US Requires E-Passport for Visa Waiver
By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter
Only Koreans who have electronic passports will be able to enter the United States without a visa even after Korea joins the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) as early as in July 2008, according to a government official Tuesday.
Washington recently notified Seoul of its position that e-passport holders will be able travel to the United States without a visa while those who have ordinary passports will have to get a visa to enter, said the official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The ministry plans to replace current passports with e-passports, which have a chip containing fingerprints and other personal information.
E-passports will be issued to diplomats and government officials on a trial basis in the first quarter of next year. Other applicants will be able to get them from the following July, according to the ministry.
But critics expressed concerns that if people rush to apply for e-passports in next July by the time Korea enters the VWP, then there would be a serious delay in issuance.
``When Korea joins the VWP, the demand for e-passports in Korea will likely skyrocket, causing a potential e-passport chaos,'' an official working in a private company dealing with visa issuance said, requesting anonymity.
In order to prevent the possible e-passport problem, the ministry is asking the United States to allow current passport holders to enter the nation without a visa. But the request has not been well received by the United States, which sticks to security-first policy when it comes to immigration.
The ministry said it will continue negotiating with the Unites States, citing that Japanese people using traditional passports can enter the United States without a visa. Japan is already a VWP member.
Meanwhile, Cho Hee-yong, the ministry's spokesman, said in a statement that there will not be an e-passport crisis as the government is enhancing its passport application process and receiving online applications in advance.
When Korea joins the VWP in 2008, Koreans will be able to enter the United States without a visa for up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes.
Established in 1986, the program covers 27 countries. No nation has been added to the exclusive program since 2001 when its expansion was limited after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Currently, 900,000 Koreans visit the United States annually, and the number is expected to double once Korea joins the program.