Visa Appointments Suspended Ahead of Online System Launch

The situation

The permanent suspension of express visa appointments in Argentina since October 12, 2018 is delaying, and in some cases preventing, the filing of Mercosur and non-Mercosur residence visa applications.

Background

Although no reason for the suspension has been published, Fragomen suspects that the Argentinian immigration authorities (Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (DNM)) have suspended in-person appointments to encourage the transition to a new online visa application system.

A closer look

The below summarizes the situation for Mercosur and non-Mercosur visa applications:

• Mercosur visa applications. Mercosur express visa appointments are not available at the DNM office in Buenos Aires, and applications cannot be submitted until the online system is operational.
  • Potential alternatives.
    • Mercosur visa applicants may be able to request a non-express appointment in Buenos Aires, which would not be available until the beginning of October 2019. This is significantly longer than when an express appointment would be available, which is usually the next business day.
    • Mercosur visa applicants may also be able to submit an express application at another DNM office with available appointments (which may require traveling long distances); or at an Argentine consular post in their country of residence prior to traveling to Argentina (with the exception of Technical Visas for citizens of Brazil due to a bilateral agreement).

 

• Non-Mercosur applications. There are still non-Mercosur visa appointments available at the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (DNM) office in Buenos Aires, but the first available appointment is in November.
  • Potential alternatives.
    • Non-Mercosur visa applicants can request a non-express appointment for the end of November if in Buenos Aires or for next week if outside Buenos Aires.
    • Foreign nationals may be able to submit their application at a DNM office outside of Buenos Aires with available appointments or at an Argentine consulate in their country of residence prior to traveling to Argentina.

Impact for employers and foreign nationals

• Mercosur and non-Mercosur visa applicants may experience significant delays in their start date as there is no official announcement as to when the online system may be operable. Delays are expected even after the system is launched due to the likely backlog created by this suspension. Affected employers should prepare for delayed start dates.
• Foreign nationals choosing to file the visa application outside of Buenos Aires may incur additional travel and accommodation expenses.
• Foreign nationals in the process of gathering documentation may find a consular application to be the most efficient route to allow them to start their assignment soon. Employers and foreign nationals should consider whether this option is feasible considering the out-of-country application steps.
• Foreign nationals with pending applications or those who need to renew their current visas are not affected by this situation

Further background

In-person visa appointments are required in Argentina for applicants to submit their application documents and undergo biometrics. Third-party representatives cannot appear on behalf of applicants in Argentina, creating an administrative hurdle for applicants who, if they are applying in country, must follow time-consuming formalities.

Argentina is one of many Latin American countries that is digitizing the visa application process, including Brazil, Chile Colombia and Peru. However, the transition from an-person process to a more streamlined online process often results in delays while the online system is set up and fully operational, and often causes unexpected consequences such as appointment suspensions.

Looking ahead

Employers and foreign nationals contact their immigration provider to analyze their specific situation. Fragomen is monitoring this situation and will report relevant changes.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].