Anyone got any overstay "horror stories" ?

[BikeEnthusiast]

I don't care if they are true or not. I don't care if it's a rumour your best friends' dog's wife cousin told you

"Hit me with your best shot" as the song says. What is the longest overstay you have ever heard of and what were the consequences?

Ever met someone who overstayed 5 years ? Did they end up in a prison camp?

Rumours and innuendo welcome 🤗

 

[Pink Panther]

I don't care if they are true or not. I don't care if it's a rumour your best friends' dog's wife cousin told you

"Hit me with your best shot" as the song says. What is the longest overstay you have ever heard of and what were the consequences?

Ever met someone who overstayed 5 years ? Did they end up in a prison camp?

Rumours and innuendo welcome 🤗

I have a friend who has been a perma-tourist for about 10 years. She said it was actually more difficult when they stamped her passport. I would have thought the reverse since they can all see it on the computer screen. She just said it depends on if you get an angry immigration official. She does leave Argentina frequently going to the US twice a year and a few trips to Brazil and Uruguay. But she has periods of paying the overstay fee at least every 2 years and so far hasn't had problems.

She is far from alone. She has not left so far this year. There are rumors things will get tougher but I just don't see that happening. Need for income/tourism probably trumps immigration control at least for most tourists from countries like US and Canada, UK and Australia.

 

[Theo]

I posted a separate thread last month. I paid the overstay fee at EZE and didn't know if I'd have problems coming back in. I came back 2 weeks ago to EZE from Miami and had no issues at all even though I overstayed. Several friends have paid the overstay fee or doing border runs and not had problems.

My neighbor is a Russian and her cousin tried entering Argentina at 7 months pregnant and was rejected at EZE. Apparently, they are aware of many Russians try to have kids here. They are letting some in but turning away others.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1624121529846857739

 

[MikeRoss]

Several work colleagues are working remote here since last year. Some are just doing border runs to Uruguay. A few have just paid the penalty at the airport and was a non-issue coming back. They were all Americans.

 

[naked]

I had a nightmare situation many years ago. I posted on this thread below. I was overstaying for many years and don't deny it. Everyone said no problems at all but I don't think most talk about when they have a horrible situation like this so they don't draw attention to themselves. I wish more people would talk about it but most just don't want to make waves on expat boards so they can get back into the country.

I think I just had bad luck with an immigration officer but I'm not sure. They do know and have looked the other way but if you search around you will see some people have had the same situation as me.

Legal - Any risk to constantly overstaying on tourist visa? How many times can you do border runs in Argentina?

I hate to admit this on a public forum but like many expats, I admit it. I'm a perma-tourist. I am American and fell in love with Argentina about 6 years ago. I don't have the money to go through the legal process to get my DNI. I would totally get it as there is no downside for me as I...

www.expatsba.com

 

[former expat]

I had a nightmare situation many years ago. I posted on this thread below. I was overstaying for many years and don't deny it. Everyone said no problems at all but I don't think most talk about when they have a horrible situation like this so they don't draw attention to themselves. I wish more people would talk about it but most just don't want to make waves on expat boards so they can get back into the country.

I think I just had bad luck with an immigration officer but I'm not sure. They do know and have looked the other way but if you search around you will see some people have had the same situation as me.

Legal - Any risk to constantly overstaying on tourist visa? How many times can you do border runs in Argentina?

I hate to admit this on a public forum but like many expats, I admit it. I'm a perma-tourist. I am American and fell in love with Argentina about 6 years ago. I don't have the money to go through the legal process to get my DNI. I would totally get it as there is no downside for me as I...

www.expatsba.com

Same thing happened to me @naked. I was living in Buenos Aires for 8 years. For the first 4 years or so I didn't leave the country too often. I'm from Canada. I had to go back home to renew documents that were expiring. First my driver's license and then a few other things including my Passport. I would pay the overstay penalty and they never mentioned anything at the airport.

I started doing a bit of travel. Not border runs but went to Punta del Este one summer. Then to Brazil. No issues. Then one day I had to pay a few month's rent and my cueva that I used had issues so I had to rush to Colonia and when I tried to come back they denied me entry. I'm not sure what flagged things or why I had issues when others didn't but people should know it does happen.

