90 day visa

[steveinbsas]

Mini is correct. You were given your "last" 90 days in May. Let's just hope they give you 30 more today. Based on the experience of a few others, if you exit and reenter after the 27th you may only get 5 or 10 more days. It is unfortunate you did not understand what "ultima prorraga" meant in the first place. As I've said before, a little Spanish goes a long way here. What's especially troubling is that this happened last May, well before the new decreto was implemented.

Here are some relevant posts from the clamping down on perma-tourists thread:

Just got back from immigrations after being denied an extension on my tourist visa. Apparently, they're having a clamp-down on perma-tourists...and are only going to let us have a prorroga de resistencia one more time (or not at all in the case of me, and anyone else who has done it several times already!) I was told that my best option was to do the Uruguay crossing again...although I've heard people are having trouble with that too!
Time to get legal or get out!

Just to keep everyone updated. I've been going through the "getting a work visa" thing for over a month now and am still awaiting legality! I went to see an immigrations lawyer (a good one!) and was told that things have been changing (for the worse) as far as foreigners (no merco sur) and lax immigrations policies are concerned all year - and are getting stricter approximately every 3 months.
Basically, start the tramites to get your permanent visas (if you can) asap because they are only getting more difficult. And if you need to leave the country in the meantime, take as many of your official documents with you as possible (to prove that you're applying for the visa).
From what I'm being told, people with a lot of stamps in their passports are getting seriously grilled coming back in, or are given 30 days to sort themselves out...

My take is simple. We are granted limited 90 day tourist visas for a reason. If the country wanted certain groups to be permitted to say far longer than 90 days, they would grant us such a visa upon entry into the country. I'm sure Argentine law must cover enforcement of the tourist visa entry conditions.

We are currently granted a one-time extension of our tourist visa as a courtesy. If you are permitted to stay much longer than 180 days then you should consider yourself lucky to have benefited from relaxed enforcement.

If the government has now told its border officials to toughen up and enforce the stated limits, then we must accept it. No Argentine would be able to successfully argue for repeated extensions of their tourist visas in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand etc. We should respectfully expect the same.

I just wanted to confirm what others have been saying. I have been told my visa will not be extended at the terminal in Uruguay this morning. I only have one stamp from a trip 85 days ago to Colonia. The officer said he is not authorised to extend my current visa and I have been told I have to leave the country: it is forbidden to live here on a tourist visa and we are only allowed one extension by law.

I had to sign some document promising to leave in 5 days before I could board the ferry. I had to give my address in Argentina (that was somehow verified after a 20 minute wait) and my passport number was taken. I was also warned my passport number was now entered into a database and I would have serious problems if I tried to exit the country beyond my current visa.

I am sad that my time in Buenos Aires will be ended. But all good things come to an end. And I respect Argentina and its laws. If I am no longer welcome, then I don't want to be here anyway.

Please be careful folks!!!

Here's some information in English from a govt website:

http://www.argentina.gov.ar/argentina/portal/paginas.dhtml?pagina=1245

It includes the following:

"The maximum permanence time granted by the consular offices is of ninety (90) days, that can be extended only once, for the same period granted before, going to any of the delegations of Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (National Immigration Office), before expiration of the term originally granted. To get an extension of time the corresponding fee has to be paid. For more information, call the consulate of your jurisdiction."

There is no reference to the maximum number of days a foreigner can be in Argentina on a tourist visa in a twelve month period .

 

[gunt86]

It says at the bottom of the stamp on page 11 "ultima prorraga", which means that's your last extension and the new guy is basically going with that since he didn't give you another 90 days. I'm guessing if you want to stay you'll be paying the visa overstay at the airport.

Ah yes, now that you point it out, that is exactly what it says on Page 11. I was unable to make out the second word from the image. Sorry canuck, but you are done here. You now have two options:
1) overstay the visa and pay the fine of AR$300 when you finally leave
2) leave now and return in 6 months or more.

 

[French jurist]

Yes, it seems you are done here.
I wouldn't try to go to Colonia once again if I were you, you are likely to have a hard time reentering (or like said Steve, be given a final 10 days or so for you to leave the country).
When you go to Migraciones today you likely will be told that you need to leave the country.

The new decreto entered into effect on july 7th, and it starts being enforced.

Interestingly, you are Canadian so the enforcement does not concern only Spanish and Americans as anticipated for diplomacy reasons.
I wonder if people from the EU will have the same problems ?

