clamping down on perma-tourists

[steveinbsas]

Except for the fact "Reasonable" and "Argentina" are like oil and water

Exactly! Even if there are negative economic consequences of denying foreigners (perma-tourists) reentry, it is still possible (if not probable) that it will happen (based on the reciprocity mentality)!

 

[azerty]

Well, my idea here is that if the only people being hassled at the border are citizens of the U.S., Canada or Australia, migraciones could be enforcing some reciprocal time limit that we've not been made aware of. This would not surprise me, as it seems that decisions are made rather hastily and without much notice.

If Azerty is a citizen of the U.S., Canada or Australia, then that would throw my hypothesis out the window.

As specified by mini, I have a european passport. But my question to the officer was not specificly for european citizens.

And Greg, scientists recently managed to mix oil and water, may be argentines will soon be enlighted to the path of reason

 

[Denver]

This forum is making me paranoid. I'm going to watch YouTube videos now.

Neil

 

[mini]

As specified by mini, I have a european passport. But my question to the officer was not specificly for european citizens.

And Greg, scientists recently managed to mix oil and water, may be argentines will soon be enlighted to the path of reason

The theory was -maybe- they were just being jerks to people from the US. But that doesn't seem to be the case either. So... the plot thickens...

 

[Napoleon]

I don't know if this is the right forum:

I was talking to an American family that just came into town on Monday (Feb 1st) and they said that they had to pay the entry fee at the airport.

US$132 and it's good for 10 years...

...as of today, if your passport is stamped on Day 1 with this current administration.

 

[HotYogaTeacher]

Of all my expat friends, I know two who work here and they both are here legally with work visas.

A new passport costs over $300 (US) by the time you pay for everything.

I have lived here for 2 years and have never earned an Argentine peso so spend all my dollars in Argentina, some I pay tax, some not, but that is according to the wishes of the merchants.

The Argentine government is not looking for tourists. Just don't leave...

 

[CoachGayle]

Bending the rules? With the lentitude of the Registro Civil, the choices are hard. I moved here, engaged to my now-husband, an Argentinian, and from first "tramite" to DNI it took FOUR AND A HALF YEARS.

Phase One: It took the RC about 18 months to approve our documents for our civil wedding, Sept 2005. Meanwhile I visited the US, Chile, Uruguay, etc, and the port migraciones office here as necessary for that stamp. At that time there was no problem, and in fact mentioning that I was going to be married brought smiles at Ezeiza migraciones.
Phase Two: Then it took just over a year (Jan 2007) to get an official Letter of Permanent Residency (which promised me a DNI from the Registo Civil in short order. So I continued with the above exit-reentry pattern, thought the Migraciones officer here said I need not bother as the fine for being illegal was cheaper than the price of the stamp! Everywhere migracions officials let me breeze through. The official even hand delivered my Residency Letter to me at my home with a smile!
Phase Three: Then it took 32 months for the DNI to arrive (Sept 2009)! We made constant trips to the RC. . . and were always told it would just be "a couple of months." The chocolate colored document came with a sneer after waiting in line for ages.

Wa I "bending the rules" I don't think so. The dreaded Registro Civil was not fulfilling its legal obligations in a timely manner, and that all the Migraciones officers understood that and made the whole thing as little fuss as possible.

The Registro Civil is NOT under the Ministry of the Interior, as is the Dept. of Migraciones, which appears to have ISO 9001 status... In fact, here the RC is a case study in how to disempower people, waste time, lose documents, drive people crazy. . . including the natives.

I understand that others' experiences with Migraciones may differ. . . there is something to be said for being in the sticks. The attention was personal and professional, and I was very grateful.

 

[nikad]

Bending the rules? With the lentitude of the Registro Civil, the choices are hard. I moved here, engaged to my now-husband, an Argentinian, and from first "tramite" to DNI it took FOUR AND A HALF YEARS.

Phase One: It took the RC about 18 months to approve our documents for our civil wedding, Sept 2005. Meanwhile I visited the US, Chile, Uruguay, etc, and the port migraciones office here as necessary for that stamp. At that time there was no problem, and in fact mentioning that I was going to be married brought smiles at Ezeiza migraciones.
Phase Two: Then it took just over a year (Jan 2007) to get an official Letter of Permanent Residency (which promised me a DNI from the Registo Civil in short order. So I continued with the above exit-reentry pattern, thought the Migraciones officer here said I need not bother as the fine for being illegal was cheaper than the price of the stamp! Everywhere migracions officials let me breeze through. The official even hand delivered my Residency Letter to me at my home with a smile!
Phase Three: Then it took 32 months for the DNI to arrive (Sept 2009)! We made constant trips to the RC. . . and were always told it would just be "a couple of months." The chocolate colored document came with a sneer after waiting in line for ages.

Wa I "bending the rules" I don't think so. The dreaded Registro Civil was not fulfilling its legal obligations in a timely manner, and that all the Migraciones officers understood that and made the whole thing as little fuss as possible.

The Registro Civil is NOT under the Ministry of the Interior, as is the Dept. of Migraciones, which appears to have ISO 9001 status... In fact, here the RC is a case study in how to disempower people, waste time, lose documents, drive people crazy. . . including the natives.

I understand that others' experiences with Migraciones may differ. . . there is something to be said for being in the sticks. The attention was personal and professional, and I was very grateful.

18 months to get you married??? I had never heard of a such thing. It took my husband since we got married til he got his perm residency and dni 2 and a half years and I thought that was excessive

 

[sesamosinsal]

Something tells me that this might be some of their concern:

Para el Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC), los mayores beneficiados por la suba de sueldos en 2009 fueron los trabajadores en negro. El cuestionado organismo informó hoy que los salarios subieron a lo largo de 2009 el 16,7 por ciento promedio, aunque con fuertes diferencias por sector.

~SOURCE

If undocumented workers are making more money than everyone else, the government is losing tax dollars...

 

[Pabloc]

Hi Everyone! I am writing this from the US...

I have been overstaying my visa routinely since 1992 as I have been going back and forth to Argentina for personal reasons. There was one period when I overstayed 2.5years (2001-4). I first started the Colonia routine and got sick of it. Yes the Colonia migraciones people are tougher.

I just paid the fine over and over and over in Ezeiza and I had no problems. I made the joke of having an Argentine novia and they always understood. On one occasion in 2004, I was yelled at after the guy in Migraciones saw a million stamps, but his boss told him to let me in as long as I had money and credit cards. The nice thing about US passports is that you can always get a new one. Yes it costs money. But you can just send in the old one and get a new one. I do that when I get too many stamps on the passport.

Other posters are correct: you never know when things might change. BUt I thought i would relate my experience. If they do yell at you, get a clean passport!