Javier Milei's government is moving forward with the creation of a new agency aimed at offering citizenship in exchange for investments in projects in Argentina that exceed 500,000 dollars.
According to the information revealed, it will be a decentralized body that will operate within the Ministry of Economy, and will be established through the immigration reform that the Executive plans to formalize in the coming days through a Necessity and Urgency Decree (DNU).
Currently, the draft of the decree is being reviewed by the team from the Legal and Technical Secretariat, headed by María Ibarzabal, which is working on the final adjustments with the goal of minimizing possible judicial challenges. In the presidential circle, they acknowledge that the proposal—which will be implemented through two decrees—could face legal challenges. "We prefer for it to take longer to be issued rather than be blocked in the short term," officials from the ruling party state.
Javier Milei y Luis Caputo.
The model that inspires this agency is that of the United States, which has structures such as Select USA, under the Department of Commerce, and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), responsible for immigration control procedures. In that country, the EB-5 program grants permanent residency to those who invest about one million dollars and create at least ten stable jobs.
Milei's government's intention is for the new entity to have as its main function the evaluation and validation of investment projects that require residency procedures in Argentina. The aim is also for it to promote citizenship for foreign investors and to work together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by Gerardo Werthein, and with the National Directorate of Migration, under the authority of the Chief of Cabinet, Guillermo Francos.
The libertarian administration also pays special attention to the official figures from Select USA, which report investments exceeding USD 270 billion and the creation of 240,000 jobs since its launch.
Although the country already has the Argentine Investment and International Trade Agency (AAICI), chaired by Diego Sucalesca and reporting to the General Secretariat of the Presidency, headed by Karina Milei, the Executive clarifies that this entity fulfills a different role.
Javier Milei, presidente de Argentina.
The Chargé d'Affaires of the United States Embassy in Argentina, Abigail Dressel, stated that last week a delegation of eleven Argentine businesspeople traveled to the United States as part of a mission organized by Select USA. "The relationship between our countries is at a historic moment. There is great synergy at the highest levels of our two governments. We also share a geopolitical vision and values," the diplomat said during the AmCham Summit 2025.
Milei government's immigration reform
The presidential spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, had already confirmed more than a week ago that the immigration reform will be published in the Official Gazette before the legislative elections in the City of Buenos Aires. The initiative includes greater restrictions for granting residency and citizenship to foreign citizens, the implementation of fees for access to health and university services for non-residents, and changes in the expulsion regime for immigrants in irregular situations.
The national government assures that the new decree will establish that citizenship will only be granted to those who reside continuously for at least two years in Argentine territory. A new expulsion procedure will also be included for "all foreigners who are convicted of a crime, regardless of its severity." "Those who enter or remain irregularly will not be rewarded with citizenship as was the case until now," the Secretary of Communication stated.
