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Speaker 1: Good morning.

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Speaker 2: You're listening to Casey and Jim.

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Speaker 1: It is ninety three WIBC. It is spring break travel season,

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Speaker 1: and we want to get some safety tips for you.

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Speaker 1: Because you recall the story of the student who was

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Speaker 1: traveling and went to Barcelona and ended up dead. You

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Speaker 1: also recall the stories of the people that were in

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Speaker 1: Mexico Acapulco and the cartel battle took place. And joining

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Speaker 1: us right now in the WIBC hotline from the United

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Speaker 1: States Department of State, we have the deputy spokesperson, Mignon Houston.

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Speaker 1: Good morning, Mignon, thank you for joining us.

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Speaker 2: Good morning, Thank you so much for having me.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, let's talk about spring break travel safety tips. To

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Speaker 1: begin with, you have a program which is called the

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Speaker 1: Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. It's available for all travelers. It's free,

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Speaker 1: takes just a few minutes, means that embassies know where

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Speaker 1: people are if something goes wrong. So how many Americans

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Speaker 1: are currently enrolled in STEP?

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Speaker 2: That's a great question. And look, I just want to

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Speaker 2: say how proud I am that you are giving this

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Speaker 2: information to your listeners. That I remember traveling as a

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Speaker 2: spring breaker and during summer travel and now as a mom,

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Speaker 2: as a diplomat, I would do things completely different. And

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Speaker 2: so what we hear at the State Department want to

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Speaker 2: make sure is that folks who are traveling, whether they

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Speaker 2: are young or seasoned, know exactly what they need to

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Speaker 2: do to ensure their faith. They're informed, and they're prepared.

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Speaker 2: As you mentioned, we have a Smart Traveler Enrollment program.

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Speaker 2: This is called STEP for short, and essentially what this

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Speaker 2: is is that allows American citizens to enroll and STEP

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Speaker 2: provide your email address, and in the event of a

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Speaker 2: natural disaster civil unrest in the country, the embassy or

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Speaker 2: consulate can reach out to you directly and provides you

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Speaker 2: that alert information to let you know where you should

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Speaker 2: not be traveling, any news that you need. But there's

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Speaker 2: also a second step, and that's just reviewing travel dot

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Speaker 2: State dot gov. It's a really important resource because it's

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Speaker 2: tell you before you travel, vaccine requirements, entry or exit,

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Speaker 2: visa requirements, tips from diplomat who live abroad, the level

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Speaker 2: of the advisory risk that we have for that country.

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Speaker 2: If it's level four, do not travel or level one,

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Speaker 2: proceed with necessary cautions. And so we have lots of resources,

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Speaker 2: I would likely say more so than any other country,

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Speaker 2: a more robust system to let our citizens know exactly

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Speaker 2: what they should know before traveling to that country. We

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Speaker 2: don't require American citizens to enroll in STEP. It's not mandatory,

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Speaker 2: So at any given time, we couldn't tell you how

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Speaker 2: many Americans are in this destination. But what we do

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Speaker 2: is encourage folks to provide that information and STEP so

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Speaker 2: that we can reach out to you in the unlikely

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Speaker 2: event or the possible event of an alert.

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Speaker 1: Mignon Houston is joining us from the United States Department

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Speaker 1: of State. She's the deputy spokesperson. Do you guys see

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Speaker 1: a surge in registrations during spring break or even summer

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Speaker 1: travel seasons.

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Speaker 2: We do, and I wish that surge was all throughout

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Speaker 2: the year. You know, what we normally see is after

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Speaker 2: events like what's happening in the Middle East, you see

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Speaker 2: people now becoming a little more informed about travel and

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Speaker 2: wanting to know more about where they're going. But we

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Speaker 2: really want this to be something that everyone does before

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Speaker 2: they take that first flight, that they've looked at travel

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Speaker 2: date dot Gov, that they've registered as a diplomat overseas

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Speaker 2: at a US embassy. I've been on the other end

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Speaker 2: of those phone calls from American citizens calling from the hospital,

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Speaker 2: calling from the police department, a local police department needing assistant.

