October 28, 2008

Seven Countries Accepted to Join U.S. Visa Waiver Program

On October 17, 2008, President George W. Bush announced that the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and South Korea had satisfied the requirements to be admitted to the United States Visa Waiver Program (VWP). As part of these requirements, these countries have accepted to share information about security threats and use tamper-proof biometric passports.

It is estimated that starting mid-November, citizens of these countries will be able to travel to the United States for tourism, business or transit without obtaining a visa for a period of up to 90 days. However, until the VWP is officially implemented for these countries, citizens of these countries are required to have visas to travel to the U.S.

The Visa Waiver Program currently allows citizens of 27 countries to travel to the United States for a period of up to 90 days for tourism, business or transit, without first obtaining a visa from a U.S. Embassy or Consulate overseas.  For citizens to benefit from the VWP, they must possess a biometric passport and register on-line through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to travel.