Embassy of the United States

U.S. VISA WAIVER PROGRAM (VWP)

Visa Waiver Wizard

To assist you in determining if you may travel under the U.S. VWP we have constructed a Visa Waiver Wizard.
Note: If you do not wish to travel under the VWP and prefer to travel with a visa, or if you are not eligible to travel under VWP, you may apply for a visa that matches your purpose of visit.

Details About the U.S. VWP

Most visitors to the U.S. enter the country as tourists or pleasure. With the introduction of visa-free travel to citizens of 35 countries, it is possible for many travelers, including e-Passport holders of the Republic of Korea, to enter the U.S. without a visa using the U.S. WVP. Visa-free travel is also available to qualified travelers who enter the U.S. on business or in transit. 

Citizens of the countries listed above may travel visa-free under the VWP if they meet ALL of the following requirements:

• The traveler is a citizen of a U.S. VWP country and traveling on an e-Passport with an electronic chip. 
  Note: It is important that you check the website of the U.S. Embassy in the country of passport nationality for further information before traveling at www.usembassy.gov.  Failure to determine that your passport qualifies for the VWP may result in your being denied boarding by the airline.
  
  
• Traveling for business, pleasure or transit only;
  
  
• Staying in the U.S. for 90 days or less; 
  
         Plus, if entering the U.S. by air or sea is,
  
  
• Holding a return or onward ticket. If traveling on an electronic ticket, a copy of the itinerary must be carried for presentation to U.S. immigration at the port of entry.
  Note: Travelers with onward tickets terminating in Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or the Caribbean Islands must be legal permanent residents of these areas;
  
  
• Entering the U.S. aboard an air or sea carrier that has agreed to participate in the program. This includes aircraft of a U.S. corporation that has entered into an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to carry passengers under the VWP.
  Note: Other private or official aircraft or vessels do not meet this requirement; and 
  
  
• In possession of an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval for travel under the VWP.  ESTA is a new fully automated, electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the U.S. under the VWP. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel to the U.S., and VWP travelers are encouraged to apply for authorization as soon as they begin to plan a trip to the United States.
  Note: Effective January 12, 2009, ESTA approvals are mandatory for VWP travel for citizens and nationals of all 35 VWP participant countries planning to travel by air or sea.
  
         Or, if entering the U.S. by land from Canada or Mexico,
  
  
• Is in possession of a completed Form I-94W, issued by the immigration authorities at the port of entry, and a $6.00 fee payable only in U.S. dollars.
  
  Important: Some travelers may not be eligible to enter the U.S. visa free under the VWP. These include people who have been arrested, even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction; those with criminal records; certain serious communicable illnesses; those who have been refused admission into, or have been deported from, the United States; and those who are otherwise ineligible for admission to the U.S., or have previously overstayed on the VWP. Such travelers must apply for special restricted visas. If they attempt to travel without a visa, they may be refused entry into the United States.

Transit under the VWP

Travelers who qualify for visa-free travel under the VWP are eligible to transit the United States. 

If transiting the U.S. to a destination in Canada, Mexico or the adjacent islands, the traveler may re-enter the U.S. on the return journey using any mode of transport, as long as the total visit, including both periods of time spent in transit and in Canada, Mexico or the adjacent islands, does not exceed 90 days. If transiting to a destination outside of Canada, Mexico, or the adjacent islands, the return journey must be on a participating carrier, but need not be within 90 days, as the traveler will be required to make a new application for admission. (Travelers transiting the U.S. to take up residence in Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or the Caribbean Islands must be legal permanent residents of these areas.)

Important reminder:  Visa-free travel does not include those who plan to study, work or remain more than 90 days. Such travelers need visas. If an immigration official has reason to believe that a visa-free traveler is going to study, work or stay longer than 90 days, the officer will refuse to admit the traveler.