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Speaker 2: We are there. We are twenty four to seven abroad

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Speaker 2: at our embassies through the American Citizen Services Unit, entering

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Speaker 2: those calls for Americans. But we hope they don't have

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Speaker 2: to make those calls. We hope you have all the

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Speaker 2: information you need, you don't get yourself in trouble, and

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Speaker 2: you travel safely and confidently. But in the event something happens,

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Speaker 2: we are definitely there for you.

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Speaker 1: Okay, you say you're definitely there. I'm wondering if you

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Speaker 1: can walk us through what happens when an enrolled traveler

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Speaker 1: does get into trouble abroad.

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Speaker 2: Right, certain circumstances that happen. You could lose your passport,

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Speaker 2: or maybe you get robbed and you don't have any

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Speaker 2: of your credit cards. What are you going to do? Right?

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Speaker 2: You want to make sure you call local authorities. If

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Speaker 2: maybe if you're in a country where English is not

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Speaker 2: the first language, you can dial the US embassy or

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Speaker 2: consulate as well. After you make that call to the

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Speaker 2: local authorities, styal Luss, we can help walk you through,

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Speaker 2: uh speaking with the local police department making sure that

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Speaker 2: you have a passport to travel back home with if

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Speaker 2: your passport is stolen. But also in the unlikely event

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Speaker 2: or something happens, maybe you're assaulted or arrested, or you

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Speaker 2: find yourself in jail overseas one night in a foreign country,

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Speaker 2: you want to make sure that you reach out to

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Speaker 2: that embassy or consulate. Now I should let you know

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Speaker 2: that the US consulate and the embassy there we have

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Speaker 2: to follow local laws. We're unable to get you out

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Speaker 2: of jail. But what we can make sure is make

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Speaker 2: sure you have access to a list of lawyers who

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Speaker 2: speak the language that is most comfortable for you speaking

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Speaker 2: in that country, that you understand your rights, that you

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Speaker 2: understand the local laws. All of these things we can do.

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Speaker 2: We can come and visit you. We can make sure

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Speaker 2: you're getting those phone calls. So we're there to meet

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Speaker 2: American citizens where they are to help them in a

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Speaker 2: time of crisis. But we really want to start by

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Speaker 2: saying they're resources out here, travel dot s dot gov

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Speaker 2: and the STEP program that will allow you to make

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Speaker 2: the most important decisions before you go.

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Speaker 3: So now, Minyea and I want to clarify something here

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Speaker 3: because I've traveled internationally a lot, and when you go overseas,

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Speaker 3: you fill out paperwork when you go into another country.

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Speaker 3: And my assumption was, Oh, this paperwork I'm filling out

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Speaker 3: means that the US government knows I'm traveling to, you know,

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Speaker 3: Britain or France or Germany or something like that. But

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Speaker 3: it sounds like that's not the case the US government.

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Speaker 3: Is that correct in saying that the US government doesn't

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Speaker 3: know you're traveling unless you enroll in this STEP program.

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Speaker 2: That's a great question. And you know, when you're traveling abroad.

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Speaker 2: Let's say we're traveling to Mexico, for instance, and we

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Speaker 2: have to fill out customs and immigration forms. Those forms

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Speaker 2: are for local authorities in the country where you're traveling.

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Speaker 2: So there could be cases where the US government, through

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Speaker 2: the embassy and the consulate, they have great relationships with

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Speaker 2: local partners in that country and information is shared widely.

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Speaker 2: But the best way to ensure and the fastest way

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Speaker 2: to ensure that information goes directly to the US Embassy

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Speaker 2: and the Consulate is to enroll in STEP.

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Speaker 1: So one last question on this before we move on

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Speaker 1: to the visa bond conversation. We've got from the Department

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Speaker 1: of State WDS spokesperson Mignon Houston joining us, What are

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Speaker 1: the top destinations right now where the State Department is

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Speaker 1: urging Americans to exercise extreme caution.

