Seven Countries To Be Added to Visa Waiver Program
The Bush administration announced on October 17, 2008, that it plans to add seven countries to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), including the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and South Korea. President George W. Bush said that eligible citizens of those countries will be able to travel to the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa “in about a month.” So-called “roadmap” countries, which are on track to qualify for VWP admission, include Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Poland, and Romania.
The VWP currently allows the citizens of 27 countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business without obtaining a visa. Nationals participating in the VWP must travel only for business, pleasure, or transit; stay in the U.S. for 90 days or fewer; and, if arriving by sea or air, hold a valid ticket for return or onward travel and enter the U.S. aboard an air or sea carrier that has been designated as a participant in the VWP.
