DHS Announces Taiwan’s Designation into the Visa Waiver Program
WASHINGTON - Secretary of Homeland Security Janet
Napolitano today announced the designation of Taiwan into the Visa Waiver
Program (VWP) - streamlining travel for thousands of eligible Taiwan passport
holders, while maintaining strong security standards.
"Today’s announcement is a major step forward in our long-standing
economic partnership with Taiwan,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Taiwan’s
participation in the VWP will not only stimulate tourism in the United States,
it will also enable us to work together to maintain the strictest security
standards.”
Taiwan will join 36 participants in the VWP—which permits visa-free travel
to the United States for eligible travelers visiting the United States for 90
days or fewer for business or tourism. In Fiscal Year 2011, the VWP accounted
for 18.3 million visits to the United States, or more than 60 percent of tourist
and business travelers entering the United States by air.
In accordance with the VWP designation process, the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) determined that Taiwan complies with key security and
information-sharing requirements - such as enhanced law enforcement and
security-related data sharing with the United States; timely reporting of lost
and stolen passports; and the maintenance of high counterterrorism, law
enforcement, border control, aviation and document security standards.
Like other VWP travelers, eligible Taiwan passport holders will be
required to apply for advanced authorization through the Electronic System for
Travel Authorization (ESTA), a DHS Web-based system. Eligible Taiwan passport
holders with an approved ESTA will be able to visit the United States without
visas as of November 1, 2012.
Today’s announcement supports President Obama’s Executive Order on travel
and tourism, directing federal agencies to expand the nation’s ability to
attract and welcome visitors, while maintaining the highest standards of
security. In Fiscal Year 2011, 243,186 visitors from Taiwan traveled to the
United States.
For more information, visit www.dhs.gov
or https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/ .
Source:DHS
