U.S. Tourists and Business Travelers Temporarily Exempt from Reciprocity Fee
March 31, 2016
Countries / Territories
U.S. citizens are exempt from a reciprocity fee for stays up to 90 days until June 22, 2016, or until an Executive Order is issued to permanently revoke the fee.
Typically, U.S. citizens, Canadian and Australian nationals are visa-exempt for stays up to 90 days, including business visits, but they must pay a reciprocity fee upon arrival. The reciprocity fee for U.S. citizens was USD 160. Australian and Canadian nationals must still pay the reciprocity fee.
Background
This policy is a result of an agreement signed by President Obama and Argentinian President Mauricio Macri in which the United States has agreed to eliminate the consular visa requirement for Argentinian U.S. visa applicants under the age of 16 and over the age of 65 (but is yet to do so). In return, Argentina intends to join the Visa Waiver Program. Part of the preliminary measures Argentina agreed to take on the path to joining the Visa Waiver Program was to revoke the reciprocity fee for U.S. citizens.
What This Means for Foreign Nationals
U.S. citizens should take advantage of the temporary period during which they are exempt from the reciprocity fee for short-term tourism and business trips to Argentina.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
