reciprocity fee - must pay online

[solerboy]

The fees the US charges are not exorbitant, they are in order to recoup the cost of procesing visas, there is zero profit in this for the US. Unlike Argentinas fee which is a completley retaliatory cash generator for the goverment.

There isnt any logic to the above quote. The US governement decide they want to people to have Visas, fair enough. They could decide to allow Argentines to enter without visas, but they created an extra tier of administration.

In either direction the traveller is paying a fee they really shouldnt need to pay because of a government decision.

 

[Nahuel]

The fees the US charges are not exorbitant, they are in order to recoup the cost of procesing visas, there is zero profit in this for the US. Unlike Argentinas fee which is a completley retaliatory cash generator for the goverment.

May i remind you that we don't pay 160 U$ for a USA visa, but for an interview that defines if you are going to get a visa, wich can be denied at said interview. For example, my wife's cousin couldn't go to her sister's wedding in Florida, because she works freelance here and her sister is the only contact she listed in the visa aplication. And she still had to pay the 160 U$.

I believe that's a BIG difference.

 

[nicoenarg]

I think the only fair point seems to have been raised by citygirl.

It doesn't matter whether the US charges these fees or not. And neither does it matter whether Argentina charges them or not.

And Argentina has every right to charge foreigners wishing to visit Argentina however much they want, whenever they want. The government here, no matter how much I don't like it, does not have to justify what it does to foreigners arriving here as tourists.

Same goes for the US. The US can charge whatever it wishes to charge at whatever point they wish to charge those who wish to visit the US.

If you don't like either country's policies, choose to visit some other country...there are 100s of other countries in the world.

If you think US$150-US$200 in fees is "exorbitant", then rethink being a tourist.

 

[AlexanderB]

I bet it saves a bunch of time making stuff up instead of checking!

India charges $US150 for US citizens for a 10 year visa.
Brazil charges $US160 for US citizens for a 10 year visa, and requires extensive documentation.
Paraguay charges $US105.
Angola charges $US141.

I can come up with another dozen examples if you want. Remember that most citizens of developed nations don't require any visa or fee to enter Argentina. Just US, Australia and Canada, all of whom charge exorbitant fees for visas.

Touché, I really didn't realise that. Just a function of where I've traveled, I guess. Either way, my bad. You definitely have a point.

That said, I wonder if India, Brazil, Paraguay and Angola charge non-US/UK/AU citizens similar fees.

 

[DavieW]

US, Australia and Canada, all of whom charge exorbitant fees for visas.

Innit!
I wish I'd known this a couple of months ago. I'm a Brit who's about to travel home with my 4 year old and then stopping off for 2 days in Canada on the return leg, to visit a friend recently diagnosed with cancer. I haven't organized my kid's British passport yet because it's expensive and a complete pain-in-the-arse now that it can't be done here and has to be sent to Washington DC. So he's traveling on an Argentinian passport, and although he's also British by default I had to organize a visa for him. The process has not only been lengthy and painful, but has cost me over USD150 for a once only, 2 day visit. I even had to organize a second (free) transit visa for the outward leg because we'll be spending 3 hours in Toronto airport.

In hindsight, it would have been better, and not that much more expensive, to get him his British passport. Like I said, I wish I'd known about the Canadian visa charges a couple of months ago.....

 

[germano]

Argentina only charges the fee from citizens of countries requiring visas from Argentinians. I have never paid the fee ...

 

[Greg2231]

There isnt any logic to the above quote. The US governement decide they want to people to have Visas, fair enough. They could decide to allow Argentines to enter without visas, but they created an extra tier administration

I am sorry you dont see the logic, the US congress passed a law many years ago that regulates the eligibility for countries to participate in the visa waiver program, which intially requires them to have a visa rejection rate under 3% to be eligible for the program. Argentina used to be a participant in the visa waiver program, but became ineligable to remain on the program because there overstay rate exceded a threshold set in the law that authorized said program. Agentina would become eligible again to be in the visa waiver program if there visa rejection rate goes below the threshold. I dont believe that there reinclusion would he automatic then, but would require some diplomatic negotiatian to bring them back in the program as there are other elements required for participation.

I do agree that everyone would be better off if the visa process was simplified, and eliminated as much as possible for all countrys, partly out of personal interest as I spend from $500-$1000 a year on visas, never mind the wasted time involved in dealing with all of them.

 

[Greg2231]

May i remind you that we don't pay 160 U$ for a USA visa, but for an interview that defines if you are going to get a visa, wich can be denied at said interview. For example, my wife's cousin couldn't go to her sister's wedding in Florida, because she works freelance here and her sister is the only contact she listed in the visa aplication. And she still had to pay the 160 U$.

I believe that's a BIG difference.

I feel her pain, but the payment is to offset the cost for processing the visa application, which is incured whether the visa is approved or not, one could even argue that a denial would generally involve more man hours, and should have a higher cost.

I also have to pay any visa fees when submiting my applications, luckily I have never had a visa rejected, but I would not expect to get the fee back.

 

[dr__dawggy]

Is there moral justification or charging a reciprocity fee? Is the new method of payment consistent with procedures used by other countries? I will leave it To others to answer these questions.

I would only add that these questions aside, this and many recent decisions will hurt an already ailing economy as tourists decide to spend their vacation dollars in less expensive places without the confusion and hassles associated with bringinging dollars into and out of the country and,now, associated with gaining entry.

 

[citygirl]

With the increase in cost of airline tickets, the increase in prices (esp as short-term tourist prob aren't in the know about "blue" rates) and the visa fees - who from NA at least would want to come to Argentina?

So many closer/cheaper options - including other places in S. America.