UPDATE : 2024/01/17
UPDATE : 2024/01/31
UPDATE : 2021/07/14
UPDATE : 2023/02/13
UPDATE : 2024/01/17
UPDATE : 2024/01/31
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The VWP (Visa Waiver Program) is a visa exemption program that is granted to only citizens of countries and territories that have been approved by the US government. Citizens of eligible countries are allowed to stay in the United States for up to 90 days without a visa, but not only for sightseeing or short-term business. Citizens of VWP countries who intend to travel to the United States for sightseeing purposes should apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and get a “Travel Authorization Permit.” It is also attainable to apply for a visa when traveling to the United States, but it is estimated that the entire application procedure would take more than a month, as numerous documents must be submitted and an interview with a consular officer is mandatory. If you are traveling to the United States to work or study, a visa is required, so you must apply for a visa as soon as possible.
The following countries are currently eligible for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
Note :
The VWP (Visa Waiver Program) acquisition of the British nation is limited to a permanent residence maintainer of Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Channel island, and the Isle of Man other than England.
Criteria for participation in the VWP are established in the Aliens and Nationality Act (Title 8 U.S.C. §1187). These criteria are based on having very low rates of refusal of nonimmigrant visas and on levels of passport security.
You must meet the following requirements to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
ESTA is an electronic travel authorization for people traveling to the United States for sightseeing or short-term business purposes without a visa. Since January 2009, under the supervision of DHS (the United States Department of Homeland Security), travelers from abroad are obliged to apply online in advance. The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is currently made accessible to citizens of 41 countries. Those who intend to stay in the United States for up to 90 days must complete the application procedure and get a “Travel Authorization Permit” at least three days before their departure. More importantly, even if the stay is less than 90 days, persons seeking to work or study in the United States are not eligible for ESTA application, so please consider acquiring a visa from the US embassy or consulate. ESTA application form takes about ten minutes to complete, and you will have to answer nine questions, which include whether you have a criminal background or not. Additionally, if you answer “yes” to even one of the nine questions, you will not be allowed to travel to the United States using ESTA. For more information about ESTA, please refer to “About the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)”
When using the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), please confirm the following conditions.
In general, when traveling to the United States you must have a passport that is valid for at least six months aside from the duration of your stay. However, citizens of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries are eligible for the “Six-months Club” program and will be allowed to visit the United States even if their passport is valid for less than six months. For more information on the Six-Month Club and eligible countries, please check “Six-Month Club Requirements“.
As a result of the 2015 amendment to the Anti-Terrorist Travel Act, individuals who fall under the above conditions are prohibited from traveling to the United States using the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). However, exceptions are granted only if you are a military or civil government official traveling to a country authorized by the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). For details, please refer to “The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and the Terrorist Travel Prevention Act“.
Nationals of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) for whom the first means of entry to the U.S. by an overland route do not need to apply for ESTA (the Electronic System for Travel Authorization).
At present, ESTA applies only to those arriving on cruise ships or by air.
Travelers entering the U.S. by land must submit Form I-94W (https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/i-94-instructions).
Under the VWP (Visa Waiver Program), those who have travelled to or entered Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Iraq, Iran, the Sudan, or North Korea on or after March 1, 2011 may not enter the United States with the VWP. Also, travelers with dual citizenship in the Sudan, Syria, Iraq, or Iran, or North Korea in addition to a country eligible for the VWP are ineligible for the VWP to enter the United States, although those travelers who meet the following conditions may be exempt from these restrictions.
Those with histories of arrest, criminal histories, or serious communicable diseases may not be eligible for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Besides, those persons who have been refused entry to or deported from the U.S. in the past or have entered the U.S. on the VWP and overstayed their visas may not apply for either ESTA or the VWP. It is expected that travel authorization application from those travelers will be rejected even if they do apply. Such travelers will need to apply for visas if they wish to visit the United States.
Also, travelers desiring to stay in the U.S. for longer than 90 days for employment or to attend school there must apply for visas instead, since VWP is not available for them to enter the country.
UPDATE : 2024/01/17