WASHINGTON: Malaysia is confident of being able to participate in the US Visa Waiver Programme by year end.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Malaysia was currently making efforts to lower the percentage of rejected US visa applications currently at 3.34%, mostly on technical grounds.

"The number of rejected applications is higher than the three per cent set by the US government," he told Malaysian reporters here.

Dr Ahmad Zahid who is also Home Minister arrived here on Tuesday morning for a one-week working visit to attend the Nuclear Security Summit.

He said Malaysians who apply for visas to enter the US must ensure that they do not commit any error when filling up the forms as it could delay Malaysia's acceptance into the US VWP.

The Deputy Prime Minister said awareness campaigns had been carried out by the US Embassy with the cooperation of the Malaysia-US Friendship Association and business council to guide Malaysians on online application for the visa.

He said the Home ministry, in particular, and the Immigration Department had already fulfilled conditions to channel reports on any loss and theft of Malaysian passports in real time and within 24 hours to Interpol.

"The Home Ministry has fulfilled the conditions set by the US government except for the visa application rejections which are still more than the stipulated three per cent.”

Dr Ahmad Zahid said the visa is among three main issues he would discuss with US senior officials including National Security Adviser Susan Elizabeth Rice, CIA director John Brennan, Deputy Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Assistant Secretary Daniel Russel.

He said he would also brief them on Malaysia’s efforts to raise its position from the Tier 2 to Tier 1 watch list of the US Department of States Trafficking in Persons Report.

“It would probably take a long time because they (US) would impose a number of conditions.

“But it is not impossible for us to achieve it because the Home ministry, Police and Foreign Ministry and a number of enforcement agencies are working towards meeting those conditions.” — Bernama