USA Visa Waiver Program Guide

USA Visa Waiver Program Guide

USA Visa Waiver Program Guide

Visa Waiver Program of United States The Visa Waiver Program allows foreign nationals from certain countries to travel to the United States for business or pleasure, for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.

They must meet all requirements. Travelers must be eligible to use the VWP and have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval prior to travel.

2. Eligibility for Visa Waiver Program

A. National of Member Countries:

Nationals of member countries of Visa Waiver Program can travel without a visa for 90 Days to United States ( US ) . you must be National of of Following Countries can avail Visa Waiver Program

Visa Waiver Program Member Countries
Flag of Andorra Andorra Flag of Australia Australia Flag of Austria Austria Flag of BelgiumBelgium ‘Flag of Brunei Brunei Flag of Chile Chile Flag of Czech Republic CzechFlag of Denmark Denmark Flag of Estonia Estonia Flag of Finland FinlandFlag of  France France Flag of Germany Germany Flag of Greece Greece Flag of Hungary Hungary Flag of Iceland Iceland Flag of Ireland Ireland Flag of Italy Italy Flag of JapanJapan Flag of Latvia Latvia Flag of Liechtenstein Liechtenstein Flag of LithuaniaLithuania Flag of Lithuania Luxembourg Flag of Malta Malta Flag of MonacoMonaco Flag of Netherlands Netherlands Flag of New Zealand New Zealand Flag of NorwayNorway  Flag of Portugal Portugal Flag of San Marino San Marino Flag of SingaporeSingapore Flag of Slovakia Slovakia Flag of Slovenia Slovenia Flag of South KoreaSouth Korea Flag of Spain Spain Flag of Sweden Sweden Flag of SwitzerlandSwitzerland Taiwan Taiwan Flag of United Kingdom United Kingdom

B. Electronic System for Travel Authorization:

VWP travelers are required to apply for authorization though the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), are screened at their port of entry into the United States, and are enrolled in the Department of Homeland Security’s US-VISIT program.

Visit the ESTA webpage on the CBP website for more detailed information, to apply for ESTA, and pay the fee.

 

C. Approved Carrier

If arriving by air or sea, you must be arriving on an approved air or sea carrier. You must also have a round trip ticket indicating return passage to a country* outside the United States.

D. Passport Requirements

All Visa Waiver Program travelers to United States ( US ), regardless of age or type of passport used, must present a machine-readable passport. In addition, depending on when VWP travelers’ passports were issued, other passport requirements apply:

  1. Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended on or after October 26, 2006 requires integrated chip with information from the data page (e-Passport).

  2. Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended between October 26, 2005 and October 25, 2006 require digital photograph printed on the data page.

  3. Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended before October 26, 2005have no further requirements.

D. Passport Validity:

Visitors traveling to the U.S. are required to be in possession of passports that are valid for six months beyond the period of their intended stay in the U.S. Citizens of the countries listed onSix Month Club Update are exempt to the six-month rule and need only have a passport valid for their intended period of stay. If you are traveling visa free under the Visa Waiver Program, your passport needs to be valid for at least 90 days. If your passport is not valid for 90 days, you will be admitted into the U.S. until the date on which the passport expires.

If you are a traveler from a VWP country and your passport does not meet these requirements, you may want to consider obtaining a new VWP-compliant passport from the passport issuing authority in your country of citizenship. Otherwise you cannot travel under VWP and you must obtain a visa in your valid passport for entry into the U.S.

4. What you can do in with Visa Waiver Program in United States:

you can do Tourism:

? Travel in United States ( US )

? Spend Vacation (holiday) in United States ( US )

? Visit with friends or relatives in United States ( US )

? Get  Medical treatment in United States ( US )

? Participate in social events hosted by fraternal, social, or service organizations in United States ( US )

? Participate by amateurs in musical, sports, or similar events or contests, if not being paid for participating in United States ( US )

? Enrollment in a short recreational course of study, not for credit toward a degree (for example, a two-day cooking class while on vacation) in United States ( US )

You can do Business:

 ? You can consult with business associates in United States ( US )

? You can attend a scientific, educational, professional, or business convention or conference in United States ( US )

? You can attend short-term training in United States ( US )

? You can negotiate a contract in United States ( US )

Note: You are not Eligible to raise Funds through Visa Waiver program

 

5. What you cant do on Visa Waiver Program:

 These are some examples of activities not permitted/Forbidden/not allowed/restricted on the Visa Waiver Program of United states of America ( USA ) and needs proper visas for travel to the United States:

? You cant Study, for credit in United States (US )

? You cant Get employment in United States ( US )

? You cant Work as foreign press, radio, film, journalists, or other information media in United States ( US )

? You cant get Permanent residence in the United States ( US )

6. Ineligibility for Visa Waiver Program:

? Some  of  travelers may not be eligible to enter the United states of America ( USA )  under the Visa Waiver Program ( VWP ). These include people who have been arrested, even 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 clemency), certain serious communicable illnesses, those who have been refused admission into, or have been deported from, the U.S., or have previously overstayed on the visa waiver program.

? Such travelers must apply for a visa. If they attempt to travel without a visa, they may be refused entry into the United Staes ( US ).

? Travelers with minor traffic offenses which did not result in an arrest and/or conviction for the offense may travel visa free, provided they are otherwise qualified. If the traffic offense occurred while you were in the U.S. and you have an outstanding fine against you or you did not attend your court hearing, it is possible there may be a warrant out for your arrest and you will experience problems when applying for admission into the U.S. Therefore, you should resolve the issue before travelling by contacting the court where you were to appear. If you do not know the address of the court, then information is available from the Internet at: www.refdesk.com.

? Visa-free travel does not include those who plan to study, 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 student, etc.) once in the U.S. Such travelers need visas. If an immigration officer believes that a visa-free traveler is going to study, work or stay longer than 90 days, the officer will refuse to admit the traveler.

? Applicants from Canada, Mexico and Bermuda

Canada, Mexico and Bermuda are not participants in the Visa Waiver Program. The Immigration and Nationality Act includes other provisions for visa-free 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 apply to nationals of Canada, Mexico or Bermuda. Also, it should be noted that some nationals of Canada and Bermuda traveling to the United States require nonimmigrant visas.

NOTE: ESTA Refusal

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

More Information:

Learn more about the Visa Waiver Program at the Department of State’s website.