**SOURCE: Hindustantimes-** Forty-one countries have a 90-day US entry without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Citizens of countries such as United Kingdom, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium Brunei, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Taiwan can now enter the U.S. without a visa for 90 days only.
The VWP allows most citizens or nationals of the countries mentioned above to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for 90 days or less without having to obtain or apply for a visa. The travellers must have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval before travelling to the U.S. If one still prefers to have a visa in their passport, they may still apply for a visitor (B-1 or B-2) visa.
Under the VWP and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act, 2015, travellers in these categories must obtain and apply for a visa before travelling to the U.S.:
– Citizens of the VWP countries who have visited or been present in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011.
– Citizens of the VWP countries who have visited or been present in Cuba on or after January 12, 2021.
– Citizens of the VWP countries who are also legal citizens of Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria.
One must meet all the requirements of the VWP to travel to the U.S. without a visa.An Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is a web-based system operated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to determine eligibility to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business under the VWP. One must travel without a visa to the U.S. from the VWP countries only with a valid ESTA approval before boarding the mode of travel they’ve chosen to visit the U.S.