More countries sign visa free travel agreement with the U.S.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7292587.stm

Latvia and Estonia are the new countries to sign a deal unilaterally with the U.S. for Visa Free Travel. So the question must be, why isn't Poland?

This has been covered many many times...have a look round the forum...

Because Poles have a habit of not returning back to Poland
when thier Visa expires.

Yes it has, still doesn't change the fact that there is something to debate. You honestly believe the countries listed don't have the same problem?

I havent met any of these people in the US....
But I know theres about 2 million Poles in my city and chances have it that
alot of them are illegal?

Oh yeah, I dont agree with the US policy twords Poland.

Just to add, the main reason why the U.S. doesn't allow Poland is not because of the amount who overstay, it's the rejection rate of visa applicants. Granted the rate is high in Poland, however if you actually read the article countries such as Hungary, Lithuania and Slovakia are expected to sign a similar document on Friday. The rate is supposed to be under 10%.

VISA REJECTIONS

Select refusal rates in Europe (in percent, U.S. fiscal year 2006)
Czech Republic 9.4
Poland 26.2
Slovakia 16.0
Albania 54.5
Bulgaria 17.5
Estonia 7.1
Hungary 12.7
Latvia 21.6
Lithuania 27.7
Romania 34.1
Russia 15.3

Source: U.S. State Department

Estonia seems to be the only ones who qualify.

If you read the article well, you would've read that Estonia and Latvia also have to wait. So they cannot travel with a Visa Waiver yet. And about Poland: I guess Poland wants it too much, as the old Dutch saying goes: "children who beg get skipped".

jkn: Czechia also qualifies.

M-G (is in favour of a Visa Waiver for Poles, though - if it were only to take his lady to the US)

Well see that's the thing really. The comment was from an EU official. The EU believe these deals are against the EU mandate. So it seems the EU is failing the new entrants.

How come Russia's refusal rate is lower than ours?? Something's fishy here..

Yes they do, was more pointing out the ones in this topic. I'm like you really, I would love to just travel back to my home with my gf. But can't without absurd amount of fees to travel for a few weeks.

Maybe because alot of Russians go to America with money already. Sometimes alot of money.

That guarantees immediate visa granting?.. niiice...

You know the first thing that caught my eye when Poland entered the EU was that they want to be part of just about all the favourable things the EU has to offer all at once and immediately. They forget that it took the original states decades of fighting and consolidating to achieve this. Poland has to go through the same process as everybody else and it doesn't really help the Polish cause to -like that Polish prime minister did last year- blame it all on the Germans and the war. That just causes irritation EU-wide and a reluctancy to help Poland achieve what they want. One must also not forget that not even 20 years ago they were part of the enemy-pact (viewed from Western eyes). It's not the EU that is failing, it's just that Poland should learn to observe patience. This does not mean that I don't want Poland to get all these things, au contraire, but I get the impression they want everything all at the same time.

And Kasia: yeah, something smells fishy here; those darn Russians again!

M-G

Yea well the last government set Poland back a few years that is true. Tusk however has said he is allowing the EU to do what they are supposed to. So you can point the finger at him for trusting the organization or burn him at the stake because he isn't going at it alone. Personally it sucks that he doesn't go it alone for personal reasons, but like you said, him putting his trust in the group the country joined is better overall for Poland. But if these countries are just bypassing the EU, what does that say about the EU's own foreign policies.

the UK is doing that for decades now. Still everybody tolerates them. Poland always seems too eager and this naturally forces the other countries to just wait and see what happens. And after all, when Poland joined the EU, there were still parts of the country (so I read) where villages didn't have a sewer-system at all.

M-G

Eastern European bilateral agreements in visa dispute

Following the Czech Republic's example, Latvia and Estonia have now also signed individual agreements with the United States which exempt their citizens from visa requirements for travel to the US. The EU is trying to negotiate a common visa agreement for all member states. What repercussions will these independent initiatives have on Europe's common foreign and security policy?

http://europe.courrierinternational.com/eurotopics/article.asp?langue= uk&publication=13/03/2008&cat=DOSSIER