Programs and events 2005

U.S. Consul General Kenneth Fairfax, in a an interview with Tygodnik Podhalanski, spoke about visas and recent U.S. achievements in space exploration while visiting Zakopane on February 11, 2005.

In his interview he made a clear distinction between the tourist visa and visas for work. He effectively dispelled some of the misconceptions about the alleged "uneven" treatment of citizens from the various EU countries. By stating that Poles just like all foreigners need visas to work or settle in the U.S., he helped readers understand that Poland cannot yet enter the visa waiver program because too many applicants want to use tourist visas to work illegally in the U.S. The CG also pointed to the problems that American citizens encounter when they apply for work visas in Poland.

The CG was hopeful that with more EU countries allowing Poles to work legally, the number of U.S. visa denials will diminish, thus helping Poland to qualify for the visa waiver program.

Tygodnik Podhalanski