US President George W Bush signed a bill into law Friday that could make it easier for Eastern Europeans to travel to the United States without obtaining a visa, according to dpa. The homeland security bill approved by Congress one week ago also includes enacting security measures recommended by the commission investigating the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to shore up security along US borders. Bush had urged Congress to lessen the criteria countries must meet in order to participate in the visa waiver programme, which already includes 27 countries whose citizens can visit the United States for up to 90 days without getting a visa. Most of those countries are Western European. "I will continue to work with Congress to advance our security and foreign policy objectives by allowing greater flexibility to bring some of our closest allies into the programme," Bush said during the bill signing ceremony. Over the years Bush has regularly heard complaints from the leaders of Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and other Eastern European countries who argue that as members of NATO, the European Union and as allies in the war on terrorism they deserve the same privileges Western Europeans enjoy. Previously under US law a country had to have a visa rejection rate of 3 per cent or less to qualify. The new legislation lowers the threshold to 10 per cent. Once Bush signs the bill into law, the US State Department and Homeland Security Department will determine which countries will qualify under the new programme. Bush has identified Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and South Korea as potential candidates.
