US embassy cable - 05VIENNA3424

UNCLAS VIENNA 003424 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR CA/VO/F/P - DLOPES DA ROSA; CA/EX - 
JARZT; CA/PA - AAGGELER; EUR/AGS - VVIKMANIS KELLER; 
DHS FOR MHARDIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS, CMGT, PREL, AU 
SUBJECT: VISA WAIVER PROGRAM: AUSTRIA HAS NEW PROPOSAL 
FOR FOIL TO MEET LEVEL 1 COMPLIANCE 
 
REF: A) 192566 STATE, B) STATE 125862 C) STATE 111324, 
 
C) VIENNA 3383 AND PREVIOUS 
 
1.  This is an action request.  See para. 7. 
 
2.  Summary: The Austrian Interior Ministry officials 
has produced another proposal to meet the October 26, 
2005 deadline for Level 1 compliance with the changed 
Visa Waiver Program (VWP) requirements.  The GOA 
believes that it could now produce a "vignette" or visa 
foil-type insert to be placed in newly issued passports 
to provide the equivalent of the required digital 
photograph.  Because of the significant expense 
production of such a foil would entail, and the need 
for a media campaign to inform the public to apply 
early, the GOA would need an immediate answer on 
whether to pursue this option. End Summary. 
 
3.  ConGen met on Friday, October 21, 2005 with those 
MOI officials charged with producing the forthcoming 
Austrian biometric passport.  They expressed 
disappointment that legislation authorizing the 
extension of the validity of Austrian passports which 
would otherwise have expired in the coming months would 
not be sufficient to enable the bearers to use the VWP, 
per emails the Austrian Embassy received from DHS.  As 
long as France, Austria and Italy were given the same 
response on extensions, however, they said the decision 
is not politically unacceptable. 
 
4.   The officials proposed a new approach, which would 
involve the insertion of a vignette, or visa-type foil, 
onto one of the visa pages of newly issued passports. 
The foil would be printed on secure paper, using the 
Schengen visa style format. It would include a digital 
photo, the bearer's bio-data, and a machine-readable 
zone (MRZ).  After the U.S.-bound traveler applied for 
a passport at his local passport office, the office 
would forward the passport and an extra photo to the 
MOI in Vienna, where the photo would be scanned and 
printed onto the foil, along with the relevant data. 
The secure foil would then be stuck on one of the 
first, inner pages of the passport. 
 
5.  The MOI estimates the passport processing time 
would be about one week, rather than the one-hour 
processing time Austrian citizen currently enjoy, but 
there would be no additional fee for the applicant to 
pay.  Because of the considerable expense involved for 
the GOA and the lead time required for travelers 
needing passports in the upcoming weeks, the GOA 
requests that DHS indicate now whether this approach 
would even be considered as meeting Level 1 compliance. 
 
6.  Post comment:  The GOA would prefer to simply 
insert the foil into expiring passports, but is 
concerned that DHS might not find it acceptable to have 
an old photograph on the passport's bio-data page, and 
another, newer, digital photo on the foil.  It is 
therefore willing to put the foil in newly-issued 
passports only. End Comment. 
 
7.  Action Request: Implementation of the foil proposal 
would be expensive for the Austrians and it would be 
counter to U.S. interests for the Austrians to invest 
in the proposal if the U.S. does not see it as a viable 
option. Post therefore urgently requests guidance on 
whether this proposal is at all viable, or whether 
further information or discussion is required.  The GOA 
would require a definite response NLT October 27, 2005, 
but asks for an indication ASAP on whether this plan 
might meet Level 1 compliance.  Post contact is ConGen 
Charisse Phillips.  To contact Phillips at any time 
over the October 22-23 weekend or on the October 26 
holiday celebrating Austria's national day, please call 
(43) (1) 367-4404 or (43) 0664-811-7619, or email 
chariphillips@hotmail.com, or contact Post One at (43) 
(1) 31-339 2115. 
 
Van Voorst