In response to the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris, the Obama
administration is making changes to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which allows
citizens of 38 member countries to enter the U.S. without a visa for 90 days or
less.
The changes include enhanced tracking of past travel to
countries considered terrorist safe havens, offering VWP countries assistance
with vetting and screening travelers, and identifying new programs to collect
fingerprints and photographs for the VWP.
Because most of the Paris attackers were citizens of France
or Belgium, both of which are VWP countries, the attacks have prompted bipartisan
scrutiny of the program over the last two weeks, with lawmakers calling for a
tightening of rules for travelers from VWP nations.
Also announced was a review to take place within two months
of all VWP countries to assess their level of intelligence cooperation and
information sharing with the U.S., which could eventually mean a reduction in
the number of VWP member nations.
The administration also said it would ask Congress to
increase fines for airlines that fail to verify a traveler’s passport data.
The U.S. Travel Association said it was “amenable to the
enhancements.”
“Travel cannot thrive without security, and even the most
successful programs should be continually evaluated and updated to reflect the
ever-evolving security landscape,” CEO
Roger Dow said in a statement.
U.S. Travel had responded to recent criticism of the VWP by
saying that the program makes the "the world safer through secure travel
partnerships,” and the group urged Congress not to rush to dismantle the
program.