How to get visas in the US, UK and other countries in pandemic? – Government – Politics

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many of the previous procedures were suspended or there were changes in the way they were performed.

One of the changes that has taken place to prevent the spread of coronavirus has been the issuance of visas in Colombia, so here we tell you how these procedures work during the health emergency.

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UK

Colombians need a visa to go to the UK. A visa in England is practically required on the immigration office’s website.

There are several types of visas for England:

– Tourist visa.
– Student visa.
– Work visa.
– Transit visa.

In the midst of the pandemic, the embassy indicates that virtually all requests are being made at this time. The estimated time it can take to apply for a tourist visa in the United Kingdom is 3 months, and the approximate cost of this type of visa is $ 420,000 Colombian pesos. With this visa you can be in the country for up to 6 months, if you do not request a renewal or an extension of the visa.

(To see the visa costs you can click here)

Once you know what visa you need, you need to prepare the necessary evidence and documents. After that, you need to apply, and the embassy will tell you how to follow the process to complete the biometric procedure.

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As of 31 August 2020, visas and immigration from the United Kingdom have begun the gradual resumption of services at the United Kingdom’s visa application centers in Bogota and Medellín.

US

Due to the pandemic, the US embassy in Colombia assured a few days ago that There are still blocked applications for visa issuance, so it will give priority to exceptional cases and applications before May 2020.

Likewise, priority is given to cases of immediate relatives of American citizens, spouses, children, fiancés and parents of Americans.

The embassy noted that since March 1 last year, the number of daily immigrant visa interviews and the range of services have increased.

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The Embassy also reminds that it can carry out visa processes for immigrants of all categories and will begin reviewing these cases in accordance with their priority plan. “It will take some time before we can participate in waiting for the interview. Once we can schedule your case, you will receive an email with additional details,” he warns.

Currently, some of the requests that can already be made are:

Tourist / business visas (B1 / B2) and crew (C1 / D)
You can now apply for tourist / business visas (B1 / B2) and crew (C1 / D) for those who are eligible to drop out of the interview based on age or renewal.

Visa F, M or J to study
Applicants to study in the United States with an F, M, or J visa (excluding English as a Second Language programs) can now apply for a visa.

Emergencies
You can also apply for a visa if you are in an emergency. In this case, the US Embassy in Bogotá recommends contacting them to see if you are applying for this case.

Remember that appointments for other regular services, including first-time tourist visa applications, are still pending.

The State Department will extend the validity of visa payments for immigrants (known as MRV fees) until September 30, 2022, to allow all applicants who could not schedule a visa meeting due to the suspension of routine consular operations, the possibility to to schedule and / or participate in paid programming that they have already made.

Germany

Due to the development of the pandemic in Colombia and Europe, it is currently only possible to receive visa applications at the German Embassy in Bogotá in some cases and you must have all the necessary documents.

You can request an appointment for your procedure through the website to:

1. Visa processing:

• Requests for family reunification (with a spouse; with a German minor child; with a minor with his / her father / mother; with a father with his / her German child or with a visa to marry in Germany). In these cases, a relative who is a German citizen or resident may enter Germany at the same time as the applicant, for example, the spouse or minor child.

• Applications for skilled or highly skilled workers, belonging to any of the following categories of applications:

– Qualified staff who have an employment contract related to the following articles of the Law on Residence in Germany.
– Scientist / researcher
– The officers sent
– Directors, managers and specialists
– Systems specialists
– Jobs of special public interest

• Self-employed

• “AU Pairs”

• Students whose studies cannot be carried out abroad.

• Students in primary and secondary education who attend courses in an educational center for at least six months.

• Apprentices who undergo qualified training.

• Participants in a “Qualifizierungsmaßnahme”

• Volunteers

• Diplomats, staff of international organizations, military personnel and humanitarian workers who have to work in Germany.

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• Passengers in transit.

• People in need of international humanitarian protection

2. Extension of the visa already issued

The Embassy emphasizes that the supply of appointments is generally limited; most appointments for the next few weeks have already been booked.

(To know all the details on how to proceed, you can click here)

Canada

Visa application centers are open from October 2020. This way you can carry out your process normally.

To apply for a visa, we recommend:
– Prepare your application
– Deliver your passport and apply for a visa
– After you submit your application to the Visa Application Center, your employees will verify that your file is complete in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada and will submit your application on your behalf on next at hand.

The visa office will assess your application and make a decision, after which a visa passport will be attached to your passport or a letter will be sent to you explaining the reasons for the refusal.

The Visa Office will then securely send your passport to the Visa Application Center, which will inform you via your preferred method of communication. An update will also be provided to the online application tracking system and you will be informed that your passport is ready to be returned to you. You can then go in person to the Visa Application Center to pick up your passport.

Once submitted, you can easily track your visa application.

(Get all the details here)

Australia

To go to this country you can usually process a visa:

– Student visa (subclass 500)
– Temporary work visa (short-stay activity) (subclass 400)
– Transit visa (subclass 771)
– Official visits – Business (subclass 600)
– Visitor visa (tourist category) (subclass 600)

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Remember You must provide the airline with proof of a negative covid-19 (PCR) test when you register for your flight at the point of departure.

(To find out the details of the process you can click here)

LUISA MERCADO
POLITICAL WRITING
Twitter: @PoliticaET

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