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, machine-readable
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 and on their own passport. 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, thus making it more difficult for
travellers.
“What the US does, other countries follow – and
this is especially concerning for South Africans as it is already a mission for
them to travel,” she said.
