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Visa Waiver Program: Actions Are Needed to Improve Management of the Expansion Process, and to Assess and Mitigate Program Risks

GAO-08-1142T Published: Sep 24, 2008. Publicly Released: Sep 24, 2008.
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Highlights

The Visa Waiver Program, which enables citizens of participating countries to travel to the United States without first obtaining a visa, has many benefits, but also has risks. In 2006, GAO found the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) needed to improve efforts to assess and mitigate these risks. In August 2007, Congress passed the 9/11 Act, which provides DHS the authority to consider expanding the program to countries whose short-term business and tourism visa refusal rates were between 3 and 10 percent in the prior fiscal year, if certain conditions are met. This testimony discusses GAO's recent report on the Visa Waiver Program. Specifically, it examines DHS's process for expanding the Visa Waiver Program and evaluates the extent to which DHS is assessing and mitigating program risks. GAO reviewed relevant laws and procedures; and interviewed agency officials in Washington, D.C., and in U.S. embassies in eight aspiring and three Visa Waiver Program countries.

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Biometric identificationBiometric visasEligibility criteriaForeign governmentsForeign policiesHomeland securityImmigration enforcementImmigrationInternational agreementsInternational cooperationInternational relationsInternational travelMission essential operationsOperational testingProgram managementReports managementRisk assessmentRisk managementSchedule slippagesStandardsTravelVisasWaiversPolicies and proceduresProgram goals or objectivesProgram implementationTourism