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Tourist visa
waiver bill expected
to benefit isles

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From staff and wire reports

Congress voted yesterday to make permanent a visa-waiver program long supported by Hawaii's tourism industry.

The program, which began in 1986 on a temporary basis, now applies to 29 countries, whose citizens may visit the United States for up to 90 days without a visa.

Hawaii's congressional delegation, citing its success in building tourism from Japan, has sought to have the waiver extended to Korea and other Asian countries such as China and Taiwan.

Federal immigration administrators, however, oppose that, saying those countries still have too many cases where visa applications are rejected.

One reason visas are denied is a suspicion that a person is likely to stay illegally in the United States after arriving as a visitor.

The House approved the measure, already passed in the Senate, by a voice vote and sent it to President Clinton for his signature.

New provisions require participating countries to issue machine-readable passports.