The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) permits citizens of designated countries to apply for admission to the United States for short-term visits as nonimmigrant visitors for business or pleasure without the need to obtain a B-1 or B-2 nonimmigrant visa from a U.S. consulate.
The following countries are participants in the VWP: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
VWP travelers are subject to strict requirements, outlined below.
VWP travel restrictions. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the State Department began implementing additional VWP travel restrictions in January 2016. Foreign nationals in the following categories are restricted from traveling to the United States under the VWP, even if they have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) registration (with limited exceptions):
- Nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries who, since March 1, 2011, have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen or any other country of concern designated by the Department of Homeland Security, or since January 12, 2021, have traveled to Cuba; and
- Dual nationals of a VWP country and Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan, Syria or any other country of concern designated by the Department of Homeland Security.
Individuals subject to VWP travel restrictions must obtain a B-1/B-2 visa from a U.S. consulate to visit the United States for business or tourism, with very limited exceptions.
DHS is authorized to grant an exemption from the travel restrictions to those who have traveled to a country of concern in the course of diplomatic or military service on behalf of a VWP member country. The agency is also authorized to grant waivers on a case-by-case basis to those who have traveled to a country of concern on official duty for an international or nongovernmental organization or as a journalist for reporting purposes, or who have traveled to Iran or Iraq for legitimate business purposes in limited circumstances. Foreign nationals must submit a new ESTA registration in order to be considered for a waiver or exemption from the VWP restrictions.
Duration of stay. Entrants under the Visa Waiver Program are admitted for up to 90 days. They cannot extend their stays beyond 90 days, except in extremely rare and limited circumstances, and they cannot change their status to another nonimmigrant category. If you overstay your VWP admission, you will no longer be able to use the program and will be required to obtain a B-1 or B-2 visa for any future business or tourism visits of any duration to the United States.
VWP passport requirements. To enter under the VWP, you must make sure that you comply with special passport requirements. A foreign national whose passport is not in compliance with applicable VWP passport standards must obtain a visa to enter the United States.
As of April 1, 2016, all VWP travelers are required to present an “e-Passport.” An e-Passport is similar to a traditional passport, except that it has a small integrated computer chip embedded in the back cover. The chip stores the information displayed on the data page of the passport, a biometric identifier in the form of a digital image of the passport photograph, a unique chip identification number and a digital signature to protect the stored data from tampering.
These passport requirements apply only to travelers entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. Nonimmigrant visa holders are not subject to these requirements.
Advance travel authorization. All foreign nationals planning to enter the United States under the Visa Waiver Program are required to register for online travel clearance through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Travelers should submit their applications well in advance of travel, and no later than 72 hours before departing for the United States. All foreign nationals seeking a new or renewal ESTA authorization must pay a fee by credit card or PayPal at the time they submit their ESTA application.
To register in ESTA, you must submit an online application at the official CBP ESTA website. Applicants should avoid the numerous fraudulent websites purporting to register travelers for ESTA. The CBP website is the only legitimate ESTA registration site.
The ESTA application asks for your biographic and passport information, as well as information about your basic eligibility to use the VWP, such as previous visa denials, prior arrests and convictions, and presence of certain diseases. The application also requests your U.S. destination, flight information and other travel details, but this information is not required.
Once you submit the ESTA application, it will be reviewed against appropriate national security and law enforcement databases. According to DHS, most applications are decided in a short period of time, but longer adjudication periods are possible.
If approved, your ESTA travel authorization will generally remain valid for up to two years, with some exceptions, or until your passport expires, whichever occurs first. DHS has shortened the ESTA travel authorization validity period for citizens or nationals of Brunei (effective July 6, 2023) and Hungary (effective August 1, 2023) to one year. The authorization generally may be used for multiple trips to the United States during the validity period, with the exception for citizens or nationals of Hungary, who are limited to a single entry if their ESTA application was received after August 1, 2023. You do not need to re-register in ESTA until your initial authorization expires or until you obtain a new passport. ESTA registration does not guarantee that you will be admitted to the United States; Visa Waiver Program travelers remain subject to inspection upon arrival and may be denied entry at the discretion of U.S. border officials.
If the ESTA application is denied or you do not apply for ESTA clearance, a valid B-1/B-2 visa issued by a U.S. consulate is required for short-term business or tourism visits to the United States.
foreign nationals planning to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) must register in the ESTA system in advance of travel. Prospective VWP travelers must be aware that the official U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) registration site is the only authorized ESTA registration site. CBP does not use or authorize any outside individual or company to accept ESTA registrations. Nevertheless, websites posing as official government sites or claiming to have CBP authorization abound. These should be avoided.
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