Visa waiver

US homeland security has announced that Malta is expected to be included in the USA visa waiver program within the month, from Global Visas:

Malta is nearing the completion of talks with the US that have been part of a series of discussions with several European countries that are still exempt from the American visa waiver programme.

An official from the US homeland security, Stewart Baker, says Greece has also met the principle standard for exemption but has still not achieved all the statutory requirements to be granted a waiver.

Referring to European countries not yet included in the visa waiver program, Baker said, "there are a number of statutory requirements that will be difficult to meet, and so we can't predict with any certainty when they'll be admitted."

The President-elect, Barack Obama, has previously voiced his support for a review of the program, stating, “[the] US visa regime reflects neither the current strategic relationship nor the close historic bonds between our peoples, and is out of date.”

There are concerns from some that the visa waiver scheme leaves the US open to terrorists slipping undetected into the country. However, Vice President of the European Commission, Jacques Barrot, said that he expected the waiver program to eventually include all European citizens.