Visa/DNI questions

[BAwithkids]

I'm planning to come to BA for roughly a year, beginning this July, with my husband and kids. I am a professor and will be on sabbatical as a "visiting lecturer" at a university in BA - this means I'll have a place to work, but my salary will be from my US university.

I'm trying to figure out if it's worth the money and hassle to get a visa and DNI. It makes me uncomfortable (especially with kids) to just do the tourist visa and leave every three months, but I'm not sure the benefits of the visa, etc., are really worth it. I'm not even sure what kind of visa I could get (probably rentista)! We'll likely rent on the tourist/furnished market, since we don't want to furnish a place ourselves. We will be enrolling our kids in a BA private school (not sure what's required for that...).

What would you do in my position? Why? Thank you for your help!

 

[MizzMarr]

Don't even bother, and don't bother trying to keep your visa "clean" by crossing every 90 days, either. If you're just going to be here a little over a year or more, come with the kids in July, plan a trip somewhere fun in December, then maybe one more trip out of the country before you head home. I highly doubt anybody will hassle you over such a short timeframe (unless things really change, but... they threatened to a year ago and haven't really since, so I doubt they will especially after the death of Kirchner and the upcoming elections).

Worst case scenario is you leave and when you come back you get the 'ultima prorroga' and know that the jig is up and you can't cross and re-enter for six months. If that happens well before you are ready to take off from Argentina, well, this is a big country with a lot of places to see and take little trips to! Getting a rentista or any other type of official visa is expensive and time consuming, and in your case ultimately not worth it. There are other threads that talk about private schools, I don't have kids so can't speak to that.

Have fun, and don't worry! En Argentina, no pasa nada.

 

[BAwithkids]

MizzMarr - Thanks! If we were to do this, would we then have to lie when entering the country (i.e. say we were just tourists). That feels weird to me, but the hassle and expense of a temporary visa is pretty unappealing.

 

[jenh]

Actually, I strongly recommend getting a visa before coming in this situation. I think if you are coming for that long and with children, you're going to run in to a LOT of extra hassles if you don't go through the process of doing the paperwork. For example, enrolling children in school, health care, banking, etc. are all MUCH easier with a visa (not saying that they can't be done otherwise, but things such as banking can be extraordinarily time consuming).

I would consult an immigration lawyer in the US who has experience with Argentina. Plenty of services exist that can help you do this quickly. Also, as a visiting lecturer, you should have no problem getting documentation from the university that can help you get a work permit. There is actually a special kind of visa for someone who is kind of "on loan" from their US company if working for an associate company, for example. A good immigration lawyer or visa service company will know the ins and outs of that.

Another point is that if you have a visa, it may cost in the range of $100 to $200 a person for the visa and lawyer fees, but you WON'T have to pay each time you enter the country as most US tourists do as you will have temporary residence.

 

[steveinbsas]

Thia thread might help: visa temporaria / DNI

...My kids are already enrolled in a private school, as "free students" until december (to learn spanish), they start as "nationals" in march, then they will need the DNI, so we have some time. Today the school informed me that they have a person who can help to get us a DNI. She seems to be experienced and to have results. We keep our hopes high!...

DNI's are now being issued much faster than indicated in the above thread. The cost of the visa (at least in Argentina) is $600 pesos per person and the cost of getting the documents and having them receive the seal of Apostille and translated is extra. Someone posted that an "agency" here now charges $3200 dollars for the visa service (for temporary residency) but that sound very high to me.

I've heard of lawyers here who charge about $1000 USD, but $700 USD is the lowest figure I've heard, and that was two years ago. It can all be done by the applicant(s) at an Argentine consulate and I don't think a US lawyer is necessary or advisable. A lawyer in the US charged me $450 USD in 2006 just to send a cover letter attached to photocopies of the trust I used to "back" my visa rentista!

 

[2GuysInPM]

There's different kinds of visas that may apply to your situation. I'd suggest you check with the local university to see if they can help you in any way with this process. Perhaps they have done this for other visiting professors and they can help or recommend a lawyer/agent.

The DNM web site has information on the different kinds. Check both "transitional" and "temporary" on the right hand side menu. Their English translations are not the best, but should give you an idea of what is offered; http://www.migraciones.gov.ar/accesibleingles/?nomercosur_temporaria

 

[jenh]

Steve, I ended up paying something like $180 for my work visa and maybe another $80 for the apostilles, etc. The state of Pennsylvania did the apostilles for $15 each.

You can also call the Argentine consulate in the states in DC or in LA and ask them for advice. They are generally very helpful.

 

[steveinbsas]

Jenh's figures sound right. I didn't use a lawyer in any way to apply for my visa. I just asked the lawyer who set up the trust to write the cover letter (which I actually wrote myself). She charged the $450 for one hour! It cost $10 at that time for the Apostille in Illinois. Instead of asking for additional letters from the US lawyer when I needed to renew my visa, the vice president of my bank wrote a similar letter to verify deposits from the trust and she didn't even charge a fee to have the leter notarized!

Does anyone know if FBI background checks would be required for someone coming to teach as a visiting professor or as a student (in this case the husband) and how much they now cost?

 

[jenh]

Some of the consulates will also take a state police background check in place of the FBI one as long as you are still in the USA when you get it - that cost I think $10 for me from PA. I think the FBI one might cost a little bit more.

 

[steveinbsas]

Some of the consulates will also take a state police background check in place of the FBI one as long as you are still in the USA when you get it - that cost I think $10 for me from PA. I think the FBI one might cost a little bit more.

This may have changed recently, but I'm not certain. There is also the cost of the translation of documents to consider (for a family of four). I know someone in the US who did their own translations, but if a visa is applied for in Argentina the translations must be done by a licensed translator (who will also have them legalized) in Argentina.