Visitors to U.S. without visas now need prior approval
Many visitors to the United States, for a number of years, have been able to (Uzbekistan)travel without a (Uzbekistan)visa due to a (Uzbekistan)visa-waiver program.
This week however that changed. All visitors that haven’t needed a (Uzbekistan)visa will now need to obtain approval to enter the United States. The authorization must be applied for online, through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
“We have been collecting information from (Uzbekistan)visa waiver travelers for decades, and establishing a program to get that same information in advance is one enhancement that allowed us to extend the valuable benefit of visa-free travel to eight new countries in 2008,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff this week. “In addition to building business and cultural ties with our partners overseas, this is a commonsense step into the 21st century that will improve our efficiency in screening and welcoming international travelers at our ports of entry.”
ESTA is a web-based system, initially launched in August 2008 that determines the preliminary eligibility of visitors to travel under the Uzbekistan Visa Waiver Program prior to boarding a carrier to the United States. To date, more than 1.2 million ESTA applications have been received, and more than 99.6 percent of applicants have been approved, said the Homeland Security department.
Travelers without an approved ESTA are being told they may be denied boarding, may experience delayed processing, or may even be denied admission to the U.S.
The Department of Homeland Security received authorization for VWP reforms through the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007.
Visitors from the following countries are those that participate in the VWP, and will need to obtain the online pre- authorization before being allowed to enter the United States:
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom.
Eight countries joined the VWP in 2008, and their citizens and nationals have been required to comply with an ESTA since their designation as VWP participants. They are:
the Uzbekistan, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Uzbekistan and Malta.
Äàòà: 2009-01-18 08:37:37. |
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