Some expat observations

[El chabon]

This has been talked before but I think it's an interesting thema

1: many (semi) long term expats have left. March to may is always the time people move because of winter-summer dinamics. But it seems there are way more people leaving then 2010-2011
2: I think pretty much since 2008 but I don't really know any people who came in early 2011 and are still here
3: it seems to me the once that are coming now have short-term goals(6 to 9 months) to meet. For example study, learn Spanish, escape winter, live abroad for a few months
4: Latin American middle class kids/young adults seem to come over way less for study or work
5: most people still coming over are second generation argentines born abroad

Any more thoughts?

 

[pez]

Thousands of Argentines that moved to Spain in the early 2000 are returning to Argentina, not just the second generation argentines born abroad. Of course they are not expats but they believe the opportunities here are much better than Spain.

 

[HeyBA]

I agree with the above.

I really like BA, so this is not a rant against the place. I came in 2011, and I think walking into it totally green, not knowing your way around, with beginner or non-Castellano Spanish, is a challenging experience. Costs are the first thing that come to mind. It's not necessarily in the name of looking to live in a cheap place, but that the rather lax environment that expats are exposed to and benefit from is much more costly when there's gaps in the system like rip-offs or higher prices.

It's also feels quite unsafe to be walking around disoriented in the newbie stage when you look and act foreign.

Although I do think BA became a more frequented destination when it was obscenely cheap for people to live here. I'd recommend that almost anyone to do a few month stint in BA or Argentina if they can. That will probably continue, which is a positive thing for the country.

I predict that eventually Expatlandia, Argentina will cease to exist as more and more regulations are enforced, and really that's quite understandable. I'm glad I caught the tail-end of it in 2011. Some of the great times and challenges were pivotal.

 

[surfing]

I agree with the above.

I really like BA, so this is not a rant against the place. I came in 2011, and I think walking into it totally green, not knowing your way around, with beginner or non-Castellano Spanish, is a challenging experience. Costs are the first thing that come to mind. It's not necessarily in the name of looking to live in a cheap place, but that the rather lax environment that expats are exposed to and benefit from is much more costly when there's gaps in the system like rip-offs or higher prices.

It's also feels quite unsafe to be walking around disoriented in the newbie stage when you look and act foreign.

Although I do think BA became a more frequented destination when it was obscenely cheap for people to live here. I'd recommend that almost anyone to do a few month stint in BA or Argentina if they can. That will probably continue, which is a positive thing for the country.

I predict that eventually Expatlandia, Argentina will cease to exist as more and more regulations are enforced, and really that's quite understandable. I'm glad I caught the tail-end of it in 2011. Some of the great times and challenges were pivotal.

"Expats" in some number will always be here before during and after any economic challenges. "Tourists" are a different subject altogether.

 

[HeyBA]

Right about that Surfing.

 

[El chabon]

Thousands of Argentines that moved to Spain in the early 2000 are returning to Argentina, not just the second generation argentines born abroad. Of course they are not expats but they believe the opportunities here are much better than Spain.

I didn't even talk about that group but I am sure as well the group of Argentines who spend anywhere between 6 months to 3 years in Europe/Spain is much likely to return home then someone who has been there for 10-15 years.

Either way they are Argentines and not expats. The 2nd generation Argentines I talked or hang out with are American/Canadian/etc first and then Argentine and I am sure most of them are just temporary here, gratefull for the chance to get to know the country of there parent(s) or begin able to visit family that have remained in Argentina

The 2nd group in my opinion qualifies much more as 'ex-pat'

 

[jb5]

There seem to be many young kids still coming here for their year of living abroad. Fewer are coming who want career oriented jobs and many fewer to do business here or transferred here by multinationals.

 

[davonz]

I have been here for 5 1/2 years, and the expats i met here in the first couple of years have all gone, for different reasons, but the last ones because it was to expensive for the quality of life here, or who were earn local wages, and just couldnt handle having to live on the low wages compared to the cost of food/rent etc..

I also agree that few expats are coming to stay long term, maybe because of cost here, but also because of financial problems in their own countries.

A friend who has a hostel here was saying it was very quiet over the summer, and most tourist that are coming dont stay for long.
There use to be alot of long termers staying there - especially tango and spanish students, but not any longer, and i think alot of it has to do with the cost of argentina compared to other south american countries.

When i was travelling in colombia and ecuador over the xmas period foreigners who had passed through argentina had complained about the prices, especially the cost to travel inside the country, and the cost of BSAS..

Even a mexican student on a exchange program with his uni said he was told it was cheap by his uni, but was shocked how expensive it actually is, 3 or 4 times more expensive than mexico.

 

[Wryter47]

I fall in the category of retired expat married to an Argentine, here now for nearly seven years and planning to stay until my Chau Finál. But I have to say that my wife and I have had to engineer some serious re-budgeting owing to rising costs of so many things. I love being here enough that I am more than happy to reduce our style of living as necessary, but I can understand that others might not feel that way, no matter where they fall on the economic spectrum. I keep having the thought that inflation will level out, but I'm obviously not holding my breath. Many things are cheaper in the US now than they are here, which was certainly not the case in 2005.

 

[El chabon]

I fall in the category of retired expat married to an Argentine, here now for nearly seven years and planning to stay until my Chau Finál. But I have to say that my wife and I have had to engineer some serious re-budgeting owing to rising costs of so many things. I love being here enough that I am more than happy to reduce our style of living as necessary, but I can understand that others might not feel that way, no matter where they fall on the economic spectrum. I keep having the thought that inflation will level out, but I'm obviously not holding my breath. Many things are cheaper in the US now than they are here, which was certainly not the case in 2005.

Does that mean no travel to the US/home country anymore?

Because I really can't ever see me living in Argentina without begin able to go back to my home country atleast once a year but preferbly 2 times a year