I am going to try to enter Argentina again later this year.

 

[Cardiac Arrest]

I think it's just luck of the draw on getting an immigration officer that is looking for this. I got questioned after overstaying for a year. I was coming back and they had a supervisor coming over and talking to me. He said they could see that I was living here. I just joked around with them about having a novia here. He warned me that I might have issues. I didn't overstay again. I just got an extension after the tourist visa ended but just come now for vacations but don't overstay but many do without problems.

Here is a blog about this issue.

My Argentina Visa Expired, Now What? -

It's not actually illegal to overstay the 90 days in Argentina. It's not that scary, here's what to do if your Argentina visa expired.

nickipoststravelstuff.com

 

[Old Geezer]

Just note they are more careful with Russian passport holders. A good friend of mine was here in BA and overstayed. He paid the overstay fee and went to Uruguay and came back on Buquebus. He only overstayed for a few months. I think he was here 7 months in total. When he came back they refused him entry. They told him that he already overstayed and couldn't allow him back in. There was no ferry back to Uruguay until the next morning so he had to stay there. There is no jail cells there. He was just in a room there at the terminal with a police officer. He said they were nice to him but he couldn't enter.

They told him he would have to wait 6 months to enter again. This was last year at the end of the year.

I don't know if it was just because he had a Russian passport but he said he was talking to the people there at the terminal and they said they were told to be more aware of overstays and they had rejected several people the same way.

 

[Wally]

My buddy has been living here 8 years and just goes on border runs every 3 months. Been doing it for 8 years. There are some people that say better to overstay vs. border runs. Some say one is illegal and one isn't. But the people that I hear that have been denied are people that paid the overstay fee like @Old Geezer's friend.

Argentina has been very lax over the years but not sure if this is changing. My friend living here for 8 years is a bit nervous now but his formula of traveling outside for 5 nights every 3 months has worked for 8 years. Instead of just a quick day trip to Colonia, he actually does stay out several night which might make a difference.

 

[Larry]

I don't care if they are true or not. I don't care if it's a rumour your best friends' dog's wife cousin told you

"Hit me with your best shot" as the song says. What is the longest overstay you have ever heard of and what were the consequences?

Ever met someone who overstayed 5 years ? Did they end up in a prison camp?

Rumours and innuendo welcome 🤗

No one is ever going to go to jail for overstaying. Doesn't matter how long you stayed. The worst that I heard happening is they weren't allowed re-entry back into Argentina for 6 months or so. For border runs I heard the best thing is to get the ferry that arrives back into BA at the end of the day around 5 PM or so when people are changing shifts and want to go home. It's a lot of paperwork and takes time to process someone to return them back to the country they came from. Most workers just want to go home.

 

[I Love Mate]

No one is ever going to go to jail for overstaying. Doesn't matter how long you stayed. The worst that I heard happening is they weren't allowed re-entry back into Argentina for 6 months or so. For border runs I heard the best thing is to get the ferry that arrives back into BA at the end of the day around 5 PM or so when people are changing shifts and want to go home. It's a lot of paperwork and takes time to process someone to return them back to the country they came from. Most workers just want to go home.

Correct. Friends have been living there for 6 years. Combination of border runs but the last few years they don't want to leave Argentina and plan to pay overstay fee. There is chatter that they are tougher and will make people wait 6 months to re enter. Not sure if it's true or not.

I heard Russian passports are more scrutinized in Argentina and have heard and read many articles about this.

Russian tourist visas being denied en masse by Argentinian authorities

According to Georgy Polin, the migration service justifies its refusals by the provision of the Russian-Argentinian agreement on visa-free travel "according to which the holders of ordinary Russian passports may enter, exit, transit and stay in Argentina without a visa for not more than 90 days...

tass.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/TurkishAirlines/comments/1bc1319/many_passengers_of_turkish_airlines_were_denied

 

[Avocado]

I don't care if they are true or not. I don't care if it's a rumour your best friends' dog's wife cousin told you

"Hit me with your best shot" as the song says. What is the longest overstay you have ever heard of and what were the consequences?

