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President Bush Will Seek Changes in the Visa Waiver Program

President George W. Bush pledges to work with the U.S. Congress and others to modify the Visa Waiver Program in order for countries like the Czech Republic to qualify more quickly for inclusion into the program.  Speaking November 28, in Tallinn, the President underscored U.S. interest in facilitating international travel while strengthening the security components of the Visa Waiver program.  Following is an excerpt from the President’s remarks in Tallinn. 

“I am pleased to announce that I'm going to work with our Congress and our international partners to modify our visa waiver program. It's a way to make sure that nations like Estonia qualify more quickly for the program and, at the same time, strengthen the program's security components.

The new security component of the visa waiver program would use modern technology to improve the security regime for international travelers to and from the United States. In other words, we need to know who is coming, and when they're leaving. And the more we share -- can share information, the easier it will be for me to get Congress to make it easier for Estonians to travel to the United States.

We want people to come to our country. We understand a lot of Estonians have relatives in America. It's in our nation's interest that people be able to come and visit, and it's important, at the same time, to make sure that those who want to continue to kill Americans aren't able to exploit the system.” 

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Security Improvements to Visa Waiver Program