Student Visa to Argentine Citizenship

[Neoperm]

I am planning to move to Argentina on a student visa to learn Spanish. I am exploring options to join the University of Buenos Aires to learn Spanish.

Eventually, I wish to apply for Argentine citizenship.

I have a few questions?

1. Which universities, preferably in BsAs, offer the best English-taught Spanish learning courses?
2. The maximum duration of Spanish course at University of Buenos Aires is 4 months. What will be the validity of my student visa? 4 months?
3. Let's say the visa is valid for 4 months, what will be the validity of my temporary residence permit? 4 months or 1 year? If 4 months, after 4 months of stay, can I join a new Spanish course, say for another 3 months, and extend my residence permit for 3 months?
4. I can keep extending my residence permit, and after 2 years I will apply for citizenship. Is there anything I get wrong?
5. How easy or difficult is it to extend the residence permit?

Thanks all!

 

[julia_en_ruta]

You might find a lot of the answers you're looking for in existing threads on this subject:

Search results for query: student visa

baexpats.org

 

[aloevera]

You should read this thread from start to finish: https://baexpats.org/threads/citizenship.44002/

 

[Alby]

I am planning to move to Argentina on a student visa to learn Spanish. I am exploring options to join the University of Buenos Aires to learn Spanish.

Eventually, I wish to apply for Argentine citizenship.

I have a few questions?

1. Which universities, preferably in BsAs, offer the best English-taught Spanish learning courses?
2. The maximum duration of Spanish course at University of Buenos Aires is 4 months. What will be the validity of my student visa? 4 months?
3. Let's say the visa is valid for 4 months, what will be the validity of my temporary residence permit? 4 months or 1 year? If 4 months, after 4 months of stay, can I join a new Spanish course, say for another 3 months, and extend my residence permit for 3 months?
4. I can keep extending my residence permit, and after 2 years I will apply for citizenship. Is there anything I get wrong?
5. How easy or difficult is it to extend the residence permit?

Thanks all!

As others are saying, review various threads on this website, and you will find some of the answers.

I think where we got to was that in order to qualify for a student "visa" (there is no such thing--see below), the institution and its course must be accredited with Migraciones (Argentina's immigration agency). I imagine you are looking at this UBA program: http://www.idiomas.filo.uba.ar/es/espanol-como-lengua-segunda-y-extranjera

The student "visa" requires a minimum number of contact hours/ minimum course load. My hunch is the number of contact hours/course load for the above course would be insufficient: you would not qualify for the "visa".

I think we also discovered that, should you qualify for the "visa", it would be for one year, but the university reports to Migraciones your attendance and continuance periodically through the year. If you drop out, or drop below the minimum number of hours/course load, Migraciones would become aware of this and the "visa" might be revoked (not that this would necessarily mean you have to leave the country--see multiple threads here about overstaying).

To be clear, there is no such thing as a "visa" or a "residency permit". Think of them as one and the same: you apply to Migraciones for temporary residency in the category of student. They issue you a temporary residency for one year. You can renew if after one year if you still qualify as a student, but if you are no longer a student you can apply under another category for another 12-month residency (if you can find another category that you fit into). And so on every 12 months.

As you will see from the other threads specifically on citizenship, you can start applying for citizenship (an entirely separate process) virtually from the day you first arrive.

You will probably find there is no such thing as a Spanish course delivered in English, let alone one that would qualify you for temporary residency as a student.

 

[Neoperm]

You might find a lot of the answers you're looking for in existing threads on this subject:

Search results for query: student visa

baexpats.org

Thanks

 

[Neoperm]

You should read this thread from start to finish: https://baexpats.org/threads/citizenship.44002/

Long thread. Appreciate.

 

[Neoperm]

As others are saying, review various threads on this website, and you will find some of the answers.

I think where we got to was that in order to qualify for a student "visa" (there is no such thing--see below), the institution and its course must be accredited with Migraciones (Argentina's immigration agency). I imagine you are looking at this UBA program: http://www.idiomas.filo.uba.ar/es/espanol-como-lengua-segunda-y-extranjera

The student "visa" requires a minimum number of contact hours/ minimum course load. My hunch is the number of contact hours/course load for the above course would be insufficient: you would not qualify for the "visa".

