A leaked draft executive order for US President Donald Trump prompted a false scare that the days of visa-free travel for New Zealanders to the US were over. An online Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is all that is required. The Visa Waiver Programme rules were tightened in 2015 to exclude anyone who had visited Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen since 2011. The executive order does not address the visa waiver programme and primarily focuses on preventing people with terrorist links getting into America. A spokesperson for the US Embassy in New Zealand said questions on any anticipated Executive Orders should be directed to the White House.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 26, 2017 02:56 UTC