Do I need a visa to travel to the United States?
Normally, when you travel to the United States, you would need a visa in order to enter. However, the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows people from certain countries to travel to the United States without a US visa. To qualify, you must be visiting for 90 days or less as a nonimmigrant visitor for business or pleasure (tourism). The Visa Waiver Program began in 1986 as a pilot program but became permanent in 2000.
Those traveling under the VWP must be citizens of one of the 35 participating countries (listed below) and;
1. Valid authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to the trip. ESTA determines visitors’ eligibility to travel to the US by collecting the same information as the I-94 arrival-departure record. The request can be submitted at any time before the trip. It is normally valid for up to two years and can be used for multiple entries to the US In addition, you must have a passport valid for 6 months beyond the intended period of stay, 90 days. Therefore, your passport must be valid for 9 months. The purpose of your stay must be 90 days or less, and the reason for your visit must be tourism or business. If you arrive by air or sea, you must have a return ticket. In addition, you must be able to show that your intent to stay is 90 days or less and that you have sufficient funds to support yourself while in the U.S. It must also be determined that you do not pose a threat to the security of the U.S. under any policy. of admission. Finally, you must waive your right to trial before an immigration judge, except for an asylum application.
2. Screened at a port of entry to the United States;
3. Enrolled in the US-Visit program of the Department of Homeland Security.
The following countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program:
Andorra Hungary New Zealand
Australia Iceland Norway
Austria Ireland Portugal
Belgium Italy San Marino
Brunei Japan Singapore
Czech Republic Latvia Slovakia
Denmark Liechtenstein Slovenia
Estonia Lithuania South Korea
Finland Luxembourg Spain
France Malta Sweden
Germany Monaco Switzerland
Greece Netherlands United Kingdom
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the visa waiver program?
Those using the Visa Waiver Program can travel to the US spontaneously without obtaining a visa for tourism or business purposes. On the other hand, those using the VWP cannot change or extend their nonimmigrant status. Additionally, if you are denied admission, you will not have the opportunity to appear before an immigration judge to contest your inadmissibility. Finally, you may not be admitted under the VWP if you are found to have previously violated the terms of your admission. Therefore, you should consult with an experienced Phoenix immigration attorney to determine if you should use the Visa Waiver Program.