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Return to Visitors Guide | Visa Wavier Program
| Q: |
What is the Visa Waiver Program? |
| A: |
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables nationals of certain countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. |
| Q: |
What countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program? |
| A: |
Andorra,
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, the UK. |
| Q: |
What is
required to enter the United States under the VWP on or after
October 26, 2005? |
| A: |
Valid passports issued before October 26, 2005, will still be valid for travel under the Visa Waiver Program, provided that they are machine-readable. Passports issued on or after October 26, 2005 require a digital facial image integrated into the data page of the passport for use for travel under VWP. |
| Q: |
How does
a digital passport photo differ from a standard passport photo? |
| A: |
Digital
photos are those that are electronically printed onto the
biographic page of the passport, rather than affixed to the
passport by adhesive and/or laminated. |
| Q: |
Will I
be denied entry if my passport does not comply with the
requirement? |
| A: |
A VWP national arriving in the United States with a passport issued on or after October 26, 2005, that does not comply with the digital photo requirement may be denied admission, and may be
detained pending removal. As an alternative to the digital photo
passport, the alien may obtain a nonimmigrant visa in his
or her non-compliant passport. Travellers should not presume
they will be admitted or paroled without a compliant passport
and they therefore should get a visa. |
| Q: |
How do I
obtain a visa? |
| A: |
Instructions to apply for a U.S. visa are available on the State
Department website. ( Travel @ the State Department) ,
by calling the Department of State’s Visa Services center at
(202) 663-1225, or by contacting the nearest consulate or
embassy. |
Information taken from U.S.
Customers & Border Protection website.
Other Websites of
interest:
United States Visas - www.unitedstatesvisas.gov
UK Passport Agency - www.ukpa.gov.uk/news/news.asp?intElement=1010
US Embassy - www.usembassy.org.uk
Foreign & Commonwealth Office - www.fco.gov.uk/travel
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