The United States places restrictions on visa-waiver status for people from Hungary

On Tuesday, America significantly restricted visa-exempt status for people coming from our country, according to The Guardian. Politico.

Until now, under the US Visa Free Program, participating countries could travel to America for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 days without a visa using the so-called Electronic Travel Authorization (ESTA) system, but starting Tuesday, the validity of the ESTA will be reduced. From two years to one year for those who require a Hungarian passport, or it will be valid for one use only.

Of the 40 countries included in the US programme, only Hungary is affected by the move, due to security concerns.

David Pressman, the US ambassador to Budapest, told the newspaper before the announcement that between 2011 and 2020 the Hungarian government issued hundreds of thousands of passports as part of a simplified naturalization program without strict identity verification mechanisms in place.

According to Pressman, the Hungarian government has so far decided not to address security concerns, which prompted the United States to respond.

American embassy on his Facebook page He wrote: “The US government has gone to great lengths over many years to avoid this adjustment and to address the long-term security risks posed by Hungary’s simplified naturalization process. Despite this, the Hungarian government decided not to address the concerns raised and did nothing to meet the requirements of the Waiver Program. visa in all respects.

Meanwhile, in the official information They warnThat the reduction in ESTA validity only affects new ESTA applications received after this Statement went into effect and is not retroactive. ESTAs issued before August 1, 2023 are still valid for two years and for multiple entries.