Just a reassurance for Visa Runners to Colonia

[Liam3494]

As other threads have been mentioning recently, a set of new decrees have been issued by the Argentine Govt which, on the face of it, seem to be scaring the so called "Permatourists", and some posts have clearly hinted that people will have problems entering the country.

Without wanting to start another argument about the rights or wrongs of people who want to hang around Argentina for more than 90, or 180 days in any year, I just want to reassure people about my own personal experience, and trust that others will have similar stories.

Those that know my story, appreciate that I do not want to seek permanent residency, and that I am on paid leave of absence from my job back home, that I will return to in the future. When I went to the Argentine Embassy (and to Migraciones here once I had arrived), I was advised that I did not meet the requirements for any of the types of Visa's that are available, Rentista (income not permanent), Student (Obviously I'm not one), Working (No plans to seek paid employment), etc., and at both the Embassy and Migraciones, I was advised to simply "Go to Colonia" every 90 days, and renew my Tourist Visa that way.

Well, this week, my latest 90 days was up, and having read some of the doom and gloom posts, I took a trip to Colonia, with nerves slightly jangling. Now, so that you know, I have been living here since November last year, so I have well exceeded the 180 days in any one year rule (that actually doesnt exist under Argentine Law, despite what some still try and make us believe!) - although I have never overstayed my 90 day Tourist Visa, ensuring I have complied with the rules as they are written down.

Well, on Saturday evening (yesterday, August 14th), I approached the Immigration desk in Colonia somewhat tentatively, handed over my passport and ticket along with teh stamp from Uruguay from when I arrived, the clerk smiled, looked at my passport, checked my stamps (I have 7 entries into Argentina since March 2009), scanned the passport, stamped my exit Uruguay stamp, handed it to his colleague from Argentina, who did the same, stamped my Entrada Toursit Visa into my passport, and added the Tres Meses stamp, smiled (yes, actually smiled) handed it back, and said Enjoy Yourself.....

No problems encountered at all, and safely back in BsAs, and looking forward to going to Brazil for my next Visa Run in due course. Just wanted to reassure those that might be getting scared, worried etc., by some of the posts around. As ever, it seems that the reality of the situation barely changes, and as long as you don't overstay the 90 days (or extension to 180 days) at a time, you don't cause any problems....

 

[esllou]

good post Liam. You'll know yourself from your time on this forum that there have been at least three "crackdowns" in the last 2-3 years and, as far as I know, not even one verifiable story of someone having been turned back at colonia. There have been one or two "friend of a friend" type anecdotes but all those threads seem to contain a frustrating lack of follow-up and confirmation, almost as if they are scare stories only.

 

[gouchobob]

I've always been curious why people think they need to make trips to Uruguay or other places to renew their 90 day tourist visas. What's the point, a tourist visa isn't valid for living in Argentina full-time, that stamp doesn't make you anymore legal than doing nothing at all. Why don't people save their money and just pay the fine when they leave?

 

[KatharineAnn]

I've always been curious why people think they need to make trips to Uruguay or other places to renew their 90 day tourist visas. What's the point, a tourist visa isn't valid for living in Argentina full-time, that stamp doesn't make you anymore legal than doing nothing at all. Why don't people save their money and just pay the fine when they leave?

Probably because, at least the way I see it, it´s true that it´s not ¨legal¨ to live in Argentina on a tourist visa, but it´s kind of like you are pretending you are ignorant to that fact, and each time you enter you have received PERMISSION from the Argentine government to enter the country and stay for the length of the tourist visa. Whereas overstaying your visa is on all accounts illegal, and no one gave you permission to do so. So it´s kind of like, yes, what you are doing is technically not ¨legal¨, but you are receiving permission to do it from the government every time you enter, and know you will not be asked to leave or not enter again due to an overstayed visa.

That´s the way I always saw it. It was pretty clear I was living in Arg with a tourist visa for almost 3 years, but the government continually gave me permission to enter each and every time. But hey, I was eager and hoping to be able to get residency, but unfortunately that takes time for those of us who are poor and don´t have any income or savings from abroad But I of course jumped on the first opportunity to legalize myself! So please no ¨the only ones who dont get residency are those who don´t want to¨, because it´s not true. Unfortunately if you don´t fit into any of the categories, you just don´t fit! And a lot of employers are fine and happy employing you en negro, and that way you´ll never get to legitimize your situation, and it´s not entirely your fault - it´s in part the way Argentina works. We don´t decide to work en negro any more than Argentines do

 

[Johnno]

The more I read the more I am not sure what I will do - although my gut feel is that when I get back down there next year I will try to be as 'legal' as I can - so I will probably make the visa run every 3 months until myself and my lady can be legally married - then I can hopefully be properly legal Only need my divorce done, my
lady's divorce done and a few other bits and pieces and all should be well lol

I often wonder if there is such a thing as the 'simple life' lol

 

[gouchobob]

Probably because, at least the way I see it, it´s true that it´s not ¨legal¨ to live in Argentina on a tourist visa, but it´s kind of like you are pretending you are ignorant to that fact, and each time you enter you have received PERMISSION from the Argentine government to enter the country and stay for the length of the tourist visa. Whereas overstaying your visa is on all accounts illegal, and no one gave you permission to do so. So it´s kind of like, yes, what you are doing is technically not ¨legal¨, but you are receiving permission to do it from the government every time you enter, and know you will not be asked to leave or not enter again due to an overstayed visa.

