Unfortunately my wife is pretty adamant about the child being born in Argentina near family, so I don't have a choice. I do pay for her private insurance there, which is about $60 a month.
My wife (Argentinian) claims you can live "well" on $1500 a month in Argentina. True?
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nikad
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Make sure you fully understand and get informed about laws and regulations regarding children ( Argentine or foreign ) travelling abroad with one of their parents from Argentina.
Problems with cleanliness were not my experience when my son was born here (in a private hospital). Everything went extremely well except that there was not a regular maternity room available right away. My wife still slept in a private room though, and I got lucky and slept on the floor next to her. Next morning we were given a private maternity room.
As for the birth certificate, any child of a US citizen born here gets a US birth certificate for the child if you follow the procedures to report the birth correctly. My son has both a US birth certificate and passport as well as an Argentine birth certificate and passport.
London2Baires
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I sincerely hope you can change the birth plans. I have known of several cases where people have done exactly what you describe for various reasons. I know for a fact one of the kids, now grown up, has had issues in the USA after moving back for not being born there.
Your child will be in a far stronger position being born in the USA to get citizenship there, he/she will then automatically be entitled to Argentine citizenship through the guaranteed, and fast, 'por opcion' method.
He/She would then get all of the advantages of dual citizenship and, in a worst case scenario, if Argentina crashes into some sort of post apocalyptic civil war, you can get the hell out and save your child (though any number of less drastic reasons and some positive ones like him/her wanting to go to collage in the USA later, become possible this way round too).
Contra, the child is born here in Argentina, gets citizenship, and then (especially given the current climate re immigrants in the USA and related policy developments) has potential troubles attaining USA citizenship?
If your wife's concern is really to have the child born near family, and it's not for some other reason, then just flying them out to the states instead could be a potential compromise.
I don't mean to come across as too polemical, but I really think it would be in the best interests of the child to do things as I describe!!
Good luck in any case !
U$S 5,000 is indeed a princely salary in Argentina but it is not in the US. The topic of this thread was about U$S 1,500 being enough to live well in Argentina. If you are married and have children it is very little money on which to live well. The state school system is a disaster so that means paying for private school which can be U$S 1,000 a month for the best schools which would be the closest to good suburban public schools or good private schools in the US. Then there is medical insurance for the entire family. If you want a car like virtually all upper middle class Argentines, that will cost you more than in the US. Furnishing a home costs more than in the US and the quality of what you get is usually lower. Rents? Lower than NYC or SFO for sure but how many Americans live there? Most are out in the surburbs in houses and most don't even live in these metro areas. A single Argentine with a good professional job or a professional couple with good jobs can afford a decent, relatively small apartment and can eat out once and awhile but it's not accurate to say that U$S 1,500 is enough for a comfortable life for a family and it certainly is not acurate to say that the quality of life enjoyed by middle or upper middle class Argentines can compare with that of US citizens of similar backgrounds. Those professionals you know must have inherited money to buy their homes or they are living in modest flats and spending a large % of their income on rent.
Nikad,
"I didn't know all these details about good schools and how they are funded etc. I only really knew that when people move, real estate listings usually name the nearby schools, and that schools are ranked, etc."
Real estate ads list the school district because wealthy communities have the best public schools. People with families buy their homes based on school districts. Funding for schools comes from property taxes, so school funding is very uneven nationwide. Schools in major cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia etc. have the worst schools because they have high poverty rates and thus receive less tax revenue compared to wealthy suburbs. Affluent suburbs have impressive school buildings and pay teachers high salaries so there is no real need to send your child to a private school unless you can afford the very best elite school or you want a school with a religious focus etc. A graduate of a good public school has an equally good chance of getting into the best university.
"I don't think people in the US are cold, they tend to be more individualistic, but families can be very welcoming and warm. I would say some people " seem to be " cold, Work plays a very important role along with religion. I do not especially like the religious side of it. For being a non religious country, it is too religious... at least the East coast. And because religion is very important " you are what you do " so work is very important."
Who said the US was a non-religious country? It's been religious since its inception. In fact, escape from religious persecution is one of the main reasons that people left Europe for North America. The colony of Pennsylvania, for example, was founded as a "holy experiment" by the Quakers who had been persecuted in England. Nowadays the South and Midwest are more religious that the Northeast or the West Coast.
" Service is very friendly but I hate it when they bring the check as soon as you swallow your last bite"
Before? The check comes with lightening speed along with the phony line "whenever you're ready, no rush". That means hurry up, pay and get out of here so the next person can come in and I'll get more tips. It's a horrible practice that I too hate but I just take my time and ignore them. Americans have a hard time relaxing.
"Is for materialism, I think it has to do with being very competitive and with this being infatuated with work. Argentine love to go on a shopping spree to Miami or a duty free shop. But they do it when on vacation generally. They also enjoy Xmas shopping, etc. I could not get to establish meaningful relationships as of yet while there, but maybe I have been in the wrong places or with the wrong people. I get the feeling the people on the west coast is more relaxed and friendly. I think people like to spend and enjoy and gift everywhere, it is just that garages in the US are way too big"
I think most Argentines would like big garages or any garage at all. They'd also like to indulge themselves more than they can. They just don't have the means, so I don't think there is any moral superiority among Argentines in this respect.
