Shocking new income requirement for visa rentista?

[steveinbsas]

Amazing. It seems like Argentina is purposely shooting themselves in the foot, again and again.

On a positive note, the Patagonia View Investment Property, offered at US$379,000, is basically 1.500.000 pesos. And since it was used to renew our investment visa before, one would think it could be used again for the new buyer.

On a negative note: Didn't you also previously post that investment visa only granted temporary residency and had to be renewed annually (without the possibility of ever being changed to permanent residency)?

 

[soulskier]

On a negative note: Didn't you also previously post that investment visa only granted temporary residency and had to be renewed annually (without the possibility of ever being changed to permanent residency)?

As we understand it, it is renewed for 3 years at a time, but never graduate to permanent residency.

 

[telephoneboothindian]

I received my third prorrogra for temporary residence on July 29. It was my option to continue residencia precaria rather than go for permanencia, which would have necessitated leaving my passport for three months (or more) pending approval .
This year I provided what I had provided in the past: A local police report confirming good conduct; a copy of my bank account statement in Argentina; copies of my U.S. passport and DNI; an apostiled letter from a financial source declaring that I earn a minimum of $1000 U.S. per month, which was sworn to in a separate document at the U.S. Embassy (notary services are now $50 US) and then translated and legalized by an accredited translator .

 

[gunt86]

....my option to continue residencia precaria rather than go for permanencia, which would have necessitated leaving my passport for three months (or more) pending approval

I don't think that it is necessary to leave your passport with migraciones while undergoing the permanent residency process. A few months ago I applied for permanent residency and did not leave my passport with migraciones. Migraciones gave me a precaria permanent residency document that same day. Then about 2 months later i went to migraciones to pick up th final permanent residency document, which i used to change over my DNI to permanent as well. I was out of the country during the processing period as well.

 

[steveinbsas]

I wonder why the procedure varies. Were you applying for a resident visa for the first time or did either of you previously have temporary residency? I applied for permanent residency (cambio de categoria) in October 2009 on the third renewal of my visa rentista. The process took less than ten days.

 

[gunt86]

.. Were you applying for a resident visa for the first time or did either of you previously have temporary residency? I applied for permanent residency (cambio de categoria) in October 2009 on the third renewal of my visa rentista. The process took less than ten days.

I was just changing categories from temp rentista to permanent. i had temp rentista for 4 years...I would have preferred to cambio de categoria in 2009 (on expiry of 3rd rentista), but that corresponded with the migraciones mixup/law change about not allowing permanent residency for rentistas (around May 1, 2009 this happened). So i had to do a 4th year of rentista and wait till May 2010, at which time migraciones was back to granting permanent to rentistas.

 

[A&A]

Has anyone actually applied for visa rentista (either new or renewal), under these new conditions? I realize the info is just a few days old, but my understanding was the regulations passed a few weeks prior and the "clarification"/dispocision just came out last week.

US$2000/month per person seems like a lot for say a family of 4 to immigrate (that's someone making $384,000 pesos a year). Or is it U$S2000 for the visa applicant and dependents (not each).

 

[steveinbsas]

Has anyone actually applied for visa rentista (either new or renewal), under these new conditions? I realize the info is just a few days old, but my understanding was the regulations passed a few weeks prior and the "clarification"/dispocision just came out last week.

US$2000/month per person seems like a lot for say a family of 4 to immigrate (that's someone making $384,000 pesos a year). Or is it U$S2000 for the visa applicant and dependents (not each).

According to Attorney's post (among others) it is per person, and that income is taxable in Argentina. In the past, few temporary residents have paid tax on their foreign income even though living here for more than 180 days a year made them liable to pay tax on it. I never heard of AFIP going after them, either.

With the new income requirement, that may soon change.

 

[steveinbsas]

Re: What are the best job options to make enough money to stay in BA?
"The cost of living here is based on the the lifestyle that you want. My boyfriend and I moved here from Beverly Hills California. We wanted to live the same lifestyle that we did there. We pay 5100 pesos a month for a fully furnished penthouse apartment. We eat out daily just as we did in BH the difference being instead of paying $200 for dinner we pay $50...so for us we actually are saving money instead of paying $6000/month we pay $1500/month...just eating out.Everyone is different."

The above was from a thread that was resurrected (and closed) this morning. The OP does not have a resident visa and has posted in other threads that he has no desire to get one and will simply live here as long as he feels like it (or as long as he can come and go on a 90 day "tourist" visa). I personally don't care in the least, but I think that migraciones and AFIP are beginning to (care). Individuals/couples like the OP are indeed paying taxes (IVA) on some of their expenditures in Argentina, but they are also "living" here more than 180 days of the year and not paying taxes on their worldwide income and assests (as required by Argentine law).

I think the ONLY way for Argentina to ever collect the taxes imposed by law will be to stop granting (new) 90 day tourist visas to those who have already been in Argentina 180 days in any 12 month period and require that these folks get resident visas or stay out of the country for (up to) six months before they are allowed to reenter. Some (qwerty, e.g.) think that will never happen.

I think it's inevitable. I hope those who do not have a resident visa or the desire to pay taxes on the income they would have to declare to get one have an exit strategy, especially those who really live here and own an apartment (unless they can marry an Argentine or have baby).

 

[gunt86]

... but I think that migraciones and AFIP are beginning to (care). Individuals/couples like the OP are indeed paying taxes (IVA) on some of their expenditures in Argentina, but they are indeed "living" here more than 180 days of the year and not paying taxes on their worldwide income and assests (required by Argentine law).

I think the ONLY way for Argentina to ever collect the taxes imposed by law will be to stop granting (new) 90 day tourist visas to those who have already been in Argentina 180 days in any 12 month period. Some (qwerty, e.g.) think that will never happen.

I think it's inevitable. I hope those who do not have a resident visa or the desire to pay taxes on the income they declare to get one have an exit strategy, especially those who really live here and own an apartment (unless they can marry an Argentine or have baby).

I agree that the abuse of the tourist visa will come to an end soon. The law already includes a 180 day maximum stay (same as Brasil), and though it is not being enforced right now, it can easily be enforced. If you think about ARG immigration policies evolving over the past 10 years, they have become more and more harmonized with Brasil, including the reciprocity fee for US/CDN/AUS citizens. Brasil is very strict about the 180 day max stay per year, so i expect Argentina to emulate that stance soon. I would suspect that Argentina need to create some sort of loophole in the 180 day max stay law for Mercosur residents first, then it can be enforced harshly on non-Mercosur citizens.