LIMA,PERÚ-ABRIL 28. Embajador de los Estados Unidos, Brian Nichols visita la Casa Ronald McDonald Foto: ANDINA/Norman Córdova
United States is willing to accelerate the process aimed at exempting Peruvian citizens from the need to apply for a visa before travelling to American territory for business or tourism purposes, U.S. Ambassador to Peru Brian A. Nichols affirmed.
In order to concretize the exemption process, the Peruvian State will have to issue biometric passports, which meet the security specifications required by the U.S. Department of State.
Peru will also have to consolidate the corresponding bilateral agreements currently under negotiation.
"There is willingness. Peru only needs to issue that biometric passport and concretize the four related agreements. The ball is in the Peruvian court", said Mr. Nichols.
The American Ambassador did not provide an estimated date, on which Peru would officially join the Visa Waiver Program, since the admission process is currently underway.
Chile was the first Latin American country included in this program.
The governments of Peru and United States started the process aimed at easing the entry of Peruvian citizens into U.S. territory. If approved, those travelers would be able to stay in American territory -for tourism or business purposes- for up to 90 days.
To join the program, and according to its qualifying criteria, a country must have had a non-immigrant refusal rate of less than 3 percent. The United States turns down about 16 percent of visa requests in Peru.
Ambassador Nichols made the remarks after visiting the Ronald McDonald House Charities headquarters located in Lima.
At the site, he delivered 250 books for children and opened a percussion workshop headed by the famous percussionist Dennis Dove.
(END) MVF/FHG/RGR/MVB
Published: 4/28/2015