Visa question

[pinkdalia]

Hola! I'm a newcomer to BA and want to get my VISA situation sorted. My understanding is that they will be clamping down on "border runs," if they haven't already. I qualify for a retirement VISA but have been quoted around $2800 to complete this process. I was also considering a resident VISA. I'm retired and on a fixed income. I'd like to keep legal costs as low as possible. I'd be delighted to hear from anyone with suggestions.

 

[steveinbsas]

Hola! I'm a newcomer to BA and want to get my VISA situation sorted. My understanding is that they will be clamping down on "border runs," if they haven't already. I qualify for a retirement VISA but have been quoted around $2800 to complete this process. I was also considering a resident VISA. I'm retired and on a fixed income. I'd like to keep legal costs as low as possible. I'd be delighted to hear from anyone with suggestions.

A retirement visa aka the visa pensionado (based on a private or government pension) confers temporary residency, one year at a time....and must be "reapplied" for each year, presenting updated docs with the Apostille and translations, with the exception of the FBI report (if you are from the USA), which will probably only be required with the first year's application.

Who "quoted" you "around $2800 to complete the process?" Does this figure include the cost of gathering the required documents with the Apostille in the home country, as well as having them translated by an official translator in Argentina, or is it only for the services of the individual who will "organize" everything for you?

 

[RichardAlem]

Hola! I'm a newcomer to BA and want to get my VISA situation sorted. My understanding is that they will be clamping down on "border runs," if they haven't already. I qualify for a retirement VISA but have been quoted around $2800 to complete this process. I was also considering a resident VISA. I'm retired and on a fixed income. I'd like to keep legal costs as low as possible. I'd be delighted to hear from anyone with suggestions.

Presuming that you are situated in Buenos Aires, if you intend to present a Social Security benefits letter, unless the situation has changed, the U.S. State Department will not affix an apostille to the letter because the signature is a copy of an original. Migraciones knows this and will accept a letter from the U.S. Embassy attesting to the validity of your monthly award. They did so for me in 2023. You can contact them at:

[email protected]

Good luck

 

[pinkdalia]

A retirement visa aka the visa pensionado (based on a private or government pension) confers temporary residency, one year at a time....and must be "reapplied" for each year, presenting updated docs with the Apostille and translations, with the exception of the FBI report (if you are from the USA), which will probably only be required with the first year's application.

Who "quoted" you "around $2800 to complete the process?" Does this figure include the cost of gathering the required documents with the Apostille in the home country, as well as having them translated by an official translator in Argentina, or is it only for the services of the individual who will "organize" everything for you?

 

[pinkdalia]

Hi Steve! Thank you so much for your reply. I just got this from Janis and think it makes more sense to go his route. What do you think?

"If you want to keep the costs low, then I suggest you apply for citizenship which you can do without a lawyer after you have remained in the country for ONE YEAR to get started. The same documents are required as those for citizenship which takes about a year to complete.

I've been here many years and did the "visa run" to Uruguay many times. It's no longer permitted as before. When migraciones declined to extend my visa, I began the process of citizenship with an expensive lawyer who kept me in the dark about what he was doing. I've been a citizen since 2013 and never did the residency process. The law has changed.

Steve is one of the best sources for correct information on the forum.

Janis"

 

[pinkdalia]

Presuming that you are situated in Buenos Aires, if you intend to present a Social Security benefits letter, unless the situation has changed, the U.S. State Department will not affix an apostille to the letter because the signature is a copy of an original. Migraciones knows this and will accept a letter from the U.S. Embassy attesting to the validity of your monthly award. They did so for me in 2023. You can contact them at:

[email protected]

Good luck

Hi Richard! Thanks so much for your reply! This is good info in case I still do go this route. I am now thinking it better to just become a citizen after 1 year.

 

[steveinbsas]

Hi Steve! Thank you so much for your reply. I just got this from Janis and think it makes more sense to go his route. What do you think?

"If you want to keep the costs low, then I suggest you apply for citizenship which you can do without a lawyer after you have remained in the country for ONE YEAR to get started. The same documents are required as those for citizenship which takes about a year to complete.

I've been here many years and did the "visa run" to Uruguay many times. It's no longer permitted as before. When migraciones declined to extend my visa, I began the process of citizenship with an expensive lawyer who kept me in the dark about what he was doing. I've been a citizen since 2013 and never did the residency process. The law has changed.

Janis"

You may be able to "begin the citizenship process after you have remained in the country for one year," but now that migraciones controls the "do it yourself without paying a lawyer" citizenship process, I cannot imagine that they will accept any citizenship applicants who do not already have legal temporary residency when they apply.

I remember reading Jan's posts about avoiding deportation orders from migraciones while her application for citizenship was progressing through the court system. I would love to be wrong, but I seriously doubt that migraciones will accept a citizenship application from someone who has not regularized their immigration status prior to applying for citizenship.

I would not begin the process without being 100% sure that the response would not be a deportation order. I suggest that you apply for citizenship only after you recieve temporary residency and have been physically present in Argentina for a full year, even if you have been a temporary residency for less than a full year.

Temporary residency based on a government or private pension appears to be the "easiest" to get and the easiest to renew/reapply for. Depending on the timing, you should only have to renew it twice at the most before you become a citizen.

 

[RichardAlem]

Hi Richard! Thanks so much for your reply! This is good info in case I still do go this route. I am now thinking it better to just become a citizen after 1 year.

Update - here is a better email address: [email protected]

The US Embassy FBU recently sent me my income validation letter with the embassy imprimatur / signature in less than 24 hours. Very efficient.

Be advised that the letter that you receive from FBU is password protected. Migraciones Argentina are not the most competent people and sending them a password protected PDF file would likely be beyond them to comprehend quickly. Save an unlocked copy of the letter via Adobe, or by opening it in Chrome using the password and then print a copy of the letter, which will be unlocked.

You will need this verfification for either citizenship or a pensioner visa applications. Good luck.