Going To The Usa For A Month- What Documents To Grab?

[MnParaPalermo]

Hey expats,

I am going to the USA in July for 3 weeks and I will be doing my tramites while I am up there. Currently, I am in the process of applying to La UBA and I need to pass a test of secondary school equivalency and supply my diploma+transcript. In addition to those documents, I will be grabbing a few more for my DNI.

I have read a few articles online, but they are dated from 2007-2012 and I am sure the rules have changed. From what I have gathered, though, my "document shopping list" should look something like this-

High School Diploma with apostille
High School Transcript with apostille
Birth Certificate (official) with legalisation from Argentine Consul and apostille
FBI criminal record (official and clean)
Digital fingerprints from local police station (2 copies)

I will be first applying for a student visa and then getting the DNI like Nicole Thompson in her website
https://nicolecthomp...tina-and-a-dni/

Anything else?

 

[steveinbsas]

Your FBI report must be authenticated by the State Department. See the FBI website for more information regarding the current procedure.

Just to be sure you know, you must send the fingerprint cards to the FBI to get the report. You don't need to bring any fingerprint cards to Argentina.

There has been some "debate" as to how long after it is issued the FBI report will be accepted by migraciones. You can be sure it is acceptable for at least 60 days.

You don't need the birth certificate and even when it was required, it had to have the Apostille from the Secretary of State in which you were born. There was never a need to have it "legalized" by the Argentine consulate. There is no reason for you to to go the Argentine consulate.

 

[MnParaPalermo]

Thanks Steve,

Looks like I just need the FBI report and school documents then. That will save me some time!

 

[Cecil Fox Palmer]

OP, about the high school equivalency test: it is not just one test. They are high school classes that you must take and pass. I tried doing this years ago with the same goal to get my DNI, so your case might be the same as mine. I had to take Cívica Argentina, Geografía Argentina, Literatura Argentina, and Historia Argentina. They were two-part and even three-part classes and the institute would only give you 3 classes at a time, so it would take me at least a year and a half to get all of that done. I took Spanish classes all of my life so I didn't need to take Spanish classes, but having seen my high school diploma and transcript in English, they quickly assumed I needed Spanish as well. My transcript proved otherwise. Still, one and a half years was too much for me, and I felt I was too old to start the CBC with a bunch of 17 year olds and go through 4 years of university again, so I decided not to go through with it. Perhaps you're down with it, but I'm just letting you know that it is quite a process.

 

[ElQueso]

I'm surprised that they wouldn't allow someone to take adult high school classes for the equivalency requirements of taking the classes at least. I know a number of people who have taken it for years of school (adult classes - people here who never graduated high school either from Argentina or other SA countries) who went at night for a year or two to get as much as 5-6 years of school equivalency (including a year or two of primary in one case). The classes can be "intensive" so they can be completed quickly and you your hours, days, etc.

Colegio Mariano Moreno was the one I know of where people have gone. Adults, most of them took classes at night, rapid study and supposed to be good for entering university.

 

[jeff1234]

I found that it was best to get my fingerprints done at a modern police station in the US, then mail them to the US from there, with a return envelope to Argentina. If you send them from Argentina it will be expensive.
Trivia: Strangely, despite several attempts I was not able to get an FBI report. I waited about 10 days then called them in Virginia. Each time they were very pleasant but told me my fingerprints were not readable. After some research I learned that after the age 50, fingerprints may fade. Thinking about turning a problem into an advantage, I'm considering become a burglar.

 

[MnParaPalermo]

OP, about the high school equivalency test: it is not just one test. They are high school classes that you must take and pass. I tried doing this years ago with the same goal to get my DNI, so your case might be the same as mine. I had to take Cívica Argentina, Geografía Argentina, Literatura Argentina, and Historia Argentina. They were two-part and even three-part classes and the institute would only give you 3 classes at a time, so it would take me at least a year and a half to get all of that done. I took Spanish classes all of my life so I didn't need to take Spanish classes, but having seen my high school diploma and transcript in English, they quickly assumed I needed Spanish as well. My transcript proved otherwise. Still, one and a half years was too much for me, and I felt I was too old to start the CBC with a bunch of 17 year olds and go through 4 years of university again, so I decided not to go through with it. Perhaps you're down with it, but I'm just letting you know that it is quite a process.

I think in "a few years", a lot has changed in the processes. First, if you take a look at this link http://estatico.buenosaires.gov.ar/areas/educacion/gestion_privada/docs/guia-alumn-extr.pdf you can see the whole tramitacion. You mentioned how they took a look at your school documents in english.. That's already a problem in the process. Before starting your tests at the school, you must present the translated version with a photocopy. Lastly, the CBC is a class with 18 years old for a 5-5.5 year career.

 

[MnParaPalermo]

I found that it was best to get my fingerprints done at a modern police station in the US, then mail them to the US from there, with a return envelope to Argentina. If you send them from Argentina it will be expensive.
Trivia: Strangely, despite several attempts I was not able to get an FBI report. I waited about 10 days then called them in Virginia. Each time they were very pleasant but told me my fingerprints were not readable. After some research I learned that after the age 50, fingerprints may fade. Thinking about turning a problem into an advantage, I'm considering become a burglar.

I read that digital fingerprints are the best to use in this process. Ink on paper is not commonly accepted by the FBI.

 

[wintermild]

Hi, I recently revalidated my German High School diploma and I think its the same for you guys. So the system changed by the end of last year.
Now you have to make fewer tests, because they put some of the subjects together. Also important to know: you DONT NEED to attend any classes at the school!


Where you have to do the tests depends on your adress. They assign you a school when you present your translated high school diploma (with apostilla) in the office in esmeralda 55 (thats the very first step of the process) and there they also give you the list with the subjects you will be tested on.

You just make the inscription for the tests in the school you have been assigned to one month before the actual test date. Normally they offer these tests 3x per year (in march, august and december). The inscription is always 1 month before. Then when you are at the school you ask for the program of the subject and they give you the study plan. There you have all the topics that they might ask you and a list of bibliography. I normally asked one of the teachers of the subject what to study and they marked the important topics on the list. Then I briefly studied (normally one day before, except for 'literatura', since I just had to read some books and poems) and took the exams. It was generally quite easy. Depends on the school you go to probably...I did it in San Telmo.

When you finish all the exams you have to take the "report card" from the school (takes up to 15 days to get, because the ministerio de educacion has to sign it).

Then you make a turno with the ministerio (online, always on the first of the month for the following month) and present all the documents (your translated diploma with apostilla and the argentine "report card" + copies of everything and your ID that you used for the tramite). From there it takes 7-15 days until you have the final document, which you can present in the UBA. In these 15 days they give you a "constancia" for you to prove that your document is being processed.

If you have any questions you can write me.

Good luck!

 

[MnParaPalermo]

Wintermild, thanks very much for that post! That is the exact process that I was anticipating; I'm glad that there is another on the forums in this situation.