U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) | Contributed photo
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) | Contributed photo
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) helped get legislation that would provide Polish citizens with visa-free travel to the U.S. added to the fiscal year 2016 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill.
The legislation would allow DHS to add Poland to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
“With nearly one million Illinois residents with Polish ancestry, our doors should be open to Polish citizens who want to visit our state,” Kirk said. “The Kirk-Mikulski amendment brings us closer to eliminating unnecessary red tape for Polish visitors and treating Poland the same way we treat our other democratic allies.”
Kirk introduced Senate Bill 1507 with Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) earlier this month. The measure would give the secretary of DHS the discretion to include Poland and other allies in the VWP, allowing their citizens up to 90 days of visa-free travel to the U.S. if they meet certain requirements.
Currently, 38 countries, including 30 in Europe, are part of the VWP. Outdated requirements exclude Poland, however.
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