The situation
According to an observed change in practice, Chilean nationals are no longer able to apply for Mercosur visas to Colombia.
Impact
- Applying for alternate visas to Colombia. Chilean nationals seeking to work or reside in Colombia should contact their immigration professional to discuss alternate visa types, such as Migrant Worker visas or visa types based on the activities to be performed in Colombia.
- Chilean nationals currently on Mercosur visas. Chilean nationals currently holding Mercosur visas to Colombia will still be authorized to live and work in Colombia and will not have their visas canceled.
Background
In 2016, Chile decided to restrict Colombia nationals from obtaining Mercosur visas to Chile since the country is not a full member of the Mercosur South American trade bloc, but rather an associate member. Due to a change in government which is leading to more restrictive immigration practices, Colombia has now decided to impose reciprocal restrictions on Chilean nationals.
Looking ahead
This restriction is likely to remain in place until Chile allows Colombian nationals to apply for a Mercosur visa in Chile, which is unlikely to occur in the near future.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
Explore more at Fragomen
Media mentions
Partner Daniel Pierce discussed the implications of the US Supreme Court's latest Temporary Protected Status ruling.
Blog post
In this blog, Senior Counsel Jo Antoon explores what multinational employers need to know about pay transparency, cross-border workers and mobility-related compensation differences as implementation unfolds across the EU.
Media mentions
Immigration Supervisor Sanjay Parmar discussed how recent UK Basic Compliance Assessment changes are driving universities toward more data-led, proactive compliance management.
Blog post
In this blog, Fragomen’s Nadine Barnole, Jonathan Hill, Anastasia Vasiljeva and Nicole Williams examine how higher Skilled Worker salary thresholds, rising sponsorship costs and proposed Graduate Route changes are making it harder for employers to attract and retain international engineering talent.
Media mentions
Practice Leader Colm Collins explains how Ireland's employment permit updates can help employers address workforce shortages while strengthening the country's ability to attract global talent.
Blog post
Senior Associate Arta Djahanschiri and Associate Iris Barthel discuss how EU-Turkey Association Law, including Association Council Decision No. 1/80, can provide Turkish employees and their family members in Germany with residence and labor market rights that may extend beyond protections available under the German Residence Act.
Media mentions
Poland Immigration Strategy Director Tomasz Rogala and Senior Associate Tomasz Rdzanek explain Polish legislative changes affecting residence rights, employment authorization and long-term immigration pathways.
Media mentions
Partner Marius Tollenaere and Associate Jamela Sharrock examine how employers in Germany can strengthen immigration compliance by embedding it into every stage of the employment lifecycle.
Podcast
In this episode of The Immigration Conversation, Partner Chad Blocker, Senior Counsel Mitchell Wexler and Associate Alex Kim discuss what prospective EB-5 applicants should know now, including source-of-funds documentation, project selection, concurrent filing, retrogression and upcoming program deadlines.
Blog post
In this blog, Partner Jo Antoons and Senior Manager Marina Ocariz discuss the EU’s provisional agreement on revised social security coordination rules and what employers should know about the expected changes to A1 certificate requirements, posted worker rules and short-term cross-border work compliance.
Blog post
In this blog, Partner Rahul Soni explains the EB-5 grandfathering provisions under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 and why prospective investors should consider filing before the September 30, 2026 deadline to help preserve statutory protections and reduce exposure to future program uncertainty.
Video
In this video, Practice Leader Kate Praphakornphiphat explains the key requirements, documents, fees and processing time for a Thailand tourist visa, as well as stay duration and extension options for short-term travel.
Media mentions
Partner Daniel Pierce discussed the implications of the US Supreme Court's latest Temporary Protected Status ruling.
Blog post
In this blog, Senior Counsel Jo Antoon explores what multinational employers need to know about pay transparency, cross-border workers and mobility-related compensation differences as implementation unfolds across the EU.
Media mentions
Immigration Supervisor Sanjay Parmar discussed how recent UK Basic Compliance Assessment changes are driving universities toward more data-led, proactive compliance management.
Blog post
In this blog, Fragomen’s Nadine Barnole, Jonathan Hill, Anastasia Vasiljeva and Nicole Williams examine how higher Skilled Worker salary thresholds, rising sponsorship costs and proposed Graduate Route changes are making it harder for employers to attract and retain international engineering talent.
Media mentions
Practice Leader Colm Collins explains how Ireland's employment permit updates can help employers address workforce shortages while strengthening the country's ability to attract global talent.
Blog post
Senior Associate Arta Djahanschiri and Associate Iris Barthel discuss how EU-Turkey Association Law, including Association Council Decision No. 1/80, can provide Turkish employees and their family members in Germany with residence and labor market rights that may extend beyond protections available under the German Residence Act.
Media mentions
Poland Immigration Strategy Director Tomasz Rogala and Senior Associate Tomasz Rdzanek explain Polish legislative changes affecting residence rights, employment authorization and long-term immigration pathways.
Media mentions
Partner Marius Tollenaere and Associate Jamela Sharrock examine how employers in Germany can strengthen immigration compliance by embedding it into every stage of the employment lifecycle.
Podcast
In this episode of The Immigration Conversation, Partner Chad Blocker, Senior Counsel Mitchell Wexler and Associate Alex Kim discuss what prospective EB-5 applicants should know now, including source-of-funds documentation, project selection, concurrent filing, retrogression and upcoming program deadlines.
Blog post
In this blog, Partner Jo Antoons and Senior Manager Marina Ocariz discuss the EU’s provisional agreement on revised social security coordination rules and what employers should know about the expected changes to A1 certificate requirements, posted worker rules and short-term cross-border work compliance.
Blog post
In this blog, Partner Rahul Soni explains the EB-5 grandfathering provisions under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 and why prospective investors should consider filing before the September 30, 2026 deadline to help preserve statutory protections and reduce exposure to future program uncertainty.
Video
In this video, Practice Leader Kate Praphakornphiphat explains the key requirements, documents, fees and processing time for a Thailand tourist visa, as well as stay duration and extension options for short-term travel.