I think we also discovered that, should you qualify for the "visa", it would be for one year, but the university reports to Migraciones your attendance and continuance periodically through the year. If you drop out, or drop below the minimum number of hours/course load, Migraciones would become aware of this and the "visa" might be revoked (not that this would necessarily mean you have to leave the country--see multiple threads here about overstaying).

To be clear, there is no such thing as a "visa" or a "residency permit". Think of them as one and the same: you apply to Migraciones for temporary residency in the category of student. They issue you a temporary residency for one year. You can renew if after one year if you still qualify as a student, but if you are no longer a student you can apply under another category for another 12-month residency (if you can find another category that you fit into). And so on every 12 months.

As you will see from the other threads specifically on citizenship, you can start applying for citizenship (an entirely separate process) virtually from the day you first arrive.

You will probably find there is no such thing as a Spanish course delivered in English, let alone one that would qualify you for temporary residency as a student.

Thanks a ton! Is it safe to enter Argentina on a tourist visa and apply for student visa? Or, should I get a student visa before taking off?

Can tourist get DNI?

Appreciate.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

Student is not the way for citizenship. To libe here without a visa is.

 

[Alby]

I think you will find, once you read all the other threads on this topic, that you must first gain acceptance from an institution/university registered with Migraciones into course that is acceptable because it has a heavy enough course load (and I suspect pay the course fees). You then include the enrollment documentation issued by the university with the packet of information you have to put together in order to apply for the temporary residence in the category of student. Probably the only way to do all that, depending on which country you are currently in, is to enter as a tourist and then start or complete the enrollment process and then start the temporary residence process (with all the enrollment documents that you at that point have in your hands).

But check posts from Secret Shopper a year or two ago on the subject. If memory serves, he may have done a lot of this preparation before he set foot here.

A tourist cannot get a DNI. If you become a temporary resident (for example, in the category of student), you then get a DNI that expires in 12 months.

If your aim is to get Argentine citizenship and enrolling in a course is merely an artifice towards staying here for two years to achieve your goal, then you are in exactly the same situation as Secret Shopper was. If would be much simpler, in that case, to hire an immigration lawyer now who can review your situation and recommend a strategy to get you to citizenship. Going it alone trying to work the student "visa" system is a lot of probably unnecessary work and didn't turn out very well for Secret the last we heard from him.

 

[Neoperm]

I think you will find, once you read all the other threads on this topic, that you must first gain acceptance from an institution/university registered with Migraciones into course that is acceptable because it has a heavy enough course load (and I suspect pay the course fees). You then include the enrollment documentation issued by the university with the packet of information you have to put together in order to apply for the temporary residence in the category of student. Probably the only way to do all that, depending on which country you are currently in, is to enter as a tourist and then start or complete the enrollment process and then start the temporary residence process (with all the enrollment documents that you at that point have in your hands).

But check posts from Secret Shopper a year or two ago on the subject. If memory serves, he may have done a lot of this preparation before he set foot here.

A tourist cannot get a DNI. If you become a temporary resident (for example, in the category of student), you then get a DNI that expires in 12 months.

If your aim is to get Argentine citizenship and enrolling in a course is merely an artifice towards staying here for two years to achieve your goal, then you are in exactly the same situation as Secret Shopper was. If would be much simpler, in that case, to hire an immigration lawyer now who can review your situation and recommend a strategy to get you to citizenship. Going it alone trying to work the student "visa" system is a lot of probably unnecessary work and didn't turn out very well for Secret the last we heard from him.

Hey, thanks a lot! Very helpful info.

Well, indeed, I wish to get citizenship. That's my top priority. So, I am not at all considering permanent residency. Further, learning Spanish is like a means to an end. Although I have enjoyed learning languages, I wouldn't mind if I could get citizenship without learning Spanish.

I am not able to find Secret Shopper's posts.

Could you recommend a suitable immigration lawyer? I was trying to contact Celano Associates, but they haven't replied yet. Not sure if they are still there helping expats.

Regarding the student visa, how about this scenario: Let's say I get a student visa for 4-5 months starting from January 2024, and then get DNI and temporary residence. I don't continue on student visa from May/June 2024 (for whatever reasons), and just overstay for the rest of the year 2024, pay fine for overstaying. Repeat the cycle -- get a new student visa starting from January 2025 for 4-5 months, temporary residence, again overstay, and pay the fine. Basically, by January 2026, I'd be 2 years in Argentina. Can I apply for citizenship in January 2026?

Thanks again