This forum is the best place I know of to ask any questions you have about the required documents for the visa pensionado and how to get them, so you should not need to hire a lawyer or a "gestor" to help you.
As I previously indicated, you don't need a lawyer or a gestor, and if you speak some basic Spanish, you should not need a translator, either.
If you are receiving Social Security payments from the USA, all you will need to prove your source of income is an official benefits letter with the Apostille which you will have to have translated in Argentina. I believe you will also need to have the FBI report translated. Transaltors are easy to find and easy to deal with as anyone you will use will speak English. The translator can also have the translations "legalized" for you.
.It is not the same kind of legalization that is required for translated documents.
Of course you will need the FBI report and it must be certified (Apostilled?) by the State Department. This is best done while you are still in the USA. I believe you have 90 days from the date it is issued to present it at migraciones. I hope others will confirm the 90 day time frame.
I got the Argentine crimininal background report (penales antecedentes) on my own without speaking much Spanish and it is even easier now than the three times I did it over ten years ago. You must have this report before you came make an appointment (turno) on line present your documents at migraciones.
If you don't yet speak much Spanish, I suggest you begin by teaching yourself words and phrases that are relevant to getting the visa pensionado.
You can use google translate to create a list and also download a "talk and translate" app to speak in English and then hear the translations in Spanish.
You could even use the app in you cell phone if you go to migraciones on your own without someone to help with the translations.
I have used the app at pharmacies and "health food" shops to insure that I was able to buy exactly what I wanted and the English word was not at all similar.
The best example was the time I wanted to buy turmeric. Here it is known by one of its ingredients, curcuma.
The app was also useful when I needed to buy ball joints for the front suspension of my car and the Spanish word for them is rotulas.
PS: It was much easier to buy Ivermectin (over a year ago) in a pharmacy as the Spanish word for it is Ivermectina. There was actually a sign on the plexiglass shield above the counter which indicated that it was available for direct purchase without a prescription, so I didn't have to use the app.
Ultimately, if you feel uncomfortable about going to migraciones alone, you can go with
anyone who speaks Spanish and English well enough to act as your translator. They really don't have to know anything about the visa you are applying for and you might be able to return the favor by buying them a nice lunch.or dinner insted of paying them
I can share Patricia's contact information with you in a PM if you desire. The cost for one trip to migraciones is $175USD and she will go with you a second time for an additional cost of $75USD, but if all you need to do is provide an additional document, you can probably do that on your own.
I returned to migraciones on my own the day after Patricia went with me for the first time. All I had to do was give the same woman we had spoken with the previous day some ATM recepts. I was then told to take a seat and wait. In a little while I was given the precaria.
