No More Reciprocity Fee For Us Passport Holders

[Somewhereinba]

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.

And people wonder why there are so many permatourists. I think a lot more people who take the official route if it wasn't such an inefficent system that usually costs thousands and has you running around like a headless chicken all day getting all these papers. The system is broken and needs to move into the 20th century - this applies not just for residency either.

 

[Rawley]

I don´t see anything from the State Department changing the way you get a visa if you are under 16 or over 65 . Even when The Argentine Chancellor just made the announcement of a new visa waiver program, there is nothing from the American Government to confirm it.

 

[Rich One]

I don´t see anything from the State Department changing the way you get a visa if you are under 16 or over 65 . Even when The Argentine Chancellor just made the announcement of a new visa waiver program, there is nothing from the American Government to confirm it.

The VWI is a process that has "started" may take a long while to come into effect. Like it was in the case of Chile.

 

[EJLarson]

According to State Department statistics (available on the visa waiver program wikipedia page), the US visa rejection rate for Argentina was 2.14% in 2015 and 1.4% in 2014. RodolfoWalsh is right and Wineguy999's experience is not typical.

Maikito: Global Entry is a trusted traveler program allowing pre-screened members to enter the US without waiting in line to talk to a border officer (they just have to go to a kiosk). The program is only available to US citizens and permanent residents, and citizens of Germany, The Netherlands, Korea, Panama and Mexico. I very much doubt Argentina will join anytime soon, but feel free to share your source.

These numbers are hard to believe. Wineguy says he knows six who were denied, and I know four - including my wife's brother (although we got that straightened out). The others were responsible, middle-class types, but the burden was laid on them to prove they'd return to Argentina. Since proving a negative is a bit difficult, some of our young friends were denied because they didn't have solid career employment or significant property holdings.

I can't argue the numbers because I can't validate the sources, but I'd be shocked if the denial rate was truly only 2%.

 

[Rawley]

Of course, the State Department will make an announcement in November about something that is suppossed to come into effect in 2017, just by the time there is a new guy in the White House.

 

[joeschmoe1920]

These numbers are hard to believe. Wineguy says he knows six who were denied, and I know four - including my wife's brother (although we got that straightened out). The others were responsible, middle-class types, but the burden was laid on them to prove they'd return to Argentina. Since proving a negative is a bit difficult, some of our young friends were denied because they didn't have solid career employment or significant property holdings.

I can't argue the numbers because I can't validate the sources, but I'd be shocked if the denial rate was truly only 2%.

EJ Larsen: you may be shocked, but here are the numbers: http://travel.state....lRates/FY15.pdf
With all its faults, the State Department is not INDEC. Could it be that your friends and family are not a representative sample of the Argentinian pool of visa applicants? Shocking!

EDIT: Rich One - people from the countries you listed are generally not required to apply for a visa unless they are ineligible for a visa waiver (this includes people convicted of a crime, etc). This explains the high rejection rate for those who do apply.

 

[Rich One]

EJ Larsen: you may be shocked, but here are the numbers: http://travel.state....lRates/FY15.pdf
With all its faults, the State Department is not INDEC. Could it be that your friends and family are not a representative sample of the Argentinian pool of visa applicants? Shocking!

Amazing tend to believe its a MISTAKE 2.14 % Argie's rejected

While. these Percentages

..

Canada 49.13​

Ireland 18.34​

Germany 10.87​

Great Britain 20.41​

 

[wineguy999]

EJ Larsen: you may be shocked, but here are the numbers: http://travel.state....lRates/FY15.pdf
With all its faults, the State Department is not INDEC. Could it be that your friends and family are not a representative sample of the Argentinian pool of visa applicants? Shocking!

The people I cited range in age from 25 to 53 years, all gainfully employed in various fields (a sommelier, an accountant, a print shop owner...), 4 of the six are homeowners...
I don't know what you might consider representative, but mine are pretty darned random, except they all know me.

Wait a minute...

 

[EJLarson]

The people I cited range in age from 25 to 53 years, all gainfully employed in various fields (a sommelier, an accountant, a print shop owner...), 4 of the six are homeowners...
I don't know what you might consider representative, but mine are pretty darned random, except they all know me.

Wait a minute...

Hey! So this is the explanation!

I'll check with my people to find out when they met you. And please don't be offended, but would you mind denying you know them?

 

[Ceviche]

is only available to US citizens and permanent residents, and citizens of Germany, The Netherlands, Korea, Panama and Mexico.

Peru too

http://www.namnewsnetwork.org/v3/read.php?id=Mjk4MTc4