COLOMBIA –Mercosur Visa Approvals Temporarily Suspended for Venezuelan Nationals
The Government of Colombia has temporarily suspended approval of Mercosur visa applications by Venezuelan nationals due to lack of reciprocity from the Venezuelan Government. Effective 10 November 2014, no Mercosur visa applications filed by Venezuelan applicants will be accepted by the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, until further notice.
What is the Mercosur Visa in Colombia?
The Mercosur Immigration Agreement enables foreign nationals from signatories with a reciprocal arrangement (Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay and, previously, Venezuela) to obtain a temporary residence visa in Colombia for a period of two years with work and/or study permission during their stay.
Background
Although the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela was included in the Mercosur Agreement in 2006, the Venezuelan Government has not developed a reciprocal Mercosur visa option for Colombians. According to the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the temporary suspension of Venezuelan citizens from Mercosur immigration benefits “takes place due to an International Treaty and Agreement compliance commitment review” in which it was determined that Venezuela’s reciprocity commitment with Colombia was not being honored.
Action Items
- Note that Venezuelan nationals may not currently apply for a Mercosur Visa in Colombia, and must instead use a longer and more complicated standard visa process such as the TP-4 Temporary Work Visa.
- Peregrine will continue to monitor the situation and will keep you updated. Immiguru and Immigo, Peregrine’s global immigration management software products, have been updated to reflect the change.