"This is something I have noticed: People give you good, fast and efficient service with a smile, but for the most part are not friendly or open ( when you approach somebody on the street to get directions for example )"
Again, this depends. I have found some helpful people in the US when I've asked for directions and some who were indifferent. I am not looking to make them my friends. The same in Argentina. People on the street can be nice, indifferent or even unfriendly. As for service, I prefer the more formal service you get in Argentina and not the "hi, my name is Jason and I'll be your server today" that has become commonplace in the US.
An American friend in Ohio invited her Argentine woman friend to the US along with her anti US husband. The husband was a univ. professor in Argentina and really held the US in conempt but he reluctantly accompanied his wife. When they got to Ohio the neighbors treated them graciously with invitations to dinner, to barbecues, to social functions. They were generous and friendly. The husband didn't know what to do because it destroyed his preconceived image of the cold, greedy Yanquis.
"I didn't know all these details about good schools and how they are funded etc. I only really knew that when people move, real estate listings usually name the nearby schools, and that schools are ranked, etc."
Real estate ads list the school district because wealthy communities have the best public schools. People with families buy their homes based on school districts. Funding for schools comes from property taxes, so school funding is very uneven nationwide. Schools in major cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia etc. have the worst schools because they have high poverty rates and thus receive less tax revenue compared to wealthy suburbs. Affluent suburbs have impressive school buildings and pay teachers high salaries so there is no real need to send your child to a private school unless you can afford the very best elite school or you want a school with a religious focus etc. A graduate of a good public school has an equally good chance of getting into the best university.
"I don't think people in the US are cold, they tend to be more individualistic, but families can be very welcoming and warm. I would say some people " seem to be " cold, Work plays a very important role along with religion. I do not especially like the religious side of it. For being a non religious country, it is too religious... at least the East coast. And because religion is very important " you are what you do " so work is very important."
Who said the US was a non-religious country? It's been religious since its inception. In fact, escape from religious persecution is one of the main reasons that people left Europe for North America. The colony of Pennsylvania, for example, was founded as a "holy experiment" by the Quakers who had been persecuted in England. Nowadays the South and Midwest are more religious that the Northeast or the West Coast.
" Service is very friendly but I hate it when they bring the check as soon as you swallow your last bite"
Before? The check comes with lightening speed along with the phony line "whenever you're ready, no rush". That means hurry up, pay and get out of here so the next person can come in and I'll get more tips. It's a horrible practice that I too hate but I just take my time and ignore them. Americans have a hard time relaxing.
"Is for materialism, I think it has to do with being very competitive and with this being infatuated with work. Argentine love to go on a shopping spree to Miami or a duty free shop. But they do it when on vacation generally. They also enjoy Xmas shopping, etc. I could not get to establish meaningful relationships as of yet while there, but maybe I have been in the wrong places or with the wrong people. I get the feeling the people on the west coast is more relaxed and friendly. I think people like to spend and enjoy and gift everywhere, it is just that garages in the US are way too big"
I think most Argentines would like big garages or any garage at all. They'd also like to indulge themselves more than they can. They just don't have the means, so I don't think there is any moral superiority among Argentines in this respect.
"This is something I have noticed: People give you good, fast and efficient service with a smile, but for the most part are not friendly or open ( when you approach somebody on the street to get directions for example )"
Again, this depends. I have found some helpful people in the US when I've asked for directions and some who were indifferent. I am not looking to make them my friends. The same in Argentina. People on the street can be nice, indifferent or even unfriendly. As for service, I prefer the more formal service you get in Argentina and not the "hi, my name is Jason and I'll be your server today" that has become commonplace in the US.
An American friend in Ohio invited her Argentine woman friend to the US along with her anti US husband. The husband was a univ. professor in Argentina and really held the US in conempt but he reluctantly accompanied his wife. When they got to Ohio the neighbors treated them graciously with invitations to dinner, to barbecues, to social functions. They were generous and friendly. The husband didn't know what to do because it destroyed his preconceived image of the cold, greedy Yanquis.
Yes because one parent can PREVENT the other from taking the child out of the country. I know personally of such cases, disasters!
earlyretirement
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I agree with this post. I had children born in Buenos Aires and born in the USA as well and the hospital was by far superior in Buenos Aires vs. the USA. If you have great health insurance (OSDE, Swiss Medical, etc) you should have a really good experience as the nice private hospitals there are as good or better than in the USA.
And this poster is correct that you can easily get your child a USA passport and Citizenship even if they are born in Buenos Aires. No problem at all. My kids have both Argentine passport and US passport and dual citizenship.
London2Baires
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Hmm , if that's the case then maybe the parents of the cases I know didn't follow the proper procedures somehow, I'll have to see if I can ask more details...
If the child can easily get USA citizenship with one USA parent despite being born abroad then that'd be great though!!
Hopefully the OP can double check the details with the relevent US authorities etc.
