Visa Waiver Program

Key Republican leaders accused President Obama of creating “non-statutory exemptions” from the travel restrictions imposed under the new Visa Waiver law for people who had visited certain countries lined to terrorism. In a letter to the President they said the exemptions are “contrary to the plain language of the statute” and were “discussed, at length, during negotiations [on the legislation] and were explicitly rejected by Members of Congress.

The Department of Homeland Security released a statement today announcing the increased scrutiny of travelers coming to the U.S. through the Visa Waver Program (VWP). The program covers 38, primarily European and Asian, countries and allows travelers to enter the U.S. without first obtaining a visa.