No-frills Strategy for Obtaining Residence

Goshinki

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Hello

I am a U.S. citizen. My priority is to obtain legal residence in Argentina in the fastest, most inexpensive manner possible, not necessary in that order, eventually becoming permanent. I've been exploring each and every type of residency visa and I am open minded to any one of them.

Some individuals may consider getting a quicky minister ordination in order to qualify for a religous visa to be unethical, but this discussion isn't about ethics. This is about becoming a legal resident in the great country of Argentina.

So let's take a look at each of the types of visas that I'm aware of and my perspective on how they may (or may not) fit with this strategy:

Financier - Impossible. Unless someone knows something I don't, this won't work. I'm not a business man, I'm a poor slob.

Pensioner/Retiree - I have no pension.

Religious - This one seems like a great option and I hope someone can shed light on it. It seems you can get ordained very quickly online and there don't seem to be any strict guidelines for which church sponsers you, but you do need them to "make a complete presentation and provide certain details and certifications." I can't find better information on what those details are, but here's the website that I first discovered this type of visa: http://www.argentinaresidency.com/services/argentina-visa/religious-visas.htm

Medical - I've found very little detail on this type, but I assume you have to have some kind of medical degree, which I don't.

Student - Possible as a last resort. Four years of college isn't cheap, but my goal is to achieve immediate residence, so my main consideration would be the cost of the first semester, not to say the remaining seven wouldn't be a factor. It'd be a lot of effort just to gain residence so I hope it won't come to that... although maybe you don't need to attend all four years. Insights?

Contracted Personnel - What a great option! Residency AND a job off the bat. I don't have any meaningful experience for a "skilled" position but if someone would offer to contract me to scrub toilets I would ask "how shiney". I just don't believe people are offering contracts for anything other than highly skilled positions. Insight on this, please.

Journalist/Correspondent - Interesting option. "This visa is designed for journalists that come and work in Argentina either as correspondent appointed by any Media from abroad, or for working as a journalist by his own. In any case, specific documents will be required." I'm not sure what documents they mean. I emailed ARCA about it but they didn't respond. What's interesting is that it says you can be self-employed. I have done a lot of paid blogging and I can make portfolio if that's what is desired.

This brings me to last visa type, which I have lovingly deemed the provisional type. Please view the post here: http://baexpats.org/expat-life/10264-new-residency-types.html
This seems to be special residency for a broad spectrum of activities which are healthy for Argentina's culture, science, commerce or industry. I may not have a degree but there are lots of ways I could offer my skills to Argentina. I was thinking, what if I offered to do X amount of hours of community service for Y amount of time whereever they wanted me? Perhaps an art museum?


So there you have it, thanks for reading. These aren't neccisarly all the visas out there, just the ones I've discovered so far. Remember, I'm gunning for permanent residence. What kind of strategies can I implement here?
 
Goshinki said:
Hello

I am a U.S. citizen. My priority is to obtain legal residence in Argentina in the fastest, most inexpensive manner possible, not necessary in that order, eventually becoming permanent. I've been exploring each and every type of residency visa and I am open minded to any one of them.

Some individuals may consider getting a quicky minister ordination in order to qualify for a religous visa to be unethical, but this discussion isn't about ethics. This is about becoming a legal resident in the great country of Argentina.

So let's take a look at each of the types of visas that I'm aware of and my perspective on how they may (or may not) fit with this strategy:

Financier - Impossible. Unless someone knows something I don't, this won't work. I'm not a business man, I'm a poor slob.

Pensioner/Retiree - I have no pension.

Religious - This one seems like a great option and I hope someone can shed light on it. It seems you can get ordained very quickly online and there don't seem to be any strict guidelines for which church sponsers you, but you do need them to "make a complete presentation and provide certain details and certifications." I can't find better information on what those details are, but here's the website that I first discovered this type of visa: http://www.argentinaresidency.com/services/argentina-visa/religious-visas.htm

Medical - I've found very little detail on this type, but I assume you have to have some kind of medical degree, which I don't.

Student - Possible as a last resort. Four years of college isn't cheap, but my goal is to achieve immediate residence, so my main consideration would be the cost of the first semester, not to say the remaining seven wouldn't be a factor. It'd be a lot of effort just to gain residence so I hope it won't come to that... although maybe you don't need to attend all four years. Insights?

Contracted Personnel - What a great option! Residency AND a job off the bat. I don't have any meaningful experience for a "skilled" position but if someone would offer to contract me to scrub toilets I would ask "how shiney". I just don't believe people are offering contracts for anything other than highly skilled positions. Insight on this, please.

