AUSTRALIANS who have recently visited some countries in the Middle East will no longer be able to use the United States visa waiver program, under changes to take effect immediately. Those who have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria on or after 1 March 2011 can no longer enter the country under the program due to changes introduced overnight under the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act 2015. The rule also applies to nationals of those countries, although limited exceptions are available for those who travelled for military or diplomatic purposes. It means those travelling to the US who also hold a passport from any of the four countries named will have to apply for a visa through the regular process at an embassy or consulate. Those who already have valid Electronic System for Travel Authorizations (ESTA) will have them revoked. A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the government has updated the Smartraveller website to advise of the changes. “Further updates will be made to Smartraveller over coming weeks in line with any additional advice provided by the United States government. We recommend that all travellers subscribe to this advice to stay informed,” he said. Other Stories Dodgy road signs prompt firey’s ire Revamped Cav hotel opens today Jailed for spitting on nurse Territory ‘fire-nado’ hot stuff Alleged FIFO drug dealers target Darwin The change comes in response to concerns over terrorism and the rise of the Islamic State, and were included in a bill passed by the US congress last month. It will effect citizens of 38 countries, mostly in Europe, who are eligible to use the visa waiver system and a new, more detailed, ESTA questionnaire will be released in February 2016. The Department of Homeland Security said certain “categories” of travellers may be eligible for a waiver under the new rules including journalists, aid workers or t
NO. It's now the "hip" thing to do - to bash the POTUS for everything wrong and to NEVER give the POTUS any credit for anything done right. Why, just last month I blamed OBAMA when my cat toppled down my Christmas tree. (Frankly, this type of smearing is soooo juvenile, but many people just can't help themselves for their ignorance). nwlivewire
