United States Adding Israel to Visa Waiver Program

by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:15 AM ET, Wed September 27, 2023

Update: September 29, 2023 at 8:46 a.m. ET

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman issued the following statement on Israel’s admission to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP):

“The highly successful Visa Waiver Program has a proven record of boosting travel exports and U.S. global competitiveness, benefiting U.S. destinations, businesses and the broader American economy. Following Israel’s admission to the Visa Waiver Program, the U.S. can expect to welcome 200,000 additional Israeli visitors per year, generating an additional $800 million in direct travel spending and producing an economic impact of roughly $1.8 billion.”

“U.S. Travel has long called for an expansion of the Visa Waiver Program for its numerous security and economic benefits. The U.K., one of the biggest competitors for global travelers, permits visa-free travel for more than 100 countries while the U.S. allows only 41 countries the same access. It is critical that the Biden administration continues to work alongside our key inbound markets to grow this vital program and increase U.S. global competitiveness.”

Original Text

United States President Joe Biden and his administration announced that Israel would be added to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which grants Israeli citizens visa-free entry to America starting November 30.

According to Reuters.com, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Israel’s addition to the VWP “strengthens the security, economic and people-to-people ties between the United States and Israel.”

The Visa Waiver Program allows travelers from approved countries to stay in the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa. The addition of Israel would enable Palestinian-Americans to fly in and out of Ben Gurion Airport visa-free.

To be added to the VWP list, Israel had to “meet requirements on issues such as counterterrorism, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, document security, and border management.” The approved countries must also “treat all U.S. travelers equally,” meaning Palestinian-Americans have free passage through Israel’s main airport.

The U.S. and Israeli governments tested the program with a successful pilot launched on July 20. Israel becomes the 40th nation in the VWP, with Croatia being added most recently in 2021.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the decision “was expected” and considered a “win for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist government.” The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee took the opposite stance, filing a lawsuit Tuesday to block Israel’s entry to the VWP.

Earlier this year, data showed that U.S. travelers were visiting Israel at a record-breaking pace, with travel to the country increasing 12 percent over the same period in 2029. And in June of this year, that number increased by 13 percent over the same record-breaking period in 2019.

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