I've got three main questions basically, though the first isn't about studying. If I'm not mistaken, there are only two ways (marriage excluded) to extend one's stay in Colombia without leaving the country.
- Study Spanish
- apply for the Digital Nomad visa
1 - Is this correct, or are there more ways?
With the somewhat recent Resolución 5477, it seems both studying Spanish and going for a degree from a university are both Visitor visas now. From my understanding, getting a visa to study Spanish was possible from within the country (ex, if you were already in the country as a tourist), while going the university route required applying from a consulate in one's own country.
2 - With this reclassification of sorts, do all student visas now require applying from one's home country?
I also read about providing bank statements for the past 6 months showing $2,500/mo in deposits if one is applying for a student visa on their own. I ask because I have enough savings but no income which makes me question if I might even be able to study Spanish at all. I spent 6 months in Colombia between 2021 and 2022 and know that $2,500/mo is about 4x what I would otherwise normally spend there in my day-to-day living.
3 - Is that specific financial requirement needed when working in tandem with (ie, being sponsored by) an accredited Spanish school to gain admittance to their course?