The United States could soon waive the need for an entry visa by Israelis.
In a meeting in Washington with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, Israel’s Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit discussed waiving the need for a visa for Israelis to visit the United States, Yediot Achronot reported Friday.
The change in policy would begin to be formulated later this month. To qualify, Israel would have to switch from a paper to a biometric passport system.
Some 313,000 Israelis have traveled this year to the United States. The process for obtaining an entry visa requires a fee, an interview at the embassy and a long wait.
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