Visa Waiver Program - Fact Sheet

(September 2004)

The Visa Waiver Program, or VWP, continues to function fully with 27 participating countries. However, several new security requirements have been placed on the program.

Machine-Readable Passports (MRP): In the fall of 2003, TIA and other travel organizations successfully lobbied the U.S. government to extend an October 1, 2003 deadline that required all Visa Waiver Program travelers to possess an MRP for entry into the U.S. The new deadline is now October 26, 2004. A number of citizens in countries such as Spain, Italy, France and Switzerland were believed to lack the newer, machine-readable (scannable) passports. Extension of this deadline allowed travelers from these countries additional time to obtain a new machine-readable passport and has permitted visa-free travel to the U.S. to continue for all VWP travelers. TIA has not requested, and does not anticipate, another extension of the MRP deadline.

Biometric Passports: Another deadline which presented a major challenge for inbound VWP travel is the deadline requiring all VWP countries to begin issuing new passports that contain a biometric identifier (in addition to being machine-readable). If a Visa Waiver Program country cannot meet this deadline, those citizens whose passports expire after the deadline will need to need to obtain a U.S. visa. The State Department has little or no capacity to issue millions more non-immigrant visitor visas in VWP countries should they fail to meet this requirement.

The original deadline was October 26, 2004. Thanks to the efforts of TIA and others in the industry, Congress passed legislation to extend the deadline by one year, to October 26, 2005. None of the 27 Visa Waiver countries would have been able to meet the 2004 deadline. The one-year extension gives these countries additional time to work out the technical issues of incorporating biometric technology into passports. However, it is very likely that these technical issues will not be resolved before the 2005 deadline, and a second (and final) extension could be necessary.

US-VISIT Program: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that starting on October 1, 2004, all Visa Waiver Program travelers will be enrolled in the US-VISIT (entry-exit) system upon entry into the U.S. DHS took this action in an effort to respond to congressional concerns about perceived weaknesses in border security. VWP travelers will now go through the same inspection process visa-holding travelers do when entering the U.S.

Past Suspensions: While the VWP continues to function fully, two countries have been suspended from the program during the past two years. Argentina was suspended temporarily in February of 2002 due to continuing economic and political instability. Uruguay was terminated from the program on April 15, 2003, due to Uruguayan overstays in the U.S. and related immigration violations. While TIA regrets having any member countries temporarily suspended or terminated, we understand these are necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and maintain the integrity of the Visa Waiver Program.

The following 27 countries participate in the VWP: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom.

For more information, contact Rick Webster, Director, Public Affairs, TIA, (202) 408-8422.