Journalist/Correspondent - Interesting option. "This visa is designed for journalists that come and work in Argentina either as correspondent appointed by any Media from abroad, or for working as a journalist by his own. In any case, specific documents will be required." I'm not sure what documents they mean. I emailed ARCA about it but they didn't respond. What's interesting is that it says you can be self-employed. I have done a lot of paid blogging and I can make portfolio if that's what is desired.

This brings me to last visa type, which I have lovingly deemed the provisional type. Please view the post here: http://baexpats.org/expat-life/10264-new-residency-types.html
This seems to be special residency for a broad spectrum of activities which are healthy for Argentina's culture, science, commerce or industry. I may not have a degree but there are lots of ways I could offer my skills to Argentina. I was thinking, what if I offered to do X amount of hours of community service for Y amount of time whereever they wanted me? Perhaps an art museum?


So there you have it, thanks for reading. These aren't neccisarly all the visas out there, just the ones I've discovered so far. Remember, I'm gunning for permanent residence. What kind of strategies can I implement here?


The application for a religious visa must be presented by the authority of the church which ordains you as a minister. I don't think you'll get anywhere with this one.

A student visa grants temorary residency and you must be enrolled full time (not just taking Spanish classes, for example) and it cannot be converted to permanent residency.

A contracted personnel visa is also comonly referred to as the "work" visa. The employer has to be registered with migraciones and make the case that the work cannot be performed by an Argentine (or a Mercosur resident). I've known several yong expats who found work at hostels but could not continue as they could not get work visas.

The new provisional visas probably don't lead to permanent visas, either.

Volunteer work at a museum isn't likely to appeal to migraciones, even if your motives were sincere.

While I doubt that migraciones will grant a journalist visa to a "paid" on line blogger, if you can prove that you really make money this way you might satisfy the requirement for demonstrating an "honest means of living" for citizenship. It does not have to be anywhere near the $2000+/- USD per month (which cannot be "active" income) now required for the visa rentista.

You certainly can come here and "stay" for a year (whether or not you go to Colonia to get new 90 day visa every three months).

I suggest you "document" you income from blogging during that time and then apply for citizenship if you wish to remain in Argentina.

I think your chances of getting citizenship are much greater than ever getting a temporary residency visa that leads to a permanent residency visa (unless you marry someone who has one). If you marry an Argentine you will immediatley be eligible to apply for permanent residency or citizenship.

Argentine citizenship for foreigners?

I'd like to know one thing: If "this discussion isn't about ethics," what difference does it make if you ever become "a legal resident in the great country of Argentina?"
 
I'm curious: why would "the great country of Argentina" (your words) want to grant residency to "a poor slob" (your words) who doesn't give a toss about ethics? (my words, based on your words)

And, as a Marxist, of the Groucho tendency, I'd also be curious to know why you would want to live in a country that would accept you as a resident?
 
Get married?

Requires finding someone who will marry you, but at the very least you might find someone interested in the possibility of acquiring US citizenship by marrying you.
 
jp said:
Get married?

Requires finding someone who will marry you, but at the very least you might find someone interested in the possibility of acquiring US citizenship by marrying you.


I believe the OP can get temporary or permanent residency by marrying another foreigner who has it. If he marries an Argentine woman it will be far more difficult for her to get legal residency or citizenship in the USA than for him to get the desired legal resident status or citizenship in Argentina, but he doesn't have to get married to achieve the latter.

Perhaps he will more easily be able to find another foreigner (with residency) to marry if he can actually say he is an ordained minister. I could be wrong, but I think that many (if not most) women would prefer to marry a man with the kind of ethics an ordained member of the clergy (usually) has.:p
 
elhombresinnombre said:
I'm curious: why would "the great country of Argentina" (your words) want to grant residency to "a poor slob" (your words) who doesn't give a toss about ethics? (my words, based on your words)

And, as a Marxist, of the Groucho tendency, I'd also be curious to know why you would want to live in a country that would accept you as a resident?

Why can't I give you a "super thanks" for this post?
 
steveinbsas said:
I'd like to know one thing: If "this discussion isn't about ethics," what difference does it make if you ever become "a legal resident in the great country of Argentina?"

I second that. Why, if you don't care too much about these things, don't you just come here and forget about being a legal resident? If you leave every 90 days, probably you can just continue on tourist visas for as long as you're likely to stay. (most Americans= don't stay longer than a year or two.)

And, if you don't keep up the tourist visas, I really doubt anyone will hunt you down and kick you out. It's only a problem if you want to work legally.
 
It is superfast and easy if you get married to an Argentine. And now thanks to the new gay rights law, it does not have to be an Argentine of the opposite sex. It is the simplest and fastest method. The partner-spouse does not even have to go to migraciones... just to the wedding!
 
1. Come as an ""Artist"
2. Marry an Argentine
3. Bring beaucoup bucks
4. Buy Property
5. Invest in the country.
 
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