Renew tourist visa

[markbsas]

Attorney in BA,

Originally I had no intention of seeking residency here in Argentina. Our plan was to come here so my wife could be with her family through the last part of pregnancy, have our baby here, stay for a while longer, and then go back "home". Things may be changing and we may in fact stay longer than we were thinking.

We just started talking about this today as I was reading some posts here about possible issues with "permanent" tourists. My wife has not lived here for 9 years, has been rather busy with baby, and I had not even bothered to research it as it was not my intention.

Is this an easy thing for me to do since I am married to an Argentinian or is it still a lot of red tape like the US? Before my wife and I got married we had to jump through major hoops down here to get a fiancee visa and all of the pain and agony of that is still to this day fresh in my mind.

What do you think? Is my plan of extending my tourist visa in the meantime a solid idea or should we just go ahead and apply for residency?

Thank you
Mark

 

[Attorney in BA]

If you have all the documents, or can get them, it shouldn't be a difficult process. The documents most people have difficulties with are the police records from the place where you have lived for the past 5 years. The birth certificate and marriage certificate are easier to obtain; or birth certificate of your child.
The perma-tourists, even though tolerated to some extent by the authorities, is an irregular situation and I do not recommend it.
Give me a call and we can discuss the options. My office phone number is on my website, www.fandinoabogados.com, and I'll give you my cell phone through a pm.

 

[mini]

Attorney in BA,

Originally I had no intention of seeking residency here in Argentina. Our plan was to come here so my wife could be with her family through the last part of pregnancy, have our baby here, stay for a while longer, and then go back "home". Things may be changing and we may in fact stay longer than we were thinking.

We just started talking about this today as I was reading some posts here about possible issues with "permanent" tourists. My wife has not lived here for 9 years, has been rather busy with baby, and I had not even bothered to research it as it was not my intention.

Is this an easy thing for me to do since I am married to an Argentinian or is it still a lot of red tape like the US? Before my wife and I got married we had to jump through major hoops down here to get a fiancee visa and all of the pain and agony of that is still to this day fresh in my mind.

What do you think? Is my plan of extending my tourist visa in the meantime a solid idea or should we just go ahead and apply for residency?

Thank you
Mark

It's easy. Once you have all your papers in order and submitted it takes about four weeks to get residency. The issue is always gathering all the papers which can be a pain from here.

 

[markbsas]

Awesome info, thanks Emily.

I was thinking my 90 days was up on Thursday, uh wrong. I'm headed down to migraciones first thing in the morning. Thanks as well for heads up on crisscrossing

Mark

Hey Mark! I think what that other guy...was...um, trying to say in an interesting, roundabout way is that your question would be a great candidate for starting a new thread so that others looking for the same question can more easily find the answer!

The address is Av. Antártida Argentina 1355. Just look for the long yellow building with lots of people walking in and out. The streets are wide and criss-cross around that part of Antartida, and I admit looking for it once I got off the bus, I got all criss-crossed and lost and had to ask for help.

Here are the reqs for Radication in Argentina and obviously as a spouse of an Argentine you will have no problem. However, talking to some friends who were married in the States, they first are having to go through a long process of making their marriage "count" here. http://www.migraciones.gov.ar/pagina4/espanol/radicacion/rad_extramercosur.htm, you being obviously the first one, a familiar. You should have no problem, so I can count myself among the many here who are jealous of you for that!

I would go ahead and start the process...because the sooner, you get your radication here, the less fines you will have to pay in order to get around and live life.

In order to have it go through, you may have to at some point legalize yourself by paying the 300 pesos to update your tourist visa, but it's not like the US where they throw you in jail and deport you, though technically and legally you should. Even when you go and inquire along with all the documents together they ask for in order to try and start the process, you may actually be able to slip through the cracks until the process starts because you will probably be in a different line.

