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Department of Homeland Security: More changes coming for visa-free travelers to U.S.
The Department of Homeland Security was expected to announce today strict new regulations for nationals of countries that do not need visas to enter the United State.
Starting next January, nations of so-called visa waiver countries must register with the U.S. government 72 hours prior to traveling in order to be let in the country. Starting in August, they'll be able to do this on airline Web sites, at travel agencies or at a special page on the DHS' own Web site.
This will affect most western European countries as well as citizens from Brunei, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.
There are 27 countries on the U.S. visa waiver list. Another eight -- including the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland -- are expected to obtain visa waiver status this year.
The registration will involve supplying the U.S. government with pretty much the same information that these citizens currently fill out on the I-94 immigration form before landing.
Why this new change? DHS figures, rightly in my view, that terrorists do not necessarily all come from countries not on the visa waiver list. Richard Reid was a British citizen, after all. Zacarias Moussaoui held a French passport. Neither needed a visa to enter the U.S. (O.K., I know it was Reid's intention to never enter the U.S., but you see what I mean).
My one question about all this is: Brunei? How did Brunei get visa waiver status? Just wondering. Seems pretty random, given the countries that are on the list and those who can't get near it.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nick Hawkins Jun 3rd 2008 2:05PM
I guess Brunei met the following requirements:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1255.html
Bert Jun 3rd 2008 4:50PM
Let me print out the damned I-94 so I don't have to fill it out at the airport.
rrgg Jun 4th 2008 11:25AM
Brunei was already in the visa waiver program.
The article refers to 8 countries. Apparently they are: "Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, and Slovakia"
According to this page:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html
Tim Jun 4th 2008 12:30PM
What's the betting we still have to fill out the I94 on the plane anyway.
I really wish we treated American citizens the way the USA treats us, when they come to OUR country.
Jim Jun 4th 2008 6:17PM
@ Tim.
Hear, hear. I truly hope that US citizens get an equally rude and bigoted treatment from 'visa waiver' countries that we get from US C&BP.