Feedback will be appreciated from people in your situation

 

[AlexfromLA]

The new decreto doesn't seem to be specific to any one nationality ( and it shouldn't be ). Basically it should affect any non Mercosur or Unasur citizen.

It should definitely affect EU citizens, especially the way some EU nations are currently treating their own immigrants, even immigrants from other EU nations.

France recently started deporting Romanian and Bulgarian citizens basically because they are poor and Roma. That's their thing and they can run with it if their citizens agree, but don't then try to come to South America and expect better treatment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/world/europe/25briefs-ROMA.html?_r=1

The US is currently trying to do the same thing with Latin American immigrants.

Karma ?

 

[French jurist]

France recently started deporting Romanian and Bulgarian citizens basically because they are poor and Roma. That's their thing and they can run with it if their citizens agree, but don't then try to come to South America and expect better treatment.


Karma ?

What's the link with the OP ? Am I supposed to approve what they are doing because I'm french ? That's the third time, and the first I answer it, that you reply with this specific out-of-context argument.
Anyway, despite the restrictions, France has had up to one or two millions illegals provided with free healthcare (chirurgy operations costing up to 100.000 Eur paid by our taxes).

In fact there are more Argentineans living in France than the opposite.

If you want to embarass me with the fact I'm french, I'll give you more solid arguments :
- During the junta here, France sent militaries who had participated to the Algerian war to train other militaries here to torture
Or you could say :
- During the Malvinas war, after Argentina succesfully sunked a British ship using Exocets, France handed the Exocet deactivation codes to UK.
Or you could say :
about two years ago, an Argentinean was expelled from France and died during the process.

If you want to attack me in some way, at least do it in a good way with solid arguments, you are supposed to be above mediocrity, no ?

Like used to say our ex president Chirac (translated to castellano) : eso me toca una sin mover la otra (http://www.linguapop.com/article-2816437.html)

 

[gunt86]

- During the junta here, France sent militaries who had participated to the Algerian war to train other militaries here to torture

A great documentary film about this is
http://icarusfilms.com/new2004/squa.html

- During the Malvinas war, after Argentina succesfully sunked a British ship using Exocets, France handed the Exocet deactivation codes to UK.

I didn't know about this. I had read that the US had given the codes. I'd love to find out more about this.

 

[AlexfromLA]

It's not my fault if France is right now at this very moment deporting their Romanian and Bulgarian immigrants exactly at the same time Argentina is tightening up it's own illegal immigrant policies.

I did ask your opinion on the subject on two previous posts. But you chose not to reply. That is your right.

I am drawing parallels with what is currently going on in Europe, Argentina and the US with regards to illegal immigration.

Illegal immigration. I.E " permatourists ".

If the US and EU are currently doing these things to their own immigrants, should their citizens expect better treatment in other countries ?

Maybe it's time to rethink immigration.

That was my point. Nothing personal in what I am saying. As long as you keep it that way, so will I.

 

[French jurist]

I didn't know about this. I had read that the US had given the codes. I'd love to find out more about this.

I doubt (well I hope not in fact !) that the US had the Exocet deactivation codes, but I'll search for details.

What I remember is that Maggie had threatened to nuke Bs As, talked with Mitterrand (then the French President) and asked for the deactivation (could not be refused to our "ennemy brothers"). I'll try to post links if I find them

 

[AlexfromLA]

Are we talking legally or illegally ? I don't think France allows " permatourists ".

In fact there are more Argentineans living in France than the opposite.

 

[gracielle]

As well as enforcement of the new decree, perhaps it should also be considered that perma tourists maybe over doing their passage thru Colonia to renew.

SaraSara provided the forum with a link..... http://expatalley.com/living-on-a-renewable-90-day-tourist-visa-in-argentina-intro/

I found interesting one of the comments in the survey......
One of the questions asked is where do you renew your tourist visa?

One person answered....
" Twice in Mar del Plata. The first time was relatively smooth sailing. The second time was a nightmare – they couldn’t find the record of my most recent exit from the country to UY on Buquebus in the computer system. It caused all kinds of problems, but I finally got everything taken care of.Tip: If you live in a port city without its own branch of Migraciones, check to see if there is an immigration office at the Prefectura Naval (to process foreign sailors). I now renew just 10 minutes from my house in Quequén, and the officer is friendly and efficient.

In Prefectura Naval....the Arg Coast Guard. I wouldn't have thought of it in a million years!!!!

The following ports are located in the province of Buenos Aires....
San Pedro....San Nicolas....La Plata.....Mar del Plata.....Bahia Blanca....and
Quequen. San Pedro is may be the closest to capital, 157 km.