As the Israel-Hamas war strengthens, the United States on Thursday launched a visa waiver program letting Israelis hoping to visit the United States for 90 days or less without applying for a visa.
On September 27, the US announced that it was admitting Israel into the visa waiver program, adding the nation to a select group of 40 mainly European and Asian nations whose citizens can travel to the US for three months without visas.
At the time, the US said Israelis could begin traveling to the US without visas as of November 30. In a news release, the Department of Homeland Security said that the program was operational as of Thursday.
Officials did not explain the changed timeline in a news release on Thursday. But just days after Israel’s admittance to the visa waiver program, Hamas launched invasions against multiple locations in southern Israel. Since then, the Israeli military has relentlessly struck locations in the Gaza Strip as it readies for a ground attack.
Under the waiver program, Israelis first register with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. That’s an automated system that allows determining whether the person is eligible to travel, Homeland Security said in the news release. The process can take up to 72 hours. Then they can travel to the US.
To be eligible, Israelis must have a biometrically allowed passport. Those who don’t have such a passport still must apply for a US visa, the department said.
Nations that want to participate in the visa program have to meet three crucial benchmarks. Israel met two of those benchmarks over the past two years: a low percentage of Israelis who applied for visas and were rejected and a low percentage of Israelis who have overstayed their visas.
Israel had worked to meet the third, for reciprocity that essentially means all American citizens, including Palestinian Americans, must be treated equally when traveling to or through Israel.
Many analysts said that despite US assertions, Palestinian Americans were still facing discrimination when traveling to Israel.
