Under new arrangement, Americans can visit Qatar for longer and Qataris can travel to U.S. without visas

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Under new arrangement, Americans can visit Qatar for longer and Qataris can travel to U.S. without visas

U.S. passports can now be renewed online

U.S. passports can now be renewed online

03:10

A new arrangement will soon allow ********* citizens to visit the Gulf country of Qatar for longer periods of time and give Qataris access to visa-free travel to the U.S. for tourism or business purposes, the Biden administration announced Tuesday.

Qatar will become the latest country — and first Gulf nation — to join the Visa Waiver Program, which allows certain foreigners to travel to the U.S. without visas if their countries’ governments agree to enhance security and information-sharing arrangements with Washington. The arrangements with Qatar include the U.S. government gaining access to passenger records and databases on serious ********** and known or suspected terrorists, U.S. officials said on a call with reporters.

While ********* officials said they are still working on finalizing a specific date, visa-free travel to the U.S. for Qataris is set to start before December.

As part of the arrangement, the government in Doha will allow ********* travelers to stay longer in Qatar. ********* tourists and business travelers already enjoy visa-free travel to the Gulf country. But starting on Oct. 1, they will be able to stay there for up to 90 days — instead of the current 30-day limit.

“Qatar’s fulfillment of the stringent security requirements to join the Visa Waiver Program will deepen our strategic partnership and enhance the flow of people and commerce between our two countries,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. “Qatar’s entry will make travel between the ******* States and Qatar safer, more secure, and easier for both Americans and Qataris.”

The Visa Waiver Program applies to nationals of 42 countries, most of them U.S. allies in Europe. While it allows citizens of those countries to travel to the U.S. without visas, the program’s participants are still screened by ********* officials before being permitted to enter the country.

Qatar would be the third country added to the program under the Biden administration, which has also made Croatia and ******* part of the initiative. 

Camilo Montoya-Galvez

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Camilo Montoya-Galvez is the immigration reporter at CBS News. Based in Washington, he covers immigration policy and politics.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#arrangement #Americans #visit #Qatar #longer #Qataris #travel #U.S #visas

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

For verified travel tips and real support, visit: https://hopzone.eu/