Visa-free travel to US will come this year or never - Estonian MP

03.04.2008

Estonia and half a dozen or so Central and East European countries are likely to join the US visa waiver program within this year, Silver Meikar, who is at present visiting the United States with a delegation of the standing Foreign Affairs Committee, said in his web log.

In his words, officials of the Homeland Security Department and State Department assured the visiting lawmakers that Estonia is one of the frontrunners for visa waiver.

"If all goes as well as is expected now, we'll have visa-free travel already this fall," Meikar said. "But if expansion of the program began to drag and didn't happen before July 1, 2009, it could be delayed for years."

The lawmaker explained that on July 1 next year a number of additional requirements arising from US legislation will come into force which render the expansion of the visa waiver program highly unlikely regardless of whether John McCain, Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton sits in the White House at that point.

Members of the Senate and House of Representatives foreign affairs committees in the meanwhile told Estonian lawmakers they were convinced that Estonian citizens would have visa-free access to US territory before the end of this year.

President George W. Bush gave hope of Estonia's inclusion in the visa waiver program during a visit to Tallinn in November 2006.

Interior Minister Juri Pihl and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff signed on March 12 a visa-free travel pact which paves the way for Estonia's accession to the program.

Both ministers said at that time they hope visa-free travel will become reality for Estonian citizens within this year.

A group of US experts arrived in Estonia this week to assess the work of border guard, security and migration agencies and Estonia's readiness for joining the program.

Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8861, sise@bns.ee