In a new development, the US declared that Qatar has been admitted to its Visa Waiver Program (VWP), becoming the first country from the Gulf to achieve this. Following this, Qatari nationals are expected to relocate to the U.S. without a visa for a period of 90 days and this new system is likely to be operational by December 1.

On the other hand, Qatar’s entrance into the program is more important considering that the VWP has tight security features. The Department of Homeland Security and the State Department made a joined announcement appreciating Qatar for compliance with those requirements. In order to be eligible, a number of other fields such as counter terrorism and law enforcement as well as border and immigration control and document integrity have to be addressed by the country. This proves Qatar’s desire in implementing more effective measures in security and more interaction with the U.S. 

Qatar is considered to be an important diplomatic player in international relations, especially in the Middle East, region. Despite its size, the Gulf country has served a rapprochement between Hamas and its enemy Israel during the escalation of conflicts in the Gaza Strip and has brokered the terms for the return of the soldiers taken by Hamas. Moreover, Qatar’s interests involve other challenging political realities, for example, its attempts to persuade the Taliban to respect women’s rights and its activities in Sudan. Such conduct has reinforced its role as an ally of great importance in U.S. foreign policy. 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted the increasing contact and relationship between Qatar and the United States mainly due to the latter’s achievement of stringent VWP requirements. He insisted that this development would lead to increased movement and business activity between the two nations, marking a growing strategic partnership. 

The Visa Waiver Program enables citizens of eligible nations to travel to the United States for leisure or short business trips without obtaining a visa for a duration not exceeding ninety days on their arrival. In return, these countries are required to offer similar privileges to the citizens of the United States traveling to their territories. Qatar becomes the 42nd country to join such select group of states which include the likes of Croatia which joined in 2021 and Israel which courted the program in 2023. Likewise, US nationals do not require a visa to visit Qatar, however, in a new policy set to be implemented on October 1, they will also be allowed to remain in the country for up-to90 days as opposed to the previous 30 days. 

Furthermore, the addition of Qatar into the program is not just an acknowledgment of its capacity to maintain security but also an attestation to the contribution of Doha in ensuring peace and humanitarian efforts in other parts of the world. This development marks a shift in US-Qatar relations, engaging the two countries in economic and diplomatic undertakings while facilitating the movement of people between them. 

The concept of US Visa Waiver Program expending its scope to address Qatar is of great significance especially that such an advancement comes to the Gulf country for the first time. Almost as if in a bid to appease the US who imposed stringent security measures against their partner abuses. Qatar was able to convince the US to orient this Waiver program in a strategic fashion. To this end, Qatar has positioned itself to accelerate the fulfillment of the obligations of political and economic enhancement with the United States.