The United States began implementing stricter visa restrictions under the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act 2015 on Thursday, and this could prove difficult for Australian travellers and Australians with dual citizenships. Under the new rule, which takes effect immediately, Australians who have visited specified Middle Eastern countries will no longer able to travel to the US without a visa.

The new law, passed after the Paris attacks in November 2015, states that citizens of countries in the US Visa Waiver Program are now required to obtain a visa to visit the country if they have been to Iraq, Iran, Sudan and Syria since March 1, 2011. Dual citizens of the said Middle Eastern countries are also affected by the rule.

Under the old law, citizens of 38 countries – mostly European nations and including Australia – can visit the US for up to 90 days without a visa. However, the US, concerned that terrorists could take advantage of the old program, took stricter measures to protect its security. As the US stressed, most travellers can easily obtain a visa, and that it is not equal to a travel ban.

Diplomats or members of the military are exempted from the rule. The US secretary of homeland security may, by its discretion, also issue waivers to international organisations or humanitarian groups and journalists.

The Australian government, meanwhile, has issued an advisory for the latest change. Those who are affected by the new law will no longer be eligible to apply for the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), which is an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel the US. Those who already have valid ESTA will have them revoked. The option for US travel is application for a non-immigrant visa at a US embassy or consulate.

“If you need to apply for a non-immigrant visa, the United States Visa Information Service for Australia encourages applicants to apply at least three months in advance of the intended date of travel,” the announcement read.

Australia has been included in the Visa Waiver Program of the US since 1996. The other countries included in the VWP are Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

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