A new arrangement will soon allow American citizens to visit the country of Qatar for longer periods and give Qataris access to visa-free travel to the United States for tourism or business purposes, the Biden administration announced on Tuesday.
Qatar will become the latest country – and first Gulf nation – to join the Visa Waiver Program, which allows certain foreigners to travel to the United States without a visa if their countries’ governments agree to improve security and information-sharing arrangements with Washington. The arrangements with Qatar include giving the US government access to passenger records and databases on serious criminals and known or suspected terrorists, US officials said on a call with reporters.
While U.S. officials said they are still working on finalizing a specific date, visa-free travel to the U.S. for Qataris will begin before December.
As part of the arrangement, the government in Doha will allow American travelers to stay longer in Qatar. American tourists and business travelers already enjoy visa-free travel to the Gulf country. But starting October 1, they will be able to stay there for up to 90 days — instead of the current 30-day limit.
“Qatar’s meeting the stringent security requirements to join the Visa Waiver Program will deepen our strategic partnership and improve the flow of people and trade between our two countries,” Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said in a statement. “Qatar’s entry will make travel between the United States and Qatar safer, more secure and easier for Americans and Qataris alike.”
The Visa Waiver Program applies to citizens of 42 countries, most of them US allies in Europe. Although it allows citizens of these countries to travel to the United States without a visa, the program’s participants are still vetted by U.S. officials before they are allowed to enter the country.
Qatar would be the third country added to the program under the Biden administration, which has also made Croatia and Israel part of the initiative.
