US Plans Entry Controls Prior to Departure

[unhappycamper]

http://watchingamerica.com/News/243599/us-plans-entry-controls-prior-to-departure/

Hours of waiting and intimidating interrogation — the U.S. is not exactly making it easy for visitors to enter the country. In an attempt to speed up passport control at U.S. airports, similar controls in foreign airports are now also being considered.

US Plans Entry Controls Prior to Departure
Die Welt, Germany
Translated By Amy Baker
28 July 2014
Edited by Gillian Palmer

Only eight days to go — and then it’s takeoff to the U.S. Better late than never, our colleague is thinking, as she applies for her ESTA, the mandatory entry permit. However, then the shock comes: The ESTA procedure will not accept her six-year-old son’s passport, a document that is supposed to be valid in all countries.

Here’s what she did not already know: a child’s passport will only be accepted if it was issued before Oct. 26, 2006 and has not been extended or changed since its issue date. Otherwise, a visa is required. However, that will take weeks and now it’s too late.

The U.S. is not making it easy for travelers to enter the country. These questionable formalities lead to long waiting times which are not only tedious but also jeopardize passengers’ connecting flights. Those foreign passengers who arrive at U.S. airports can expect a waiting time of up to four hours to proceed through passport and border control.

The U.S. has identified that many individuals are anxious about these changes. It fears that tourists will stay away — and this will surely not help it to crack its 100-million-visitors target by 2021. This is the reason why President Barack Obama promised that he would enforce faster clearance in U.S. airports earlier this year. The target waiting time is 15 minutes. In order to achieve this, an action plan needs to be implemented at 15 U.S. airports.