For several months now, United States and Uruguay They have come closer in some security agreements that make the South American country close to entering the program Visa Waiverwhich would mean that Uruguayans would not require that document to travel to the destination. The final acceptance does not have a date, but the country is on the “good path,” as defined by the ambassador. Heide Fulton.
The approval of the entry of Uruguay This program depends on many factors, such as the implementation of the agreements that were signed during 2023 and progress in the sharing of other data that the North American government requires.
In November, the United States Department of State announced that Uruguay’s non-immigrant visa rejection rate is 2.63%a figure that is below the required threshold (3%). “It is very important and very welcome news, but there are other aspects of implementation focused on information sharing and other arrangements that we have to continue advancing to achieve the achievement,” he said.
The ambassador Fulton highlighted days ago in an interview with The Observer what Uruguay “has invested” and has signed agreements to “exchange information.” “If there are alerts and there is information that someone is crossing the border, we can exchange and prevent them from crossing. “That is the goal,” he said.
“Currently there is something good linked to the issue of Uruguay’s integration with the Visa Waiver system. “This program is focused on border control, there are several requirements and we have been collaborating with Uruguay for months to implement all the requirements so that you can enter,” he added in the interview.
The rejection rate that the country achieved “is only one aspect” of the entry requirements to Visa Waiverclarified the ambassador. “The program will make it easier for travelers to go to the United States without a visa when Uruguay has met all the requirements. This focused on the control of any State of its borders: the movement of its population, the surveillance of the passport and visa regime, the flow of people in and out of the country,” he said.
To Fultonthese aspects “will benefit Uruguay in terms of border security” and in the “control of the flow of people.” The diplomat pointed out that it could also “prevent criminals from entering or being in Uruguay without the knowledge of the authorities.” There is a “double benefit,” he considered.
Fulton He indicated that there is still no scheduled date for the country to enter this program. “The important thing is that Uruguay is on the right track and I hope we can complete the finale in the coming months. You still need a visa to travel to the United States. Hopefully in the coming months we can announce that we have closed this process”, he noted.
Regarding the change of government in USAFulton said he hopes the administration Donald Trump continue to “value” the approaches that have been worked on since Uruguay. “We are in a moment of transition and we have not received the particularities of his agenda for Latin America, but I think – thinking about the past – that we will continue to focus on these issues because they are important for both countries,” he said.
Uruguay It is also in the midst of a government transition. On March 1st the Frente Amplista will take over Yamandú Orsiafter the management of Luis Lacalle Pou. Fulton met with the president-elect weeks ago. They held a talk in which they agreed to continue deepening the bond between the two countries. “Thank you for the instance and exchange. We will continue working together”, wrote the president-elect on the social network X, after this meeting.
The United States ambassador, meanwhile, said that they talked about “how to continue strengthening ties” between the two countries and the need to advance on “key issues such as democracy, security and trade.”
