Argentina hoping to entice remote workers with new visa

May 10, 2022, 2:32 PM | Updated: 2:58 pm

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina on Tuesday joined a growing list of countries trying to woo remote workers by implementing a temporary visa targeted at digital nomads, who can work anywhere in the world as long as they have a good internet connection.

Interior Minister Wado de Pedro said the government hopes the new visa will help the country bring in much-needed hard currency by attracting people interested in working temporarily in Argentina.

Those workers will “live the Argentine experience and return to their countries being the main salespeople of this beautiful country,” he said.

Digital nomads usually have a higher purchasing power and spend an average of around $3,000 a month, which is double what a regular tourist might spend, said Florencia Carignano, the national director for migration.

“We want to attract people who after the pandemic changed their mentality and now prioritize their freedom, want to visit new places and enjoy life in a different way,” she said. “The pandemic accelerated a trend that was already happening.”

Argentina will become the second country in South America to officially launch a visa targeting remote workers. Neighboring Brazil did so earlier this year.

“We know there are around 40 million people around the world who are digital nomads,” Carignano said.

The new visa will be valid for six months and can be renewed once, compared to a maximum of a three-month stay for a regular tourist visa. It will also provide a series of benefits, including discounts on flights with state-owned airline Aerolíneas Argentinas.

Only citizens of countries that do not require a tourist visa to enter Argentina will be eligible to apply. Applicants will have to submit a resume and a document that proves their work relationship with at least one employer.

Dozens of countries around the world, including several Caribbean islands, have launched programs to woo digital workers in part to make up for the shortfall in tourism as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were waiting for this decision by the government as it will undoubtedly have an impact on the city,” said Fernando Straface, international relations secretary for the city of Buenos Aires.

Argentina’s capital has been particularly active in trying to get remote workers to move to Buenos Aires, touting its solid infrastructure and the relative weak value of the local currency.

“We are an ideal destination for digital nomads because of the quality and cost of living,” Straface said. “Buenos Aires has consolidated its global reputation as a the leading city in the region to live, study and work.”

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

(Facebook Photo/City of San Luis, Arizona)...
Associated Press

San Luis authorities receive complaints about 911 calls going across border

Authorities in San Luis say they are receiving more complaints about 911 calls mistakenly going across the border.
2 days ago
(Pexels Photo)...
Associated Press

Daylight saving time begins in most of US this weekend

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.
10 days ago
Mexican army soldiers prepare a search mission for four U.S. citizens kidnapped by gunmen in Matamo...
Associated Press

How the 4 abducted Americans in Mexico were located

The anonymous tip that led Mexican authorities to a remote shack where four abducted Americans were held described armed men and blindfolds.
10 days ago
Tom Brundy points to a newly built irrigation canal on one of the fields at his farm Tuesday, Feb. ...
Associated Press

Southwest farmers reluctant to idle farmland to save water

There is a growing sense that fallowing will have to be part of the solution to the increasingly desperate drought in the West.
17 days ago
A young bison calf stands in a pond with its herd at Bull Hollow, Okla., on Sept. 27, 2022. The cal...
Associated Press

US aims to restore bison herds to Native American lands after near extinction

U.S. officials will work to restore more large bison herds to Native American lands under a Friday order from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
17 days ago
Children play in a dried riverbed in Flassans-sur-Issole, southern France, Wednesday, March 1, 2023...
Associated Press

Italy, France confront 2nd year of western Europe drought

ROME (AP) — Bracing for Italy’s second consecutive year of drought for the first time in decades, Premier Giorgia Meloni huddled with ministers Wednesday to start mapping out an action plan Wednesday, joining France and other nations in western Europe grappling with scant winter rain and snow. Meloni and her ministers decided to appoint an […]
19 days ago

Sponsored Articles

(Photo by Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)...
Cox Communications

Valley Boys & Girls Club uses esports to help kids make healthy choices

KTAR’s Community Spotlight focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children's lives.
(Pexels Photo)...

Sports gambling can be fun for adults, but it’s a dangerous game for children

While adults may find that sports gambling is a way to enhance the experience with more than just fandom on the line, it can be a dangerous proposition if children get involved in the activity.
...
Quantum Fiber

How high-speed fiber internet edges out cable for everyday use

In a world where technology drives so much of our daily lives, a lack of high-speed internet can be a major issue.
Argentina hoping to entice remote workers with new visa