Do you wish to visit the United States for a vacation or holiday? If you desire to travel to the U.S. for pleasure, and not to live or work here, you will first need to obtain a visitor visa. Please note that travelers who live in certain countries may not be required to obtain a visitor visa under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).

Essentially, if you are a citizen or national of a participating country, you should be able to travel to the U.S. for business or pleasure for 90 days or less without having to obtain a visa under the VWP.

If you meet all of the requirements under the VWP, you will be required to obtain Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval before you travel to the U.S.

VWP Designated Countries

If you are a citizen or a national of one of the following countries, you should be eligible to come to the United States for business or pleasure under the VWP, unless you are also a citizen of Sudan, Syria, Iraq, or Iran.

The VWP countries, include but are not limited to:

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Chile
• Denmark
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Japan
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• United Kingdom

Due to the recent terrorist activity, the United States has established stricter requirements for entering the U.S. without a visa through the VWP.

Under the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel and Prevention Act of 2015, citizens of Iran, Iraq, Sudan and Syria can no longer be admitted into the United States under the VWP.

If you are a national of one of these countries, you can still apply for a visa under the standard appointment process through one of the U.S. Embassies or Consulates.

If you are in urgent need of a visa due to medical, business or humanitarian reasons, you can ask the U.S. Embassy or Consulate to expedite your application.

For further information about travelling to the U.S. through the VWP, contact an immigration attorney in this directory!