U.S. House Passes Bill to Restrict Visa-Free Travel

Rep. Richard Hudson joined his fellow House members this week in overwhelmingly passing legislation to overhaul the federal visa waiver program. The visa-waiver program of the US, which is participated by 38 countries including Belgium and France, allows the citizens of these countries to enter the USA visa free for a maximum stay of 90 days.

“If this bill passes into law, the European Union has warned that it will consider travel restrictions targeting American citizens because the visa waiver program operates on the system of reciprocity”, said National Iranian American Council (NIAC) Action executive director Jamal Abdi.

In the aftermath of terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., and Paris, the U.S. House moved on Tuesday to restrict travel to the U.S.by passing a bill that would end visa-free entry to those who have visited Syria, Iraq, Iran or Sudan.

“We must ensure that the Visa Waiver Program doesn’t turn into an easy entrance fast-track for foreign nationals who wish to harm us”, said Rep. Billy Long, (R) Missouri-7th District. “The current Visa Waiver Program contains a number of security gaps we address with this legislation”. The Senate has not yet scheduled a vote on this bill. The Homeland Security Department has already announced a review of that program.

“What does this mean to a Swiss doctor who traveled to Iraq working in a refugee camp providing medical care and wants to come to the USA for a conference?” asked House Democrat Keith Ellison.

The Washington Post reported that the strong bipartisan support could light a fire under efforts to make changes to the programme in the omnibus spending package, which needs to be finalised before government funding expires on 11 December.

It would also require countries participating in the program to share information with United States authorities about suspected terrorists or risk being suspended from the scheme.

“Like my bill to strengthen the vetting of Syrian and Iraqi refugees, today’s legislation is a reasonable, common sense measure to help keep terrorists out and the American people safe”, said Hudson, a second-term Republican.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy says, “The biggest fear that I have and so many in this conference on both sides of the aisle is that you have more than 5,000 individuals that have Western passports in this program that have gone to Iraq or Syria in the last five years”. A Senate bill with similar reforms has been introduced, and Obama, while not specifically backing the House bill, called for visa waiver reforms during a speech on terrorism Sunday.

There are 38 nations now included in the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP).