Preparing to go to colonia for 7th time! Eek!!

[esllou]

ETA: I used to think the same way as you and Hellek (below), but frankly my life would have been a LOT easier if I had just overstayed my visa instead of crossing faithfully every 90 days. Yes, I'm one of the people who got the 30 day flag, but was fortunate enough to have paperwork enroute to get it resolved.

what solution did you choose in the end? Work visa, marriage, rentista??

 

[MizzMarr]

thanks for the responses everyone. My view on this issues has always been, for the two years I've been on this forum, that we are dealing with individuals.

2 people coming back on their 7th colonia run may very well have 2 different responses from Javier and Jorge at passport control. That's the infuriating thing.

I'm leaning towards staying and taking my chances at EZE in the spring. I don't think they'd put me on a plane back to london...possibly giving me 30 days to sort myself out. At which point, I'll be giving bajo cero a call!

I think that's probably a good idea. In the meantime, if you do plan to fight and stay should you get a stickler agent, get all your paperwork together now while you have time! good luck!

 

[MizzMarr]

what solution did you choose in the end? Work visa, marriage, rentista??

I was able to qualify for a rentista visa (mine was reviewed and approved under the old standards in place prior to July).

 

[esllou]

I don't think I qualify for any of the legal paths...that's the issue. There are cracks in the boardwalk of legality through which some of us slip.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

I'm curious: What makes you think that the laws will be more stringently enforced at EZE than crossing from Colonia?

Feedback from people who traveled abroad and came back without problems. If the line is crowded better for you, they just want to do it as fast as posible.
Regards

 

[mmoon]

It sounds like you have made your decision, but I'll put in my two cents all the same. I just went to Colonia last week for the third time this year with no problems at all on the return. However, I've also gone through EZE twice this year, and they gave me some hassles the second time (in September). Ultimately, I got through okay, but they really didn't seem to like the visa extension stamp I got at the Immigration Office (AKA Hell) even though I had taken a trip to and from Colonia before it expired. (Side note: the rep I got at the Immigration Office asked why I didn't go to Colonia instead of coming in and waiting seven hours for the extension. Whatever route you take, I would strongly suggest you avoid that place.) Best of luck...

 

[Bajo_cero2]

Also I disagree on the ilegality aspect. I am not a lawyer, so I probably should just shut up, but in this case I can't. When you overstay your visa you clearly commit an infraction for which you have to pay a fine. Of course you *could* disagree with the fine and go to court about it but who really does this? When you renew your tourist-visa exceeding the 180-day max you don't commit an infraction. You just don't have any right to it and they might not grant it. But you don't commit any infraction (or it is not relevant and not fined).

I am a lawyer. If you overstay you became a inhabitant. As an inhabitant you have the same civil right than an argentinian, among others, to entry the country. So, if when you come back you have any issue, an habeas corpus might solve it. Regards

 

[esllou]

It sounds like you have made your decision, but I'll put in my two cents all the same. I just went to Colonia last week for the third time this year with no problems at all on the return. However, I've also gone through EZE twice this year, and they gave me some hassles the second time (in September). Ultimately, I got through okay, but they really didn't seem to like the visa extension stamp I got at the Immigration Office (AKA Hell) even though I had taken a trip to and from Colonia before it expired. (Side note: the rep I got at the Immigration Office asked why I didn't go to Colonia instead of coming in and waiting seven hours for the extension. Whatever route you take, I would strongly suggest you avoid that place.) Best of luck...

yeah, always avoided that place like the plague...even for my first one that I could have got there. After my experiences in italy with state bureaucracy, I was happier taking a sunny walk around colonia old town.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

I don't think I qualify for any of the legal paths...that's the issue. There are cracks in the boardwalk of legality through which some of us slip.

Remember that after 24 month you became eligible for citizenship, stay under the radar until then. Regards

 

[esllou]

Remember that after 24 month you became eligeble for citizenship, stay under the radar until then. Regards

thanks for this but I don't think I'm alone on this forum in saying that it would be impossible for me to stay here for 2 years. Many of us have to go home for family meetings, weddings, twiglet runs, etc.

I realise that would solve many of my problems but it's not practical.