American Visa is a 2005 Bolivia/Mexico-produced film written and directed by Juan Carlos Valdivia and based on Juan de Recacoechea's novel. The film is set in La Paz, Bolivia, and features many exterior shots of the city and surrounding countryside.

Mario is a retired English teacher from the Bolivian countryside. Leaving his career, his home, his town and his past, he sets out to follow his dream of seeing the United States. Mario hopes to become a part of the American dream; America to him is opportunity, stability, and a place to escape from his old life and reunite with his now adult son.

Mario arrives in La Paz in order to secure a travel visa for the US. Once there, he meets and befriends Blanca, an exotic dancer at the local strip club. But Mario is a diligent man, and he is willing to revert to any measure possible to obtain that one thing which he wants most: a life in the United States.