THE proposed
enhancements to the US
Visa Waiver Programme
(VWP), which were first
announced by the US
Department of State in
August last year, have been
written into law. As a result,
all South African travellers
holding dual citizenship
in countries permitted to
enter the US without a
visa, will now have to be in
possession of electronic
passports.
From April 1, travellers
applying for admission
into the US under the
VWP will have to present
an electronic, machinereadable
passport that is
fraud-resistant and contains
biographic and biometric
information. In addition, the
use of Interpol’s screening
capabilities as well as a
more robust implementation
of information-sharing
agreements between
countries on the VWP will be
incorporated into the VWP
programme.
This has been written
into the US’s Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2009.
Rachael Penaluna,
business manager at Sure
Maritime Travel, says the
new e-passport requirement
will bring about greater
inconvenience and cost for
South African travellers.
“Currently, passengers
travelling to the US
with international EU
passports do their own
Electronic System for Travel
Authorisation (ESTA) online
which means they can travel
to the US without a visa.
Now passengers will be
required to apply for these
e-passports which will bring
about further complications
and more costs.”
What’s more, as part of
the US’s VWP reform and
attempts to prevent terrorist
travel, travellers will now not
be permitted to enter the US
if they have visited Iraq, Iran,
Syria or Sudan at any time
on or after March 1, 2011.
The preclearance facilities
– which are currently
available at 15 airports
worldwide – will also
be expanded to include
more airports capable of
screening passengers before
they enter the US. Rachael
fears the attempts by the
US to increase security
will be followed by other
countries, making it more
difficult for travellers.
US adds restrictions to VWP
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