Exceptions to Restrictions - Using the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)

Williams Mullen
Contact

In our last post, we discussed the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Prevention Act of 2015 (the “Act”). It prevents a citizen of one of 38 VWP countries (Australia, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, etc.) who is also a national of or who has traveled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria any time after March 1, 2011 from using the VWP to visit the USA without a visa. However, as with every rule, there is an exception or two. 

The Act does permit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to grant a waiver to these new restrictions on a case-by-case basis under certain circumstances. Factors that the DHS will consider are: the law enforcement and national security interests of the U.S., the purpose of the travel, the timing of the travel and the country traveled to.

Citizens of a VWP country who are also (a) members of the military in a VWP country or (b) full-time employees of the federal government of a VWP country who have traveled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria on an official order are also excepted from the new VWP restrictions, and thus, may still use the VWP to enter the U.S. without a visa.  Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has just published a useful set of FAQ HERE discussing these exceptions and other VWP topics. As of this writing, we do not know if it will be faster to apply for a waiver or to apply instead for a B1/B2 visa. Stay tuned for further developments.

For a complete list of the VWP countries, CLICK HERE.

DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations. Attorney Advertising.

© Williams Mullen

Written by:

Williams Mullen
Contact
more
less

PUBLISH YOUR CONTENT ON JD SUPRA NOW

  • Increased visibility
  • Actionable analytics
  • Ongoing guidance

Williams Mullen on:

Reporters on Deadline

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
Custom Email Digest
- hide
- hide