Visa Application Processing Time

[JMHarris]

Greetings, all! I have a question for anyone that has recently (last 6 months or so) received a rentista, pensionado, or another type of visa.

What was the processing time, from the date you applied in person at Immigration to the date you received the visa? My husband (Tift) and I are planning a minimum 3-month stay early next year to start the process for a rentista visa.

Also, it is my understanding that we can apply in country (at Immigration) for a one-time 90-day extension to our tourist visa if necessary. I've checked with our immigration lawyer (Gabriel Celano) but want to hear from anyone here, too.

Thanks!

 

[Alby]

If you've got all your documents in order when you arrive (entering as tourists), and with the lawyer's help, then Migraciones will issue a precaria fairly quickly, which is a paper document that functions like a permit to remain legally in the country (and travel out of the country) while they assess the application. So you will have no need to obtain a 90-day extension to the tourist visa. The tourist entry lapses on the date the permit is issued; at that point, you have a new status in the country. However, the precaria will have a limit (perhaps 90-days, perhaps less--it is arbitrary), and if Migraciones need longer to assess the application, you will have to renew the precaria (and keeping renewing it) until such time as the process completes.

I don't think you can really plan to come for three months "to start the process." You have to come here prepared to stay as long as it takes for the process to complete. Others with more recent experience might be able to give you an estimate, but each case will be different. Whilst you can travel in and out of the country with the precaria while the process runs its course, you need to be in the country on each date the precaria expires in order to renew it (and, as mentioned above, the expiry date is arbitrary--you won't know in advance on any occasion in the lead up as to whether the next one they give you will be 30 days, 60 day, or 90 days).

 

[juls2208]

If that helps, I had my in person meeting at Migraciones on March 21, 2025 (after applying online and submitting my documents on March 19) and I formally received permanent residency on September 25, 2025.

I applied jointly with my Brazilian spouse (I am Canadian). He received his PR confirmation April 7, 2025 but that's only thanks to an agreement between Argentina and Brazil (automatic right to PR).

I did travel out of Argentina while my application was being processed. You only need to make sure that your precaria remains valid and it can only be renewed from within the country. Precarias are usually valid for 90 days but as the previous member mentioned, it is not exact science and can vary.

 

[barg]

Applied for rentista in June, still waiting now in month 4 at end of October and on second precaria. I've been told that Migraciones is taking a very long time to evaluate rentista applications. I'd guess that the long processing times probably apply to non-Mercosur applicants in general.

 

[mageesa]

Applied for rentista in June, still waiting now in month 4 at end of October and on second precaria. I've been told that Migraciones is taking a very long time to evaluate rentista applications. I'd guess that the long processing times probably apply to non-Mercosur applicants in general.

Yes I'm waiting for my renewal of my first precaria, even that's taking longer than they said. Lawyer says it looks like Migraciones hasn't even looked into my actual case file.
Sigh. I can't believe the person who got PR in 6 months; but that's not rentista? Not sure how they did that.

 

[Johngwyn]

Yes I'm waiting for my renewal of my first precaria, even that's taking longer than they said. Lawyer says it looks like Migraciones hasn't even looked into my actual case file.
Sigh. I can't believe the person who got PR in 6 months; but that's not rentista? Not sure how they did that.

It took 8 months for my Precaria to get renewed

 

[juls2208]

Yes I'm waiting for my renewal of my first precaria, even that's taking longer than they said. Lawyer says it looks like Migraciones hasn't even looked into my actual case file.
Sigh. I can't believe the person who got PR in 6 months; but that's not rentista? Not sure how they did that.

It was not rentista, I could apply to PR directly by virtue of marriage to a Brazilian.

 

[mageesa]

It was not rentista, I could apply to PR directly by virtue of marriage to a Brazilian.

Marriage is usually the easiest path, though probably not for the original poster... Though getting divorced and each getting married to argentines then re-divorced and remarried may still be the fastest route to permanent residency

 

[JMHarris]

If you've got all your documents in order when you arrive (entering as tourists), and with the lawyer's help, then Migraciones will issue a precaria fairly quickly, which is a paper document that functions like a permit to remain legally in the country (and travel out of the country) while they assess the application. So you will have no need to obtain a 90-day extension to the tourist visa. The tourist entry lapses on the date the permit is issued; at that point, you have a new status in the country. However, the precaria will have a limit (perhaps 90-days, perhaps less--it is arbitrary), and if Migraciones need longer to assess the application, you will have to renew the precaria (and keeping renewing it) until such time as the process completes.

I don't think you can really plan to come for three months "to start the process." You have to come here prepared to stay as long as it takes for the process to complete. Others with more recent experience might be able to give you an estimate, but each case will be different. Whilst you can travel in and out of the country with the precaria while the process runs its course, you need to be in the country on each date the precaria expires in order to renew it (and, as mentioned above, the expiry date is arbitrary--you won't know in advance on any occasion in the lead up as to whether the next one they give you will be 30 days, 60 day, or 90 days).

Thanks. Yes, we will stay for as long as it takes!

 

[mageesa]

It took 8 months for my Precaria to get renewed

YOW. Any idea why it took that long? Was that during the pandemic?
It's annoying for me at the moment because I have money sitting en route from a wire transfer, and the bank won't liquidate it until i get my unexpired precaria.