Waiver Review Division Ca/vo/l/w Us State Department Visa Office

Visa Waiver Program

On this page:

• Overview
• Qualifications
• Electronic Organisation for Travel Potency (ESTA)
• Ineligibility
• ESTA Refusal
• Applicants from Canada, Mexico and Bermuda
• More Information

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Overview

The Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) enables nationals of certain countries to travel to the U.s.a. for tourism or business (visitor visa purposes) for stays of ninety days or less without obtaining a visa. Not all countries participate in the VWP, and not all travelers from VWP countries are eligible to utilize the program. VWP travelers are required to employ for authorization though the Electronic System for Travel Say-so (ESTA), are screened at their port of entry into the Usa, and are enrolled in the Department of Homeland Security's OBIM program.

* Member Countries

Andorra Australia Austria Belgium Brunei Chile Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Republic of finland France Federal republic of germany Greece

Republic of hungary Iceland Republic of ireland Italian republic Japan Republic of latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Grand duchy of luxembourg Malta Monaco Netherlands

Norway Portugal Poland Republic of korea San Marino Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan U.k.

Nationals of member countries can travel without a visa for tourist and concern travel of xc days or less provided they run across the following requirements:

• Possess a passport with an integrated chip (e-passport)
• Register on-line through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)
• Meet the standard VWP conditions mentioned below

For citizens of Canada, United mexican states, and British Overseas Territories of Bermuda, please visit Country Department'due south Travel website.

* With respect to all references to "land" or "countries" on this page, information technology should be noted that the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, Pub. L. No. 96-8, Section 4(b)(1), provides that "[westward]henever the laws of the United States refer or relate to foreign countries, nations, states, governments, or similar entities, such terms shall include and such laws shall apply with respect to Taiwan." 22 U.Due south.C. § 3303(b)(i). Accordingly, all references to "land" or "countries" in the Visa Waiver Program authorizing legislation, Department 217 of the Immigration and Nationality Deed, eight The statesC. 1187, are read to include Taiwan. This is consistent with the United States' ane-China policy, under which the United States has maintained unofficial relations with Taiwan since 1979.

Qualifications

To enter the U.South. on the Visa Waiver Program, travelers must be:

• Be a citizen of 1 of the countries listed in a higher place, and in possession of a VWP-compliant passport.
• Possess the ESTA potency.
• Stay in the U.Due south. for 90 days or less.
• Plan to travel for:
  a. Business - The purpose for your planned travel is to consult with business associates, travel for a scientific, educational, professional or business concern convention, or conference on specific dates, settle an estate, or negotiate a contract.
  b. Pleasure/Tourism - The purpose of your planned travel is recreational in nature, including tourism, holiday (vacation), entertainment, visits with friends or relatives, remainder, medical treatment, activities of a fraternal, social, or service nature, and participation by amateurs, who will receive no remuneration, in musical, sports and similar events or contests.
  c. Transit - If you are traveling through the United States.

AND if inbound the U.S. by air or sea must be:

• Holding a return or onward ticket. If travelling on an electronic ticket, a copy of the itinerary must exist carried for presentation to the clearing inspector. Travelers with onward tickets terminating in United mexican states, Canada, Bermuda or the Caribbean area Islands must be legal residents of these areas.
• Entering the United States aboard anair or body of water carrier that has agreed to participate in the program. This includes aircraft of a U.S. corporation that has entered into an agreement with the Section of Homeland Security to bear passengers under the Visa Waiver Programme.

If inbound the U.South. by country from Canada or Mexico, the documentary requirements are the same, except in that location is no requirement for round-trip tickets and signatory carriers. You must satisfy the inspecting officer that you have funds to back up yourself during your stay and to depart the U.S.

Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)

Every bit of April 1, 2016, those who are able to travel to the Usa via the Visa Waiver Program must accept a valid electronic passport.  This dominion applies even to those who possess a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Electronic passports have this symbol on their comprehend:

Additionally, nationals of VWP countries who have traveled to, or been present in, Iraq, Iran, Democratic people's republic of korea, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and/or Yemen on or afterward March one, 2011 are no longer eligible to travel or exist admitted to the U.s. under the VWP.  Dual nationals of VWP countries and Iraq, Islamic republic of iran, North korea, Syria, and Sudan are besides no longer eligible to travel or be admitted to the United states under the VWP.

This restriction does not apply to VWP travelers whose presence whatsoever of those countries was to perform war machine service in the armed forces of a VWP country, or in order to comport out official duties as a full-time employee of the government of a VWP country.

