Expat Report: Month 3 - Adjusting to Life in Argentina

Three months ago, I made one of the toughest decisions of my life: I relocated to Argentina with my spouse. Although we both knew things would be different, nothing could have prepared us for how much we’d learn and grow in the months following our arrival. It's been a truly eye-opening experience.

Adjusting to the Changes

We’ve had to get used to a new way of life. Now, we measure fruit, vegetables, cold cuts, meat, and pastries in kilos instead of pounds. We think in pesos rather than U.S. dollars when making purchases. We check the weather in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit. Even the seasons have flipped—when we arrived in June, it was the middle of the Argentine winter. Now, we're just a week away from the start of spring.

We’ve also learned to appreciate the simple things. Life in Argentina—at least for an expat—feels less stressful. Argentinians are incredibly laid-back, whether they're handling business or enjoying leisure time.

Keeping Busy

My spouse is currently working through the immigration process to become an Argentine resident. It’s a long and grueling journey, but we’re confident we’ll get through it. In the meantime, he’s keeping busy in the kitchen, doing what he loves most: baking cakes, pastries, and other delicious treats.

As for me, I’ve been offering private English lessons to one of my cousins and her boss—a medical doctor at Hospital Nacional de Clínicas, a public (and free) hospital. It’s been a rewarding way to stay engaged and connected.

Looking Ahead

Over the next three months, my goal is to find a more permanent job. While I enjoy teaching English, it’s not the main reason I came to Argentina. I’d also like to apply for an Argentine driver’s license. Even though I have a New York license, it doesn't hold weight here if you’re a resident or citizen.

Another personal goal is to improve my understanding of Castilian grammar before attempting to translate my novels. And while I’m at it, I’d love to take a little time to make new friends and build a social circle here.

 Wish me luck!

How to Deal with the Immigration Nightmare in Argentina

NEW UPDATE 2024: Check this link for updates on Argentine immigration policy

I never expected it to be easy, but I didn't know it would be this difficult to make my spouse a legal resident in Argentina. 

Apostilles

Argentine immigration won’t accept any document (birth certificate, marriage license, death certificate) unless it has an apostille. An apostille is a document that legalizes all forms of certificates and licenses from your home country so that they may be recognized in foreign countries. 

Get everything apostilled before you come to Argentina. If you don't, then getting your documents apostilled will be far more difficult and more expensive to do by mail. 

Notarize
Have your documents notarized as well. If you’re in the United States, the best place to get this done is at city hall. You can get your apostilles done there as well.

Background Check

You need to provide a background check from your home country. If you’re from the U.S., you can get this done through the FBI. You will need to provide them with a fingerprint card, which you can get the U.S. embassy to mail to you. You can also print out the form from the FBI website. The embassy WILL NOT perform background checks.  

Why The FBI Rejected Your Background Check 

A lot of expats already living in Argentina have gotten their background check paperwork rejected by the FBI because the bureau is unable to read the fingerprints from the fingerprint card. To prevent this, make sure that you go to the federal police in whatever Argentine province you're in to get your fingerprints done. The fingerprinting process must be flawless. Any smearing will cause your background check application to get rejected. You may also want to get your fingerprints digitally printed on your fingerprint card. This process is more precise and stands a better chance of being accepted by the FBI. Once you’ve received your background check, have it notarized and apostilled. This has to get done in the States! 

Translate! 

Your next step is going to be to bring all of the apostilled and notarized documents back to Argentina and have them translated by a legitimate translation company.

Time Table
You want to make sure that all of your documents are notarized, apostilled, translated and legalized before your immigration appointment in Argentina. All required documents must be presented together or they won’t process your residency application.

Avoid Immigration Lawyers

I've spoken with several locals about this and they've warned me to stay away from lawyers. In most cases, they'll charge you too much to do something that you can do yourself. Unless you commit a crime, you won't get deported in Argentina, and you can save yourself some money, and avoid getting conned by just doing it yourself.

Visa

You can request one additional tourist visa a week before your original visa is about to expire. Visas are called prorroga in Argentina. You will be charged 300 Argentine pesos for the visa renewal. But with the country's economic flux, the cost is bound to rise, so check with Argentina's immigration offices.  You can always leave Argentina and reenter the country in order to get a new tourist visa. When you reenter, you will be asked a series of questions such as: 

• What is your purpose for entering Argentina?
• Why have you been making frequent visits to Argentina?
• What do you do for a living?
• Where will you be staying?
• Do you have any friends or family here? 

I hope this information helps you to avoid some headaches and save you some money. Below are some links that might prove useful.

https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/fingerprints_biometrics/guidelines-for-preparation-of-fingerprint-cards-and-association-criminal-history-information

http://www.migraciones.gov.ar/accesible/

http://argentina.usembassy.gov/

Want to know whether immigrants can get deported? Check out my post here.