Wants Country In Waiver Program
Sen. Charles E. Schumer announced on Tuesday, Apr. 3 that he was pushing to make Poland eligible for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) as part of his “JOLT” (Jobs Originated through Launching Travel) Act legislation intended to reform outdated visa laws.
Currently, Poland is the only member of the 25-country Eurozone area not able to travel to the United States under the U.S. VWP, which means that all Polish nationals must apply for tourist visas before visiting the U.S.-a time-consuming, uncertain, and expensive process that discourages travel to the country.
“Poland is one of our closest and best allies and the Polish American community in America is vast and vibrant. Finally permitting Poland to enter the visa waiver program is not only the right thing to do, it will also boost our economy. With Polish citizens fighting side by side with soldiers in Afghanistan, it boggles the mind that they can’t even visit the United States without a visa,” said Schumer. “It’s about time that Poland becomes a member of the visa waiver program, and I am committed to getting this legislation passed before the NATO summit.”
“We are very pleased by Senator Schumer’s co-sponsorship of [the] JOLT Act which will update security for visitors to the United States and create jobs and increase tourism to New York and other states,” said Alex Storozynski, president and executive Director of the Kosciuszko Foundation. “And we are especially pleased that it will finally provide a way for Poland to be included in the Visa Waiver Program. It is absurd that Polish soldiers can fight for American freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they can’t come see the Statue of Liberty without a visa. This is no way to treat an ally.”
The VWP gives citizens of selected countries the ability to travel to the US under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization program (ESTA), rather than go through the more lengthy and complicated U.S. Tourist Visa application process. According to Schumer, Poland has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the U.S. over the past two decades on issues that include deployment of troops to Afghanistan and Iraq, willingness to serve as a forward outpost for missile defense shield, and being a reliable voice on behalf of the trans-Atlantic partnership in European Union councils.
This legislation amends the Immigration and Nationality Act regarding the visa waiver program to:
– authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Secretary of State, to designate program countries;
– adjust the criteria for visa refusal rates to permit entry into the program if a country has a low visa overstay rate;
– set a maximum 3-percent visa overstay rate for program countries; and
– revise probationary status and program termination provisions.
It also directs the Comptroller General to review the Secretary of DHS’ methods for tracking aliens entering and exiting the United States and for detecting visa overstays. These revisions would likely lead to Poland’s admission into the VWP.
While the global travel market is expected to double over the next decade, the United States’ market share of this industry has declined by 5 percent since the 2000. The JOLT Act is aimed at reversing that trend and recapturing the United States’ historic share of worldwide overseas travel, which could add nearly $100 billion to the economy over the next decade and create nearly 700,000 more American jobs.
If Poland gained entry to VWP and saw a similar increase, the additional visitors to the United States would create $181 million in new spending and support 1,500 new jobs.
