Want to visit the United States but don’t want to deal with that dreaded visa process? If you are a citizen of one of some lucky countries, you can enter United States for up to 90 days without even needing a visa under the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Let me explain how it works.
What is U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP)?
The Visa Waiver Program has made visiting the United States much easier for people from certain countries. It was started over 30 years ago, back in 1986. The U.S. government wanted an easy way for citizens of allied countries to enter for short trips.
Before this program existed, people had to book an appointment at the U.S. embassy in their country to apply for a visa. This often involved lots of paperwork and even an interview! The process took a long time.
The U.S. thought it would be better to just remove this visa requirement for allies they trusted. By skipping that application headache, the U.S. made itself a more welcoming destination. Tourism and business travel from these friendly countries steadily grew over the years thanks to this change.
So that’s the backstory. The U.S. wanted to strengthen ties with key partners by opening their doors a bit more. Allowing short visits without visas promoted better relationships and economic growth. Almost four decades later, this goal remains the same even as the program evolved.
Countries that are part U.S. Visa Waiver Program:
Nowadays, the U.S. Visa Waiver Program allows people from 40 trusted countries to visit the United States without having to get a visa first. These are countries that have close friendships with America.
Many are in Europe, like the UK, France, Germany and others. Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and South Korea from Asia are included too. Overall, the list started small back in 1986 with 8 countries but kept expanding over time.
Who gets added or removed from the list can shift as politics and economies change. For example, Chile and Poland joined recently in 2014 and 2019. But Argentina got kicked off two decades ago when it was facing money problems and corruption.
Yet, the overall trend is growth to let more people enjoy easy travel to the US. The State Department and Homeland Security oversee everything to ensure only secure and low-risk nations participate. This caution helps countries in the program feel reassured.
So in short, over 35+ friendly destinations across several continents now have the visa-free entry perk thanks to this decades-old program. These Countries are:
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brunei
- Chile
- Croatia
- 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
- United Kingdom
Requirements For VWP Eligibility :
Citizens of these 40 no-visa countries don’t get completely free rein to enter the United States. There are still some specific conditions they need to meet first:
1. You need a valid passport to use the program. And not just any passport – it has to be an e-Passport embedded with your biometric details. This high-tech passport must stay valid for another 6 months beyond when you plan to leave the US.
2. You also have to prove you don’t intend to stay forever. For example, by showing a return flight booking or ticket to another country after your US trip. One-way tickets into America generally don’t cut it.
3. They also only let you remain in the US for tourism or business reasons for 90 days maximum on this visa waiver. And no requesting extensions! Once your 90 days end, it’s time to depart.
4. Every traveler also needs to get pre-approved under something called ESTA – the Electronic System for Travel Authorization program. Apply online for ESTA before you fly out.
5. Finally, immigration officers will still ask you questions on arrival about past criminal issues, health problems, prior deportations and more to confirm you can enter.
So in short – get that high-tech biometric passport, prove you must leave in 90 days or less, get that ESTA clearance… and be prepared for screening questions! If you follow all those rules, you’ll breeze through fast with this fantastic visa perk!
How to apply for visa waiver travel authorization via ESTA:
You’ll have to go to a specific government website run by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency to submit an online ESTA form before your travel dates.
Filling out the form is fairly quick and painless. They mainly ask for basic details like your passport info, contacts, and the purpose or your planned trip to America. Most people breeze through it within half an hour.
Submitting the online form currently requires paying a $14 processing fee too. But once you submit, you typically get an instant decision on whether your ESTA was granted or not. Sometimes they flag applications for further checks and reply within 72 hours instead.
Once granted, that electronic travel authorization remains valid for two full years for multiple trips to the United States. Super convenient!
In the very rare case your ESTA gets denied, you’ll have to make an appointment at the U.S. Embassy in your country to apply for a regular visitor visa if you still want to travel to the States.
The key thing to remember is that having an approved, up-to-date ESTA before boarding flights to the U.S. is mandatory for all Visa Waiver Program travelers from those lucky 38 countries. So don’t skip that step!
Limitations Of The U.S. Visa Waiver Program :
While the U.S. Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of member countries to enter the United States without a visa, there are some limitations and restrictions to be aware of:
1. No Extensions Allowed – The maximum permitted stay is 90 days only. VWP travelers cannot request extensions or changes of status once they are the U.S. They must depart the country on or before the expiration of their permitted VWP stay.
2. Limited Activities Allowed – Business meetings, tourism, and transit purposes are permitted. Long-term study, work, journalism, or permanent residency pursuits require a different non-immigrant visa type or U.S. Green Card sponsorship.
3. Ineligibility for Adjustment of Status – Even U.S. citizens cannot sponsor VWP entrants for permanent residency from within the U.S. The visitor must return abroad and go through consular processing for any immigration visa or status change application.
4. Mandatory Departure – VWP travelers must have verified onward or return tickets showing intent to leave North America before attempting re-entry later on with a renewed 90-day VWP stay authorization.
While the visa waiver offers ease of entry for short visits, those looking to enter the U.S. for long-term stays or with hopes to immigrate face significant limitations. The program exists to facilitate tourism, business, and transit purposes only for citizens of member countries.