The U.S. allows citizens from 38 countries including all of Western and Northern Europe, much of Eastern Europe, Oceania, Japan, Singapore and a few others, to travel to the United States for 90 days or less without an Embassy-issued visa. For citizens of eligible countries, the visa waiver program enables travelers to avoid the time, effort and expense of an on-line visa application, a filing fee and an in-person visa interview. Available only on the basis of reciprocity, in exchange for easy, uncomplicated procedures, the visa waiver program restricts users’ ability to change or extend status and includes waivers of certain legal rights.
In the aftermath of terrorist bombings in Paris and based on fear of further violence inspired by religious extremism, the Obama Administration has taken steps to limit the availability of visa waiver. All citizens using the visa waiver program have been required to use an on-line system, called ESTA (an acronym for Electronic System for Travel Authorization). ESTA is an electronic system that runs names through layers of databases and, so long as there are no “hits”, issues a clearance which permits travelers to board an airplane headed for the U.S. Persons who do not get clearance from ESTA are required to go through the normal visa application process.
The modified system screens visa waiver applicants and, if the system detects prior travel to “terrorist safe havens” including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Venezuela, Egypt, Libya, Colombia and other countries, declines the ESTA clearance. In addition, a further modification to the visa waiver program requires participating countries to cooperate with U.S. security reviews or face suspension of their participation in the visa waiver program. These are incremental changes which are not intended to substantially effect the tens of millions of friendly travelers that come to the U.S. for business and tourism. However, further terror incidents will undoubtedly lead to further restrictions and limitations on foreign travel for all.
For more information on the visa waiver program and ESTA, click here. For additional information on the new restrictions on visa waiver travelers, click here. For updates on travel for citizens of visa waiver countries, contact us.