Immigration Reform: How obtaining residency and citizenship is becoming more difficult

The Government of Javier Milei announced a deep reform of the Argentine immigration regime that, among other things, significantly tightens the requirements to access both permanent residency and citizenship.

With the aim of organizing the system, discouraging irregular entry, and prioritizing genuine settlement, the new measures mark a shift from the previous approach, more permissive and based on family ties or prolonged illegal stays.

Residency: end of automatic access through family ties

Until now, obtaining permanent residency was relatively easy for those who could demonstrate family ties with Argentine citizens. If a person proved to be a spouse, parent, or child of an Argentine, they automatically gained the right to residency.

Additionally, those who demonstrated settlement—meaning their personal, work, or social stability was centered in the country—could also apply for residency.

With the reform promoted by Milei's Government, this logic changes drastically. From now on, only the children of Argentine citizens will continue to have direct access to residency. Spouses and parents will need to meet additional requirements.

In general terms, to access permanent residency, one will be required to prove a true settlement in the country, sufficient means of livelihood, and the absence of criminal records both in Argentina and in the country of origin.

Citizenship: only with legal and continuous residency

The criteria for obtaining citizenship also become stricter. Under the previous lax regime, it was enough to prove two years of residency in the country, but this requirement was not rigorously applied.

Even people who entered the country illegally and left and returned without restrictions could obtain nationality simply with documents proving permanence for that time, even if it was not continuous or legal.

From now on, those who want to access citizenship must have resided legally in the country for at least two years, without interruptions. This means not having left the country during that period and having initiated the stay process legally.

The reform aims to definitively close the door to cases where immigrants gained nationality despite not meeting minimum permanence conditions.

Additionally, a new figure is incorporated: citizenship by investment. Those who make an economic contribution to the country considered relevant can access citizenship, as long as said contribution is declared lawful by the Financial Information Unit (UIF), the Ministry of Security, and the National Directorate of Migrations.

Although the National Constitution establishes a two-year limit as a minimum requirement for residency to access citizenship (article 20), Milei's Government chose to tighten the criteria within that framework, requiring those years to be of legal and continuous residency.

With these reforms, Milei's administration seeks to curb abuses in the immigration system and ensure that those who access residency or citizenship do so meeting more demanding and verifiable criteria.