Israel on track to join US visa waiver program
Israel nears inclusion in the US visa waiver program following Washington's criteria confirmation, though final legislative and security steps remain.
Citizens of Israel can currently visit only American Samoa visa-free, but the country is close to gaining access to the US without a visa requirement.
Israel’s inclusion in the US visa waiver program is not yet guaranteed, despite comments from US Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides that the country meets the 3% refusal-rate threshold.
To qualify, Israel must still pass two pieces of legislation on information-sharing in the Knesset. While Likud had raised privacy concerns, the US Embassy in Israel noted this type of legislation has already been adopted by all 40 member countries in the program.
Israel also needs to finalize border security procedures, including setting up IT systems to streamline data exchange with US systems. Washington has set an October 1 deadline for these preparations.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said he has received confirmation from US officials on the visa refusal rate — good news for Israeli travelers:
This is good news for all citizens of Israel. I estimate that this year, Israelis will be able to travel to the United States without needing to obtain a visa from the US Embassy. I thank President Joe Biden for his support and leadership in granting visa exemptions to Israelis.
Longer stays over 90 days, work, or study in the US will still require a visa through standard embassy procedures.
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