigator. Under international diplomatic immunity norms and state sovereignty over visa decisions, the U.S. Embassy in Bogota does not respond to Colombian legal filings submitted as a Derecho de Peticion (right of petition) or a Tutela.

Practice example

What is the purpose of your trip to the United States, how long will you stay, and what do you do here in Colombia?

Start by naming your exact purpose, destination city, and planned dates in one direct sentence so they match your Form DS-160. If you are traveling on business, state the specific permitted activity, such as attending a professional conference on set dates or negotiating a contract, and make clear you are not taking local U.S. employment. Next, state your current occupation, business, or studies in Colombia, how long you have held that role, and who lives at your permanent residence to show binding ties you have no intention of abandoning. State clearly who is paying for your flights, lodging, and daily expenses so the officer sees you have sufficient funds for a limited stay. Have your current passport, Form DS-160 confirmation page, and verifiable proof of your employment, income, or conference registration organized in your folder, and hand documents over only if the officer asks to see them.

The consular officer is checking that your trip fits the visitor category, lasts for a specific limited period, is backed by sufficient funds, and leaves no doubt that you will return to an unabandoned residence in Colombia. Giving specific dates, work details, and payment facts in a few clear sentences matches your spoken answers to your Form DS-160 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.