Moving to the USA from Colombia: Visas, Green Cards and Where to Apply

Colombia is not among the 39 countries restricted by Proclamation 10998, which took effect on January 1, 2026. Colombians can apply for visitor, student, work, and E visas.

Immigrant visas have been affected by two pauses:

• Colombia was also on the list of 75 countries whose immigrant visas were paused starting January 21, 2026. A federal court vacated that pause on August 21, 2026 (CLINIC v. Rubio), and the government has appealed, so the situation can still change.
• Since August 25, 2026, the State Department has paused immigrant visa interviews at US embassies and consulates worldwide while consular officers are trained on public charge reviews. Scheduled interviews were moved to later dates, and no restart date has been announced as of September 2026. Visitor, student, and temporary work visas are not part of this pause. Details: immigrant visa pause.

For an overview of every route, see our guide to US immigration and how US immigration works.

Yes. Colombia is not in the Visa Waiver Program, so you need a B-2 tourist or B-1 business visa. Complete the DS-160, pay the fee, give fingerprints and photos, and attend an interview in Bogota. Visitors cannot work in the US. Wait times for first-time visitor appointments in Bogota have often been long, so apply early. The State Department's guidance is to apply for a visitor or other temporary visa at the US embassy or consulate in the country where you live. Applying elsewhere is possible but can make it harder to show you qualify.

E-2 investor visa. Colombia's treaty with the US has been in force since 1948, so Colombian nationals qualify for both E-1 and E-2. E-2 visas for Colombians can be issued for up to 5 years at a time under the State Department's reciprocity table. You must invest a substantial amount in a real, operating business that you control. The business must do more than support you and your family.

EB-2 NIW. Colombian engineers, physicians, and other professionals increasingly use the National Interest Waiver, which does not need an employer. The standard is strict, so a well-documented plan matters.

H-1B. Since February 27, 2026, the H-1B lottery gives more entries to higher wage levels. A separate $100,000 fee on some new H-1B petitions (from a September 2025 proclamation) is being fought in court, with judges split as of September 2026. See H-1B $100k fee.

Students. Since September 15, 2026, new F-1 students are admitted until a fixed date instead of for "duration of status", so you may need to file for an extension if your program runs longer. See F-1 fixed admission period.

Family. Spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of US citizens have no annual cap. Siblings (F4) and married children (F3) wait many years. Colombians use rest-of-world dates in the Visa Bulletin.

Employment. EB-2 and EB-3 also use rest-of-world dates.

Diversity Visa. Colombian natives were not eligible for DV-2026 because more than 50,000 Colombians immigrated to the US in the previous five years. The Diversity Visa (DV) lottery is paused: visa issuance stopped on December 23, 2025, and DV-2027 registration never opened. See DV lottery paused.

Protection cases. If you fear returning to Colombia, talk to a licensed immigration lawyer about asylum before you travel or file anything. Entering the US on a visitor visa with a hidden plan to stay is visa fraud and can cause a permanent bar.

The US Embassy in Bogota handles all visa categories for Colombia. It also holds immigrant visa interviews for residents of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, and it is the designated immigrant visa post for Venezuelans. That regional load can make waits longer. Book appointments through the embassy's website and see our visa interview guide.

For immigrant visas, the State Department's Colombia page lists:

• Police certificate: a Certificado de Antecedentes Judiciales from the Policia Nacional (Ministry of Defense), free online, for applicants 18 and older. If the certificate says "Actualmente no es requerido por autoridad judicial" but shows past records, bring full court records with an English translation.
• Birth certificate: the Registro Civil de Nacimiento from the civil registry of the municipality of birth. Electronic copies are available from the Registraduria Nacional del Estado Civil.
• Marriage and divorce: the Registro Civil de Matrimonio, with any divorce noted on it.

Documents in Spanish need certified English translations.

The largest Colombian community is in South Florida (Doral, Kendall, and Weston near Miami), with a growing community in Orlando. Large communities also live in New York City (Jackson Heights in Queens), northern New Jersey (Elizabeth, Paterson, and Hackensack), Houston in Texas, and the Boston and Washington, DC areas. Colombian consulates and community groups help newcomers with documents and orientation.