The Argentine government signed a document with US authorities on Monday to exempt Argentines from the tourist visa. President Javier Milei received the US Department of Internal Security Department (DHS) secretary Kristi Noem on an official visit to Argentina.
“The President’s office informs that the Argentine Republic has started the process of incorporation in Visa Waiver Program, which, when it finished successfully, will allow millions of Argentines to travel to the US for tourism or business without visa visa, positioning Argentina in a select group with this privilege,” says an official statement.
Donald Trump’s government representative had already signed another security cooperation agreement with Minister Patricia Bullrich before the meeting with Milei.
Speaking published on the US government’s website, Noem stated that “under the leadership of President Javier Milei, Argentina is becoming an even stronger ally of the United States – more committed than ever to the safety of the borders of both our nations.”
According to data set out by the US Department of Internal Security, Argentina currently has the lowest permanence rate outside Latin America and 25% more Argentines traveled to the US in the first four months of this year compared to last year – “the largest increase among the 20 countries with the largest international arrivals. This is why we are taking action to allow Argentina to return to the visa exemption program,” communication.
The Argentine and American authorities took a first step in the process to exempt Argentines of US entry documentation. Noem and Milei have signed a letter of intent for Argentina to be accepted again in the Visa Exemption Program (VWP).
The country was removed from the program in 2002, according to DHS. With the measure, Argentines who want to visit the country for tourism or business now need to go through a long bureaucratic process to obtain a temporary visa type B1/B2.
Security Minister Patricia Bullrich and Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein also attended the meeting at Casa Rosada on Monday.
To be officially implemented, the agreement needs to go through all the steps established by the US security agencies and the Argentine government must have all technical conditions, including the exchange of criminal background information and biometric data, up to date.
How WWP works
The US government’s visa exemption program (VWP) allows citizens from some eligible countries to remain in the US for tourism or business for a period of up to 90 days without having to request a visa in the consulates.
If the agreement is formalized, the Argentines will only undergo a simplified bureaucratic process of filling an electronic travel authorization (this), a digital form of US $ 21 (about R $ 117) that verifies certain applicant information and determines its eligibility to travel.
According to information from the US government, currently 42 countries are part of the program, most of Europe, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Kingdom. In South America, only Chile enjoys this benefit.
