Might Chile's reciprocity fee disappear in 2014?
 

Chile and the United States are close to signing an agreement that would let Chilean citizens travel to the U.S. without a visa beginning in 2014. Chile will become one of the countries in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), presently limited mostly to Western Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. Chile will be the first Latin America country in the program.

Since Chile's charge of $160 for U.S. citizens to enter at SCL Airport exists only because that's what their citizens have to pay to apply for a U.S. visa, I hope this means the fee will go away for us. Or maybe it will go down to $14. That's the ESTA electronic authorization fee that VWP countries have to pay. In any case, $14 is a lot better than $160, and my passport and reciprocity fee expire next year. :)

In Spanish:

http://www.biobiochile.cl/2013/05/27...dir-visa.shtml

I think Argentina used to have VWP some years ago and lost it? But even if not the first to have it, it would be good for both Chilean and US tourists. It would still mean Canadians, Australians and Mexicans would have to pay. :(

It is all in the numbers of rejections, apparently. They were calculating the rejections of people who were later given the visa to the US after presenting the needed paperwork. Once those were removed the number of rejections went down, giving a much more favourable number.

The possibility has its fans and detractors here. Certain information would need to be supplied to the USA about passengers which some think goes beyond what is sensible. I think sensible left the building years ago.

You're right about Argentina once having VWP status and then losing it. I shouldn't have said "first." Chile will be the "only current."

It will make a lot of people happy. Chileans might even put the USA as a travel destination back on the map!

It looks more and more promising. http://www.santiagotimes.cl/world/ch...rist-visa-fees

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie