Leaving San Diego for BA in April!

[steveinbsas]

Check out the Mind Co. (http://www.themindco.com/). I have heard they don't pay the best, but it would probably be a good stepping of point for someone with your skills, plus they will help you will a DNI/CUIL etc.

If you can find a job with a company that will request migraciones to grant you a work permit (temporary residency) and a DNI, you won't have to live and work in fear of losing your job if you are discovered by AFIP.

With that in mind, please order a "new" state issued and certified copy of your birth certificate and have the Secretary of State attach the Apostille. Bring it with you when you come to BA.

Also consider ordering an FBI report, even if it wont be available until after your arrival in BA. Someone recently posted that it is possible for the FBI to send the report to Argentina, but if you don't have a mailing address in BA when you ask for the report that won't be possible. You can have it sent to someone in the States who is willing to send it to you. Make sure to ask for the Apostille (or certification) for it as well when you submit the order.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/background_checks

I hope others who have recently received FBI reports can clarify if migraciones in Argentina accepts reports issued prior to arrival in Argentina and if the reports are only "valid" for a specific length of time (perhaps 60 days?). If either of these apply it might be wise to wait until after you find the job to apply for the report. At least you can print the fingerprint form and have them taken in the US. The FBI sometimes rejects cards with fingerprints that were taken in BA (as unreadable).

 

[lpbuck09]

About two months after I arrived in BA, I found it frustrating that so many people discourage others from coming here (wait for the "but"). I came here with a little savings, but I was able to find a few teaching jobs and I made enough to live on very modestly. Now that I've been here for five months (and quit all of my teaching jobs), I understand where people are coming from. You can make just about enough to live on as an English teacher here, but it's not easy. You'll put up with a lot of little annoyances for the money, and you won't be able to afford a lot of the cool things that this city has to offer. You can have a great experience teaching English here, but it's not for everyone.

I do have some potentially useful advice: try looking for a virtual position that you can do from anywhere. I started looking into this when I got fed up with teaching and I wish I had done it earlier. It can take a while and you have to get lucky if you don't have IT/web marketing/etc. skills, but it's worth a look. There are a lot of administrative, bookkeeping, marketing, and other jobs out there that you can perform virtually, and it's really nice to make US dollars here. I'd recommend checking out oDesk.com and elance.com, but I found both of my part-time positions on Craigslist.

Good luck and feel free to PM me with any questions!

 

[citygirl]

Good advice all. Your year of job experience isn't going to mean much of anything here and companies probably arent going to want to deal with the headache of getting you a work visa if you're only planning on being here a year.

If you can find a freelance position that allows you to work remotely and earn dollars, I would highly recommend it. Otherwise your only option will be teaching English which is a lot of work and takes time to build up a clientele, again probably not the most feasible plan for ou.

I think its great you want to live abroad and you should definitely do it. But do it smartly - either find a freelance position or ensure you have enough money in the bank to live decently well and not have to worry about work.

 

[yoga*bird]

I agree with sdsurfista. I lived in San Diego for 10 years and call California my "home", but I have been living in Argentina for 6 years; I have also lived in other countries in South America, Central America and in Europe. If I were 24 again and had some money in the bank to go exploring, I would NOT spend all my time hanging out in Buenos Aires. I am 100% sure of that. Argentina is a huge country and has tons of wonderful places to explore. Plus I think you can have a much deeper cultural experience when you are not in a huge metropolitan city full of Argentines and TONS of foreigners. If I had a whole year to be on a shoe string and go find myself, I would consider all of South America. If you want to practice your Spanish and then use it in California I can tell you from experience that Argentine Spanish is not your best bet. There are beautiful girls all over South America, I am a woman and I do look at other girls, so all this BA beauty, while true, is also true in other places. I have to say I think the most beautiful girls are in southern Brazil and they may be nicer too. If this is your year of exploration, then by all means, please go and EXPLORE don't stay in one city. Good luck to you... enjoy your youth!

 

[gouchobob]

Do what you want, depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Your chances of getting a job in your current field seems remote. At best you will have a hand to mouth existence teaching English or some other low-pay activity. I hope you are not just having trouble adjusting to adult life, (your leaving your job after just one year?) and are just extending your adolescence a year or so by hanging out in B.A. If this is the reason then its probably a bad idea for you personally.

 

[steveinbsas]

If I were 24 again and had some money in the bank to go exploring, I would NOT spend all my time hanging out in Buenos Aires...

...If I had a whole year to be on a shoe string and go find myself, I would consider all of South America... If this is your year of exploration, then by all means, please go and EXPLORE don't stay in one city. Good luck to you... enjoy your youth!

I think it would be very difficult to earn money (as the OP desires) while "exploring" South America. Even on a shoestring budget, travel, food, and lodging expenses are likely to be significantly higher on the road when compared to staying in BA for a year.

 

[Hache]

Also, in SD at least at the beach you see a lot of people smiling, happy, relaxing, enjoying life and engaging strangers. I do not see that as much in BsAs, although I have met some really cool people by going out of my way being friendly.

I've never been to SD, but living by the sea in sunny California should be reason enough to be happier, more relaxed, and enjoying life with a smile... unfair comparison!!! Wait a minute... we have Peru Beach! The Bay Watch girls sunbath on the grass, drinking Quilmes and listening to Viejas Locas... Hasselhoff's green with envy...

For me the city is kind of like vegas. You can stay out all night and always find something to do, but you can only, eat, drink, and dance so much. I would not want to spend a whole year here.

I love the (accidental or not) irony in your comparison... BA is vegas without casinos... hey, gamblers out there... don't listen to this guy. We have our own Vegas on a Mississippi Boat, big wheel and all. You'll feel like Tom Sawer and Danny Ocean at the same time. But gambling only pays when you win, and if you don't, be ready to feel like a South American Huckleberry Finn!

And the pace of living is much more like you would experience in Chicago/NYC/Boston.

Boston must have changed a LOT in the last decade! I remember it quiet and with a small-townish, friendly mood in the air. And the gorgeous architecture... Beacon Hill... my beloved Back Bay... I'll stop right here (overwhelming nostalgia alarm sounding).

 

[Hache]

I hope you are not just having trouble adjusting to adult life, (your leaving your job after just one year?) and are just extending your adolescence a year or so by hanging out in B.A. If this is the reason then its probably a bad idea for you personally.

I'm quoting Sean-Ryan:

I've decided to pack up, move, and discover something different before it's too late... I'm traveling with the intentions of gaining a better understanding of what I want out of life.

With all due respect, gauchobob, I think someone having trouble adjusting to adult life wouldn't say that. IMO, delaying settling down (if that's what you mean by adjusting to adult life) does not equal delaying growing up or as you say extending adolescence.

 

[gouchobob]

With all due respect, gauchobob, I think someone having trouble adjusting to adult life wouldn't say that. IMO, delaying settling down (if that's what you mean by adjusting to adult life) does not equal delaying growing up or as you say extending adolescence.

What would you say? My guess is the standard answer would be I want to find out more about life. What can they find in B.A. they can't find by staying at home? The poster may well be truthful about his objectives, but I don't see how quitting your job and moving to B.A. would necessarily full-fill this objective. If somebody said I quitting my job to do something like joining the peace corps would sound more like somebody who is serious. My guess is that the nightlife and party scene in B.A. may have more to do with O.P. decision to move than is being admitted. I have no way of knowing this of course. Nothing wrong with coming to B.A. for purely hedonistic purposes either, just that a 24 year old with just a year working could probably put his time to better use.

 

[cruizes]

Buenos Aires ain't no Las Vegas (BABY!)