The Secretary of Homeland Security may waive this VWP restriction if he determines that such a waiver is in the constabulary enforcement or national security interests of the U.s..  Such waivers will be granted only on a case-past-case basis.  As a general matter, categories of travelers who may exist eligible for a waiver include:

• Individuals who have traveled to Iraq, Iran, North korea, Syrian arab republic, Sudan, Great socialist people's libyan arab jamahiriya, Somalia, and/or Yemen on behalf of international organizations, regional organizations, or  sub-national governments on official duty;
• Individuals who have traveled to Republic of iraq, Iran, North korea, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and/or Yemen on behalf of a humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGO); and
• Individuals who have traveled to Iraq, Islamic republic of iran, N Korea, Syria, Sudan, Great socialist people's libyan arab jamahiriya, Somalia, and/or Yemen equally a journalist for reporting purposes.
• Individuals who traveled to Islamic republic of iran for legitimate business organization-related purposes post-obit the conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Programme of Activeness (July 14, 2015); and
• Individuals who have traveled to Republic of iraq for legitimate business concern-related purposes.

An updated ESTA awarding grade is available.  The new form contains additional questions to address the new travel eligibility requirements called for in the Act.  We encourage travelers seeking an ESTA to use the enhanced organisation, which will assist in making individual determinations on the potential granting of a waiver. There is no divide application for a waiver.

Current ESTA holders should check their ESTA condition prior to travel on CBP's website, https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/.

Passport Validity: Visitors traveling to the U.S. are required to be in possession of passports that are valid for half dozen months across the period of their intended stay in the U.S. Citizens of the countries listed onSix Month Club Update are exempt to the half dozen-calendar month rule and need only have a passport valid for their intended catamenia of stay. If you are traveling visa gratuitous nether the Visa Waiver Programme, your passport needs to be valid for at least 90 days. If your passport is not valid for 90 days, y'all will be admitted into the U.S. until the appointment on which the passport expires.

If yous are a traveler from a VWP state and your passport does non meet these requirements, y'all may want to consider obtaining a new VWP-compliant passport from the passport issuing authority in your state of citizenship. Otherwise you cannot travel nether VWP and you must obtain a visa in your valid passport for entry into the U.Due south.

Ineligibility

Some travelers may non be eligible to enter the U.S. visa free under the VWP. These include people who have been arrested, fifty-fifty if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction, those with criminal records (even if subject of a pardon, amnesty, or other act of charity), certain serious communicable illnesses, those who accept been refused admission into, or have been deported from, the U.South., or have previously overstayed on the visa waiver program. Such travelers must employ for a visa. If they try to travel without a visa, they may exist refused entry into the U.S.

Under the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, those who take traveled to or been present inIran, Iraq, North Korea, Great socialist people's libyan arab jamahiriya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or afterward March ane, 2011 (with limited exceptions for travel for diplomatic or armed forces purposes in the service of a VWP state) OR travelers who are likewise nationals of Iran, Iraq, Democratic people's republic of korea, Sudan and/or Syria are no longer eligible to travel on the VWP. For details regarding changes nether the Visa Waiver Program Comeback and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 (the Act), please visit the http://cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/visa-waiver-plan website

Travelers with pocket-size traffic offenses which did not outcome in an arrest and/or confidence for the offense may travel visa free, provided they are otherwise qualified. If the traffic offense occurred while you were in the U.Southward. and you accept an outstanding fine against y'all or you did non attend your courtroom hearing, it is possible in that location may be a warrant out for your arrest and you will experience problems when applying for admission into the U.South. Therefore, you should resolve the issue before travelling by contacting the court where you were to appear.

Visa-free travel does not include those who plan to report, work or remain in the U.S. for longer than 90 days or envisions that they may wish to change their status (from tourism to educatee, etc.) once in the U.S. Such travelers need visas. If an immigration officer believes that a visa-costless traveler is going to study, work or stay longer than xc days, the officeholder will refuse to acknowledge the traveler.

ESTA Refusal

Travelers who have been refused an ESTA cannot travel nether the VWP. Please apply for a visa before departure.

Applicants from Canada, Mexico and Bermuda

Canada, Mexico and Bermuda are non participants in the Visa Waiver Programme. The Clearing and Nationality Human activity includes other provisions for visa-gratis travel for nationals of Canada and Bermuda under certain circumstances. See Citizens of Canada and Bermuda. Since they are not part of the Visa Waiver Program, VWP requirements for machine-readable or biometric passports do not utilize to nationals of Canada, Mexico or Bermuda. Likewise, it should be noted that some nationals of Canada and Bermuda traveling to the United states of america require nonimmigrant visas.

More than Data

Learn more about the Visa Waiver Program at the Department of Land's website.

Do not contact the Embassy or our call center for questions on the Electronic Organization for Travel Potency (ESTA). This process is owned past the Department of Homeland Security. Any inquiries on the ESTA process should exist directed to the Section of Homeland Security.

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Source: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/id/id-niv-visawaiverinfo.asp

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