US Implements Stricter Travel Rules
WASHINGTON – Authorities in the United States issued new directives concerning the citizens of Hungary, tightening the conditions related to the visa-free facility provided to them.
US Implements Stricter Travel Rules-The restrictions would impact Hungarians who utilized the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which permits passport holders from 40 countries to enter the U.S. for business or tourism without a visa for up to 90 days. Interestingly, these conditions have been specifically reinforced for Hungary.
According to a statement from the U.S. embassy in Budapest, the validity period of Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for Hungarians will be immediately reduced from two years to one year, and only single visits will be allowed instead of multiple visits.
The decision was prompted by concerns that the identities of nearly 1 million foreigners granted Hungarian passports over nine years were not adequately verified.
Sources reveal that the decision was made due to uncertainty regarding whether the passports issued to Hungarians ended up in the hands of criminals or not.
Hungary’s government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, introduced a simplified naturalization procedure in 2011, offering it to those claiming Hungarian ancestry, even if they didn’t live or intend to live in Hungary. This allowed ethnic Hungarians residing in neighboring countries to obtain Hungarian citizenship through the simplified process.
The U.S. officials raised the issue with Hungary and temporarily reclassified the country as a member of the Visa Waiver Program, citing the same concerns. However, the new regulations appear to be firm in nature.
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In response to the restrictions, Hungary’s Interior Ministry issued a statement asserting that the United States had requested personal data of ethnic Hungarians living abroad with dual citizenship, a request that Hungary’s government was unwilling to comply with to safeguard its citizens’ security.
The statement from Hungary’s government accused President Joe Biden’s administration of seeking revenge against Hungarians.