WASHINGTON, D.C.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 407 to 19 Tuesday to back the Visa Waiver Program Improvement Act of 2015. The bill will impose restrictions making it more challenging for travelers to Iraq, Syria—and other countries listed as being proponents of terrorism—to travel visa-free to the U.S.
The legislation is expected to pass the Senate and earn President Barack Obama's signature; it would then specifically bar travelers who traveled after March 1, 2011 to Iraq and Syria, in addition to Iran and the Sudan, from taking part in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). It will also require electron ‘chip-enhanced’ passports containing biometric data for all visa-free visitors arriving in the States.
The bill was publicly supported by the White House following the recent terror attacks in Paris, which were organized by extremists who could have reached America without visas.
Citizens from countries partaking in the VWP who are dual nationals from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Sudan would also no longer be able to take part in the program, which is done in partnership with 38 nations—mainly allies and reasonably stabilized democracies.
The VWP was launched 1986 to help ease travel to the U.S., and lets applicants submit a detailed form online and pay a nominal fee, rather than having to apply at U.S. consulates. Approximately 20 million yearly visitors use the program, which allows them to reside in the U.S. for up to 90 days; it has given a substantial boost to the nation’s travel economy over the years.
