Jerusalem, 29 March, 2023 (TPS) — After years of negotiations and getting legislation in-line with American requirements, Israel will join the US Visa Waiver program in September, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday.
The announcement came ahead of a Knesset vote on a bill allowing Israeli fingerprint and biometric data to be shared with the U.S., one of the requirements of joining.
The legislation passed its final reading.
The US Visa Waiver program allows citizens of designated countries to enter the U.S. for 90 days without a visa. Forty countries are already in the program.
According to the Interior Ministry, an average of 150,000 Israelis apply for U.S. visas, with around six percent being rejected for administrative or technical reasons.
While the vast majority of American citizens can fly to Israel without obtaining a visa in advance and obtain one upon landing, Israelis must apply for a visa before traveling to the U.S.
“Today we brought important news to the citizens of Israel,” Netanyahu said. “As promised, the legislative requirements for obtaining a US visa exemption have been successfully completed. In the coming months, we will fulfill the additional requirements, and in September 2023, the State of Israel is expected to enter the list of visa-exempt countries for the USA.”
Qualifying required the Knesset to pass legislation on various issues, such as allowing Israeli authorities to share partial information about the criminal records of Israelis.
Israel cleared another significant hurdle in the process in January when its refusal rate for tourist applications fell below three percent, a key State Department benchmark.
Another requirement was a “reciprocity clause” to allow Palestinians with American passports to freely enter Judea and Samaria. The the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) has indicated it can find ways to satisfy the US without compromising security.