Article published in the daily newspaper SL Õhtuleht on November 7, 2007

About the Visa Waiver Program

Stanley (Dave) Phillips

As the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia, it may surprise you to know that I have an Estonian visa in my passport and that I cannot enter Estonia without it. It's true that mine is a diplomatic visa – different from the tourist visas that most readers are familiar with – but it serves as a reminder to me of the important role that visas play in bringing people together or, on occasion, keeping them apart.

I look forward to the day when Estonians will join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, and thanks to a new law passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Bush I am hopeful that that day will come soon. But amidst all of the excitement about visa-free travel, it is worth taking the time to explain what joining the Visa Waiver Program will really mean for Estonians.

To better understand the Visa Waiver Program, it helps to understand what a visa is. For travel to the United States, a visa is simply a permission to travel to a port of entry to conduct an interview with an immigration official. A U.S. visa does not, by itself, guarantee entry into the United States.

Visas are issued by the Department of State at embassies and consulates overseas, but the decision to allow someone entry into the United States is the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security. Even travelers who are covered by the Visa Waiver Program must pass through an immigration check before they are allowed into the United States, and immigration officials can and do deny entry to these travelers when appropriate.

What, then, does the Visa Waiver Program do? It is useful to talk first about what it does not do. The Visa Waiver Program does not apply to those who wish to study in the United States. It does not apply to immigrants. It does not apply to journalists or people from several other professions who are seeking to conduct a specific kind of business in the United States. It is illegal to take a job in the United States when traveling under the Visa Waiver Program, and those who do so face serious consequences.

Applicants who would not be eligible for a visa after an interview at the Embassy would also not be eligible for entry under the Visa Waiver Program. This includes people with certain kinds of criminal records as well as those who may have overstayed during a previous visit to the United States.

In fact, the Visa Waiver Program only applies to certain short-term visits for business or pleasure lasting no longer than 90 days. All travelers not meeting the exact criteria of the program must still get a visa.

Nonetheless, the Visa Waiver Program will make it easier for many Estonians to travel to the United States for business or pleasure, and President Bush and the U.S. Embassy in Estonia strongly support Estonia's inclusion in the program. Among other things, it will save applicants the application fee and a visit to the Embassy for an interview. But the bottom line is that the law will not change in a fundamental way who is qualified for entry into the United States.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Estonia works hard to provide the very best service possible to visa applicants. Applicants are generally required to appear only one time at the Consular Section and the visas and passports are conveniently returned via courier. Non-immigrant visas can be valid for up to 10 years, making return visits to the Consular Section less frequent. We now accept certain credit cards to pay the application fee. Our staff speaks both Estonian and Russian, and many interviews are conducted in those languages. And perhaps most importantly for prospective travelers, the vast majority of visa applications in Estonia are approved. The U.S embassy website at http://estonia.usembassy.gov has complete information about how to apply for a visa to visit the United States.

The United States is among the most open and welcoming nations in the world, but we all recognize that it faces a high risk of intra-national terrorism, and border security is the most important factor when considering changes to our visa system.

The challenge, then – and what the new law tries to do – is to make the United States even more accessible to our friends and allies while also making it more secure. The U.S. Government will continue to do everything it can to expand the Visa Waiver Program in a responsible way, and we hope that Estonia will soon be a member.

But in the meantime, if you need a visa, we are here to help you. I encourage all Estonians to travel to the United States to experience its beauty, history, and diversity for yourselves. I promise that you will not be disappointed.

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