Passport & A Prayer...

[*SF_2_BA*]

Que pasa gente!?

Leaving California for Bs As... any helpful advise out there from my ex-pat brothers and sisters???

1) Is it possible to stay in Bs As for several years without a visa or work permit?

2) Can I find work and make enough to support myself teaching English or by working at a "call center"? What do call centers pay and how do I find them?

3) How hard is it to find a room? What qualifications (bank statements, proof of employment, etc.) are required?

4) How's the economy doing? Should i be worried about moving out there and then suddenly peso goes bye bye?

5) Is there good weed in ARG???

Any words of wisdom are greatly appreciated!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours,

JW

 

[Bajo_cero2]

1) Is it possible to stay in Bs As for several years without a visa or work permit?

Yes, you can even become a citizen without a visa.

2) Can I find work and make enough to support myself teaching English or by working at a "call center"? What do call centers pay and how do I find them?

Well, it is difficult but possible. However, this is a cool country only if you have money enough.

3) How hard is it to find a room? What qualifications (bank statements, proof of employment, etc.) are required?

Easy, if you look for pensiones de estudiantes instead of hostels, they are cheap and you only need to pay the rent.

4) How's the economy doing? Should i be worried about moving out there and then suddenly peso goes bye bye?

The economy is good in Argentine standars. Whatever is cheap in the US, here is expensive (electronics, cars, clothes) and whatever is expensive there, here is for free or unexpensive (medicine, universities, houses).

I suggest you come if you have savings and a way to make money abroad living in argentina.

5) Is there good weed in ARG???

In general is what they call "paraguayo" that sucks, but there should be something better.

Regards

 

[Alex_H]

Heya JW,

When are you thinking of coming? In answer to your questions:

1) Yeah - you can do it one of two ways - leaving the country every 90 days for the visa run (theres a boat you can catch to Colonia for example) or stay in the country and pay a fine when you leave.

2) You should definitely be able to find a job teaching English - I think the going rate if you work at an institute is around 30-40 and hour. If you can get private students I think the rate is $50-90. I know quite a few people living off that salary but maybe look at other posts to work out what type of budget you need.

3) A room in a house? try craigslist - I'm pretty sure most places will just interview you. If you are looking to rent your own place the only think I needed was my passport.

4) haha this is a touchy subject with pages of info and opinions on this site and elsewhere. a lot of people think the sky is falling but honestly you get up in the morning and the world keeps on turning - I really haven't seen any signs this is going to change any time soon.

5) I don't know about that. I wouldn't get your hopes up though - it's not like the stuff grows on trees :s

 

[dennisr]

Any words of wisdom are greatly appreciated!!!

San Francisco, would be tough to leave, number one city, in a class all by itself. However, "Don't Stop Believing."
Good Luck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9uIyLm1mQM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[El Duderino]

5) No, but you can probably grow your own if you're around here long enough.

 

[zork]

1) Yes

2) You would have to teach a looot of hours

3) Not hard at all and no qualifications needed, try craigslist

4) it's stable enough I guess

5) yes you can find really good weed but it doesn't come cheap and it's kind of hard to get the good stuff, you'll easily find paraguayo which is SHIT but it does the job, and you can grow it yourself too

 

[*SF_2_BA*]

Thanks everybody (except Lee)! Right on dennisr, Go Giants!

 

[*SF_2_BA*]

Gracias primo, eres un buen hombre!

 

[jayjane]

It isn't likely that you'll make enough teaching to pay your bills and get to enjoy a few fun things now and then. A lot of people dont realize this until they are a ways down this road. Most people I know teaching are using savings to get by and plan to return to the U.S. once they have exhausted their funds.

Finding a place is easy. Finding a good place within your peso-earning budget is much more difficult.

Inflation is crazy. Everything is more expensive than it used to be. We called to order some cheap take out the other day only to find the price of our usual (used to be 50 pesos circa August) went up 25 pesos from the last time we ordered. This is a big deal if you are earning pesos.

I went to school in SF. I like BA but it in no way compares to life in SF. Be prepared.
I don't smoke. A lot of my friends in SF did. Most of our Argentine friends have never tried it. I do some teaching among other jobs and I had a discussion about weed with one of my classes this week. Most of the students were educated young professionals. They all told me they believe it is highly addictive and leads to doing harder substances quick. Not really my personal belief but a prevalent one here. They said they look down on it. Make sure you smoke among like minded people to avoid an awkward social situation.