Moving To Argentina For Love?

[Argentino Trucho]

Hi all, I´m new to the forum but not so new to Argentina, having moved from Ireland in July 2014. Previous to that I was here for 3 month spells on a few occassions. I met my Argentinian girlfriend in 2007 on the first of those trips. After a few years of uncertainty and too-ing and fro-ing back here, I was finally able to spend a long period here thanks to receiving a scholarship which allowed me to remain for this a year and a half period. I love being here but I have never had to live and work here on an Argentinian wage. I have to go home at the end of this month but I am seriously considering living in Argentina in the long term in order to stay with my girlfriend. She is quite attached to home and her english is basic, so I am not sure if living in Ireland is a long term option for us. Im wondering what kinds of jobs the long term expats do here and what the wages and hours are like. I have experience in banking and undergrad and postgrad degrees in spanish and communications. I would love to know how people who have been living here for years feel about having made that decision. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

[khairyexpat]

Given the title of this thread, the last post is a big let down .
I sharpened my teeth to sink into some meat ... total disappointment !

 

[Vagrant Violet]

Hi all, I´m new to the forum but not so new to Argentina, having moved from Ireland in July 2014. Previous to that I was here for 3 month spells on a few occassions. I met my Argentinian girlfriend in 2007 on the first of those trips. After a few years of uncertainty and too-ing and fro-ing back here, I was finally able to spend a long period here thanks to receiving a scholarship which allowed me to remain for this a year and a half period. I love being here but I have never had to live and work here on an Argentinian wage. I have to go home at the end of this month but I am seriously considering living in Argentina in the long term in order to stay with my girlfriend. She is quite attached to home and her english is basic, so I am not sure if living in Ireland is a long term option for us. Im wondering what kinds of jobs the long term expats do here and what the wages and hours are like. I have experience in banking and undergrad and postgrad degrees in spanish and communications. I would love to know how people who have been living here for years feel about having made that decision. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

Hey, Argentino Trucho,

While I can't give much advice regarding looking for a job in your field, I can absolutely understand your situation. In my case, I am an expat from Ohio who has lived here more than 7 years. Though I originally came here looking for a job, I ultimately stayed for my Argentine love, who is now my husband. Had it not been for him, I probably would have flown the coop a long time ago. My husband was clear from the beginning that he had no intention of leaving Argentina, mostly due to his close relationship with his large family in Buenos Aires.

I'm not going to lie. Living here and earning wages in pesos is getting harder and harder. It's not just a matter of making ends meet, but if you are thinking of staying long term for her (and possibly raising a family), you start to think about factors such as crime, insecurity, and issues such as not being able to be with your family at the drop of a hat like you could be if you were in the same country (in my case, for family events, births, and even deaths). It's a lot to think about.

BUT!.... All I can say is that despite the challenges and obstacles, not to sound cheesy or Pollyanna-like, but love does conquer all. Every couple is its own world, and if you do feel that your Argentine girlfriend is "the one," bear in mind that things like jobs and money are just that- things- that come and go. You'll most likely find a way. But finding that special person is something incredibly precious and rare in life.

In retrospect, if I had known all the hardships and sacrifice and all that tears that I would cry from being away from the United States, would I have had the chutzpah to come here in the first place? Probably not.

But do I regret all that for a second? Never. I have the love of my life and we have a beautiful child together, end of story.

Mucha suerte!

 

[Argentino Trucho]

Hey, Argentino Trucho,

While I can't give much advice regarding looking for a job in your field, I can absolutely understand your situation. In my case, I am an expat from Ohio who has lived here more than 7 years. Though I originally came here looking for a job, I ultimately stayed for my Argentine love, who is now my husband. Had it not been for him, I probably would have flown the coop a long time ago. My husband was clear from the beginning that he had no intention of leaving Argentina, mostly due to his close relationship with his large family in Buenos Aires.

I'm not going to lie. Living here and earning wages in pesos is getting harder and harder. It's not just a matter of making ends meet, but if you are thinking of staying long term for her (and possibly raising a family), you start to think about factors such as crime, insecurity, and issues such as not being able to be with your family at the drop of a hat like you could be if you were in the same country (in my case, for family events, births, and even deaths). It's a lot to think about.

BUT!.... All I can say is that despite the challenges and obstacles, not to sound cheesy or Pollyanna-like, but love does conquer all. Every couple is its own world, and if you do feel that your Argentine girlfriend is "the one," bear in mind that things like jobs and money are just that- things- that come and go. You'll most likely find a way. But finding that special person is something incredibly precious and rare in life.

In retrospect, if I had known all the hardships and sacrifice and all that tears that I would cry from being away from the United States, would I have had the chutzpah to come here in the first place? Probably not.

But do I regret all that for a second? Never. I have the love of my life and we have a beautiful child together, end of story.

Mucha suerte!

Hi Vagrant Violet, thank you very much for your honest and realistic reply. You understood exactly what I was getting at i.e. I want to be with my girlfriend who is very attached to her family and her home here in Belgrano, yet I am worried about the things you mentioned - earning a living, being able to afford to go home to visit, raising kids, crime, etc. I do love my girlfriend very much and we have been through a lot together. I have an excellent relationship with her family and I have also made my own friends here too by doing volunteer work and playing music. I want to be with her and can relate to your feeling that love conquers all, yet I cant help worrying about the negatives you mentioned.

