Consulate Interview

[rdcooper]

I'm applying for the Pensionado Visa and need to go for an interview at the Argentine Consulate in Atlanta. What kind of questions do they ask you in the interview?

 

[Johngwyn]

I'm applying for the Pensionado Visa and need to go for an interview at the Argentine Consulate in Atlanta. What kind of questions do they ask you in the interview?

Why don't you come here on tourist visa free and adjust status in the country? That save a lot of energy.
For the interview just bring eveything and answer them honesty, you should be fine.

 

[steveinbsas]

What kind of questions do they ask you in the interview?

If you have never been to or spent very little time in the country, they might ask what prompted your decision to seek temporary residency in the first place.

If you are planning on long term retirement in Argentina, you might consider asking them if they think the requirement to make monthly bank transfers of five salarios mínimos mensuales (currently about $1500 USD will be raised by one or two monthly salarios mínimos in the next year or two.

Even though the monthly amount that you will be required to transfer will be "locked in" for the (first) full year in which you have the temporary residency, I think it would be a good question to ask, even if your pension income is :well above" the current amount (which is subject to change at ant time, without notice and without a Presidential decree.

I imagine they will not be able or willing to even try to answer that question. At the least, it's something to keep in mind. The monthly income reqirement did not change during the three years I had temporary residency, but when it did, shortly after I recieved permanent residency, the monthly income reqirement increased in dollars by a factor of three.

If that increase had gone into effect a few months earlier, I would not have been able to get the permanent residency, as my monthly "pension" income was below the new income reqirement by more than a factor of two.

 

[rdcooper]

Why don't you come here on tourist visa free and adjust status in the country? That save a lot of energy.
For the interview just bring eveything and answer them honesty, you should be fine.

I get a lot of different things being said by a lot of different sources. Some are saying you can't do that. That you have to apply with the Argentine Embassy of your country. I would really like to do this myself without paying an immigration attorney, but maybe I should.

 

[rdcooper]

If you have never been to or spent very little time in the country, they might ask what prompted your decision to seek temporary residency in the first place.

If you are planning on long term retirement in Argentina, you might consider asking them if they think the requirement to make monthly bank transfers of five salarios mínimos mensuales (currently about $1500 USD will be raised by one or two monthly salarios mínimos in the next year or two.

Even though the monthly amount that you will be required to transfer will be "locked in" for the (first) full year in which you have the temporary residency, I think it would be a good question to ask, even if your pension income is :well above" the current amount (which is subject to change at ant time, without notice and without a Presidential decree.

I imagine they will not be able or willing to even try to answer that question. At the least, it's something to keep in mind. The monthly income reqirement did not change during the three years I had temporary residency, but when it did, shortly after I recieved permanent residency, the monthly income reqirement increased in dollars by a factor of three.

If that increase had gone into effect a few months earlier, I would not have been able to get the permanent residency, as my monthly "pension" income was below the new income reqirement by more than a factor of two.

I've traveled to Europe but it's too costly to live there, and it seems a bit more difficult to get a visa. I just frankly don't want to live in the US anymore. It has nothing to do with politics, it's just that it isn't the same place I grew up in and Argentina has a lower cost of living, and a better culture. I'm not sure if those kinds of answers would hurt or help me.

 

[Stantucker]

I'm applying for the Pensionado Visa and need to go for an interview at the Argentine Consulate in Atlanta. What kind of questions do they ask you in the interview?

We applied first for pensionado residency and was then told they'd have to give us rentista residency (because we weren't receiving SS yet) through the Argentine Consulate in Atlanta nine years ago. They were great to work with, but that was nine years ago, and a lot could have changed. The only thing I remember them asking us was why we wanted to move to Argentina. They also informed us about the change in residencies.

 

[rdcooper]

I've traveled to Europe but it's too costly to live there, and it seems a bit more difficult to get a visa. I just frankly don't want to live in the US anymore. It has nothing to do with politics, it's just that it isn't the same place I grew up in and Argentina has a lower cost of living, and a better culture. I'm not sure if those kinds of answers would hurt or help me.

I'm almost 62 and I don't want to continue being in the workforce. I have other sources of income, but moving to Argentina would free me from the drudgery of working until I drop dead.

 

[steveinbsas]

I get a lot of different things being said by a lot of different sources. Some are saying you can't do that. That you have to apply with the Argentine Embassy of your country. I would really like to do this myself without paying an immigration attorney, but maybe I should.

I have never heard that the pension visa must be applied for in the Argentine Embassy of the home country. I applied in Argentina and an "immigration attorney" was not required. When I applied (as well as when I renewed (aka reapplied) each year for three years, there were signs on the walls at migraciones which indiicated (something to the effect) that a lawyer was not required and only one individual (a slightly overdressed Asian woman was there with a man (who looked very Argentine to me) in a business suit. He might have been a gestor, not a lawyer. The first time I applied for temporary residency, a woman from Uruguay went with me to act only as a translator. She was not a gestor. We were actually dating at the time. Everything went perfectly.

 

[Johngwyn]

I get a lot of different things being said by a lot of different sources. Some are saying you can't do that. That you have to apply with the Argentine Embassy of your country. I would really like to do this myself without paying an immigration attorney, but maybe I should.

Is it scheduled? If so, just be confident any brining everything to your interview.
Otherwise come to Argentina and adjust your status, migracion is better to deal with than consulate.
The source you refered to isn't wrong, it just for people needed visitor's visa to travel to Argentina generally considered unable to change status,
but for those people who entered visa free, they can adjust status within the country.
Even the worst case, just come and stay, apply to citizenship after 2 years. After all this is Argentina.