1、CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Poland Designated into Visa Waiver Program Abigail F. Kolker Analyst in Immigration Policy November 13, 2019 On November 6, 2019, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K. McAleenan announced the designation of Poland
2、 into the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The VWP allows citizens of designated countries to visit the United States without obtaining visas. Polandone of five EU countries that until now had not been designated into the VWPhad been working with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for over a decade
3、 to meet the programs criteria (see list of criteria below). In FY2019, Poland met the requirement of having a nonimmigrant visa refusal rate below 3%. On October 4, 2019, President Trump announced that the Department of State formally nominated Poland for the VWP, and one month later DHS announced
4、its designation into the program. Polish nationals will be able to apply online for travel authorization starting November 11, 2019. What Is the VWP? Originally established in 1986 as a pilot program, the VWP was made permanent in 2000 (P.L. 106-396). The program allows citizens holding passports fr