May I ask what general area you work in? I suppose teaching English would be an option for me here if I struggle to find something else, but I guess it wouldnt be great money. I would appreciate hearing about the experiences of others in this regard, too.
thanks

 

[Argentino Trucho]

I moved to Buenos Aires for love almost a year and a half ago, after a year I left. I worked for a top company but just struggled with feeling like to only gringo and also found the lack of work/life balance really hard as a newcomer, also financially it was hard to put in the same hours but earn 20% of my European salary and see inflation swallowing up what little was left. Socially there were no office drinks etc etc and i felt really lonely. I moved to Argentina for love but my partner lives in campo and we did a long distance relationship as i couldn’t see anything for me to do in the campo, im not a teacher and we just were not financially ready for us to settle up home. Anyway I panicked and when a great short term job op came up I left. Since I left i miss him terribly and I want to go back to him but Im scared of Argentina and the fact that life is such a struggle compared in many ways to Europe. He now thinks we could move to Cordoba and start something in hospitality there. In Europe I can have a great career but not him. Has anyone else struggled a lot but gone back and things were better after the initial first year of almost acclimatising? I need to let him know if I am coming back pronto, is it natural to be so afraid? Im in my mid 30's and I have travelled a lot. Argentina just felt so hard ha... maybe im a European softie.

I just realised how old this post was so had to edit delete my response, apologies! any idea how Chemes story ended?

 

[Vagrant Violet]

Hi Vagrant Violet, thank you very much for your honest and realistic reply. You understood exactly what I was getting at i.e. I want to be with my girlfriend who is very attached to her family and her home here in Belgrano, yet I am worried about the things you mentioned - earning a living, being able to afford to go home to visit, raising kids, crime, etc. I do love my girlfriend very much and we have been through a lot together. I have an excellent relationship with her family and I have also made my own friends here too by doing volunteer work and playing music. I want to be with her and can relate to your feeling that love conquers all, yet I cant help worrying about the negatives you mentioned.

May I ask what general area you work in? I suppose teaching English would be an option for me here if I struggle to find something else, but I guess it wouldnt be great money. I would appreciate hearing about the experiences of others in this regard, too.
thanks

Hi, Argentino Trucho,

I am an English teacher in a private school (after having worked as a freelance tutor for a couple of years before), but had had formal training/student teaching/Master's degree in education, the whole nine yards, so this was my vocation to begin with. However, regardless of your career and training, remember that networking is everything down here. You never know who a contact might know, trust me. Sometimes making it here in the labor market is simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

Let me know if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them (or if you prefer, send me a PM).

Saludos!
I

 

[mikic007]

I had somehow easier situation, I met my Argentinian girlfriend when living in Spain, and she was on some working exchange. Then a year long distance relationship and I decided to come here. But, it was easier, because she was never reluctant to live in Europe. Her English was bad on the start, but she got expert after a year of Skype. Still, I moved here, because I was already away from my family and I didn't want that she risks everything, at least on the start.

Also, she had job, and we had place to stay. Her family is very supportive and I got quite good job here. So, not much of a hardship for me, at least not in monetary meaning.

But now that we want to upgrade our family, we calculated Europe is the place. More security, good public education, nature, cheaper life in general.. And it's much cheaper to travel from there to Argentina than opposite, with more annual leave...

So now we are leaving, first me then her. But, it was very important for us, to be together here. You have to build relationship, before you can expect her to be willing to trust you everything. And also I will understand her struggle in Europe much better, going through it myself. Because no matter how perfect it will be, she will miss family and Argentina, and you have to understand that..

Anyway, if she wouldn't want to leave, I would still stay. Nothing is so bad here, that could chase me away from her...

 

[mc kenna]

I think this fits right in please take the time to listen to the lyrics even if you don't like country music, it did help me some in the past when faced with a family situation......[background=rgba(28, 28, 28, 0.8)]https://youtu.be/31FRirj9nqQ[/background]

 

[Argentino Trucho]

Thanks so much Vagrant Violent and mikic007 for sharing your stories, they really are very helpful!

 

[Sockhopper]

Since 2012, there has been implemented in the UK a set of draconian British Immigration rules that make it very difficult for a British citizen of modest means to bring into the UK and live there with a spouse who is a non-EU foreigner. These rules have forcibly split families between 2 countries for 5 years, punished Britons for having married the person they chose, deprived British citizens from having a family life in the UK with their spouse and children, and have split children from living with one of their parents. Britons have had to choose between their good permanent employment in the UK and exiling themselves abroad to continue having a family life.


None of this has anything to do with EU requirements or any other EU country. We can thank Britain's Home Secretary, Theresa May, for this brazen breach of human rights and its devastating consequences.

I'm not personally affected by this. I'm British and find it shameful. I'm just posting a reminder to research before you fall in love with anybody who isn't a national of an EU member state. Unbelievable!

I don't know if foreign EU spouses could be similarly affected by this should the UK vote to leave the EU in its June 23rd Referendum.

Please register online with the Electoral Office in the borough where you last lived in the UK if you are no longer living in the UK. Please vote.