A team from the U.S Department of Homeland Security is expected to commence shortly on-site assessment of Taiwan’s anti-terrorism and immigration procedures, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Although the date for this visit is yet to be set, we believe it will take place in the very near future,” said Remus Chen, deputy director-general of MOFA’s Department of North American Affairs, Dec. 27.
“The sooner Washington completes the visa-waiver evaluation process, the sooner ROC nationals can benefit from the program.”
Jason C. Yuan, ROC representative to the U.S., said he expects the visit to take place after the Christmas and New Year holidays by February at the latest.
On Dec. 22, the American Institute in Taiwan announced Taiwan’s candidacy for the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. As part of the process, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducts in-country inspections.
To meet VWP requirements, Taiwan now issues e-passports, exchanges information on lost and stolen passports and keeps its visa refusal rate below the 3-percent threshold. The country has also inked agreements with the U.S. on programs covering anti-terrorism and combating major crimes.
Chen said the ROC government has taken every step to ensure VWP technical procedures conform to local laws governing the protection of personal privacy.
If admitted into the VWP, ROC citizens traveling to the U.S. for tourism or business trips can stay up to 90 days without having to apply for visa in advance.
The U.S. has granted visa-free privileges to 36 countries, six of which are located in Asia—Australia, Brunei, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea. (JSM)
Write to Rachel Chan at rachelchan@mail.gio.gov.tw