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U.S. Tightens Visa Rules for Some European Visitors U.S. Tightens Visa Rules for Some European Visitors
(about 3 hours later)
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Thursday announced changes to a visa-waiver program that will make it harder for travelers to enter the United States from Europe if they have dual citizenship from Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria, or have visited one of those countries in the last five years. WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Thursday announced changes to a visa-waiver program that would make it harder for travelers to enter the United States from Europe if they had dual citizenship from Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria, or had visited one of those countries in the last five years.
Those travelers will now have to go through the more rigorous regular visa application process to enter the country. The Department of Homeland Security, which announced the changes, said they would take place immediately.Those travelers will now have to go through the more rigorous regular visa application process to enter the country. The Department of Homeland Security, which announced the changes, said they would take place immediately.
The administration’s plan would provide limited exemptions for individuals who have to travel to any of the four countries as diplomats or for military service. Additional exemptions could be applied for humanitarian reasons or for journalists.The administration’s plan would provide limited exemptions for individuals who have to travel to any of the four countries as diplomats or for military service. Additional exemptions could be applied for humanitarian reasons or for journalists.
About 38 countries, mostly in Europe, participate in the visa-waiver program, which allows their citizens to visit the United States without a visa on trips of 90 days or less. About 20 million tourists use the program each year.About 38 countries, mostly in Europe, participate in the visa-waiver program, which allows their citizens to visit the United States without a visa on trips of 90 days or less. About 20 million tourists use the program each year.
The changes to the visa-waiver program come after the terrorist attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 that killed 130 people and injured 368. Because the attackers were all European citizens, some lawmakers and counterterrorism officials feared that terrorists could exploit the visa waiver program and travel to the United States to commit similar attacks. The changes to the visa-waiver program come after the terrorist attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 that killed 130 people and injured 368. Because the attackers were all European citizens, some lawmakers and counterterrorism officials feared that terrorists could exploit the visa-waiver program and travel to the United States to commit similar attacks.
Many members of Congress also worried that some of the travelers who could pose a security threat might overstay their visits. Two of the Sept. 11 hijackers, Satam al-Suqami and Nawaf Alhazmi, overstayed their visas.Many members of Congress also worried that some of the travelers who could pose a security threat might overstay their visits. Two of the Sept. 11 hijackers, Satam al-Suqami and Nawaf Alhazmi, overstayed their visas.
But a report released by the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday, which lawmakers have been demanding for nearly 20 years, shows that the number of overstays — about a half-million in all — was slightly higher for citizens of countries where a visa is required to visit the United States than for those from countries like France and Germany, which are exempt under a visa-waiver program. But a report released Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security, which lawmakers have been demanding for nearly 20 years, showed that the number of overstays — about a half-million in all — was slightly higher for citizens of countries where a visa is required to visit the United States than for those from countries like France and Germany, which are exempt under a visa-waiver program.
Tourists traveling to the United States under the visa-waiver program are routinely screened against intelligence databases to check for links to terrorism or for other security risks, but these checks are less restrictive than those of travelers who must obtain a visa. Tourists traveling to the United States under the visa-waiver program are routinely screened against intelligence databases to check for links to terrorism or for other security risks, but these checks are less restrictive than those made on travelers who must obtain a visa.
In December, Congress passed visa-waiver legislation that requires countries to share more information about travelers and authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to terminate any country’s participation in the program if it does not share the security data. The legislation would also strengthen efforts to detect and prevent passport fraud.In December, Congress passed visa-waiver legislation that requires countries to share more information about travelers and authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to terminate any country’s participation in the program if it does not share the security data. The legislation would also strengthen efforts to detect and prevent passport fraud.
House Republicans said the announcement by the administration went against the will of Congress by including waivers for certain government, humanitarian or journalistic purposes — or, in the case of Iran or Iraq, for business purposes.House Republicans said the announcement by the administration went against the will of Congress by including waivers for certain government, humanitarian or journalistic purposes — or, in the case of Iran or Iraq, for business purposes.
“All waivers announced by the White House were explicitly rejected by Congress during our negotiations with the administration,” wrote Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Candice Miller, Republican of Michigan, who sponsored legislation that led to the changes in the visa-waiver program.“All waivers announced by the White House were explicitly rejected by Congress during our negotiations with the administration,” wrote Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Candice Miller, Republican of Michigan, who sponsored legislation that led to the changes in the visa-waiver program.
C. Stewart Verdery Jr., an official at the Department of Homeland Security during the administration of George W. Bush, said the legislation and the changes announced Thursday were good approaches to making countries that participate in the visa-waiver program live up to their commitments. C. Stewart Verdery Jr., an official at the Department of Homeland Security during the administration of George W. Bush, said the legislation and the changes announced Thursday were good approaches to making countries that participated in the visa-waiver program live up to their commitments.
“Not all countries were in compliance with the requirements that they have the proper documents, share information or identify risky passengers,” he said.“Not all countries were in compliance with the requirements that they have the proper documents, share information or identify risky passengers,” he said.
Mr. Verdery said the requirements that foreign travelers with dual citizenship go through additional steps to come to the United States would be an inconvenience, but a minor one.Mr. Verdery said the requirements that foreign travelers with dual citizenship go through additional steps to come to the United States would be an inconvenience, but a minor one.
“They would just have to go through the additional steps of getting and paying for a visa,” he said. “This will only affect a small percentage of people. Besides, the visa-waiver program is a privilege, not a right.”“They would just have to go through the additional steps of getting and paying for a visa,” he said. “This will only affect a small percentage of people. Besides, the visa-waiver program is a privilege, not a right.”
The tourism industry said the changes to the visa-waiver program announced by the administration struck the right balance between security and legitimate travel.The tourism industry said the changes to the visa-waiver program announced by the administration struck the right balance between security and legitimate travel.
But Jonathan Grella, executive vice president of public affairs at the U.S. Travel Association, an industry trade group, said travel groups would keep an eye on how the changes are put into effect because European countries could decide to add their own extra layers of security. But Jonathan Grella, executive vice president for public affairs at the U.S. Travel Association, an industry trade group, said travel groups would keep an eye on how the changes were put into effect because European countries could decide to add security.
“When you start treating friends as less than friends, you can expect the same in return,” Mr. Grella said. Global aid groups voiced their concern about the changes to the visa-waiver program, saying it would affect their ability to brief White House officials, Congress or United Nations agencies on humanitarian crises because the changes would make it harder for workers born in countries such as Syria or Iraq to come to the United States.
Global aid groups voiced their concerns about the changes to the visa-waiver program, saying it would affect their ability to brief White House officials, Congress or United Nations agencies on humanitarian crises because the changes would make it harder for workers born in countries such as Syria or Iraq to come to the United States.
“While it’s not absolutely awful, we do see it as more bureaucracy for something that at the end of the day will not be very effective,” said Julien Schopp, director of humanitarian practice at Interaction, a trade group for international development organizations.