Argentina will start the process to rejoin the United States’ visa waiver program after 23 years. If the procedure goes as planned, it will allow Argentine nationals to visit the United States without a visa, government officials announced on Monday.

Alberto Fohrig, director of international co-operation at Argentina’s Security Ministry, said on Radio Mitre that if Argentina’s entry into the program is successful, it “will allow around 1.2 million Argentines who travel to the U.S. each year to enter without a visa, for 90 days for both tourism and business.

“It’s an exception the U.S. government is giving Argentina in a context where there’s a lot of control on immigration from other countries.”

The Argentine President Javier Milei met with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in his office in the Casa Rosada on Monday morning. Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich and Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein attended the meeting, as did senior U.S. officials and diplomats.

The statement of intent for Argentina to re-enter the program was signed by Noem, Bullrich, and Werthein.

“Under President Javier Milei’s leadership, Argentina is becoming an even stronger friend to the United States — more committed than ever to border security for both of our nations,” Noem said. “Argentina now has the lowest visa overstay rate in all of Latin America and 25% more Argentines traveled to the U.S. in the first four months of this year compared to last year — the biggest jump of any of the top 20 international arrivals. That is why we are now taking steps to allow Argentina back into the Visa Waiver Program.”

Argentina was part of the program in the past. In 1996, former President Carlos Menem reached an agreement with the Bill Clinton administration to allow Argentines to visit the U.S. without a visa for up to 90 days. However, the agreement ended in 2002 amid the social and economic crisis in Argentina.

Menem’s government was known for its close relationship with the United States, which at the time was often referred to as “carnal relations.” President Milei, an admirer of Menem and of U.S. President Donald Trump, has aligned himself with the U.S. on many issues since Trump returned to power.

“The United States and Argentina have signed an instrument in which, after revising a series of requirements, we trust that our citizens will be able to enter the U.S. without a visa for tourism or business for up to 90 days,” Fohrig said in an interview with Radio Nacional. He said that Argentina and the United States “have sadly had situations of terrorism” and that both governments will work to ensure nobody with criminal records for terrorism can enter neither Argentina nor the US.

“For that, we need to guarantee that Argentina has adequate controls, and that the United States has information and adequate controls as well.”

The process of joining the program will require Argentina to implement “high international standards in its migratory processes, which will strengthen the country’s border security and elevate its international prestige,” the presidential communications team wrote in an official statement. 

The countries’ technical co-operation going forward will involve Argentina implementing e-passports, biometric systems, and more advanced migratory controls, the statement added.

Fohrig said he hoped Argentina’s entry into this system will be in place in time for the FIFA World Cup football tournament that will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico in mid-2026, making it easier for Argentines to attend the event. “We are working with the U.S. authorities and hope this will come to fruition in the following months so that our citizens can have free access to the United States.”

He added that the process will be “much simpler and cheaper” than that required to obtain a visa.

The Visa Waiver Program allows most citizens or nationals of participating countries to enter the United States for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days without first obtaining a visa. Chile is the only South American country in the list of 42 countries that are part of this program so far.

Travelers must meet a series of requirements and have an ESTA electronic authorization to obtain permission to enter the U.S. via the program. 

Countries listed in this program can request authorization to travel to the U.S. online, which is granted up to 72 hours after the request.

US visas for Argentines

At present, Argentines can apply for visas to make short visits to the United States for tourism, business, visiting family and friends, or medical treatments. Argentines are usually granted a B-1/B-2 visa, combining tourism and business purposes, which is valid for up to 10 years.

Argentines can also apply for immigrant visas for permanent residence, temporary work visas, as well as various other student and event-specific visas.

The current process can take months or even years, depending on the kind of visa requested. Applicants have to fill out paperwork online, pay a fee and then attend an interview at the U.S. embassy in Buenos Aires. There is high demand for appointments, and the embassy may reject a visa application.