Anyone have any news on when Trump is planning to dump the visa waiver for Australians? Am heading over in June & September and don't want to be trying to squeeze in a trip to the US embassy for flights already booked and a visa waiver already paid for.
They're not removing the visa waiver. They're looking at removing the ability to renew a visa without an interview. The media is full of hype and misinformation on this.
There's a Huffington Post article that spells out the key immigration changes.
The key bullet point is:
Suspend the visa interview waiver program indefinitely and review whether existing reciprocity agreements are reciprocal in practice.
If you have the ESTA waiver in place you'll be fine - assuming of course no 'alternate truths' emerge in the meantime!
It all stems from some confusion between the two programs. Even the Huffington Post has made a correction, as they had it wrong earlier. Hence their corrective note:
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said
that according to the draft executive order, the visa waiver program
would be suspended indefinitely. In fact, it would suspend the visa
interview waiver program indefinitely.
Tracie
Tracie
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 30 Oct 2015
Total posts 106
Anyone have any news on when Trump is planning to dump the visa waiver for Australians? Am heading over in June & September and don't want to be trying to squeeze in a trip to the US embassy for flights already booked and a visa waiver already paid for.
juicedpixels
juicedpixels
Member since 06 Oct 2016
Total posts 13
They're not removing the visa waiver. They're looking at removing the ability to renew a visa without an interview. The media is full of hype and misinformation on this.
markpk
markpk
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 29 Nov 2013
Total posts 459
There's a Huffington Post article that spells out the key immigration changes.
brinkers
brinkers
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 16 Jun 2011
Total posts 233
It all stems from some confusion between the two programs. Even the Huffington Post has made a correction, as they had it wrong earlier. Hence their corrective note:
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said that according to the draft executive order, the visa waiver program would be suspended indefinitely. In fact, it would suspend the visa interview waiver program indefinitely.
NQflyer
NQflyer
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 02 Jun 2015
Total posts 64
The LA Times reported it incorrectly and then became gospel!
Himeno
Himeno
Member since 12 Dec 2012
Total posts 295
Some Australian and NZ media ran the incorrect version, an no amount of correcting it seems to make people understand what is really happening.
David
David
Member since 24 Oct 2010
Total posts 1,021
Getting the facts out there: https://www.ausbt.com.au/trump-is-not-axing-visa-free-aussie-travel-to-the-usa