The Interview with the Consular Officer

Versión en español

The day and time of the visa interview is printed on the bar-code receipt issued by the Banco Union Colombiano. The day of the interview the applicant must arrive at the Embassy one-half hour before the stated appointment time. Those who arrive late will not be admitted and will have to request a new interview date.

Who may accompany the visa applicant to the interview?

Effective April 1, 2004, only the visa applicant will be admitted, unless the applicant is 14 years old or less, or the applicant is 80 years old or older. The Consular Officer will determine if he/she needs to interview additional individuals related to the applicant.

Effective April 1, 2004, children aged 13 or less and adults 80 years old or older are not required to appear at the Embassy for the interview.

Please note that the time assigned for your visa interview is when you may enter the Embassy, and not when the consular officer will see you. Due to the processing time for each passport and the fact that hundreds of applicants are interviewed each day, people who come to the Embassy should expect to wait up to four hours to be interviewed. Children aged 13 or less should not come to the interviews nor accompany their parents to the Embassy because the wait will be very difficult for them.

Please wear warm clothing and bring an umbrella. Part of the visa waiting area is outdoors and you may need to spend several hours waiting for your interview. Snacks and beverages are available for sale in the waiting area, but you may also bring your own.

Passports with visas are normally ready seven to 10 working days after the interview. The passport will be delivered to your home by a courier service called DOMESA. You will receive an application for DOMESA which you must complete and pay for at the DOMESA desk in the waiting room. If you do not pay DOMESA, you will not receive your visa.

There is no formal appeal process for visas which have been refused after an interview with a Consular Officer. A Supervisory Consular Officer reviews every refusal. Applicants may reapply following the normal application procedures, However, we do not encourage applicants to reapply unless there have been significant changes in their economic and/or professional situations, or they are better able to demonstrate their bona fide for Non-immigrant visa issuance.

Third country nationals

A citizen from a country other than Colombia who has a Colombian resident visa with a valid national ID card ("cédula de extranjería"), may apply for a U.S. visa in our Consular Section. If not, the applicant must return to her/his country of citizenship and apply for a U.S. visa at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.