Tighter US Visa Waiver Program

United States, 7^th August: The US has tightened its visa waiver program due to security reasons.

This has been revealed by the US Homeland Security Department.

Tougher US Air travel rules on foreign government—The US Department of Homeland Security has toughened its air travel norms on foreign governments. As per the details, this has been done in response to the security reasons.

<blockquote> The US Department of Homeland Security has announced new tougher air travel rules on foreign governments. </blockquote>

The US Homeland Security Department launched tougher norms on foreign governments due to increased security reasons from fighters having gone to Iraq and Syria for joining Islamic State and other such groups. This was revealed by the US officials.

As per the sources, the new tougher US Visa Waiver Program rules shall be applicable soon.

US Visa Waiver Program--The US has a visa waiver program with a total of 38 nations. The US program enables citizens of these 38 nations to come to the US on visits spanning less than 90 days without getting US interviews for US Visas at various US consulates and US embassies.

More US air marshals on flights to the US–Nations taking part in the US Visa waiver program shall be needed to enable more US air marshals on flights to the US. They need to use passports relying on electronic chips having a photograph of the passport holder.

Prior to this latest US visa waiver program ruling, passports did not have such features. Only a fraction of the travellers to the US through the US Visa Waiver Program last year had older passports.

Computer programs, databases with automated sharing to be used by nations—So, nations having entered into the US Visa Waiver Program will now be required to make use of computer databases and programs having automated sharing of travel records, other related information with the US and also tracking lost or stolen passports.

We need to mention that a large number of EU nations like Germany, France, Belgium and the UK, having several citizens who have traveled to Syria and Iraq, are part of the US Visa Waiver program.

Speaking about the issue in detail, secretary for US Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, said that the current global security reasons need knowing more information about those coming to the US. This ruling is for those from nations not requiring a US visa for coming to the US.

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Harleen Kaur

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