US moves to lift visa restrictions for Argentina in a boost to right-wing ally
Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem said the US would put Argentina on an ‘expedited path’ to enrolment in the Visa Waiver Program
The United States and Argentina on Monday announced that they are working on a plan to allow Argentine tourists to again travel to the US without a visa.
It is likely to take two to three years before visa-free travel becomes a reality for Argentine passport holders, but the Trump administration’s move to kick-start the process marked a show of support for President Javier Milei, its staunchest ally in South America and a darling of conservatives around the world.
The gesture coincided with a visit by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital, for closed-door meetings with Milei and his officials. Noem signed the statement of intent alongside Security Minister Patricia Bullrich in Milei’s office.
Noem, on horseback at the country’s sprawling Campo De Mayo army base and donning a cowboy hat and jeans, told reporters that the Trump administration would put Argentina on an “expedited path” to enrolment in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
Still, she cautioned that securing approval within the next year “would be very difficult,” according to a White House pool report.
The Department of Homeland Security praised Milei for reshaping Argentina’s foreign policy in line with the US.