United States North America
      


REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-IMMIGRANT VISITORS TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES

TOURIST OR BUSINESS TRAVEL

  • Passport plus valid visa (passport should be valid 6 months beyond the intended date of departure from the USA
  • Visa not required if traveling under the U.S. Visa Waiver Program and meeting the following conditions:
    • Effective October 26, 2004 holds a Machine Readable Passport (MRP)
    • Travels for pleasure or business purposes only
    • Is a non-immigrant
    • Stays up to 90 days or less
    • Holds a correctly completed and signed Form I-94W (Visa Waiver arrival/departure form issued either by a carrier having signed the agreement I-775, or by a travel agency)
    • Meets all conditions of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program
    • Holds onward/return ticket (or electronic ticket record or return passages) with a final destination to a country, other than Canada, Mexico or countries/islands situated in or bordering the Caribbean sea, unless passenger holds proof of residence in such country/islands in which case onward/return tickets to that country are accepted
  • Vaccinations: none required

Entry Requirements for Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Countries

This information is provided for informational purposes only. TDS does not assist with the issue or expediting of United States visas. Further complete information can be located on the State Department or the Homeland Security Immigration web site.


REQUIREMENTS FOR BORDER COUNTRY VISITORS TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES

The new BCC is a laminated, credit card-style document with many security features and ten -year validity. Called a "laser visa," the card is both a BCC and a B1/B2 visitor's visa. All Mexican visitors to the U.S., whether traveling to the border region or beyond, receive a laser visa.

Applicants must demonstrate that they are properly classifiable as visitors by demonstrating that:

  • The purpose of their trip is to enter the U.S. for business, pleasure, or medical treatment
  • That they plan to remain for a specific, limited period
  • Evidence of funds to cover expenses in the United States
  • Applicants must demonstrate that they have ties to Mexico that would compel them to return after a temporary stay in the United States. U.S. consular officers look for evidence of strong family, business, or social ties.
This information is provided for informational purposes only. TDS does not assist with the issue or expediting of United States visas. Further complete information can be located on the State Department or the Homeland Security Immigration web site.


REQUIREMENTS FOR VWP COUNTRY VISITORS TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES

Currently, 35 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Brunei, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom*.

*For citizens with the unrestricted right of permanent abode in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man.

Effective January 12, 2009, all VWP travelers will be required to obtain an authorization via Electronic System for Travel Authorization(ESTA).
ESTA is a free automated system used to determine the eligibility of vistors to travel to the United States for tourist or business purposes for 90 days or less provided they possess an E- passport and an approved authorization through ESTA.
ESTA applications may be completed online at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/.

To qualify for the VWP, you must:

  • Intend to enter the U.S. for 90 days or less
  • Have a passport lawfully issued to you by a VWP country that is valid for six months beyond your intended visit
  • Be a national of the VWP country that issued your passport
  • Have been checked using an automated electronic database containing information about inadmissible aliens to the United States
  • Have tickets and documents for return or onward travel
  • Present to the Immigration Inspector a completed and signed Form I-94W, Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure Form
  • Not pose a safety threat to the United States
  • Not have failed to comply with the conditions of any previous admission under the visa waiver program
  • If arriving by air or sea, arrive on a carrier that signed an agreement (signatory carrier) guaranteeing to transport you out of the U.S. if you are found to be inadmissible or deportable
  • Present evidence of funds to cover expenses in the United States
  • Present evidence of compelling social and economic ties abroad
  • Have a residence outside the U.S. as well as other binding ties which will insure your return abroad at the end of the visit.

This information is provided for informational purposes only. TDS does not assist with the issue or expediting of United States visas. Further complete information can be located on the State Department or the Homeland Security Immigration web site.



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