An immigration official informed me when I left the country accidentally forgetting to tuck my visa into my passport and slapped with a fine is that if I was in any process of radication, I MUST keep my visa status up-to-date while that process is going on, otherwise, it will be terminated and must start all over once and if I am caught with an expired visa. Whether or not that is true in practice, I don't know.

 

[markbsas]

It's easy. Once you have all your papers in order and submitted it takes about four weeks to get residency. The issue is always gathering all the papers which can be a pain from here.

Wow, four weeks! I had no idea. I may be headed back to US first part of year so I'll try to use that time to gather all the necessary docs.

Thanks very much
Mark

 

[emilyr]

Wow, four weeks! I had no idea.
Mark

De nada!!!
See....4 weeks! This is why permatourists, student visa-ers, hanger-oners are all jealous of you! ; ) Or at least I am!

I mean, there is always red tape and lines and paperwork when it comes to this kind of stuff, but that's sure easier than paying fines for the rest of your life! haha! And that doesn't mean if you get all the papers and wait in all those lines, the rest is not smooth sailing. Good luck!

 

[steveinbsas]

My wife is Argentinian and we have a new baby girl who was born here a few weeks ago. Given my circumstances, how do I apply for residency? What paperwork is involved, etc?

Here are the requirements in English for permanent residency as the spouse of an Argentine citizen:

http://www.buenosaires.gov.ar/areas/..._argentina.php

"DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR THE VISA APPLICATION PROCESS:
PERMANENT RESIDENCE

Documents requested:

Any person who intends to enter and stay in Argentina on a temporary basis shall have the following personal documents:
A - Identity: identity is evidenced by Passport, Identity Card or Certificate of Nationality, all of which must be in FULL FORCE AND EFFECT.
B - Last entry to the country: It is evidenced by the seal stamped by migration authorities in the corresponding Passport or Entry Card.
C - Certificate of criminal records issued by the country of origin or the place where the person has lived for the last 5 years prior to his/her entry to the country (only required for those people who are over 16 years old)
D - Police Criminal Record Certificate issued by the Argentine Federal Police (Policía Federal Argentina) or the National Registry of Recurrence (Registro Nacional de Reincidencia) (only for those over 18 years old): they are obtained at Building No. 4 of the Immigration Bureau (Dirección Nacional de Migraciones) from 9 AM to 12 AM, at Azopardo 620 (Argentine Federal Police), or Tucumán 1353 (National Registry of Recurrence) both in the city of Buenos Aires. This last document is only required when residence is applied for directly at Immigrations once the applicant is already in Argentina..

In addition to any personal documentation, an individual who wishes to permanently live in the country shall file certain documents in order to comply with the following specific eligibility requirements:
A - Child born in Argentina or with resident status: The applicant shall submit the Birth Certificate and National Identity Card (DNI, Documento Nacional de Identidad) of his Argentine or resident child.
B - Spouse of an Argentine or resident citizen: Marriage certificate and National Identity Card (DNI, Documento Nacional de Identidad) of the Argentine or resident spouse.
C - Argentine father or mother: National Identity Card (DNI, Documento Nacional de Identidad) of the Argentine father or mother, and the birth certificate of the applicant.
D - Resident father or mother: interested individuals shall be single and under 21 years old, and shall submit the resident father or mother's National Identity Card (DNI, Documento Nacional de Identidad) and their own birth certificate.

IMPORTANT:
- Any documents issued abroad must be certified by the Argentine Consulate in the country where the documents where issued or certified with the seal "Apostille" (for non-bordering countries adopting Hague Convention of 1961) or certified by Consulate of the country where the documents were issued in Argentina.
- Any documents written in a foreign language (except for documents issued in Portuguese within the territory of Brazil) shall be translated into Spanish by a National Sworn Translator and certified by the Translators Association (Colegio de Traductores ) in which the professional is registered.
- Any documents shall be filed in original and photocopy, for their certification."

It will be much easier for you to get permanent residency in Argentina that it was to get the fiance visa for the US! All you will have to do is provide the necessary documents. There won't be any serious issues raised or suspicions questions asked (like there probably were in the US).