US visa free travel for Argentine passports is about restore as the country is set to rejoin the US Visa Waiver Program. Until 1996, Argentine passport holders were able to visit the USA without visa requirements, thanks to 90 days visa free agreement signed by the former President Carlos Menem. Economic instability and some other political crises resulted in the end of visa free access for people of Argentina.
What is the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP)?
The US Visa Waiver Program is a revolutionary visa exempt option for people of specific nations that allows a visit to the US without visa requirements. The visa program empowers people to make their American dream come true as they can visit the US for leisure or business travel and be a part of American society.
To be eligible for the US Visa Waiver Scheme, travelers must have pre-authorization of an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). The ESTA simply allows travel to the US, as the application contains the necessary biodata of travelers that assist US immigration authorities at entry points.
Kristi Noem’s official visit to Argentina
To ease the travel between Argentina and the United States, the US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem met with the President of Argentina, Mr. Javier Milei, and the Security Minister Patricia. The high level political meeting was arranged at Casa Rosada, and the delegation signed a statement of intent to start the process of visa free travel. The signing of the agreement shows the intent of Argentina to restore the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). This will indeed boost the Argentina passport ranking, which is currently the 16th strongest passport with visa free, visa on arrival, or ETA to 170 destinations worldwide. With USA Visa Free access, Argentina citizenship by investment will definitely get a boost.
Positive Statement by Homeland Security Secretary
After signing the statement of intent for US visa free access, the US Homeland Security Secretary talked with the media and praised Milei’s leadership by saying, “Argentina is becoming an even stronger friend to the United States, more committed than ever to border security for both of our nations.” She also emphasized, “Argentina now has the lowest visa overstay rate among Latin American Nations at almost 1%. In 2025, 25% more Argentines traveled to the US, hence increasing the number of international arrivals.” This was the big reason for the decision to participate in the US Visa Waiver program.
In an interview with Radio Nacional, Alberto Fohrig, director of international cooperation at Argentina’s Security Ministry, said, “The United States and Argentina have signed an agreement in which, after meeting certain requirements, our citizens can travel visa free to the US.” He said, “Argentina and the United States had situations of terrorism, both governments will try to make sure that nobody with a criminal record can enter either country.”
Argentina’s Pathway to the US
Just like Caribbean CBI countries working on immigration policies to avoid the US travel ban, Argentina also needs to comply with immigration policies. This includes easy traceability of citizens, identity of its citizens, and upgraded border security management like ETIAS and EES systems by the European Union.
Moreover, issuance of NFC enabled passports, enhanced and state-of-the-art biometric systems will improve and ease the immigration process. These immigration policies will for sure meet the travel requirements and will pave the way for travel freedom to the US without visa requirements. So, we can see an addition to visa free access for Argentine passports in the near future.
How Long Will The Process Take?
It can take up to 72 hours to check if you are eligible to travel to the US under the VWP program. However, the complete process can take months, even after the application, because the participants must meet strong eligibility requirements.