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 What are the different types of visas you handle?
There are several different types of visas that ARCA applies for on behalf of our clients. Each visa has different conditions, requirements, and application.
Most of our clients will qualify for several visas. Your ARCA attorney will
review your individual situation and objectives and help you determine
which visa to obtain. The visas we work with include:
1. Immigrant with Capital
2. Contracted Personnel
3. Representatives of Foreign Companies
4. Entrepreneurs / Businesspeople
5. Financier (someone with passive income)
6. Pensioner (retired person)
7. Student Visa
Under certain conditions, the "Immigrant with Capital" visa can be issued permanently, allowing the client to avoid the renewal process. All other visas (except the student visa) must be renewed twice before the government wil
issue a permanent visa. The student visa will expire when the student
completes his or her degree program and is not appropriate for clients
seeking permanent residency.
 Immigrant with Capital
This visa requires the investment of at least $100,000 pesos ($34,000 USD
in a "productive activity". This includes agricultural land that produces an annual harvest, a ranch that produces milk or beef, or other "productive activities". The acquisition of a any property does not mean you can get automatically get this visa. Buying a Buenos Aires apartment for your
personal use does not qualify as a productive activity.
Always contact us and obtain our advice before purchasing property if
you intend to apply for this visa.
Contracted Personnel
If you have already obtained a job offer from a company in Argentina, we can obtain this visa for you. It is necessary for you to obtain the job while outside Argentina. If you are already in Argentina, you cannot obtain this visa.
This visa is designed for companies who are searching for employees outside
the country, not for foreign nationals already inside Argentina who are
looking to compete in the job market with Argentine citizens.
If you are self-employed, we can incorporate a local Argentine company for
you and create a "Managing Director" position that requires the appoint-
ment of a foreign citizen (i.e. you). Your company will then issue you an appointment letter which we can use to apply for this visa. Our fee does
not include the incorporation of a local company. The flat ARCA fee includes processing of the visa only.
Representatives of Foreign Companies
If you own a company abroad and can show proof of ownership, we can
obtain a visa that will allow you to live in Argentina. Proof of the company's
good standing will be required and will need to be certified by the Chamber
of Commerce and the Argentine Consulate.
Entrepreneurs / Businesspeople
Entrepreneurs or businesspeople who wish to enter Argentina using this visa
will need to prove their business experience, provide commercial references,
and an endorsement of the Argentine consulate.
Financier
This is a very broad and flexible visa. The applicant must only prove that
he or she has a guaranteed income of $2600 pesos monthly ($900 USD) and
that this income can be transferred to an Argentine bank. This income can include an annuity, receipts from a trust, distributions from a business
you own, etc. You must simply prove that the income is not tied to job
located abroad and that the income will continue once you relocate
to Argentina.
Pensioner
If you are receiving payments from your country's national pension system
(i.e. Social Security in the USA) or you have a private pension from your
former employer you might qualify under this visa. You need only prove
that the monthly income totals $2100 pesos ($700 USD) or higher and
that the money can be transferred to Argentina on a monthly basis.
Student Visa
The applicant must first send us an authorization to let us enroll him or her
in a university. The university will then provide a certificate signed by an authority registered in the Department of Education. We can use the
certificate along with the university registration to apply for this visa.
Please note that this visa will expire at the end of the degree program and
cannot be renewed past that date. This is not an appropriate solution for
clients looking for permanent residency.
Should I apply for my visa before or after arriving in Argentina?
Before! All our visas require a consular interview in your home country and
documents from your home country. Therefore, it is impossible for us
to obtain your visa while you are inside Argentina. If you arrive in
Argentina as a tourist, you will need to exit the country and start
the visa process when you get home.
We cannot help you while you are in Argentina.
How long does it take to get my visa?
In all cases you will need to apply for your visa at least two months (three or
four is preferred) before you intend to arrive. Complications can delay
your visa. Remember, you are dealing with a beurocracy and there is no incentive for the government to process your application quickly. ARCA attorneys do their best to speed applications through the process as fast as
possible, but there can be unforeseen delays. We find that it also usually
takes clients about a month to gather, notarize, and legalize all the
paperwork required by the Department of Migrations.
Please note that our guarantee does not include any time commitment. Unforeseen complications can delay processing and therefore we recommend
that you apply for your visa long before you are required in Argentina.
Do I need to speak with the consulate to start my visa?
No, we start the visa process in Argentina with the Department of Migrations. After approval by the Department of Migrations, we contact the consulate in
your home country and schedule your interview. ARCA handles all communication with the Department of Migrations and we ensure your quick approval. Once you're approved, wee can progress to the consulate.
Can my consulate get my visa approved?
Consulates are responsible for verifying your health, collecting your fingerprints, and putting a visa stamp in your passport. However, your actual visa is approved at the Department of Migrations in Buenos Aires. It is possible to go through your consulate and get your visa approved, however we do not recommend this approach.
If you start the visa process with your consulate, you will have to fill the visa application yourself, try to determine which supporting documentation will allow the visa examiner to approve your application, translate all documentation to Spanish, and deliver all the documents to your consulate. The consulate will then need to mail the documents to the Department of Migrations in Buenos Aires, where the decision will be made. The reply will then be mailed back to the consulate, which will then inform you of the decision.
If there is some problem with your documentation, or something was not included, or additional documents are requested, your application will be denied pending further review. It will then be up to you to gather the follow-up documents and resubmit your application, with no guarantee that it will be approved the second time.
By starting the process in Argentina directly with the Department of Migrations, our attorneys can hand-deliver the application to an examiner, who will directly inform our attorneys of their decision. If additional paperwork is needed, our attorneys will be informed and we can gather the documents quickly and redeliver the application to the examiner.
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