Visitor or Tourist Visa

Visa Waiver Program

Important Notices:

Machine-readable passports (MRP) - Starting October 26, 2004, visa waiver travelers from ALL 27 Visa Waiver Program countries must present either a machine-readable passport or a U.S. visa.  In the interest of facilitating travel, the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection Bureau (CBP) has given officials at ports of entry the discretionary authority to grant one-time exemptions on a case-by-case basis to certain VWP travelers without a visa or MRP, who are nationals of twenty-two (22) of twenty-seven (27) VWP countries.  Nationals of the following five (5) countries are already required to present an MRP for admission under the VWP, and therefore this one-time exemption procedure will not apply to VWP travelers from Andorra, Belgium, Brunei, Liechtenstein, and Slovenia.  To read more about the one-time exemption, see the Department of Homeland Security Website. 

Biometric Passports - President Bush signed legislation, which delays until October 26, 2005 the requirement for Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries to include biometrics in their passports. The Department of Homeland Security now enrolls Visa Waiver Program travelers in the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program at all airports and seaports.

Overview

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables citizens of certain countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. Not all countries participate in the VWP. Some restrictions apply, for more details please see below, "What Do I Need to Enter the United States under the VWP?"

NOTE: Representatives of the foreign press, radio, film, journalists or other information media, engaging in that vocation while in the U.S., may not enter the U.S. on the Visa Waiver Program.  These professional must obtain a nonimmigrant Media (I) visa.

Who Are the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Countries?

Currently, 27 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program, as shown below:

Visa Waiver Program - Participating Countries

What do I Need to Know about VWP & the Required Machine Readable Passport?

The Patriot Act legislated that all Visa Waiver Program travelers must have a machine-readable passport. As of October 26, 2004, if a visa waiver traveler does not have a machine-readable passport (MRP), then the traveler must present a U.S. visa at the port of entry to enter the U.S. This includes all categories of passports -- regular, diplomatic, and official, when the traveler is seeking to enter the U.S. for business or tourist purposes, for a maximum of 90 days.  

What Is a Machine-Readable Passport?

A machine-readable passport has biographical data entered on the data page according to international specifications. The size of the passport and photograph, and arrangement of data fields, especially the two lines of printed OCR-B machine readable data, meet the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Doc 9303, Part 1 Machine Readable Passports. OCR-B means the type is Optical Character Reader, style B. If there are questions about your passport after carefully reviewing this information, and any information, which may be available to you from your country, contact the passport issuing agency or authority in your country of citizenship.  Below is a data page example of a Machine-Readable Passport.

Does the Biometric Passport Extension Request Change the 10/26/04 MRP Requirement?

No, not at all. In improving the national security of our nation, there are two different passport requirements for foreign citizens traveling without a visa, on the Visa Waiver Program. The biometric passport extension, requested by the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State, related to the biometric identifier requirement for the passport. The other passport change required machine-readable passports for all VWP travelers starting October 26, 2004. By having a machine-readable passport, the U.S. immigration inspector's job will be facilitated by the ability to quickly slide your readable passport through the reader, thereby immediately displaying important information.

As stated earlier, starting October 26, 2004 all Visa Waiver Program travelers must present a machine-readable passport to travel without a visa, on the Visa Waiver Program. After reviewing the information above, travelers are requested to review their passports and if needed, should apply for a new passport in their country of citizenship.

What Should I Know About Machine-Readable Passports and Families?

Families seeking to enter the U.S. under the VWP using a machine-readable passport will need to obtain an individual passport for each traveler, including infants. Machine-readable passports typically have biodata for only one traveler in the machine-readable zone. Based on this, families may be denied visa-free entry into the U.S. since the biodata for only one traveler is available on the machine-readable passport.

What Do I Need to Enter the United States under the VWP?

To enter the U.S. under the VWP, travelers must:

• Be a citizen of a Visa Waiver Program country;
• have a valid passport issued by the participating country that is valid for six months beyond your intended visit;
• have a machine-readable passport (MRP);
• be seeking entry for 90 days or less, as a temporary visitor for business or pleasure. You will not be permitted to extend your visit or change to another visa category under the VWP;
• if entering by air or sea, have a round-trip transportation ticket issued on a carrier that has signed an agreement with the U.S. government to participate in the VWP, and arrive in the United States aboard such a carrier;
• hold a completed and signed Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94W, on which you have waived the right of review or appeal of an immigration officer’s determination about admissibility, or deportation. These forms are available from participating carriers, travel agents, and at land-border ports-of-entry;
• have no visa ineligibilities. This means if you have been refused a visa before, have a criminal record or are ineligible for a visa you cannot travel on the Visa Waiver Program. You must apply for a visa to the U.S.

Entry at a land-border crossing point from Canada or Mexico is permitted under the Visa Waiver Program.

Entering the U.S. - Port of Entry

Detailed information about admissions and entry to the U.S., under the Visa Waiver Program can be found by selecting Admission to the U.S. on the DHS, Customs & Border Protection website.

Is there a Fee?

There is a small filing fee for the Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94W from airlines. Select United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Forms and Fees to learn more.

When Does a Citizen of a VWP Country Need to Apply for a Visa?

You must apply for a visa under the following circumstances, if you:

• Want to work or study in the United States; 
• have been refused a visa or admission to the U.S. before; 
• have a criminal record; or
• are ineligible for a visa. See Classes of Aliens Ineligible for Visas.

Do Canadian Citizens Need a Visa or MRP?

Citizens of Canada generally do not require a visa. While some people mistakenly believe Canada is part of the visa waiver program, the authorization for Canadian citizens to travel visa-free comes from other immigration laws. Additionally, the machine-readable passport requirement does not apply to Canadian citizens, because they are not part of the visa waiver program. It should be noted however; some Canadian citizens traveling to the U.S. require nonimmigrant visas.  To learn more, please see, Citizens of Canada, Mexico and Bermuda or the U.S. Embassy In Ottawa, Canada. Also visit Entry from Canada on the U.S. Customs & Border Protection website (USCBP).

How Does a Country Qualify for Visa Waiver?