Citizens of 42 countries around the world can travel to the United States for tourism or business without first obtaining a visa, thanks to a long-standing arrangement known as the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP). President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a past function. The US has published a list of countries whose citizens can apply for visa waiver. Photo: Marco Rubio. Source: Twitter According to the Department of State, the programme permits eligible travellers to enter the US and remain for a continuous period of up to 90 days, provided they secure approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) before departure. Those who would prefer to have a formal visa stamp in their passport retain the option of applying for a standard visitor visa, commonly referred to as a B visa.
. Which countries are on the visa-free list? Participation in the programme is limited to citizens or nationals of specific countries that have been formally designated by the US government. The full list currently includes Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. No African country, including Kenya, currently features on the list. Who loses US visa waiver eligibility? Legislative changes introduced through the Visa Waiver Programme Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 significantly narrowed who qualifies, even among passport holders from designated countries. Any national of a VWP country who has travelled to or been physically present in North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen at any point since March 1, 2011 must now obtain a full visa before travelling to the United States. Limited exceptions apply only to individuals who visited those countries in an official diplomatic or military capacity on behalf of a VWP-participating nation.
A separate restriction, introduced later, affects those who visited or were present in Cuba on or after 12 January 2021, with the same narrow exemptions for official government travel. US Department of State published 42 countries whose nationals can visit the country visa-free. The rules go further still for dual nationals. Citizens of VWP countries who simultaneously hold nationality in Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria are categorically excluded from using the programme and must apply for a visa through the standard consular process, regardless of which passport they intend to travel on. Travellers who remain eligible are reminded that ESTA approval is a firm requirement and must be in place before boarding any flight or vessel bound for the United States. Meeting all programme conditions, including travelling solely for purposes permitted under a visitor visa, is also mandatory. Where are US visa processing embassies? Meanwhile, the President Donald Trump administration recently slashed the number of United States embassies and consulates in Africa that process visas. At least 50 US embassies and consulates had been processing visas in Africa, but this number was reduced to 20.
