Entering US Embassy with expired tourist visa?? HELP!

[citygirl]

I would doubt it would cause any red flags at the US Embassy BUT better not to take any risks.

Go to Uruguay for the day, pay the 300 peso overstay fine & return with an up-to-date visa. Better to be in compliance before you deal with the US embassy.

AFAIK, I have never heard that you can renew your visa at migraciones once it has expired.

 

[nona]

Yes, I am a US citizen. The website I found that said you can renew up to 10 days is http://www.migraciones.gov.ar/accesible/?categorias. The 150 peso fine was also news to me. I had never heard that. This would also be the first time renewing this specific tourist visa because I entered Sept 8th, 2010, supposedly I can renew it even tho it is expired but with the 150 peso fine. BTW they told us that they had never heard of the 10 day thing, and that you can renew anytime after your visa is expired, along with the 150 peso fine.

What does a day trip to Colonia cost? I think it might end up being cheaper and easier to just pay at migraciones, but Im not sure. I would really love to not renew my visa and just risk it at the Embassy, but if we were denied because of that little catch I would be VERY mad.

 

[nona]

nona, chill o tranquiloooo! It is not the US's responsibility to enforce Argentine law, and it would be incredibly inappropriate to do that. I would have already gotten in trouble if that was the case at the US Embassy, cough, cough. (I am not a total beluda disclaimer: But to be fair to my fab Arg bros and sisters, I am not claiming a callous disrespect of your laws. My legal visa here for a university degree program is in tranmite thanks to the stupidly slow FBI antecedentes process. And while they are not Migraciones, I am acting in accordance the advice of the International Office of the school. Though they had no idea the FBI file would take this long to get. Thank you, thank you for not criminalizing my actions in the process--a measure of respect my country would not return. So I really appreciate it!!)

The only problem that it could remotely cause you might be if they the US immigration people want to grill you on your law abiding-ness. But if you have all the documentation, maybe some letters from family, I sure hope they won't give you heck!

Are you all planning on getting married within 90 days or do you know about a loophole I do not? I read on some pdf document about the visa that you have to make a sworn statement that you will get married in 90 days. dang! I just want to take my fiance to visit family first and not have a flash wedding, but they told me that was a tourist visa. blah!

Hey Emily,
Yes we are planning to get married. You can try to get a tourist visa but you have to have alot of proof holding you to your country to get one. Basically with a fiance visa you have to wait a long time, go through TONS of complicated paperwork, proof, and then once you get to the US you have 90 days to get married. If you dont get married your fiance must leave the country and good luck getting back in. If you are going to file a fiance visa I think you should be pretty serious about marrying because its very long, complicated and expensive.

 

[Katie]

Nona,

I've entered the U.S. embassy two times with an expired tourist visa and they never said a thing. I don't think they even looked at my visa pages, just checked to be sure my photo matched my face and waved me on my way. So unless something has changed I doubt you'll have a problem. Good luck with the interview!

 

[syngirl]

Hello All!

Now, the other part of this is, today we went to migraciones to renew my visa (I read online that you can renew an expired tourist visa up to 10 days after, no problems)

Yes, I am a US citizen. The website I found that said you can renew up to 10 days is http://www.migraciones.gov.ar/accesible/?categorias.

Nona you misread the site -- it says 10 days BEFORE expiry, not after

y dentro de los DIEZ (10) días anteriores al vencimiento de la residencia transitoria.

 

[syngirl]

lol -- wiat I'm an idiot -- I'm the one that misread -- I see where you saw:

ATENCIÓN IMPORTANTE: la misma tiene una validez de DIEZ (10) días corridos desde la fecha en que se expide tal Habilitación, durante ese periodo usted deberá hacer abandono del país, si se le venciera ese plazo, deberá solicitar una nueva Habilitación de salida y abonar nuevamente.

---

So I guess it's saying if you solicit in the 10 days after expiry -- did you wait until the 11th?

 

[steveinbsas]

ATENCIÓN IMPORTANTE: la misma tiene una validez de DIEZ (10) días corridos desde la fecha en que se expide tal Habilitación, durante ese periodo usted deberá hacer abandono del país, si se le venciera ese plazo, deberá solicitar una nueva Habilitación de salida y abonar nuevamente.

This sentence appears just before the above quote:

En el supuesto que la vigencia del visado haya expirado, NO PODRÁ PRORROGARSE TAL RESIDENCIA, a fin de hacer abandono del territorio nacional, deberá solicitar una HABILITACIÓN DE SALIDA.

The habilitacion de salida gives you ten days to leave or you have to pay again if you leave after ten days. Most who have overstayed their visas just wait until they go to the airport to pay the fine and receive the HABILITACIÓN DE SALIDA just prior to departure.

The following appears prior to all of the above:

PRÓRROGA:
Los pedidos de prórroga de residencia, así como la petición de cambio de categoría o subcategoría migratoria, deberán efectuarse dentro de los SESENTA (60) días anteriores al vencimiento de la residencia temporaria y dentro de los DIEZ (10) días anteriores al vencimiento de la residencia transitoria.

It means that you can renew a temporary resident visa no more than 60 days before it expires and you can extend a tourist visa no more than 10 days prior to it's expiration date.


This is also from the migraciones website and appears just before the previous quotes:

El extranjero que se presentara en forma espontánea y voluntaria dentro de los TREINTA (30) días de vencidos los plazos previstos en el punto anterior, sufrirá un recargo del CINCUENTA POR CIENTO (50%) del monto de la tasa prevista para el trámite de prórroga de residencia o para el cambio de categoría o subcategoría migratoria.

If you show up at migraciones "spontaneously and voluntarily" within 30 days of the expiration of your visa you will have to pay an $150 peso "surcharge" (in addition to the $300 fee) and you should then be able to get the prorroga (90 day extension) after all. I think this 30 day "grace period" is new, but I also doubt that it can be done more than once. Those who have gone for additional extensions have either received an "ultima prorroga" or have been told to leave the country and return with a new visa.