DW: Europe Without Borders Threatens US Ex-Pats Without Visas
Europe Without Borders Threatens US Ex-Pats Without Visas
Ever since the fall of communism, the Czech capital Prague has been a magnet for young Americans. The rents were cheap, the beer was good, and ex-pats needed only to hop across the border every three months to renew their status as "tourists." But that situation is set to change on Jan. 1, when the Czech Republic, together with eight other newer EU members, becomes party to the Schengen agreement.Ex-pats will now have to depart the Schengen zone -- the nearest countries being Switzerland, Ukraine and Romania -- in order to officially leave the Czech Republic. And tourist visas will only permit holders to reside within the zone for three months in any six-month period.
Labels: EU, Immigration, US
