British travellers could soon be forced to apply for visas to enter the USA
under draconian new plans revealed this week by the Homeland Security chief,
Michael Chertoff.
The UK is one of 15 EU nations to benefit from the US visa-waiver programme,
under which citizens do not require a visa if crossing the pond for
business, pleasure or in transit. But the US administration, which is
embroiled in a row with the EU over the provision of detailed personal
information for all travellers, has warned that the ease of travel afforded
by the scheme could be coming to an end.
Chertoff told European ministers that he “would elevate the level of security
for all countries by having something called electronic travel
authorisation, which would be an online submission of data – the kind of
information you have in your passport, something similar to that – in
advance”.
All travellers must currently provide advance passenger information, which
includes name, date of birth, passport number and details of the passenger’s
intended address in the USA, but the new rules will require far more
detailed information.
The online form, which would have to be submitted 48 hours prior to departure,
is said to ask whether travellers suffer from contagious diseases, have been
involved in “genocide, espionage, sabotage or terrorist activity” or have
been arrested for drugs offences.
“It will give us more time to analyse whether we have a problem with people
coming in,” Chertoff said.
Meanwhile, Spain is to introduce US-style border controls from next month.
From June 13, all visitors must provide advance passenger information,
giving name, address, date of birth and passport number, prior to departure.
The plan is for data to be submitted at the travel agency or via airline
websites, but with less than a month to go, few carriers seem ready. Ryanair
said arrangements would be made “in due course”. EasyJet said it was
“undecided” on how to collect the information. BA, though, is all set:
passengers using its website will be prompted for the data at the time of
booking. The Spanish Ministry of the Interior says there will be a period of
grace to allow travellers and airlines to become familiar with the
requirements.
This will without doubt kill tourism in the US, families with young children, will not want the trauma of having to go to the Embassy, queue for hours and be treated like animals.
It is disgusting the way you are treated when going through immigration at US airports
Florida is one of the worst entries and the majority only want to see Mickey Mouse.
You are ALL treated like bad guy's.
Swain, Davenport, Florida
This is a highly misleading story. The information requested is just the same as on the current visa waiver form and will NOT necessarily require a visa for anyone who does not already need one. You need to check yor facts more closely before printing what is unnecessarily inflammatory and not strictly true.
Posie, Reading, UK
Vore with your feet and wallets! Spen your money elsewhere.
Khalid, Birmingham,
It never occurs to the US authorities that many Fly Drive visitors to the Land of the Free don't know where they will be staying the first night: they simply collect a hire car, head down the highway and stop off at whichever motel they find most suitable.
So Fly Drive holidaymakers have to invent an address and zip code just to keep the bean counters happy. They can then relax, safe in the knowledge that only Fly Drivers do this, suicide bombers always providing full and truthful information about their first night's destination...
Presumably, with the bean counters needing 48 hours' notice, last minute holidays to the US will also be a thing of the past.
Gerry, Kent, England
Every Country has the right to impose entry rules but I wonder how this would sit if EVERY other country in the world decided to impose the same rules on the visiting American public or are we to assume that the rest of the world does not need to be protected from some elements of the American public.
I have no issue if in the end US visas are the way to go but when the US Government suggests for the visa they need to have face to face interviews from adults down to children and probably charge some exhorbitant fee per head for the priviledge. Then once you have the visa will probably still have to complete the advance passenger information AND be fingerprinted/photographed on arrival and even at some point on departure as well..
A very determined person will always find ways and means to achieve whatever they want but in meantime the vast majority of us are left to participate in some political postioning between the EU/US which as usual seems always one sided.
Paul, Chichester, UK