Overstay Controls

[Smcali23]

yes, after an administrative process that takes 3 months.

No, a five year ban is not common

 

[GeorgeAus]

I had no problem paying my overstay fee yesterday, Even told the lady Im going to Colonia and coming back to get a stamp so I can apply for my brasilian visa and she was more then happy to help. Guess it depends on who you get on the day.

 

[NickBA]

Just made the Carmelo run today. I paid the 300 pesos fine at aduana (got a little shit from the agent) then on the return trip was able to get my 90 day stamp, however the guy made it a point to tell me that this would be the last time. The stamp I was given says nothing different, but does anyone know if the ultima extension (?) stamp is different or do they note something in their system? Gracias!

 

[sinagua980]

NickBA, you must have had the same guy we had three months ago. He said the same thing to us: "This is your last stamp." I just did a one-day to Colonia with no problems at all.

 

[NickBA]

Possibly, he was a man around 35-40 with glasses. I was told the same thing when I did my first run to Uruguay. I had been in Argentina only 3 months, and went without my visa being expired and was still told that "this is the last time." I feel like they're required to say that.

 

[la_guachita]

Well just to balance things out a bit I will share that the last time I came in I was held by immigrations for 6 hours at Eze.

This is because the ATM ate my card at Ezeiza and I thus I had no cash to pay the reciprocity fee. There is some possibilty that this was a set-up because I had had that card for years and my bank knows I reside here -- either that or I was so tired after missing my first flight thanks to a special extra-long patdown by homeland security that I lost it in the walk from the ATM to immigrations. I had virtually not slept for three days so I am fuzzy about how I lost the card in the airport, but I think the ATM ate it.

While in the little immigration office they did not let me call the embassy or anyone I know. I did not have a cell phone or blackberry or anything like that. One immigration officer said to the other, 'Se puede pagar la taza or chuparme la pija,' apparently thinking I didn't understand. I got yelled at by several different people about what my country would do if they showed up there and were unable to pay the visa. They planned to put me back on the same plane I arrived on, even though I explained repeatedly that I had the money in my account, but that the ATM ate my card, so I could not access it.

The only thing that saved me was that the women who worked for Delta and I had a friend in common. She called a friend for me from her personal cellphone and he came several hours later with the AR$600 reciprocity fee to get me out of there.

It was obvious they wanted a bribe (would have had to have been the suggested sexual favor or an electronic gadget, because that was all I had on me that would have interested them). I swore on that day I would move from here as soon as possible because I was treated with total disdain and sensed a pathological hatred of females and/or yanquis in the mix. I'm still here though, sometimes to my own perplexion!

 

[citygirl]

Where is there an ATM before you get to immigration? I've never seen one. And you didn't have any credit cards to pay or cash on you - you only travel with one debit card? Nor a phone to call anyone? That seems...unwise.

Sounds awful but you are very lucky they let you come in at all - you realize that you were asking them to let in someone who apparently had no access to any money or any credit cards - not exactly an ideal situation.

ETA - not to sound unsympathetic, it sounds like an awful situation and what the officer said is beyond the pale and completely unacceptable.

 

[la_guachita]

The situation was that on night one I had to drive all night to the airport in a major city for a morning flight, as I was in the middle of nowhere. Even though I arrived within the requisite 90 minutes, Homeland Security's extended pat down (for which they had to go find a female to conduct) caused me to miss my flight from the west coast. That meant I missed my flight that day to Buenos Aires. So on night two I hung out in my connection city with friends all night who I hadn't seen in years. Night three was on the plane barely able to sleep because they make them seats rather uncomfortable these days. Somewhere along the way in those few days I lost my other ATM card in my frenzy to buy gifts for friends here. I don't use credit cards or cellphones. What can I say? I usually have things together but I'm getting a bit elderly for three nights w/o a decent nights sleep and I was discombobulated.

According to international conventions, they should have allowed me to call the embassy.

 

[lamarque]

Well just to balance things out a bit I will share that the last time I came in I was held by immigrations for 6 hours at Eze.

This is because the ATM ate my card at Ezeiza and I thus I had no cash to pay the reciprocity fee. There is some possibilty that this was a set-up because I had had that card for years and my bank knows I reside here -- either that or I was so tired after missing my first flight thanks to a special extra-long patdown by homeland security that I lost it in the walk from the ATM to immigrations. I had virtually not slept for three days so I am fuzzy about how I lost the card in the airport, but I think the ATM ate it.

While in the little immigration office they did not let me call the embassy or anyone I know. I did not have a cell phone or blackberry or anything like that. One immigration officer said to the other, 'Se puede pagar la taza or chuparme la pija,' apparently thinking I didn't understand. I got yelled at by several different people about what my country would do if they showed up there and were unable to pay the visa. They planned to put me back on the same plane I arrived on, even though I explained repeatedly that I had the money in my account, but that the ATM ate my card, so I could not access it.

The only thing that saved me was that the women who worked for Delta and I had a friend in common. She called a friend for me from her personal cellphone and he came several hours later with the AR$600 reciprocity fee to get me out of there.

It was obvious they wanted a bribe (would have had to have been the suggested sexual favor or an electronic gadget, because that was all I had on me that would have interested them). I swore on that day I would move from here as soon as possible because I was treated with total disdain and sensed a pathological hatred of females and/or yanquis in the mix. I'm still here though, sometimes to my own perplexion!

La_guachita, not to be hard on you but you will have a worst time in any other country if you are required to pay for the visa and you don't do it, trying them to let you in without credit card, debit card, money, visa, not even phone? i know that in any other country they would just put you in a plane back to your country without any explanation if you were in the same situation.
I have seen how inmigration agents deport a brazilian girl that was in front of me in the queue in the airport of Dublin. And she was providing all the papers that were required, they deport her just because they think she was suspicius

 

[la_guachita]

Yes it was a series of misadventures that caused that to happen, but without getting personal I contribute to this country in a few different ways. The only thing I've taken is free health care and I always make a financial contribution when they pass the hat at the hospital.

At any rate, I was posting this as a warning to others -- not to being taking to task for being sleep deprived and dumb one day a year and half ago. Jeez, no wonder people complain about this forum!