What to do in my case? Extend tourist visa, pay overstay fine, apply for nomad visa...

[islandemoji]

Hi all,
I wanted to ask for advice regarding my specific situation given the recent migraciones changes.

I'm currently in Argentina on a tourist visa that expires on June 23rd. Without considering my situation in Argentina, I booked a trip to the US for July 2nd, after my visa expires. I have a return ticket to Argentina for July 17th. I want to stay in Argentina indefinitely.
Considering the migration changes, which of these (or something else) would be my best option?

• Apply for the 90 day tourist visa extension now while I'm still legal.
• Begin digital nomad visa application now while I'm still legal.
• Pay the overstay fine a few days before leaving the country.
• My girlfriend (who isn't Argentinian) is in the process of acquiring a student visa. This doesn't immediately help me but upon returning, marriage or convivencia could be an option.

My main concern is them letting me back into the country when I return from my trip. Upon returning I'll be able to figure something out. I'm getting the impression that overstays and visa runs are becoming big no-nos and could lead to denial of entry into the country and I already have one overstay on my passport from four years ago.

Any insight is appreciated

 

[steveinbsas]

Considering the migration changes, which of these (or something else) would be my best option?

• Begin digital nomad visa application now while I'm still legal.

If I understand correctly, you cannot apply for the digital nomad visa while you are in Argentina and it only grants residencia transitoria for six months that can only be renewed once and does not provide a DNI.

That being said, you can apply for the nomad visa before you return and that should give you up to a year to try to seek legal temporary residency with the DNI while you are actually in Argentina.

• My girlfriend (who isn't Argentinian) is in the process of acquiring a student visa. This doesn't immediately help me but upon returning, marriage or convivencia could be an option.

Your girlfriend will only have temporary residency with the student visa, so marriage with her will not change your immigration status.

 

[nikad]

I would extend the tourist visa a week or two before its expiration, in the meantime enroll in some Spanish course ( check for valid ones ) and file for temp residency. If possible reschedule the trip until you have temp residency ( that is good for a year and can be renewed, after two years you can file for perm residency or citizenship if you plant to stay )

 

[steveinbsas]

I'm currently in Argentina on a tourist visa that expires on June 23rd. Without considering my situation in Argentina, I booked a trip to the US for July 2nd, after my visa expires. I have a return ticket to Argentina for July 17th. I want to stay in Argentina indefinitely.

At this point, I think your best options are to either change your departure date and leave before your tourist visa expires or apply for a 90 day prorroga better it does.

Considering the migration changes, which of these (or something else) would be my best option?

• Apply for the 90 day tourist visa extension now while I'm still legal.

I believe that if you get the 90 day extension before you leave, you will have no problem being allowed back in while it is still valid. Nonetheless, you will not get a new 90 day extension at the border when you return. You will have however many days are left on the prorroga (which the border official cannot override).

My main concern is them letting me back into the country when I return from my trip.

There should be no problem being allowed back in if you have been granted the digital nomad visa while you are out of the country, but the fifteen days you are planning to be out of the country is unlikely to provide enough time to get the visa.

Upon returning I'll be able to figure something out. I'm getting the impression that overstays and visa runs are becoming big no-nos and could lead to denial of entry into the country and I already have one overstay on my passport from four years ago.

As I previously indicated, I think it's best not to overstay, either in the near or distant future. At the least (thanks to Nikad's post), I suggest you consider getting a student visa, just like your girlfriend.

PS: I was writing this while Nikad made the previous post.

 

[islandemoji]

I would extend the tourist visa a week or two before its expiration, in the meantime enroll in some Spanish course ( check for valid ones ) and file for temp residency. If possible reschedule the trip until you have temp residency ( that is good for a year and can be renewed, after two years you can file for perm residency or citizenship if you plant to stay )

Thank you for the response!

Do you (or anyone else) know if it would be possible to study something else to get temp residency(music, Portuguese)? My Spanish level is already quite high.
EDIT: Just saw your great post on student visas
And then does anyone know if, upon extending the tourist visa, you can come and go within that period of time before it expires?

 

[islandemoji]

Thanks for the thoughts!

At this point, I think your best options are to either change your departure date and leave before your tourist visa expires or apply for a 90 day prorroga better it does.

Changing the departure date would be my last choice since my flights are non-refundable, but I can keep that as a backup just in case

I believe that if you get the 90 day extension before you leave, you will have no problem being allowed back in while it is still valid. Nonetheless, you will not get a new 90 day extension at the border when you return. You will have however many days are left on the prorroga (which the border official cannot override).

Good to hear.

There should be no problem being allowed back in if you have been granted the digital nomad visa while you are out of the country, but the fifteen days you are planning to be out of the country is unlikely to provide enough time to get the visa.

As I previously indicated, I think it's best not to overstay, either in the near or distant future. At the least (thanks to Nikad's post), I suggest you consider getting a student visa, just like your girlfriend.

At this point with the changes it definitely seems like overstaying is a bad idea and should be an absolute last resort.

 

[lunar]

Changing the departure date would be my last choice since my flights are non-refundable, but I can keep that as a backup just in case

Non-refundable means you can't get your money back, but airlines often allow you to change the date (usually with a penalty and fare difference) or receive a credit/voucher for future travel.

 

[steveinbsas]

At this point with the changes it definitely seems like overstaying is a bad idea and should be an absolute last resort.

Since, at this point, you actually have the option to get the 90 day extension of of your tourist visa at migraciones before it expires (and even 30 days after that by paying 50% more), and, as a result, avoid any problem with migraciones when you reenter, overstaying should absoutely not be considered an option of any resort.

 

[steveinbsas]

Non-refundable means you can't get your money back, but airlines often allow you to change the date (usually with a penalty and fare difference) or receive a credit/voucher for future travel.

And the penalty and fare difference can be weighed against the cost of the prórroga de permanencia, which, if I remember correctly, the last time I read a post about it, the cost was either $40.000 or $45.000 pesos.