Visa Waiver Program Likely to Expand to Five More Nations Posted Apr 04, 2008 ©MurthyDotCom The U.S. government has taken another step toward expanding its Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to include Slovakia, Hungary, and Lithuania. This was accomplished when U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff signed agreements with representatives of these three European nations on March 17, 2008. Secretary Chertoff signed similar agreements with Estonia and Latvia on March 12, 2008. The agreements, and the enhanced security measures they require, may allow these five nations to be designated as VWP members later in 2008. Essentially, this would make it easier for nationals of these designated countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days, under the terms of the VWP, without obtaining the visa in advance at a U.S. consular post. ©MurthyDotCom Description of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program ©MurthyDotCom As reported in our December 8, 2006 article, President Wants to Expand Visa Waiver, available on MurthyDotCom, the VWP allows a foreign national from one of the current 27 VWP nations to travel to the U.S. for 90 days or less without the need for a B-1/B-2 visitor visa. The VWP only accepts nations with high rates of compliance with U.S. visa requirements and low rates of rejections of visa applicants. ©MurthyDotCom VWP Purpose Limited to Short-Term Travel ©MurthyDotCom The VWP program does not replace the need for other types of visas, such as those required for employment and study purposes. It is only an alternative to the B-1/B-2 for a short visit to the United States. Thus, nationals of the VWP countries still need to obtain from the U.S. consulates in their respective home countries other types of visas, such as the H1B, L-1, J-1, and F-1. The VWP also only allows visits of up to 90 days, with no extension of status or ability to file for a change to some other type of work status. Therefore, while it is a significant privilege and makes visiting the U.S. much easier for VWP members from eligible countries, it is in no way an open door to live or work in the United States. ©MurthyDotCom List of 27 VWP Eligible Nations ©MurthyDotCom Currently, the following 27 countries are included within the VWP program: Andora, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. ©MurthyDotCom Conclusion ©MurthyDotCom These steps toward the possible inclusion of Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, in the VWP program later in 2008 help to advance the dual interests the U.S. has in promoting visa-security enhancements and facilitating travel between partner nations. As other countries become more economically prosperous, the likelihood of their inclusion in the VWP increases. Copyright © 2008, MURTHY LAW FIRM. All Rights Reserved
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