New Entry "Reciprocity" Fee for US, Canada, Australian Citizens...

[kikedeolivos]

And for the ones bitching about the new fees; do you have ANY idea what an Argentine citizen has to go through just to get a tourist Visa to the US?

We have to pay a fee for JUST an appointment with an immigration officer at the Embassy, via Citibank. After that, and with the Bank receipt, we are given the "right" to call the Embassy and talk to a human. And then, after paying the Visa application fees (separated from the appointment fees), there's ALWAYS a chance the Visa would be denied (depending on the mood of the officer, who's always - with no exception-, a fourth grade category State Department officer, with almost NO education at all); do we get a refund, or at least 50% of the money paid? NOPE.

I've never been into that situation but have friends with tourist Visas denied, and trust me, they have an established business here, family ties and property.

 

[sergio]

Kikedeolivos, I have Argentine friends who were denied tourist visas. It was unfair as I know that they were NOT going to overstay their visas. At the same time I have a good Argentine friend who DID overstay his visa for quite a few years. He worked illegally in the US. Argentines lost their visa waiver status when it became clear that many were staying beyond the expiration of their visas and working illegally, especially in Miami. The bottom line is that the US can live without Argentine tourism but Argentina really needs tourist revenue. The two countries have different realities. While there are Argentines who have suffered because of the current visa requirement, imposing an equally high fee on American tourists will discourage tourism and will not help the Argentine people.

 

[iStar]

The bottom line is that the US can live without Argentine tourism but Argentina really needs tourist revenue. The two countries have different realities. While there are Argentines who have suffered because of the current visa requirement, imposing an equally high fee on American tourists will discourage tourism and will not help the Argentine people.

Add Canada and Australia to that list.

I think for some people it's a matter of "pride" and not common sense.

 

[ElQueso]

Personally, I really like the openness of the immigration system here in Argentina and wish we could do something similar in the US. At the very least make it easier to get in on a tourist visa. I would love to have the visa waiver program for Argentina still in place at the very least.

I'm not as concerned about illegal immigrants as many in the US. The fact is, illegal immigrants do many of the low paying jobs that many US citizens wouldn't do. I used to work construction and worked alongside Mexicans (mostly illegal at the time) in the '80s and they were without a doubt some of the hardest working people I've ever known.

Unless a country is mostly socialist and gives money and services out to those who ask for it for free, no matter their status, people have to work to pay for things. Most illegals I knew had Social Security Numbers and were paying taxes. Yes, the numbers were either fake or from other people, but they were still paying taxes.

The one problem I do have with illegal (and some legal) Mexican workers/immigrants is that they don't have much interest in integrating into the US society.

I know this is not a simple issue though, and is not the focus of my post.

I find it interesting that people (non-US citizens) are talking about how difficult it is to get into the US while at the same time disparaging the US as to how many problems the US itself has both internally and as far as foreign policy goes.

If people are so against the US itself (I didn't say hate, I'm talking about how many people seem to disdain the US, it's people, their customs [or supposed lack of], their effect on the world, etc) why is it even a problem? Just don't go. Don't worry about it.

Someone mentioned that Argentinos are jealous of the US, or that Argentinos feel inferior, etc. To me a reciprocity fee is sort of a proof of that or possibly similar feelings that I am having a hard time describing.

It would be more grown up for Argentina to say "we disdain your government and the fact that you consider our citizens risks because you won't easily let us visit your nation, but we will show you how much better we are by not charging, like we have always not done."

Doing the opposite seems very much to me like a schoolboy pouting in the corner and saying he's going to take his ball home, while the others play with another's ball and ignore him.

 

[ElQueso]

You mean how Americans depend on Latin-Americans to mow their lawn, fix their roof, wash their carpets, build their houses, condos and malls for cheap?

It's not so much a dependency as it is a co-dependency. Never forget that - it's why they come in the first place.

And if they weren't there, we'd figure out a way to get along anyway. In fact, I lived in an upper-middle class neighborhood in Houston and most of us mowed our own lawns, thank you very much. Us or our kids anyway

I worked on contrsuction crews right along with the Mexicans. I know many, many carpenters that are citizens, for example, still.

Not all low-paying jobs are handled by illegals and it is getting harder and harder for many of the jobs like construction to be handled by illegal workers, as the US government becomes more organized in controling its population.

I would love to see a worker visa program instituted to allow those who are illegal to have legal status.

BTW - I'm an equal opportunity despiser of governments, including that of the US.

 

[iStar]

http://www.aircanada.com/en/news/tra...html?src=hp_ta

Effective December 28, 2009, Argentina charges a reciprocity fee to citizens of Canada, the U.S. and Australia arriving at Ministro Pistarini de Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires.

The fee applies as follows:


Canadian citizens: $70 USD (valid for one entry only)
U.S. citizens: $131 USD (valid for ten years)
Australian citizens: $100 USD (valid for one entry only)
The fee does not apply to Canadian, Australian or US citizens:

with legal residence in Argentina,
who hold a passport with an Argentine consular visa,
who hold an official or diplomatic passport.
The fee is payable in cash or by credit card, traveller’s cheque or ARS (Argentine Peso) upon arrival at booths positioned in the immigration arrivals hall.

 

[ssr]

Canadian citizens: $70 USD (valid for one entry only)
U.S. citizens: $131 USD (valid for ten years)
Australian citizens: $100 USD (valid for one entry only)

Yikes, it's actually more expensive for Canadians and Australian who enter the country more than once in 10 years than it is for Americans. Take that, suckas! Argentina loves us Americans more! USA! USA!

 

[steveinbsas]

Yikes, it's actually more expensive for Canadians and Australian who enter the country more than once in 10 years than it is for Americans. Take that, suckas! Argentina loves us Americans more! USA! USA!

There's nothing like logic, is there?

 

[Lucas]

Yikes, it's actually more expensive for Canadians and Australian who enter the country more than once in 10 years than it is for Americans. Take that, suckas! Argentina loves us Americans more! USA! USA!

That "Reciprocity" must be similar for Argentines entering the USA, $130 x 10 years, that is why the difference exist with the Canadians and Australians of one year only.

 

[syngirl]

For Argies into Canada they can get a 5 year multi-entry visa for twice the price of a single entry. Single entry, valid for one stay of up to 90 days (based on discretion of the customs officer, he may decide you only get one 10 day stay etc) = $75 CAD. Multi-entry, valid for as many 90 day stays as you can fit into 5 years, with the caveat that you cannot stay more than 180 days a year = $150 CAD (last time I checked, may have gone up now). So if the Argentine customs have any sense to them they should be able to offer that option to Canadians coming here!

Anyway I'm Canadian, don't yet have legal residency but was actually refused a renewal the other day at immigrations -- not because they wanted to kick me out or had any problem with the 23 pages of stamps I have in my passports, but because they didn't see the point of me paying 300pesos to renew my tourist visa when I'm going to be submitting for residency papers in January or February! The woman just kept telling me, no it's a waste of money, not to bother, just overstay and then pay for the residency visa when my documents arrive from Canada. The customs & immigration staff in Argentina are sometimes worryingly flexible, in such a way that I guess maybe they keep you on your toes, because you never know when the day's going to come that they just kick you out.