I have multiple reasons to move to La Paz

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I have multiple reasons to move to La Paz

by Tyler
(Olympia, Wa)

I want to move to La Paz to be with my Bolivian fiancee. I realized that our finances would be better if I stayed in La Paz. I studied abroad this time last year (2010) on a tourist visa. I stayed for 3 months on the tourist visa and was allowed an extension at the border for another 3 months.

I am attending a university that will allow me to study abroad for up to one more year. This would complete my degree. I can collect my Financial aid and use it towards living expenses and making a documentary on how important education is in La Paz. (I was surprised at how many people younger than me were biologists and scientists amongst my friends.) My university would allow me to do this as independent research.

My fiancees mother has an official non-governmental organization that would sponsor the research. She supports what I do and us as a unit.

I am not a wealthy man by any means. I have been working the last 2 years with the Americorps program (not the one where you get paid anything except a very small scholarship of 2500 usd.) I have been living with financial aid and working as a full time volunteer ESL teacher.

Which angle should I use with the government of Bolivia. I would hate to emphasize anything that is meaningless to them, or have them discover I am doing anything they consider weird. I essentially just want to move back to where I found myself able to learn, and where I was appreciated for my compassion and respect.

Should I just say I am going there to marry?
Should I talk about how I will be a student at an American University? Should I put down 30 days or intending immigrant in the application "length of stay"?

With only a 1% immigration population there is really no way to google search for answers unless I know what to look for.

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I have multiple reasons to move to La Paz

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Mar 05, 2011

expat and visa information
by: BoliviaBella

By the way, although there is a small immigrant population in Bolivia, there is a really large American community. One of the first things you should do when you arrive is to register with the American Embassy. This is good because if for any reason there is an emergency involving you, they would know who to contact for you both in Bolivia and in the US. Also, they regularly notify the US expat population in Bolivia if there is anything serious we really need to know about.

There is an English-speaking church on Calle 10 of Calacoto (Zona Sur) in La Paz and an American school (also Calle 10 Calacoto) but you may already know that. You don't have to spend time with foreigners if you don't want to. It's usually helpful to have a couple of contacts in case you need them.

Also, not sure when you are coming to Bolivia but you should request (from the Bolivian Consulate) all the latest visa information right before you apply and use the information I have online as information (not legal advice). I say this because things often change quickly here. Also, authorities seem to "interpret" the law differently from one city to the next.

I hope you have an awesome time in Bolivia.
Bella.

Mar 05, 2011

getting a visa for la paz bolivia
by: BoliviaBella

Hi. If you are going to stay more than 90 days you will automatically have to come on the specific purpose visa and not a tourist visa. They are no longer allowing extensions of tourist visas for Americans and tourists from some other nationalities.

The specific purpose visa (visa de objeto determinado) costs $85 at the Bolivian consulate of your choice in the U.S. (the most organized one seems to be the one in Washington DC however, and you can do it all by courier).

One of the requirements, is that you include a letter of intended purpose. In that letter you'd want to tell them the truth. That you plan to live and study in La Paz for at least one year, and that you also are engaged to a Bolivian woman. They don't require a lot of detail, but it would help to have a brief letter from your fiancees mom's NGO stating that you will be doing an internship with them for one year.

The specific purpose visa gives you only 30 days to begin your application for residency in Bolivia and there are several places to go, things to pay, documents to get, etc. so you should begin right away as soon as you arrive in La Paz. What this means is that you have to gather all the requirements and turn them in before your 30th day in the country. Once you've turned in the residency application (and your passport so they can stamp it), they give you a document that states your residency application is "en trámite" (in progress) and you are allowed to stay in Bolivia with no further requirements for as long as it takes for them to get your stamped passport back to you (usually 2-4 weeks). You will initially be given 1 year of residency. Once you are a resident, it's just a matter of renewing if you like.

Once you have your residency you should be sure you don't LEAVE the country for more than 90 days per year (if for some reason you should want to travel somewhere). Being out of Bolivia for 90 days will annul your residency and you'd have to request it all over again.

I've set up a whole section about Bolivia visa requirements on my website as well as a Bolivia visa requirements forum. I think you might enjoy taking a look and if you have any questions, you can just click on the little green button on the left side website navigation bar on every page of the site to contact me. It says TELL BELLA. Check it out here:

My website home page

My visa page

My visa forum

Cheers
Bella.

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I have multiple reasons to move to La Paz

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I have multiple reasons to move to La Paz