U.S. Government reviews Chile’s eligibility for Visa Waiver Program

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A delegation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of State visited Chile between October 25 and 29 to evaluate the country’s eligibility and continued participation in the Visa Waiver Program. Chile is currently the only Latin American country that participates in this program.

The high-level delegation – led by Department of Homeland Security Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Strategy, Policy and Plans Kelli Ann Burriesci and including DHS Assistant Secretary for International Affairs Serena Hoy and DHS Deputy Director of the Visa Waiver Program Office Eric Peters – held meetings with their Chilean counterparts to discuss joint priorities and the challenges of irregular migration in the region.

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Chile has been a member of the Visa Waiver Program since 2014. Under the Visa Waiver Program rules, all participating countries are subject to review by DHS to ensure they are in compliance and are making progress in areas that have been identified as areas of concern, including the ability to share critical security data and criminal information with U.S. law enforcement organizations.

Since Chile entered into the program, travel by Chilean citizens to the United States has quadrupled. Under the Visa Waiver Program, those who qualify and wish to travel to the United States for tourism or business purposes are not required to make an appointment for a visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Santiago or pay the US$160 application fee.

During last week’s visit, Deputy Assistant Secretary Burriesci and Assistant Secretary Hoy met with high-level officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Justice, and La Moneda. They discussed in detail the delegation’s most essential areas of concern.

The members of the U.S. mission also held meetings in Santiago with representatives of various Chilean government offices with whom they reviewed passport and national identity document issuance procedures, law enforcement cooperation against organized crime, border security issues, the fight against terrorism, and the fight against corruption.

Also, Undersecretary Burriesci and Assistant Secretary Hoy met with representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to learn more about the situation of migrants.

The DHS delegation’s review included a visit to the Civil Registry and Identification Service offices and Idemia, the company currently manufacturing the Chilean passport and identity card. In addition, it traveled to the northern border to learn first-hand about the challenges Chile faces in dealing with irregular migration.

These key government functions are essential factors in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Visa Waiver Program evaluation.

In Arica, the delegation met with representatives from the Foreign Ministry; the presidential delegate for Arica and Parinacota, Roberto Erpel; authorities from the Civil Registry and Identification Service of Arica; the Chacalluta Border Complex; and the Municipality of Arica.

The Department of Homeland Security will now review the visit results to determine whether Chile continues to be eligible for the Visa Waiver Program.