Jeanne Meserve: U.S. to expedite visas under new rules
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CNN correspondent Jeanne Meserve says American, Delta, United and Northwest will be the carriers most affected by the visa rule changes.
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(CNN) -- Fearing that terrorists could exploit a vulnerability, the United States suspended two programs Saturday that allow some international air passengers to transit through the country without a visa.
CNN correspondent Jeanne Meserve discusses the changes.
MESERVE: Recent intelligence indicated that terrorists might try to exploit two U.S. programs [that] allowed transit passengers to stay on the ground in the U.S. without a visa. Saturday, those programs were suspended. Transit travelers now will have to get a visa or change their itineraries unless they're from one of the 27 so-called "visa waiver" countries whose citizens do not need visas to come here. U.S. citizens are not affected, either.
What is a transit passenger? Well, someone flying from Brazil, let's say, who stops in New York to change planes for a flight to London, that's a description that fits about a half-million people a year. Although the programs are suspended immediately, passengers traveling right now will be able to transit and depart the U.S. with some additional inspections and security evaluations.
There are some other very specific exceptions to accommodate passengers traveling now or in the very near future, the specifics can be found on the Web site, www.travel.state.gov. About 6,000 travelers are expected to be [affected] over the next 60 days. Many of them from Brazil, Mexico, [South] Korea and the Philippines.
The U.S. airlines that are going to feel this [the most are] American, Delta, United and Northwest. They're going to have to reroute customers. [There has been] no word on how much that is going to cost them. To ease the situation, the State Department will try to expedite the processing of visas, and additional customs and border patrol personnel will be deployed to the nations airports.
How long will this last? Well, indefinitely, but the departments of State and Homeland Security will be reviewing the programs with the airlines to see if they can't be reinstated with some additional security measures, and, of course, they'll be considering the most current intelligence.
