November 15, 2008	Saturday	Ziqa'ad 16, 1429

BRUSSELS, Nov 14: The United States wants to increase the number of countries enjoying visa-free entry after opening the door to citizens from six new European Union countries and South Korea, US officials said on Friday.

From Monday, travellers from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia, as well as South Korea, will be allowed to travel to the United States without a visa provided they fill in a form on the internet. Washington is continuing talks with EU countries not yet in the visa waiver programme Poland, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta and Romania.

“It is our objective to admit additional countries before the change of US administration,” said Jackie Bednarz, a Department of Homeland Security official at the US Mission to the EU.

The visa waiver programme includes a further 27 countries, including EU states, Australia, Japan and Singapore. From Jan 12, citizens from all countries in the programme will be required to register online ahead of travelling to the United States by air or sea.

If the so-called Electronic System Travel Authorisation is refused, a traveller will need to apply for a visa. Bednarz said a pilot project showed an approval rate of 99.6 per cent.

The new requirement is the latest in an overhaul of US travel regulations since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks.—Reuters