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HISTORY The visa waiver program was introduced in 1986 with the aim of facilitating tourism and short term business visits to the United States, and allowing the Department of State to focus consular resources on addressing higher risks to the U.S. In November 2006 it was announced that plans for an Electronic Travel Authorization would be developed so that VWP travellers can give advance information on their travels to the United States. In return, they will be given authorization electronically to travel to the United States. This program will be modelled on the Electronic Travel Authority scheme that has been used in Australia for many years. ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES To be eligible for a visa waiver under the VWP, the traveller seeking admission to the U.S. must be a citizen of a country that has been designated by the Attorney General , in consultation with the Secretary Of State , as a "program country". Permanent Residents of designated countries do not qualify unless they hold a citizenship of another designated country. The criteria for designation as program countries are specified in Section 217 (c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (U.S.C. 1187) [http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1255.html . The criteria stress passport security and a very low nonimmigrant visa refusal rate: not more than 3% as specified in Section 217 (c)(2)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as well as ongoing compliance with the immigration law of the United States. As of 2006 , 27 countries were designated as VWP participants:
Andorra , Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Iceland , Ireland , Italy , Liechtenstein , Luxembourg , Monaco , Netherlands , Norway , Portugal , San Marino , Slovenia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom
Australia , New Zealand Eligibility for the visa waiver scheme may be withdrawn at any time. Usually this may happen if the United States feels that citizens of a certain country are more likely to violate their VWP restrictions (such as working without a permit or overstaying their allowed period of stay in the U.S.). Accordingly, Argentina 's participation in the VWP was terminated in 2002 in light of the Financial Crisis taking place in that country and its potential effect on unlawful emigration of its citizens to the U.S. by way of the VWP. Uruguay 's participation in the program was revoked in 2003 for similar reasons. Greece is the only country of the original 15 nations European Union prior to the May 1 , 2004 enlargement whose citizens require a visa to enter the United States. Slovenia is the only nation of the ten newly admitted nations that is already a member of the VWP. ENLARGEMENT OF THE GROUP OF ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES After the expansion of the European Union in 2004, both the newly admitted countries and EU agencies began intensive lobbying efforts to include those new countries in the VWP. The U.S. government initially responded to those efforts by developing bilateral strategies with 19 candidate countries known as the Visa Waiver Roadmap process {Link without Title} and Afghanistan . However, the definition of that "material support" would be met again only by Poland and Romania, a fact that was not favorably received by the other EU candidate countries. During his visit to , Brazil , Cyprus , Czech Republic , Estonia , Greece , Israel , Malta , Slovakia , South Korea , Taiwan and Uruguay {Link without Title} . Cyprus, Greece and Malta had already refusal rates less than the original 3%, but were not included in the VWP countries. South Korea's chances are further being scrutinized due to a thriving and very sizable sex-trade industry in that nation. With no controls or laws to regulate human trafficking and prostitution, the country will have to strengthen its position on this moral issue before it can be granted membership in the program. {Link without Title} While all participating nations must provide reciprocal visa-free travel for U.S. citizens (usually ninety days for tourism or business purposes), Australia is the only nation that requires U.S. citizens (and other VWP nations) to apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), which in fact is a visa that is stored electronically in a computer system operated by the Australian Department Of Immigration And Citizenship (DIAC). A passport holder must apply for and purchase an ETA through an authorized travel agency, airline, or via the official DIMA website before departing for Australia. However, as the ETA process is relatively free of formality, the United States recognises it as the equivalent of visa free travel. The only European Microstate that is not a member of the program is the Vatican City . Its candidacy in the program is still a mystery, with no knowledge whether it will or will not seek membership in the program. |
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