By Luis De Jesus
Sep 21, 2024, 8:47 PM EDT
A South American country is implementing a new immigration regime starting Friday that allows Venezuelans to live and work legally, even with expired identification documents. This is Argentina, one of the main host countries for citizens fleeing the crisis in Venezuela.
The Argentine immigration authority has made the procedures for the admission and regularization of Venezuelan migrants more flexible, allowing those with expired identity cards or passports, as long as they are not more than 10 years old, to obtain residency.
In cases where these documents are not available, migrants may prove their identity through a sworn statement.
The measure taken by Argentina responds to the extremely vulnerable situation of Venezuelans who have fled the crisis in their country. A prominent activist explained that the measure seeks to protect those who are escaping the repression of the Maduro regime and help those who already reside in this country to regularize their status to live and work legally.
Apostilled documents and criminal records are exempt
Migrants are also exempt from presenting legalizations or apostilles of Venezuelan documents and criminal records when obtaining them is impossible due to restrictions imposed by the Maduro regime, according to a press release.
It is estimated that around 20,000 irregular Venezuelan migrants will benefit from this provision.
“They are escaping from the wave of repression of the Maduro regime”
Elisa Trotta Gamus, secretary general of the Argentine Forum for the Defense of Democracy, promoted this flexibility.
“This measure seeks to provide shelter to those who are escaping the new wave of repression by the Maduro regime after the presidential elections on July 28. And those who are already living in Argentina in an irregular situation or who are in limbo can regularize their status to live and work legally,” he said.
The activist urged Venezuelans in an irregular situation to visit the website of the National Directorate of Migration to begin the regularization process. Those whose processes were not completed due to lack of documentation should contact the authorities to benefit from the new special regime.
How much should Venezuelans pay to regularize their status in Argentina?
Venezuelans who wish to regularize their immigration status in Argentina must pay a cost of 50,000 Argentine pesos for the procedure, plus an additional 6,000 for the issuance of the National Identity Document.
However, vulnerable migrants who do not have the financial capacity to pay the filing fee may request an exemption from these costs.
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