Colombia Free Trade Agreement

TLC: Colombia - USA from 7 Billion Actions on Vimeo.

Hot topics and recent news on the Colombia Free Trade Agreement :
- Recent News on Colombia and the Colombia Free Trade Agreement
- Visas for Colombia - clic aqui
- Visas for the United States - clic aqui
- Setting up Corporations in Colombia - clic aqui

Topics of Interest:

Recent News and Developments on the Colombia FTA, Free Trade Agreement
150 Planned Activities for the FTA/TLC in Colombia and the United States
TLC Stories Outline by the El Colombiano News Paper (El Colombiano Newspaper)
Signing of free trade by President Obama: (http://m.elcolombiano.com)

The United Fresh Produce Association 22,500 Jobs ( http://www.freshplaza.com )

President Santos Names New Cabinet Members and Appoints FTA ZAR (http://m.elcolombiano.com)

Hernando José Gómez is the Colombia FTA ZAR.: (http://www.tlc.com.co/noticias.php?id_new=192)

The Time for Cacao (www.dinero.com)

Opportunites in the Textiles Sector (http://www.dinero.com)

Visas for Colombia

COLOMBIA VISA LIST
NE - Business Visa (Visa de Negocios) for short trips when tourist visa does not provide time needed
TS - Temporary Special (Temporal Especial) Associate or Business Owners Visa - (Socio o Propietario) to Set Up A Business In Colombia
TT - Colombia Work Visa (Temporal Trabajador) - Professional Degree Holding or Certified Workers
RI - Permanent Colombia Investors Visa (Residente Inversionista) - Residency for Direct Foreign Investors > $100,000 USD

*For other types of visas available in Colombia please click here

Visas for the United States

UNATED STATES VISA LIST
E1, E2 - Business Owner or Business Investors Visa
H-1B - Work visas for well qualified managers or speicalized workers
J1 - Worker and cultural exchange visas
L1 - Worker Interchange Program

OFFICIAL AVERAGE VISA PROCESSING TIMES FOR THE UNITED STATES:
Select Service center Location and Look for Visa Form on List to see USCIS (United States Citizen and Immigration Services) processing time average.
https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplayInit.do

Setting up your Corporation in Colombia

Incorporation, and getting licensed: All business licenses are issued by the Camara de Comercio (Chamber of Commerce) in the city which you will be doing business. The most popular types of corporations are the SAS, and SA corporations. If you are setting up a small mom and pop type business with 1 partner the Persona Natural, or Sole Proprietor business license is what you want. We have several lawyers on staff which can assist with setting up SAS and SA corporations.

Colombia Imports and Exports: We recommend this page to help you get you started. (This website is in Spanish) http://www.ProExport.com.co

Setting up a Bank Account in Colombia.

First, setting up a bank account or wiring money to Colombia at a reasonable rate is dificult. Second, most banks will not let new comers open up accounts at banks without going through enormous amounts of bureaucracy and time. Rembember you have to convince the Colombians that your not laundering money, and any foreigner is considered guilty until proven innocent. The most difficult banks are BanColombia and Banco de Bogota. Requirements vary between banks.

A tip for wiring MONEY TO COLOMBIA: Expats find it very frustrating to get started. Investment accounts with brokerage firms in Colombia offer a faster solution and allow you to buid up credit in Colombia.

Contact James@ColombiaVisas.com if you would like assitance with this process.

Contact James Lindzey for help setting up businesses in Colombia or in the United States.

Official English Translations Provided by Visas y Tramites Internacionales, for official businesss translation services contact James@ColombiaVisas.com, USA 1-305-767-2766 or Colombia 57-4-444-6634.

COLOMBIA FACT SHEET: http://www1.internationalliving.com/sem/country/colombia/report/ppc.html

Click here for more information on visas for the United States, or You can Fill up the quick contact form on the right.