RPT-US says visa rules could be eased by 2009

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PRAGUE, (Reuters) - U.S. visa rules for a select group of American allies may be loosened before the Bush Administration leaves office in two years' time, a senior U.S. government official said on Wednesday.

Officials from countries of the so-called "roadmap" group, which is aimed at creating an easier travel regime, met Assistant Secretary for International Affairs of the Department of Homeland Security Paul Rosenzweig to discuss the issue.

"My personal time horizon ends with the end of Mr. Bush's term in January 2009. My personal hope is to see new entrants into the visa waiver programme prior to that," Rosenzweig told reporters.

The United States does not require visas from citizens of 15 mainly longer-standing EU members, but its waiver scheme excludes Greece and the mostly ex-communist newest members, except Slovenia.

The 13 countries included in the "roadmap" group are Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia and South Korea.

U.S. President George W. Bush said in November he would work with Congress on changes that would make selected countries qualify for the visa waiver scheme easier.

The new EU members have long pressed Washington to include their citizens in the visa waiver programme enjoyed by Western European states. Many complain they are treated as second class citizens even though most have supported major U.S. foreign policy initiatives, including the war in Iraq.

Poland and the Czech Republic, for example, are considering a U.S. request to build part of its missile-defence shield on their territories, and see the issue as part of closer relations with the United States that could win them visa-free status.

The Czechs have emerged as the leader of the group, but Rosenzweig was quick to caution that a change in the visa regime would be negotiated on a bilateral basis with each country.

"There is no intent to link or condition the visa waiver travel on the provision of anything other than the explicit security enhancements that will become a part of the whole (visa system)," he said.

Under current law, the United States may waive visas only when a country meets requirements such as a low rate of visa over-stayers and a visa refusal rate below 3 percent.