Traveling to America
Travelling to America has become somewhat of a complicated process over the years, as unlike many countries around the world, there are a number of visa requirements that must be met, depending on the type of visit the traveler is looking to do. The impact of the 9/11 terrorist attack led to stricter security measures and the implementation of a number of visa procedures that were not in place prior to this.
Since Donald Trump’s presidency, the travel situation has become even harder for citizens of certain countries, or even those with heritage from those countries and dual nationalities. While Trump believes this was put in place in order to try and protect the United States, this was met with international uproar, with many of his own supporters turning against him.
With the monetary benefits of the travel ban being considered by the markets, and the potential future impact on stocks from companies within certain countries that could potentially be named on the travel ban if this was to progress, there are a number of concerns relating to it.
Here, we’re discussing the different visa requirements and how Trump’s travel ban is set to impact the freedom of travel to the country.
Different Travel Visas To Enter The United States
In order to gain access to the United States, there are a number of different options for travelers to choose from.
Firstly, there is the ESTA Visa, which is part of the visa waiver program (we discuss this in further detail below).
Then there is the B-1 and B-2 travel visas, that relate to the different types of travel visa requirements that may be included. Nonimmigrant visas for those travelling for business are classed as B-1 visas. Nonimmigrant visas for those travelling for pleasure, tourism or visiting are classed as B-2 visas.
What Is The ESTA & Visa Waiver Program?
The ESTA Visa (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) is an online system that helps the United States government to determine the eligibility of any travelers looking to head across the border. This system was introduced in 2009, and the concept behind this was to help enhance the security measures. There are a number of eligibility questions that come with the ESTA and this includes things about nationality, passport, criminal history and more.
The ESTA comes as part of the Visa Waiver Program, which is currently specific to 38 countries. The concept behind this is that the government is able to allow certain countries’ citizens access to the United States without having to have a full visa. While these travelers are still vetted with the ESTA application process, meaning travelers who do not pass are required to obtain a full US visa, this can help to ensure that the entire visa process is smoother than ever.
What Is Trump’s Travel Ban?
On January 27th, President of the United States Donald Trump signed an executive order which was aimed at halting any form of refugee admission and temporarily ban travelers from a number of countries around the world.
While this was revoked by a number of judges, this has now been passed and the latest travel restrictions now include North Korea and Venezuela, alongside other countries including Chad, Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia. Sudan was dropped from the travel ban.
Nevertheless, a new travel ban is set to go in place in October 2017, and this could include further revisions.
Will The Travel Ban Impact The US For The Worse?
The initial implication of the travel ban resulted in a huge number of students, professionals and US citizens with dual nationalities being stopped at airports and refused entry to the country. This led to a number of sectors such as the financial trade markets, schools, hospitals and more being put to a halt, as a large number of workers and students were stopped from entering the country.
While the United States Government are adamant that the travel ban will the US in a positive manner, there are some circumstances where this could backfire in the future. With a large majority of people taking part in protests across the country, and a response from around the world which even halted Donald Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom, there could be a lot of backlash if the travel bans continue.
The Impact On The Markets
A number of political movements since Donald Trump’s presidency has led to volatility in the financial markets. With every legislative decision relating to the travel of tourists and businessmen and women to the country, more businesses are set to close their doors. With recent terrorist attacks and the increase in radicalization amongst European citizens happening across Europe, America may re-evaluate the status of the 38-member countries that currently have access to the United States’ ESTA visa program. This could have even more of an impact not only on the financial industry, but across tourism and a broad range of other industries.
