The Visa Waiver Program, which was created in 1986, allows citizens from 38 participating countries to more easily travel to the US for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa. “The current Visa Waiver Program contains a number of security gaps we address with this legislation”.
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In the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday, December 8, 2015, to tighten security measures and impose new restrictions on the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
It would also require countries participating in the program to share information with USA authorities about suspected terrorists or risk being suspended from the scheme. However, US President Barack Obama has promised to veto that.
The Iraq-Syria connection would likely effect only a fraction of the 20 million visa waivers granted annually and would have limited impact at BWI Marshall, where the majority of the almost 865,000 worldwide travelers are American.
He added, “Moreover, it requires anyone who recently visited a country of concern to obtain a visa before traveling to the United States”.
Congressman Fred Upton: “This bill strengthens the security of our visa waiver program so that we protect our national security and enhance our safety”. The bill is expected to be included in a spending bill later this week and could become law by the end of the year.
There are significant differences between the House’s bill and a measure from Sens.
Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), who has been very vocal about his opposition to the White House’s Syrian refugee program, commended the House for passing Miller’s critical legislation. It would increase the fee charged to applicants using the Department of Homeland Security’s electronic authorization system.
After voting in the House of Representatives, results showed that 407 reps were in favor of the proposal to change the rules of visa-free travel, while 19 opposed to it. “This could mean that a second tier of American citizens, including Iranian Americans, would be forced to apply for a visa to travel to many nations in Europe and other eligible countries”.
According to a CNBC report, the legislation also threatens countries with expulsion from the visa waiver programme if there is no desired progress in sharing counter-terrorism information with the US.
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This bill would require VWP countries to check travelers against INTERPOL to determine if a traveler is wanted or if a fraudulent passport is being used.
