Secretary Noem Launches Process for Argentina to Return to US Visa Waiver Program

Noem said that Argentina now has the lowest rate of visa overstays in the United States among all Latin American countries.

Yeny Sora Robles

Published: 7/30/2025, 5:25:27 PM EDT

Secretary Noem Launches Process for Argentina to Return to US Visa Waiver Program — U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem meets with Argentine President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 28, 2025. (U.S. Department of Homeland Security)

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem met with the president of Argentina and a delegation from his administration in Buenos Aires on July 28, where a declaration of intent was signed to advance joint efforts to allow Argentina to return to the U.S. visa waiver program.

"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 in a July 28 statement.

The visa waiver program allows citizens of designated countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of up to 90 days without a visa.

Noem said that Argentina now has the lowest rate of visa overstays in the United States among all Latin American countries.

Furthermore, Argentine citizens recorded a 25 percent increase in travel to the United States in the first four months of this year from last year, positioning Argentina as the country with the largest increase in travel among the 20 countries with the highest number of international arrivals.

"That is why we are now taking steps to allow Argentina back into the Visa Waiver Program," Noem stated.

The meeting, which took place in Milei's office, was attended by Argentine Minister of National Security Patricia Bullrich, Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein, Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires Heidi Nicole Gómez, and U.S. adviser Robert Thomas Law.

"This statement of intent I signed alongside Minister Werthein and Minister Bullrich highlights our strong partnership with Argentina and our mutual desire to promote lawful travel while deterring threats," Noem stated. "This kind of diplomatic leadership, spearheaded by President Trump, will help increase the safety of both countries."

According to a statement issued by Milei's office, the request for redesignation under the visa waiver program constitutes the first step in a rigorous process that will require Argentina to meet high international standards in its immigration process.

"Technical cooperation includes key areas of work such as the incorporation of electronic passports, biometric systems, and advanced immigration control," the July 28 statement reads.

To travel visa-free under the visa waiver program, an individual must have a qualifying passport and a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization before boarding an airline or maritime transport bound for the United States.

Bullrich described the agreement between the two countries as a "strategic alliance with common values of freedom, order, and security," in a post on her X account on July 28.

From The Epoch Times