Last week, Senators Mark Kirk (R–IL) and Barbara Mikulski (D–MD) introduced an amendment to allow Poland into the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Poland’s acceptance into the Visa Waiver Program is long overdue. In fact, Congress should look to judiciously expand the VWP by adding new members.
The VWP allows residents of the 37 other member countries, including the U.K., South Korea, and Germany, to visit the U.S. without a visa for up to 90 days in exchange for security-cooperation and information-sharing arrangements and reciprocal travel privileges for U.S. residents.
In his press release Senator Kirk noted,
With nearly one million Illinois residents with Polish ancestry, our doors should be open to Polish citizens who want to visit our state. The Kirk-Mikulski amendment brings us closer to eliminating unnecessary red tape for Polish visitors and treating Poland the same way we treat our other democratic allies.
Tourism aside, provisions in the VWP have increased the sharing of travel and security information, which enables countries to better prevent the movement of criminals and terrorists across borders. The VWP’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) provides information that has allowed State Department staff and those working for the Customs and Border Patrol to more efficiently manage their time and resources by allowing them to focus on higher risk travelers.
As an increasingly assertive Russia comes to the fore, the U.S. would be wise to show its support for countries with whom it is diplomatically and strategically aligned, including Poland.
As President Obama’s second term draws to an end, there is speculation about what legislation may be passed before he leaves office that would add to his legacy. One possibility is legislation that allows Poland into the Visa Waiver Program—a promise President Obama himself made to Poland’s president nearly five years ago.
Poland’s acceptance into the Visa Waiver Program would improve U.S.–Poland relations, increase travel between the U.S. and Poland, and fulfill the President’s promise. And, even more important, because of the security improvements and intelligence-sharing agreement that are part of the VWP, it would help keep citizens of the U.S. and Poland safe from criminals and terrorists.
