President Bush has pleased both his allies and travelers from around the globe by rescinding U.S. visa requirements for visitors from seven countries, including South Korea, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Slovakia.
When the seven are added to the visa waiver program next month, they will join 27 other countries whose citizens can enter the United States without any documentation other than a valid passport. Bush said that it was unfair to make citizens of the seven countries “jump through bureaucratic hoops that other allies can walk around.”
All of the seven countries currently allow U.S. citizens to enter without a visa. Many were annoyed by the exclusion because they are NATO allies who support U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Opponents of the plan claim that it will make it easier for terrorists to enter the U.S., but Bush assured them that additional security measures will make that unlikely. The seven nations have agreed to share information about security threats to the U.S. and will be required to implement tamper-proof, biometric passports. In addition, travelers will be required to register online in advance of their visits to the United States.
Bush hopes to eventually expand the program to include Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Poland and Romania.
By Karen Elowitt for PeterGreenberg.com.
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