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Speaker 2: That's a great question. So if you go on travel

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Speaker 2: dot State dot gov, every destination you can think of

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Speaker 2: has a travel advisory level and that's that go from

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Speaker 2: one through four. Number four the level is essentially do

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Speaker 2: not travel. A lot of countries right now in the

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Speaker 2: Middle East have a level four, not all, but have

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Speaker 2: a level four travel advisory. Level three means reconsider travel.

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Speaker 2: They're a very high security risk and we would encourage

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Speaker 2: you not to travel there. Level two means exercise increase

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Speaker 2: caution way where of your surroundings. Make sure you keep

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Speaker 2: your passport and personal belonging very close, maybe not take

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Speaker 2: all your best jewelry, know the embassy phone number, how

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Speaker 2: to contact us in twenty four seven periods of concern

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Speaker 2: or doubt. And Level one means exercise normal precautions. And

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Speaker 2: so these level advisories are on our information connections with

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Speaker 2: local authorities, the government and the country understanding. We have

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Speaker 2: our diplomatic security agents who are abroad and so we

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Speaker 2: collect a number of things that we want to make

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Speaker 2: sure American citizens know because it's important when you travel.

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Speaker 2: We want you safe, we want you feel inconfident.

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Speaker 1: From the State Department wuty spokesperson in you're on Houston

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Speaker 1: with us, let's talk about the visa bond program and

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Speaker 1: the State Department's program to combat illegal overstay rates. Tell

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Speaker 1: us about that.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely, what we have seen this administration has been very

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Speaker 2: strategic and ensuring our visa system is not going to

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Speaker 2: be abused, it's not going to be taken advantage of.

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Speaker 2: And there are a number of countries throughout the world

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Speaker 2: where they have very high overstay rates, meaning they're citizens

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Speaker 2: travel to the United States on a legitimate visa and

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Speaker 2: they do not return in the timeframe that they should

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Speaker 2: return based on that visa category, which means they're abusing

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Speaker 2: the system, they are not respecting US immigration law. And

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Speaker 2: so what this administration has done in a very thoughtful

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Speaker 2: manner is select these countries based on these high overstate

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Speaker 2: rates and say, look, we are going to ask you,

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Speaker 2: if you're interested in traveling to the United States on

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Speaker 2: a visa, you're going to have to pay a visa bond,

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Speaker 2: which is essentially a fee. It can be upwards to

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Speaker 2: fifteen thousand dollars, and this VI says you pay this fee,

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Speaker 2: you get your visa, you come to the United States,

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Speaker 2: if you travel well and return, you get a refund

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Speaker 2: for all of your money. It's essentially a way to

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Speaker 2: determine if an individual is serious about taking on this

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Speaker 2: visa following our laws. In really a way to say, hey,

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Speaker 2: country X, we want to see a better way for

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Speaker 2: your travelers to come to United States and ensure that

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Speaker 2: they're not abusing US immigration law.

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Speaker 1: Is there anything that triggers it being forfeited being forfeited, yeah,

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Speaker 1: the bond.

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Speaker 2: Or being removed from the list. I think there are

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Speaker 2: a number of number of elements that we're taking into consideration.

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Speaker 2: Working across US government agencies, collecting information from Customs and

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Speaker 2: Immigration and Border Patrol, Department of Homeland Security, State Department,

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Speaker 2: we share a number of items of lots of information

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Speaker 2: with each other to make sure that travelers who are

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Speaker 2: here are not overstaying, but also are using their visas correctly,

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Speaker 2: which means they are not assaulting US citizens, not getting

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Speaker 2: picked up for DUIs. We want folks who are coming

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Speaker 2: to United States to be lawful, legitimate travelers without abusing

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Speaker 2: not only just immigration law, but our local and federal

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Speaker 2: laws as well. And so by sharing information with the

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Speaker 2: government agencies that we work with, we're able to really

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Speaker 2: pinpoint travelers who are abusing the system here and through

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Speaker 2: the collection of that information, see countries where there's a

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Speaker 2: real pattern.

