Five Springboards to the U.S. Provided by Argentine Citizenship
- Parviz Malakouti-Fitzgerald, Esq.
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
By Parviz Malakouti-Fitzgerald, Esq.
Citizenships are international springboards
With recent news of a forthcoming Argentine citizenship by investment program, interest in the benefits of Argentine citizenship is sky high.
Aside from the core mobility benefits of immediate highest right of entry and stay in one of South America’s largest and most beautiful countries, Argentine citizenship offers a smorgasbord of valuable springboard benefits.
Springboard benefits are mobility benefits that citizenship of residency in one country (the springboard) provides a person in another country (the landing pad). In this article, we’re narrowly focusing specifically on five springboards to the United States of America provided by Argentine citizenship.
Article Outline:
Let's get into the meat and potatoes (or rather the chorizo con chimichurri).
Visa-Free Access to the U.S. (Maybe)
This is a “maybe” because Argentina is still not part of the United States visa-waiver program. However, if Argentina is able to join the U.S. visa-waiver program as discussed recently, citizens of Argentina traveling on an Argentine passport would join Chile as the only two groups of South American citizens that have visa-free access to the United States, by accessing the ESTA program.
Citizens of countries in the U.S. visa waiver program can travel to the United States visa-free for up to 90 days.
To be frank, I have my doubts about whether Argentina will end up being accepted to the visa-waiver program any time soon. Only time will tell.
U.S. E-2 Investor Treaty Eligibility
Argentina citizens are eligible to apply for an E-2 investor treaty visa to the United States.
The E-2 investor visa is a nonimmigrant visa, not to be confused with the much more famous (and expensive) EB-5 investor visa program. The EB-5 comes with a green card and path to naturalization. The E-2 investor treaty does not.
However, note that Argentine citizens by investment have an additional hurdle to pass.
Since 2022, E-2 investor treaty applicants who obtained their citizenship by investment have been required to be domiciled in that country for at least three years before qualifying for a U.S. E-2 treaty investment visa. (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(E).
This means you cannot get Argentine citizenship by investment and then quickly springboard to U.S. residency through the E-2 treaty visa. But the E-2 treaty could be a springboard down the line.
Friendlier Consulate Springboard
The U.S. typically routes U.S. visa applicants to consulates that handle where the person is resident (9 FAM 403.2-4 PLACE OF APPLICATION). If you're a citizen in a particular country, it's easier to prove you're resident there and therefore use the local U.S. consulate to apply for a visa.
Being able to have some wiggle room in which foreign consulate you use to apply for a foreign visa is one of the most underrated, least understood factors in obtaining a mobility benefit. Consular shopping capability in some cases can be extremely important in obtaining a foreign mobility benefit with less hassle in less time. .
U.S. Travel Ban Avoidance
When the U.S. imposes a travel ban on the citizens of a foreign country, they often exempt dual citizens, if the dual citizen's "other" country of citizenship is not subject to the travel ban.
This is an illustration of the powerful concept of nationality toggling.
Example: Iranian nonimmigrants are currently restricted from entering the United States since June 4th, 2025 by presidential proclamation (“PP”) An Iranian-Argentine dual citizen applying for a U.S. visa with their Argentine passports would not be subject to the travel ban.
This is a game-changing benefit for a certain group of people. This means you're back in play for a U.S. visa with a second citizenship, even if you're on the group of countries mentioned in the June 4th PP (Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen).
Lower B-2 Tourist Visa Denial Rate
Argentines in 2024 experienced a U.S. B-2 tourist visa denial rate of about 9%.
If you're from a country that has a high B-2 denial rate (i.e. 50% for Algeria in 2024, 37% for Venezuela, etc.), you may benefit from applying for a U.S. B-2 tourist visa as an Argentine citizen.
For most people, $500,000 is a lot to pay just for a hope of an increased B-2 tourist visa chance so your mileage may vary but this is one potential factor to consider.
Book a Consultation with Malakouti Law
At Malakouti Law, we help people identify and evaluate options for second citizenship. Book a consultation with us here.
Each immigration and citizenship case is particular and you should consult with a qualified immigration and citizenship lawyer about your case before taking any steps. The Law Office of Parviz Malakouti does not guarantee the accuracy of information presented nor assume responsibility for actions taken in reliance of this information. The information in this page could become outdated. Attorney marketing.