US extends visa waiver scheme

US president George Bush today announced that seven more countries will be added to the list of those whose citizens can travel to the United States without needing to obtain a visa.

Later this year citizens from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and South Korea will be allowed visa-free entry as long as they have registered online before their trips and have tamper-proof, biometric passports.

The countries will also have to share information about threats to Americans, Bush said.

"I believe the best foreign policy for America is one that lets people from other countries get to know this country firsthand," he said. "Extending this opportunity to some of our closest allies deepens our friendship
and makes all our countries safer."

Americans can already travel to those countries without first obtaining a visa.

The seven countries will be added to the 27 nations already included in the US "visa waiver" program of friendly nations. Most European countries are included in the program.

The White House said several other countries are under consideration for the program, including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Poland and Romania.

Reuters