Visa Waiver Program
The Issue: The Visa Waiver Program (VWP), managed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in consultation with the State Department, currently permits residents of 36 countries to visit the U.S for up to 90-days without a visa. U.S. nationals have reciprocal rights with participating countries. To participate, countries must meet strict security standards, including the issuance of machine-readable passports with biometrics and participation in security-related data sharing agreements. Since 2010, VWP travelers also must submit biographical information and receive approval prior to travel through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Over 100 million VWP leisure and business travelers have visited the U.S. in the past six years. These travelers support domestic jobs, stimulate the economy and improve international relations. Additional European Union members, like Poland, are interested in participating. In 2011, global business travel spending reached $1 trillion -- $250 billion in the U.S. alone. In today’s highly competitive economy, accessible, safe and secure business travel is essential. The VWP facilitates this travel in every way.
In addition to adding qualified VWP nations, visa application process improvements in nonVWP countries – from reducing wait times to simplifying the interview process – increase travel to the U.S. For example, in 2011, increased consular office staffing in China decreased the average wait time for a visa interview appointment to less than one week. With 800,000 Chinese visitors to the U.S. in 2010, that number is expected to grow significantly as the application process improves. Similar process/staffing improvements are underway in Brazil, where officials processed over 800,000 visa applications in fiscal year 2011 and in India.
GBTA Position: The VWP is a tremendous success, improving our national security while facilitating global business travel. GBTA supports expanding and strengthening the program and replacing the current criteria of VISA refusal rates with a requirement that applicant countries maintain an average non-immigrant VISA overstay rate of not greater than 3% for the preceding fiscal year. This change in criteria is consistent with VWP security goals and may permit greater participation. GBTA also supports more efficiencies in the visa application process. Overall, the visa reforms in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 were meaningful steps in the right direction.