US officials to visit Taiwan for final visa waiver review

chinapost.com.tw
Updated Sunday, December 25, 2011 0:09 am TWN, CNA

WASHINGTON--The U.S. will send a delegationto Taiwan early next year to review issues regarding the visa waiver program (VWP), in which Taiwan has been named a candidate, Taiwan's representative to the U.S. said yesterday.

The delegation, responsible for further evaluation, could visit Taiwan soon after the holiday season in the U.S., said Jason Yuan, Taiwan's representative to Washington.

After Taiwan officially became a candidate for the VWP, the Homeland Security Department needed to complete a review on various aspects, including Taiwan's homeland security and immigration system, the official said.

The efforts to qualify for the visa waiver program were extensive, including the inking of various agreements such as a U.S.-Taiwan information-sharing agreement on counter-terrorism in August and another on lost or stolen passports, Yuan added.

The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the quasi U.S. embassy in Taiwan, announced on Dec. 22 the country's candidacy for the program, one of Taiwan's major diplomatic goals.

However, there is no timeframe for when Taiwan might actually qualify, said AIT Acting Director Eric H. Madison.

Once admitted into the VWP, Taiwanese nationals traveling to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less will not need to obtain a visa, which presently costs about NT$4,340 (US$135).

Eligible travelers who wish to enter the U.S. under the VWP, nevertheless, must apply for authorization online through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and pay an administrative fee of US$14.

The basic requirements for inclusion in the VWP program are a U.S. visa rejection rate of less than 3 percent, adoption of biometric electronic passports, in-person passport application procedures for first-time applicants, and compliance on counter-terrorism and information-sharing.

At present, the U.S. grants visa free entry for stays of up to 90 days to nationals of 36 countries and areas, six of which are in Asia -- Singapore, Brunei, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia.

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