Job Discussion Forums

[KiwiBoy]

Hi there,

I have been recently been following the conversations on this forum and have found it very helpful. I have a couple of questions which I hope haven't already been covered recently.

I have recently completed a TESOL course here in New Zealand and I intend to leave for Argentina in about three weeks to try my hand at teaching English. One of the problems I have struck is that reasonably priced return airline tickets to Argentina only stay open for 3 months. Obviously I my intention is stay longer than this period of time. I asked the travel agent about getting a one way ticket but they suggested that I might have problems getting into the country with a one way ticket. Does anyone have any experience in regard to this? Do I need a return ticket? Could I go on a one way ticket and if they pulled me up at immigation buy a return ticket then if required? I also considered whether perhaps if I bought an onward ticket to Uruguay this might be a cost effective way of solving the problem. Thoughts anyone?

From the research I have done it sounds like Mendoza is a fantastic place to go and work. Is there anyone there at the moment that could possibly advise me of the job situation there and the cost of living as compared to BA.

Thanks

Tom

[snielz]

I just arrived in Buenos Aires on a one way ticket with no onward ticket of any kind. I came through Miami, Florida and had no trouble. I may have been lucky though and it was definitely the one thing I was most worried about before I left. I bought an onward ticket to Montevido, Uruguay on Buquebus. It was cheap and is a trip I wanted to take anyways. If you want to do that, do a google search or try buquebus.com.ar but I am not promising that is the website. The trouble was, I bought the ticket only a few days before leaving and so didn�t have time to get any kind of confirmation from them. I assumed they would send an email confirmation immediately but that still hasn�t happened, though they did find the time to charge my credit card. If I were you, I would either do that or if you have the money by a plane flight to Brazil or somewhere north sometime in August. I have heard that technically you need an air ticket to show you are leaving the country and that sometimes they don�t care about a bus or boat ticket because they know you are probably just returning. It will be cold here in August any way so who wouldn�t want to take a short trip up North?

The reason I was so worried was I heard that Argentina never gives you trouble getting in with a one way ticket but that sometimes the customs people in the US are a real pain. I assumed it was just a US thing. You might want to check, maybe New Zealand could care less.

[snielz]

I just arrived in Buenos Aires on a one way ticket with no onward ticket of any kind. I came through Miami, Florida and had no trouble. I may have been lucky though and it was definitely the one thing I was most worried about before I left. I bought an onward ticket to Montevido, Uruguay on Buquebus. It was cheap and is a trip I wanted to take anyways. If you want to do that, do a google search or try buquebus.com.ar but I am not promising that is the website. The trouble was, I bought the ticket only a few days before leaving and so didn�t have time to get any kind of confirmation from them. I assumed they would send an email confirmation immediately but that still hasn�t happened, though they did find the time to charge my credit card. If I were you, I would either do that or if you have the money by a plane flight to Brazil or somewhere north sometime in August. I have heard that technically you need an air ticket to show you are leaving the country and that sometimes they don�t care about a bus or boat ticket because they know you are probably just returning. It will be cold here in August any way so who wouldn�t want to take a short trip up North?

The reason I was so worried was I heard that Argentina never gives you trouble getting in with a one way ticket but that sometimes the customs people in the US are a real pain. I assumed it was just a US thing. You might want to check, maybe New Zealand could care less.

[Gareth2000]

hey man im a kiwi too same situation (went through teach international though) and im in brisbane at the moment - i recon one way is the way to go with $1800AUS to Buenos Aires.

There are also those round the world fares for like $3000 where you have to pick like 4 countries anywhere before hand and travel to all of them and back one way around the world in a year.

I that was through flight centre i think - let me know what u end up doing

[KiwiBoy]

thanks for the replies there guys,

I've decided I'm going to risk it and go over on a one way ticket. Worst comes to worst I will buy a return ticket if they pick me up at immigration.

Snielz I was interested that they searched your bag! You mentioned that there may have been a problem if you had some TESOL books with you. Did you have documents like TESOL certificate or any other proof of qualifications with you?. I have a pile of these documents I'm looking to take with me, could this cause a problem?


Tom

[sqwerl]

i called the consulate a few weeks ago to ask about a return ticket and they said I don't need one.
I get my visa next week..
It was impossible for me to get a return ticket as I will be studying for 13 months and flights can only be booked a year in advance.

[snielz]

Kiwi Boy,
Yeah, I was pretty surprised after getting out of the US with no problem and on my way out the door at Ezeiza (the AR international airport) that they grabbed me and did a search through all of my stuff. It was seven in the morning after an all night flight plus that was my first experience with actually speaking spanish so I didn�t understand a lot of what was going on. Basically, they went through all of my stuff that was easily accessible. They didn�t make me open every folder I had (I was carrying some folders with portfolio images an other things architecture related) so I think papers and certificates will be fine. But they definetly would have taken note if I had a couple of TESOL books with me. I don�t know if they would have cared, but they would have known. I don�t know why they stopped me, I was dressed more like a businessman than a student or traveller, but my suspicion is to see why I was coming to AR with two large duffle bags. The guy did ask me if I was here on vacation- I gleaned that much from his spanish. Of course I replied yes and since I had a camera and a few maps it made a reasonable argument. I don�t know if this is common or not. I wasn�t prepared for it as I thought once I finally touched down in AR I would just walk through the pearly gates and be home free. Good luck, mate.

[matttheboy]

Not a chance of getting turned away when if you arrive in Argentina without a return ticket as they never, ever check (and i've flown into the country about 20 times in the last year or so). You may not be allowed to board at your departure point as officially the airline can be heavily fined if they allow someone to travel who is breaking immigration requirements. And Argentine immigration requirements include having a ticket out. As i said, this is never enforced at this end. However, I was almost refused entry to the plane flying from Miami before i managed to argue my way on. The women was particularly unpleasant about it all so i wasn't going to let her win. Also, a friend was forced to buy a 100% fully refundable ticket out of Argentina before being allowed to board in London. Just make sure you have enough money on your credit card to buy a new ticket if necessary.

As for getting searched-they pass 90% of bags through an x-ray machine on arrival at Ezeiza and check a few now and again. I don't think it's personal, more like they search every 10th person or something like that (one of my students is an air-steward and has told me how things work). If you have TEFL books just say they're for a friend of a friend (me if you want, i'm a resident here). What can they prove? And more to the point-what do they care? If you're bringing a computer and they query you then make sure you say you're on holiday and going to be taking it out of the country again within a short time or they may try and tax you.

Enjoy.