Forty countries participate in the USA Visa Waiver Program, which allows their citizens to spend up to 90 days in the USA for either tourism or business purposes. For this, those concerned only need a so-called Electronic Travel Authorization (ESTA, Electronic System for Travel Authorization). But on August 1, among the participating countries, only Hungary was subject to restrictions, according to which the validity period of the ESTA was reduced from two years to one year with immediate effect, and now only one visit is also allowed.
In principle, Hungarians are welcome
The US Embassy justified this by saying that the Hungarian government has so far issued hundreds of thousands of passports as part of the simplified naturalization program, without strict oversight. David Pressman, US Ambassador to Budapest To POLITICO He said the Hungarian government had been informed of the problem years ago, but no substantive steps had been taken in the matter since then.
Two and a half months after the announcement, we investigated the extent to which the measure affected the desire to travel, and we approached the embassy with our questions.
We are confident that Hungarians’ enthusiasm for visiting the United States will remain despite the change in ESTA procedures, as travel between our two countries is at the heart of our bilateral relations. We continue to welcome legal Hungarian visitors, who form an important part of our cultural, educational, business and diplomatic relations.
– The American Embassy responded to Index’s inquiry. It was noted that specific data related to ESTA applications are not public, but monthly visa issuance statistics among nonimmigrants are helpful for navigation, and this data set is freely accessible.
Seven hundred visas are issued monthly
September statistics are not yet available, but in the August statement we see that 723 visas were issued to Hungarian citizens in 27 different categories.
Most of them, 342 people, received B-1/B-2 visitor visas in the first month of the ESTA tightening.
For comparison: before the changes were announced, 273 people got the green light this way in July, 345 in June and, if we look at the annual rule, 230 in August last year. In other words, based on what has been reported so far, the change in the indicator examined is not closely related to the administrative complexity of smooth entry. However, given the long lead time, it probably won’t be worth taking another look at this in a few months. The changes in August are likely to leave a deeper mark on statistics at the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024.
It is important to know that the visitor visa in question is issued to people who are traveling to the United States temporarily for business purposes (B-1) or for vacation or medical treatment (B-2). In general, the B-1 visa is granted to travelers who come to the country for negotiations with business partners, scientific, educational, professional or business meetings, conferences or real estate negotiations. On the other hand, the B-2 visa is used for vacations and leisure visits, including tourism, visiting friends and relatives, medical treatment, and charitable, social, or service activities. B-1 and B-2 entry permits are often combined and issued as B-1/B-2 visas.
A visit visa takes more time and money
However, while the ESTA fee is $21, the B-1/B-2 visa fee is $185, meaning at the current exchange rate, it costs about 68,000 forints compared to about 7,700 forints. An aggravating circumstance is that those who require a business or tourist visa must prove their eligibility to a consular officer. Specifically, it must rebut what Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act presumes, namely the immigration intent behind the B-1/B-2 visa application. According to practical experience, conducting such an interview currently takes up to four to five months, which means that anyone who travels again within a year, despite the additional costs after the tightening of the ESTA law, could easily end up in a dead end. .
If the applicant is still waiting for an interview, he must prove this during the personal interview
- intends to remain in the United States only for a specified and limited period of time,
- The purpose of the trip is a temporary visit,
- It can be proven that he has the financial resources necessary to cover the costs of his residence.
This includes proof that the person has residency outside the United States, as well as community and economic ties that ensure they will definitely leave the country at the end of their visit.
An escape route, but not a real alternative
The B-1/B-2 visa can therefore serve as an escape route for those who have to travel abroad several times within one year, but it is by no means a true alternative to the post-restriction ESTA system. Looking at all 27 possible categories, 723 visas were issued to Hungarians in August, 735 the July before that, and 772 in June. If we look at the base period for the introduction of highly complex management, we see 667 in August of last year. A change in the number of ESTA applications will only provide a complete picture, but the embassy does not publish this data.
(Cover photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
