Visa Waiver Program: Actions are Needed to Improve Management of the Expansion Process, and to Assess and Mitigate Program Risks

Download or read book Visa Waiver Program: Actions are Needed to Improve Management of the Expansion Process, and to Assess and Mitigate Program Risks written by Jess T. Ford and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2009-03 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Visa Waiver Program, which enables citizens of participating countries to travel to the U.S. without first obtaining a visa, has many benefits, but also has risks. In 2006, it was found that the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) needed to improve efforts to assess and mitigate these risks. In Aug. 2007, Congress passed the 9/11 Act, which provides DHS the authority to consider expanding the program to countries whose short-term business and tourism visa refusal rates were between 3% and 10% in the prior fiscal year. This testimony discusses a recent report on the Visa Waiver Program. Specifically, it examines DHS¿s process for expanding the Visa Waiver Program and evaluates the extent to which DHS is assessing and mitigating program risks. Illus.