Poles closer to visa-free travel to the US
Source: Warsaw Business Journal
Poles closer to visa-free travel to the US
28th June 2013
The legislation passed the Senate, but must now pass the House of Representatives the US Senate approved an immigration reform bill that includes the Jobs Originating through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act on Thursday. The JOLT Act would expand the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to some countries not currently in the program, including Poland.
“Updating America’s visa travel protocol will increase opportunities for international tourists, create jobs and drive valuable tourism dollars to cities across the country, including Chicago,” said Representative Mike Quigley, one of the authors of JOLT. “Modernizing the Visa Waiver Program specifically will strengthen our national security and enhance relationships with important allies like Poland, who have been denied visa-free travel because of outdated policies.”
The VWP allows citizens of selected countries to travel to the US for 90 days without a US visa. The JOLT Act would update eligibility criteria for applicant countries, requiring a low overstay rate, set at less than three percent of foreign nationals who remain in the United States after their visa expires. Poland would qualify for the VWP under such criteria.
The bill passed by a margin of 68-32. The House of Representatives will now vote on a similar bill, where where Republican leaders have already announced they will focus on a much narrower scope, since chances of the bill passing in its current form are slim.
Read more: http://www.wbj.pl/article-63184-poles-closer-to-visa-free-travel-to-the-us.html?type=wbj
= new reply since forum marked as read
