Leaving country while temporary visa in process

[bones]

My temporary residency visa is "en tramite" and I'm not sure it will be complete before I head back to the U.S. for a few weeks in July.

I do have the piece of paper that I printed out from the consultas page on the extranjeria website, which has the application information. According to that, the document is valid until August 13th of this year, so I'm assuming that if I don't have my visa by July then I can take that with me when I travel and won't have any problems going or coming back.

Any confirmation based on first-hand experience would be reassuring. I suppose I also have the option of doing a visa run so I'm within the 90 day period of my tourist stay. I'd prefer not to have to do that though.

[Kathy]

I am US citizen living in CHILE. I would check first hand with the Embassy.....because I was told I couldn't leave the country while I was in tramite. Though that was 4 or more years ago. But, double check with the Embassy. Don't assume anything ! Or you may have a problem...and / or may need to start the whole process again.

[Eric]

Last year I traveled out of the country while my temporary residency visa was en tramite. A couple of weeks before my flight I still had not received word about my status, so I went to the extraneria. He told me my application had been approved and that he should be receiving the paperwork a week after my flight. He told me the visa would be waiting for me upon my return. I was gone 7 weeks. My 4 month visa pending approval even ended before I returned. But I still got my residencia -- 2 months after returning. The process was painful. I think we had to go to the extraneria at least 12 times for various reasons. But my 7-week absence didn't affect my application. Often we would detect a hint of devilish glee in the functionario's eye when he would tell us to come back next week... One time he told us to come back next Monday. When we returned, we found a sign on the door that he began his month-long vacation that Monday.

[picalena]

wut?

I would check first hand with the Embassy.....double check with the Embassy.

[bones]

I figure the chances are about the same between the embassy and extranjeria as far as answering the phone.

On the extranjeria's own discussion forum, all of the responses to this type of question were along the lines of "you won't have a problem", but maybe you should double check with PDI before you leave. The agent at the extranjeria office also told me if I have the paper then I'm fine.

It also sounds like as long as your tourist status is up-to-date, e.g. not expired while waiting for the visa to be approved, then everything is hunky-dory.

[picalena]

Which embassy exactly is it that will supposedly have the answer to this question? Because the person is in Chile at the moment and is not a Chilean citizen. I can't fathom which embassy it was that Kathy called that would have had the correct answer when she was here in Chile as a US citizen. I guess I am trying to say that is a ridiculous suggestion, even if someone were to answer the phone.

Here is some helpful information, though. We were in a similar situation as the OP. No problem leaving, no problem coming back, visa was waiting when we arrived back in Chile. No need for a border run or "to have your tourist status up to date." Once you are in tramite, you are in tramite. No need to fook with PDI before you leave, that will only be more brain damage.

cheers,
pl

[mem]

I am in a similar position.

My temp residency visa expired in late March, and I sent in a renewal for my temporary residency in early March.
It was sent with certified mail so I have the correos codigo

However, when I go to the https://consultas.extranjeria.gob.cl/au ... ion=nombre autoconsulta website, it doesnt have any updated status if I punch in my name and passport number

If i go through the correos codigo lookup, it says they received my application and to check back later...that has been the status for several weeks.

Last time we did this for my wife it took a full 3 months for that autoconsulta website to actually update to the enTramite status. 3 months to the day. Nothing before that

And hers was before the Pinera decree.

I just don't want to show up at the airport, and PDI at the border sees my expired residency visa from last month and tried to send me to Santiago to "regularize/resolve/pay a penalty" etc. All I can show them is my certified mail receipt that doesn't even have my name on it (it was sent by my immigration lawyer).

The only thing the autoconsulta site says based on the correos codigo is this popup

"Se informa que se ha recepcionado carta con el código 3072XXXXXXXXX. Dentro de los próximos días podrá consultar nuevamente por el estado del trámite de su solicitud."

So i guess I could print out that popup and take the certified mail reciept (the reference codes will match) and try to exit the country without getting a black mark or something. I just don't want to be seen as an "overstayer" that may work against me for permanent residency next year

[thisisreallycomplicated]

I just don't want to be seen as an "overstayer" that may work against me for permanent residency next year

I overstayed my initial 3 month tourist visa, and had to pay a fee (maybe about $100 USD, I don't remember exactly) to renew it for another 3 months. I don't remember though, if I paid the fee before or after my visa expired. And that didn't seem to affect getting my permanent residency. I did have to get an extra temporary residency visa for some reason, but I don't think the 2 things were related.

[Maker42]

I went back to the US while my temp residency was in process no problem. All you need is that application paper.

Just remember, you need that to even get OUT of Chile. I made the mistake of packing it in my checked luggage for the outbound trip, thinking I only needed those papers to get back in. Big mistake. They had to pull my luggage from the plane's cargo before they let me onto the airplane. LOL. I've never been to a country that checks your papers going OUT, and I've been to quite a few!

[mem]

I went back to the US while my temp residency was in process no problem. All you need is that application paper.

Just remember, you need that to even get OUT of Chile. I made the mistake of packing it in my checked luggage for the outbound trip, thinking I only needed those papers to get back in. Big mistake. They had to pull my luggage from the plane's cargo before they let me onto the airplane. LOL. I've never been to a country that checks your papers going OUT, and I've been to quite a few!

When you say "application paper" do you mean the mail receipt with the correos codigo?

[Maker42]

I went back to the US while my temp residency was in process no problem. All you need is that application paper.

Just remember, you need that to even get OUT of Chile. I made the mistake of packing it in my checked luggage for the outbound trip, thinking I only needed those papers to get back in. Big mistake. They had to pull my luggage from the plane's cargo before they let me onto the airplane. LOL. I've never been to a country that checks your papers going OUT, and I've been to quite a few!

When you say "application paper" do you mean the mail receipt with the correos codigo?

I'm pretty sure it was actually 2 papers:
1. The PDE slip they give you on entry.
2. Your copy of the Solicitud Residencia that they've stamped.

[thisisreallycomplicated]

1. The PDE slip they give you on entry.

I remember getting a small piece of paper, when I first got to Chile. And I always kept it in my passport, and was told to never lose it. Does that sound like the PDE slip? I'm wondering, because I don't have it anymore. But I seem to remember the extranjeria people taking it, when I got my permanent residency.