Australian passport holders who have recently visited some countries in the Middle East will no longer be able to use the United States visa waiver program. This new changes have come to take effect immediately.
Previously, like Australia, the United States allowed some people to spend up to 90 days in the country without needing a visa. Travellers only needed an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation - or ESTA - which they could get online for 14 US dollars and was valid for two years. It was open to people from 38 countries, including Australia, under the US Visa Waiver Program.
But now this Visa Waiver Program has changed.
Australian Passport holders who have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria on or after 1 March 2011 won’t be able to enter the country under the program due to changes introduced overnight under the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act 2015.
The rule also applies to nationals of those countries, although limited exceptions are available for those who travelled for military or diplomatic purposes, genuine business purpose as well as Journalists who visited the region on assignments.
It also means that those who have either travelled to these four countries or are dual citizens of Australia and the said countries, will now have to obtain a visa for the US through the regular process at an embassy or Consulate. The current charge for a tourist visa for Australia-based applicants is $224 AUD. (160 USD)
The change comes in response to concerns over terrorism and the rise of the Islamic State. It will affect citizens of 38 countries including Australia.
Australians concerned about the changes in the US visa waiver program
Sydney-based wedding photographer Bryan Freeman visited Iran back in 2010 with his then bride-to-be. He says he and his wife are concerned about the new visa rules, “We went for a 'big fat' Iranian wedding. My wife's Iranian so we went to Iran to meet the relatives, for me to meet the relatives and have our wedding there as well - we had one in Australia as well."
Mr Freeman says the changes are discriminatory and aimed at the wrong people, “We weren't happy about it when we first saw it. My wife thought it was discrimination against Iranians because she's Iranian. Not only that but against the other countries that are involved. She raised a point that there doesn't appear to have been any Iranians convicted of terrorism so there's a lot of Saudis, Saudi Arabians, been convicted of terrorism but they've been conveniently left out of this."
