The Obama administration imposed changes to the visa-waiver program that would make it more difficult for Europeans with dual citizenship from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria to enter the United States. The new rule that will take place immediately also makes it hard for people who have been to those countries in the past five years.
According to the New York Times, the changes announced by the Department of Homeland Security will have dual citizenship from the countries mentioned above undergo a more rigorous process to apply for their visa to enter the US. There are some 38 countries; most of them are European, which is part of the visa-waiver program. This allows them to easily enter the US without visa for a maximum of 90 days. There are about 20 million tourists who avail this visa-waiver program annually.
The Boston Globe reported that tightening the visa-waiver program was decided after the terror-attacks in Paris last November that claimed the lives of 130 people and injured 369 others. Lawmakers and counter-terrorism authorities feared that the terrorist, who were European citizens, would take advantage of the visa-waiver program and go the US to commit the same acts of terror. There are also members of the congress who are concerned about how travelers might overstay their 90-day visit, just like the hijackers during the September 11 terror attacks on the Twin Towers.
The Guardian wrote that Irananian Americans protested against the new rule, which was passed December under the anti-terrorism law. It will be harder for them because Iran's rules on citizenship and reciprocity provisions make it difficult to get visas. One of the most controversial victims of this revised visa-waiver program is the BBC British-Iranian journalist who was barred from boarding the plane to the US.
The DHS require travelers to obtain new visa after they get interviewed at a US embassy. The new rule will also have limited exemptions for people who have to travel to the four countries mentioned for military service or diplomatic reasons. There could also be additional exemptions for individuals travelling to those areas for journalistic and humanitarian purposes.
