Getting a Visa Just Got Harder
by Daniel McCarthy /The White House yesterday announced changes to the Visa Waiver Program that will allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to further screen passengers based on any known travel to a country that it considers a “terrorist safe haven.”
The changes were announced in Paris just two weeks after terrorist attacks left 130 dead there.
DHS now will collect more information about travelers entering the United States, most notably past visits to countries like Syria and Iraq, and also will "enhance our ability to thwart terrorist attempts to travel on lost or stolen passports," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
New pilot programs that collect and make use of travelers’ fingerprints and photos to increase security are also being explored, as is a new system with Visa Waiver Program participants that will allow the countries to share information about travelers.
“Given the terrorist attacks in Paris and the ongoing threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters, the United States is aggressively strengthening its Visa Waiver Program and bolstering our relationships with VWP partners,” a White House statement said.
The White House also called for a full review of the countries that participate in the program and announced that it will be “identifying options to mitigate any deficiencies.”
Some 20 million people travel to the United States each year under the Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens from 38 countries to enter the country for 90 days or less without applying for a visa.
The program was criticized in the aftermath of the attacks on Paris, as most of the attackers were citizens of countries that participate in the program, and would be cleared under the program. Both Senate Democrats and Repulicans have proposed changes to the program last month and
The announcement also gives Homeland Security the ability to fine air carriers up to $50,000 for not properly verifying a traveler’s passport data. The current maximum fine is $5,000.