The United States is expected to announce this week that Israelis will no longer require a paper visa to enter the country but will be able to fly to America with a discounted electronic permit, the Foreign Ministry announced Monday night.
“This is great news for all Israeli citizens,” said Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. “Within a few weeks, Israelis will be able to visit the United States without the need for a long wait for a visa from the US Embassy.”
Instead, Israelis with biometric passports will be able to secure a visa within 72 hours of submitting their online request. Visas will be valid for up to 90 days.
Implementation of the decision is expected to take place in a few weeks, and practically, it will likely begin in November.
“Israel’s inclusion in the visa waiver program is a diplomatic achievement,” Cohen continued. “The visa waiver will contribute to the economy in general and tourism in particular, reducing bureaucracy and costs.
“I would like to thank US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State, my friend Antony Blinken, for their support and leadership in granting visa waivers to Israelis, and especially to outgoing US Ambassador Tom Nides for leading the project here in Israel,” the foreign minister continued. “I would like to especially thank the consular department of the Foreign Ministry who worked diligently in recent months to achieve this joyful outcome.”
Visa Waiver Program: The Details
The electronic form, priced at $21, is accessible to all Israeli citizens. To apply, individuals must complete the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) questionnaire through the US border authorities. This form is in English and encompasses essential biographical data, including name, date of birth, and passport particulars.
Additionally, travelers must respond to inquiries regarding their intended duration of stay in the United States, any history of illnesses, past arrests, convictions for criminal offenses, and any prior visa denials or deportations. It’s important to note that access to the criminal records of Israeli citizens by US authorities will not be indiscriminate but instead limited to specific cases as exceptions.
The approval, once received, will be valid for two years.
Israel has been working on getting the country accepted into the program for the past 18 months. The deadline for admission into the program for 2023 is September 30.
Among the stumbling blocks has been the US demand that all its citizens be similarly allowed to enter Israel visa-free, including Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza with US citizenship. Israel, for security reasons, has long leveled restrictions on Palestinian entry.
In July of this year, Israel and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Extension of Reciprocal Privileges and the Visa Waiver Program (MOU on Reciprocity), by which the government committed to allowing the entry of Palestinians with US citizenship.
A pilot program for Palestinians is already in place, including for Gaza.
Israel has long sought to be part of the US visa waiver program but has yet to be able to meet some of the requirements, including a low rate of rejections for visa applications and of those who oversaw their visas.
Israel has struggled to meet those requirements. However, changes in travel patterns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with some bureaucratic shifts, brought Israel into compliance with the program’s standards.
Israel joins 40 other countries that are members of the program.
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