Bush approves U.S. visa waiver Czechs may travel to States visa-free as of mid-November By _Curtis M. Wong_ (mailto:[email protected]) Staff Writer, The Prague Post October 22nd, 2008 issue Czechs should be able to travel to the United States visa-free as early as mid-November, U.S President George W. Bush said Oct. 17. Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek said he welcomed Bush’s decision to waive visas for Czech travelers. Such waivers are also expected for Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on the same date. “This will be the result of a long and systematic effort on our part to establish visa-free travel with the U.S.,” Topolánek said in a statement. Although the Czech Republic has met the conditions to join the visa-waiver program, U.S. Consul Scott Riedmann said an official decision by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was still pending in the wake of Bush’s announcement, but that no further complications were expected. “No exact date has been given, but we anticipate that Czechs will be able to travel to the U.S. visa-free by mid-November,” Riedmann said, adding that Bush’ s announcement had received an overwhelmingly positive response. “It’s a very good situation that has been a goal for both countries for quite some time.” Several local politicians have linked the decision to waive visas for Czech travelers to the country’s agreement to construct a U.S. radar base within its borders, a charge Riedmann denies. “These are two completely separate proposals,” he said, stressing that visa waivers would apply to other countries with no connection to the missile-defense plan. All Czechs wishing to travel to the United States will need new biometric passports, as well as registration with the Electronic System Travel Authorization (ESTA), an Internet database. Despite some initial complications with the system, Riedmann said he expected Czech-language options to be made available by next month. “The site is moving ahead efficiently, effectively and it seems to be operating at full capacity given the number of users,” he said. Visa-free status will only apply to tourist visits under 90 days. Specialized visas will still be required of students, businesspeople and anyone planning to stay in the United States beyond a 90-day period. These applications will need to be processed prior to departure from the Czech Republic. **************Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your favorites, no registration required and great graphics – check it out! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?redir= http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001)