U.S. Grounds Two ‘Visa Waiver’ Programs

Two programs that allow foreigners to travel through U.S. airports on their way to other countries without a visa were suspended Saturday because of security concerns, the Department of Homeland Security said.

The Transit Without Visa and International to International programs had allowed foreigners, who would normally need a visa to visit the United States, to connect to another international flight without the paperwork.

Recent intelligence indicates that terrorist groups have been planning to use the programs to enter the United States or U.S. airspace without being screened, the department said in a statement announcing the suspensions.

“The steps announced today, while aggressive, are an appropriate response to the threat,” Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said in the statement.

“We know they will have an impact on international travelers, but we believe they are necessary in order to protect lives and property.”

The suspensions do not affect passengers from 27 “visa waiver” countries, mostly in Europe and the Far East and Southeast Asia.

Those most affected, who will no longer be granted visa-free entrance for airport layovers, are passengers from Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, the Philippines and Peru.

The Department of Homeland Security issued a warning to airlines and law enforcement personnel last month about possible airplane hijackings or bombings and expressed particular concern about people connecting from one international flight to another at U.S. airports without a visa.

The State Department and Homeland Security said they plan to reinstate the two programs after more security measures are put in place.

The agencies said they would reassess the suspensions over the next two months after reviewing public comments and the latest intelligence.

The Transit Without Visa, which began in 1952, permitted passengers who need a visa for entering the United States to stop at up to two U.S. airports and change planes for another foreign destination without a visa.

Those travelers went through normal border inspections, and the airlines were responsible for making sure those passengers who take a domestic flight to a second U.S. airport do not enter the country illegally, by holding onto the person’s passport and providing an escort to the next flight.

Foreigners who normally need a visa to visit the United States were allowed under the International to International program to pass through a U.S. airport to another foreign country without getting the documentation.

In that program, the passenger is barred from connecting through two airports and must remain in the international transit lounge.

The suspensions will hit U.S. airlines and airports.

The department did outline some exceptions, including people already in transit in the United States or those who bought their ticket before July 24 and will depart before Tuesday.Also, travelers who have already completed the outbound portion of their trip and are scheduled to pass through the United States before Saturday will be allowed to stop without a visa.

“My feeling generally is that although this will be an inconvenience to passengers and could be financially harmful to airlines and airports, if we need to do this for security reasons, then we should do it,” said David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Assn.