No More Reciprocity Fee For Us Passport Holders

[Sleuth]

Looks like Obama and Macri got along really well...

As of tomorrow, March 24, 2016, US passport holders no longer need to pay the U$S 160 reciprocity fee. Argentines under 16 and over 65 no longer have to go through the Visa interview process.

http://www.embassyofargentina.us/en/consular-section/reciprocity-fee-for-us-citizens.html

 

[RichardP]

But I suppose Argentines will continue to have to pay to apply for a visa to the US. Perhaps another announcement of Argentina re-entering the visa waiver program is due shortly?

 

[garryl]

Back to normal. This will bring more tourists to Argentina and Argentina will benefit from it.
I must say that Marci is about 1000 times better than K. K is the dead weight on Argentina.

 

[argsteve]

I have a couple of US friends visiting in 2 weeks... this is good news.... but is it 100% true.... i guess other websites have not been corrected yet...

 

[estebandepraga]

While I am happy for this change and working in international tourism, I still think it is very unfair that Argentines among many other nationalities must pay the $160 or more usd to apply for a visa which is not a pleasant experience and after one most likely is rejected the fees paid stay there and not returned!
In tjis case, I can see the "what's good for the goose is good for the gander"

 

[Sleuth]

While I am happy for this change and working in international tourism, I still think it is very unfair that Argentines among many other nationalities must pay the $160 or more usd to apply for a visa which is not a pleasant experience and after one most likely is rejected the fees paid stay there and not returned!
In tjis case, I can see the "what's good for the goose is good for the gander"

This is the discrepancy of one country being a world power and one not. The number one cause of illegal immigration to the US is not people crossing the Mexican border (sorry Donald Trump), but people overstaying their visas. Macri rightly realized that the value of tourism dollars to Argentina far outweighed any "reciprocity" to prove a point.

That being said, Argentina is working to become one of the countries that are part of the visa-waiver program. That will take some time, but Chile only recently completed the process, so there is hope that the new administration will get it done.

 

[captainmcd]

While I am happy for this change and working in international tourism, I still think it is very unfair that Argentines among many other nationalities must pay the $160 or more usd to apply for a visa which is not a pleasant experience and after one most likely is rejected the fees paid stay there and not returned!
In tjis case, I can see the "what's good for the goose is good for the gander"

While I am happy for this change and working in international tourism, I still think it is very unfair that Argentines among many other nationalities must pay the $160 or more usd to apply for a visa which is not a pleasant experience and after one most likely is rejected the fees paid stay there and not returned!
In tjis case, I can see the "what's good for the goose is good for the gander"

I wish that Argentina was reciprocal with the United States for residency. When I married here in 1983 it took my Argentine wife a wait of two weeks for the United States Embassy to issue her a permanent residence visa. When she arrived at the airport in Miami they said "welcome to the United States" and mailed her "green card" to our home in a week.

Not so for my residency in Argentina. First I had to get an immigration attorney to apply for residency through the Argentine Consulate in Houston. The consulate after a few weeks called and stamped a "Residente Permanente" visa in my passport. On arrival back in Ezieza they still only allowed me 90 days until I picked up my DNI. I had to bring copies of my birth certificate translated, notarized, apositled along with a letter from the Houston chief of police stating that I had no record. Then a visit to our local police station in Buenos Aires where I spent a day to get my finger prints. I took this to immigration along with our marriage certificate and other forms to the Immigration office in Antartida Argentina, Buenos Aires where they issued me a receipt as a temporary DNI. They said they would have the card ready in about two weeks. When I returned with the receipt they hesitated and then said that it was lost "en tramite". It is still lost. When I most recently arrived about two weeks ago they let me come in as a permanent resident without reciprocity fee, but it took me a long wait while they looked up the law that admitted me. On leaving two days ago it was even a longer wait while I was lectured that the next visit I must re-submit all the paperwork, original copies, that they lost.

Talk about recipricity! My wife became a legal resident in three weeks with a social security card, work permit, drivers license. I have been working on getting Argentine residency for 31 years now, but have little to show for the effort, but have spent thousands of dollars in the process.

 

[twin]

The number one cause of illegal immigration to the US is not people crossing the Mexican border (sorry Donald Trump), but people overstaying their visas.

Not true. On this Trump is correct. This from 3 months ago:
https://www.us-immigration.com/us-immigration-news/us-immigration/almost-500000-visa-overstays-in-2015/

 

[Jade Onerway]

I am visiting in two weeks and I was under the assumption, after searching online, there was no charge for visa to enter Argentina and Uruguay. I don't have the links to where I found the information except I started with the US gov website back in December 2015. Either way this is good news and glad I wasn't surprised at airport. Do you know if there is a visa charge to enter Uruguay for US passport holder? I will be taking ferry. Thanks for all your posts!

 

[Sleuth]

Not true. On this Trump is correct. This from 3 months ago:
https://www.us-immig...rstays-in-2015/

It's all a matter of where people are getting their stats from. This seems to be no longer true:
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/424879/visa-overstays-todays-immigration-crisis-mark-krikorian