Chile and U.S. agree on improved data sharing to maintain visa waiver program

Chile and the United States have agreed to fortify their data sharing mechanism to curb travel-related criminal activities, thereby preserving Chile’s participation in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.

Since 2014, an estimated 350,000 Chileans annually have visited the U.S. for tourism and business purposes through this program.

Chile acknowledges the significance of this scheme and the need to safeguard its continuity, said Chilean Foreign Minister, Alberto van Klaveren.

Chile is the only Latin American country in the program, which covers 40 nations and facilitates entry to the U.S. for tourism, business, or transit for a maximum of 90 days without a visa, but with an electronic travel authorization.

Several U.S. lawmakers have recently expressed concerns about Chile’s continued participation in the program, citing instances of Chilean individuals engaged in organized crime entering the U.S. under its auspices.

Tensions heightened in mid-May when the prosecutor of Orange County, California, Todd Spitzer, claimed that Chile was withholding information about several Chileans arrested in the U.S. who entered the country on this type of visa.

While recognizing that some Chileans have misused visa-free travel to the U.S. for criminal activities, U.S. Ambassador to Chile, Bernadette Meehan, noted that the majority of Chileans use the program for legitimate purposes.

However, she emphasized the importance of jointly addressing the issue of misuse.

Under the recently signed treaty on enhancing cooperation in preventing and combating serious crime, the two nations will share information on fugitives, convictions, and individuals disqualified from working with children, among other data.

As per the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Chile recorded the highest number of deportees in 2022, totaling 553 of all the nations in the program.

This marks a 119.4% increase compared to 2021.

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