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Presidential Seal |
U.S. President George W. Bush announced in Tallinn, Estonia, on November 28 that he intends to seek modifications to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) that would strengthen the security of VWP travel and allow the U.S. to accelerate the entry of new countries into the program. To read President Bush’s full remarks, click here. Remarks by U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe
November 28, 2006 President Bush has announced in Tallinn, Estonia, that he intends to seek modifications to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) that would strengthen the security of VWP travel and allow us to accelerate the entry of new countries into the program. In his remarks in Estonia, the President added that it is in our interests to promote ease of travel of tourists and family members to America, while strengthening the program’s security components.
The issue of visa-free travel to the United States has been a matter of great interest here in Poland, and so I would like to inform you further about our thinking.
The VWP, which was first implemented in 1988, facilitates the visa-free travel of citizens of participating countries to the United States for business or pleasure for up to 90 days. Almost 16 million VWP travelers enter the United States each year, accounting for more than half of the travelers to the United States for business and pleasure.
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and subsequent plots in London and elsewhere have cast a spotlight on the risks associated with visa-free travel.
We firmly support the continued existence of the VWP. We believe it is a remarkably positive element of our relationship with many countries. Quite simply, we want to continue to promote active and facilitated access to the United States of visitors, family members and tourists.
However, the program hasn’t been significantly modified since its inception to take account of new threats to our security. We must upgrade the program and enhance its security elements to protect the United States and those who travel to the United States.
In the modification of the program, the President will be seeking to upgrade its security elements, including areas related to data collection and sharing and reporting of lost and stolen passports.
Increased security cooperation along these lines will enhance overall security for the citizens of both our countries. I want to stress in this context that the United States will share the burden of new security measures and will not require VWP countries to adopt any measure that it wouldn’t be willing to undertake itself.
President Bush promised today to work with the Congress to propose new flexibility in admitting to the program countries that cooperate in implementing the security measures. I cannot provide more detail yet, but we expect that this will allow us to bring new countries into VWP in the foreseeable future.
I want to emphasize that we fully endorse the continued existence of the VWP, but its security must be strengthened. We are convinced that if the program were to remain unchanged, its existence would be challenged and would not be guaranteed; by strengthening the visa waiver program’s security, we believe we can prevent its abolition.
We intend to consult very closely with the Polish government as we refine this proposal, and we look forward to Poland’s consultation and cooperation as we move forward on these critically necessary improvements to the VWP program.
• Bush Administration Seeks Reforms for Visa Waiver Program
• Statement by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Security Improvements to the Visa Waiver Program
• Fact Sheet: Security Improvements to Visa Waiver Program
• Visa Waiver Program Proposed Legislation
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