That´s the way I always saw it. It was pretty clear I was living in Arg with a tourist visa for almost 3 years, but the government continually gave me permission to enter each and every time. But hey, I was eager and hoping to be able to get residency, but unfortunately that takes time for those of us who are poor and don´t have any income or savings from abroad But I of course jumped on the first opportunity to legalize myself! So please no ¨the only ones who dont get residency are those who don´t want to¨, because it´s not true. Unfortunately if you don´t fit into any of the categories, you just don´t fit! And a lot of employers are fine and happy employing you en negro, and that way you´ll never get to legitimize your situation, and it´s not entirely your fault - it´s in part the way Argentina works. We don´t decide to work en negro any more than Argentines do

Well my viewpoint is that there is no difference between multiple tourist visas and none at all, a person is still here illegally. I don't think a continuous string of tourist visas are going to help anyone get permanent residency either. The fact is the government has not in the past enforced the rules, if they decide to then you are no better off with passport full of tourist renewals. In fact by constantly renewing your visa you are just exposing yourself to the possibility of your entry into the country being denied.

 

[irishvan]

Another anecdote...........
A friend of mine was told by an immigration officer that as long as she had a european passport she would never be thrown out.

 

[KatharineAnn]

Well my viewpoint is that there is no difference between multiple tourist visas and none at all, a person is still here illegally. I don't think a continuous string of tourist visas are going to help anyone get permanent residency either. The fact is the government has not in the past enforced the rules, if they decide to then you are no better off with passport full of tourist renewals. In fact by constantly renewing your visa you are just exposing yourself to the possibility of your entry into the country being denied.

Well you slip better through the system. I have 3 years of stamps in my passport, and only once was I ever even spoken to beyond ´hola´. Then I just said I was studying Spanish and they smiled, congratulated me on my progress, and sent me on my way. If you overstay your 90 day visa, you are staying in the country longer than immigrations gave you permission to enter. In my opinion, if they do not want you staying longer than 180 days out of the year, they should not allow you all the entries they allow you. They are condoning your staying so long in the country!

Also, maybe you misunderstood, but I of course do not believe that renewing the tourist visa helps you get residency! I´m actually getting residency because I´m finally getting put en blanco at work, that´s all. No questions were asked about my many tourist stamps either...

 

[gouchobob]

Well you slip better through the system. I have 3 years of stamps in my passport, and only once was I ever even spoken to beyond ´hola´. Then I just said I was studying Spanish and they smiled, congratulated me on my progress, and sent me on my way. If you overstay your 90 day visa, you are staying in the country longer than immigrations gave you permission to enter. In my opinion, if they do not want you staying longer than 180 days out of the year, they should not allow you all the entries they allow you. They are condoning your staying so long in the country!

Also, maybe you misunderstood, but I of course do not believe that renewing the tourist visa helps you get residency! I´m actually getting residency because I´m finally getting put en blanco at work, that´s all. No questions were asked about my many tourist stamps either...

Well I don't think we are that far apart in thinking. I agree it doesn't make much sense for them to continually give new passport stamps. My only point is that this still doesn't make a person legal. It does mean people are shelling out a lot of money on short trips to get new stamps of little or no real value. I still think you are no worse off doing nothing and paying the fine at the end of your stay. Financially you'll be money ahead versus making numerous trips to Uruguay or the like.

 

[mendozanow]

Well, I guess another issue is what happens in the odd chance the police or someone else checks you passport and you have overstayed the 90 days, whether one day over or years over.

I have never heard of anyone actually having this problem.

The only time I was ever asked for my passport by the police or any other government authority (other than immigration when I was making applications) was about 4 years ago when I was on a bus from Iguazu to Corrientes, and they were checking for illegal Bolivians that use that route to come and go to Brazil. They merely looked at the first page to ensure I was the gringo referred to, and did not bother to check the stamps or visas (and I was legal, so I was not worried).

Any firsthand or good secondhand stories as to whether anyone has experienced that? I think that is the main reason why people want to be "legal" by doing the 90 day visa runs, the fear of being "over" if somehow checked by the "authorities". The banks, bus companies, landlords, or domestic flights don't care, they only use the passport for id.