More than 4.7 million Colombians reside abroad, according to data from the Foreign Ministry, most of them based in countries such as the United States, Venezuela, Spain, Ecuador and Canada.
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However, in recent years there has been an increase in irregular migration by fellow nationals to countries such as the US. By March, according to Customs and Border Control, authorities detained 15,144 Colombians trying to illegally enter this country through the southern border..
The phenomenon, however, does not remain irregular. Last month, in fact, an increase in Google searches on how to obtain visas and passports was reported, mainly in Bucaramanga, Cúcuta and Medellín.
In this context, the Ocassio company, specialized in student procedures abroad, issued a guide highlighting the importance of knowing exactly how to carry out an immigration process so as not to fall into traps and do it in an informed manner.
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Is it better to live abroad?
According to the agency, it depends. For many Colombians, migrating to another country can mean earning a more competitive currency than the national currency and living in a place with better security and quality of life rates.
However, there are other factors to take into account such as the cost of living, which increases in the richest countries, where more taxes are paid.or stability, because if someone arrives with their family they will have to find housing, work and study if they are with children, an important burden when starting from scratch.
Besides that, Yuliana Martínez, director of Ocassio, explained that one must be careful with money when migrating because, contrary to the established goal of having greater financial freedom, a person can end up more in debt than they were while living in Colombia..
“Places like the United States give the option of getting into debt more easily than in Colombia. Credit cards are delivered there even to international students with significant quotas. So, if someone is not financially organized and starts earning in dollars and receives money weekly, you may make mistakes or take unhealthy financial habits,” stressed the expert.
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However, he also noted that with good money management, people can cover “basic needs” that other countries present, such as having a car, which for some cities is essential to get around.
What requirements are there to migrate?
If someone is not financially organized and starts earning in dollars and receives money weekly, they may make mistakes or take unhealthy financial habits.
If the plan is to do it legally, you have to take into account some guidelines that experts recommend when migrating. The first is that it is not mandatory to know the language of the country to which you are moving, it is important to learn it in order to facilitate the procedures and obtain better employment opportunities.
Similarly, the statement that says that to migrate you need to be professional is false. People can apply for student visas, even if it is only for one language, with which they can later apply for a work visa to settle in the desired country.
It should also be borne in mind that there is no age limit for doing this process. Countries, especially in Europe, still consider people over 65 years of age to be economically active, so an elderly person can apply for work visas.
Of course, you must review the specifications for each country and the type of visa you want to apply for.
Is migrating the same as traveling?
For Ocassio, this is a myth. The migration process, on the one hand, requires having clear factors such as stay or residence permits issued for the long term, fixed housing for a certain period of time and a place of study or work to practice during the time of migration.
Many people believe that one option to migrate is to do it as a tourist, but the latter requires investment plans that must be made in advance.
“Conditions, costs and a different mentality are needed, so “migrating” as a tourist is not usually the best option, since, if the plan is to stay, you will quickly become illegal and a series of problems will arise that will easily will end up in deportation,” Martinez said.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
TIME
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