Ever met someone who overstayed 5 years ? Did they end up in a prison camp?

Rumours and innuendo welcome 🤗

Foreigner people should feel lucky it so easy to stay in Argentina illegally. This has been a problem with Argentina for many years. But truth is that the country won't focus on rich countries like USA, UK, Australia, many EU, Australia and Hong Kong, Singapore, etc. I have friend from all these countries come here and don't have problem.

Now some Russians and Middle Eastern countries have problems. I don't know if Argentina will get strict with overstay. They should be better about it like even Brazil which control # of days you stay in country and very strict.

No one go to jail here but my friend say their friend came to EZE after constantly overstay and they recently got refused. They live in Argentina 4 years. They had to stay in room until evening. Flight back to USA not until night and their flight arrive morning.

Does anyone know who pay for this flight back when they are denied? It the person have to pay to fly back? They get some special price? I always wonder.

 

[Jeb Spencer]

I don't care if they are true or not. I don't care if it's a rumour your best friends' dog's wife cousin told you

"Hit me with your best shot" as the song says. What is the longest overstay you have ever heard of and what were the consequences?

Ever met someone who overstayed 5 years ? Did they end up in a prison camp?

Rumours and innuendo welcome 🤗

I know a lot of people that have overstayed for years. A few I know came in before Covid-19 and got stuck there and liked it and just stayed. One recently left and paid the penalty at the airport and they asked him at the airport about it but he just said he got stuck here during Covid and life happened. They hassled him and told him that he will need to wait 12 months to come back. He hasn't yet tried to come in but he was thinking of trying to enter before and seeing what will happen. He might try next month via the ferry from Montevideo.

 

[llantas]

I don't care if they are true or not. I don't care if it's a rumour your best friends' dog's wife cousin told you

"Hit me with your best shot" as the song says. What is the longest overstay you have ever heard of and what were the consequences?

Ever met someone who overstayed 5 years ? Did they end up in a prison camp?

Rumours and innuendo welcome 🤗

Has anyone actually ever heard of anyone getting deported from Argentina? Never ever heard of anyone getting deported. Do they do that here? Heard about people overstaying for over 20 years and still never have problems. I'm curious if anyone ever gets deported here and what would it take?

 

[Betsy Ross]

Has anyone actually ever heard of anyone getting deported from Argentina? Never ever heard of anyone getting deported. Do they do that here? Heard about people overstaying for over 20 years and still never have problems. I'm curious if anyone ever gets deported here and what would it take?

I've never heard of any tourists getting deported. I do remember that in 2017 some law changed to make it easier to deport people living here that have criminal records. I remember a few people from Peru and Bolivia that committed crimes here in Argentina got deported. Argentina has been strict when you apply for Residency in Argentina about checking criminal records. Americans have to get an FBI arrest record and criminal record.

Unless you are committing crimes here or committed crimes in your home country, odds are you probably won't have any problems here.

https://www.reuters.com/article/world/argentina-changes-immigration-law-to-limit-entry-ease-deportation-idUSKBN15E1W9/

 

[CecilM]

It seems that lately, some Ecuadorians coming to Argentina have been deported because they entered as tourists but actually intended to stay and study without the proper visa. This has happened to several students, especially when what they declare at the border doesn’t match their real plan to study.

Argentina is still a popular destination for Ecuadorians thanks to its good universities and lower living costs compared to Ecuador. But it looks like immigration is paying closer attention to these cases, especially when their story doesn’t line up with the paperwork they show. This could be resolved with a student visa, but the reality is that many don't apply for it because it's quite expensive.

 

[amyang]

Foreigners take advantage of this country's resources, and I hope Milei implements measures regarding foreign students. The university should be paid for them, and of course, they should enter with a student visa. I fully support immigration being stricter now.

 

[Uncle Wong]

Foreigners take advantage of this country's resources, and I hope Milei implements measures regarding foreign students. The university should be paid for them, and of course, they should enter with a student visa. I fully support immigration being stricter now.

They should charge non-Argentines for University. A country as broke as Argentina has no business providing free tuition to all of these foreigners.