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Speaker 1: Is there a country or a visa category that have

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Speaker 1: the highest overstay rates with the overstays.

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Speaker 2: And what we're essentially looking at are non immigrant visas,

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Speaker 2: and these are visas for individuals who are coming as

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Speaker 2: a tourist, so that would be considered our B one

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Speaker 2: V two visa. Also for individuals who are coming as

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Speaker 2: a student coming to work in the United States, so

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Speaker 2: these are all temporary visas. They're not immigrating to the

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Speaker 2: United States on an immigrant visa. So these are non

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Speaker 2: immigrant visas coming over as a tourist, coming as a student,

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Speaker 2: coming as a worker. But you really have to follow

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Speaker 2: the requirements in that visa category and ensure you are

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Speaker 2: returning in the timeframe that you had based on that visa.

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Speaker 1: We've got minyeon Houston with us. She's from the State Department,

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Speaker 1: and we've got the World Cup coming up, and what

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Speaker 1: is the State Department doing to get ahead of that.

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Speaker 1: Are you creating a special, dedicated visa program just for

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Speaker 1: the soccer fans the soccer players, And that's right.

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Speaker 2: I mean, this is an exceptionally novel idea by this administration,

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Speaker 2: by the President to ensure individuals who have a legitimate

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Speaker 2: World Cup ticket that they're able to essentially book an

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Speaker 2: appointment for their visa in time that gives them plenty

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Speaker 2: of time to make it here for the games. And

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Speaker 2: so not only are we saying we're going to consider

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Speaker 2: your visa, We're going to look at all the qualifications

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Speaker 2: to make sure you qualify, but we also want to

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Speaker 2: make sure you get that appointment. You're not waiting and

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Speaker 2: you miss the games entirely. So that visa pass system

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Speaker 2: is set up for those who are legitimate travelers. And

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Speaker 2: we are also making sure that where there are countries

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Speaker 2: that have visa bonds or maybe they have visa bands

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Speaker 2: in place, that the athletes, the coaches, the fans that well,

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Speaker 2: I would say, the individuals who are part of the family,

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Speaker 2: so that could be immediate family members, not necessarily fans,

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Speaker 2: but immediately family members, coaches, and the players, that they're

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Speaker 2: able to get those visas in they're here in time

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Speaker 2: for the game.

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Speaker 1: Are you guys able to guestimate how many foreign visitors

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Speaker 1: the State Department is expecting is going to need visas

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Speaker 1: for the World Cup?

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Speaker 2: Oh goodness, I've heard a number of numbers thrown out there.

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Speaker 2: I don't have any specifics, but what I can say is,

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Speaker 2: as you all know and your listeners know, this is

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Speaker 2: going to be probably one of the biggest World Cup ever.

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Speaker 2: You have more matches than ever before, you have three

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Speaker 2: countries that are co hosting, United States, Canada, and Mexico,

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Speaker 2: and we know this is going to be really a

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Speaker 2: huge event for all all sports fans. We want to

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Speaker 2: make sure though, that every individual who's coming in has

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Speaker 2: been thoroughly vetted, that we know that they're going to

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Speaker 2: focus on US laws and follow them, and that US

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Speaker 2: citizens here feel safe with a number of visitors and

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Speaker 2: travelers that are coming. And there's no administration who I

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Speaker 2: think has done a better job than preparing us for

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Speaker 2: this than this administration.

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Speaker 1: Right now, Mignon Houston, we kept you about ten minutes

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Speaker 1: longer than we were supposed to. I really appreciate your time.

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Speaker 1: From the State Department Deputy spokesperson, Thank you very much

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Speaker 1: for the information.

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Speaker 2: It was a pleasure. Thank you for having me.

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Speaker 1: You're listening to Casey and Jim. It is ninety three

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Speaker 1: WIBC