Politics

US official bullish on Taiwan’s VWP candidacy

Waiting for non-immigrant visas at the American Institute in Taiwan may soon be a thing of the past for ROC nationals if the country gains VWP membership by year-end as expected. (CNA)

• Publication Date：06/14/2012
• Source： Taiwan Today
• By  Rachel Chan

The U.S. is bullish on Taiwan’s inclusion in its Visa-Waiver Program as this is in the best interests of both sides and their economies, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides said June 13.

“We’ve been very clear about how excited we are to have Taiwan in the program,” Nides said. “It is good for America and good for the consumer.”

Describing the possible development as a “win-win” situation, Nides said the State Department supports Taiwan’s inclusion in the VWP and expects this to happen soon.

Nides made the remarks at a news conference in Washington promoting international travel and tourism. Also attending were David Donahue, deputy assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, Krishna Urs, deputy assistant secretary of state for transportation affairs, and Kenneth Hyatt, deputy assistant secretary for services at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Echoing Nides’ remarks, Donahue said U.S. authorities are working hard to extend ROC nationals the visa-free privilege. “I think everybody is hoping that it will move forward very quickly and take place this year.”

Similarly optimistic was Urs, who said that once Taiwan joins the VWP, both sides can negotiate under an existing bilateral civil aviation pact and increase the number of flights to meet market demands.

Hyatt believes that Taiwan’s VWP admission will prove a boon for U.S. inbound arrival numbers from the ROC.

Last year, 404,848 ROC nationals traveled to the U.S., a decrease of 7.19 percent from 2010, while 412,617 U.S. citizens arrived in Taiwan, up 4.27 percent.

Taiwan has met several key requirements for VWP membership, including a visa refusal rate of less than 3 percent and upgraded passports and issuing procedures. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also completed an on-site review of the island’s anti-terrorism and immigration procedures in March.

The U.S. grants 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 ccchan@mofa.gov.tw