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Blog on ESTA visa waiver news and updates

Trump Administration Planning to Extend the 2017 Travel Restrictions

Updated: Jan 28, 2020 | Tags: USA Visa Restrictions, USA Visa Requirements

Introduction At the Davos summit last week, President Trump announced that he was going to add more countries to the controversial 2017 travel ban list under Executive Order 13769. The White House seems to be suggesting that several countries not currently included on the list are no longer complying with US security requirements. While the president did not specify which additional countries…

Terrorist Travel Prevention Act Impacts on the Visa Waiver Program

Updated: Aug 25, 2023 | Tags: Visa Waiver Program, ESTA Eligibility

Introduction In January 2016, the U.S. government started to implement changes to the Visa Waiver Program through the Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of the previous year. This act aims to exclude citizens of countries deemed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to be state sponsors of terrorism, including people from Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Sudan…

Questions and Answers on Permitted Business Activities under the Visa Waiver Program

Updated: Aug 25, 2023 | Tags: ESTA for Business, ESTA Requirements

This article covers a range of questions and answers on how an ESTA can be used for conducting business related activities in the U.S. while traveling under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). We received a number of the following questions in response to the information on using an ESTA…

Updates on Iranian-Americans Detained at Canadian Border and on the Status of Asylum Seekers Entering the U.S. from Mexico

Updated: Jan 07, 2020 | Tags: USA Immigration, Border Security

Americans of Iranian origin temporarily detained at the border with Canada Iranian-American families are anxious for the future amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran. A Muslim rights group claims that over 60 U.S. citizens of Iranian origin have undergone questioning and delays when reentering the United States at the border in Blaine, Washington State. CAIR, the Council…

How does a country get admitted to the Visa Waiver Program?

Updated: Aug 25, 2023 | Tags: Visa Waiver Program, Border Security

Introduction The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows visa-free travel for over 20 million visitors annually to the United States for citizens of 41 participating countries globally. The VWP uses a multi-layered security system to stop potentially dangerous individuals from entering the USA. These security measures…

What are the categories of U.S. visas and visa waivers?

Updated: Sep 05, 2023 | Tags: USA Visa Requirements, ESTA Requirements, ESTA Eligibility

Introduction Foreign nationals visiting the United States will need to either obtain a U.S. visa or a visa waiver. The visa application process usually involves submitting a form and passport-style photograph online, paying a non-refundable fee as well as attending an embassy appointment for applicants aged between 14 and 79. The visa waiver application process is conducted entirely online…

H-1B Electronic Registration and Border Wall Construction Updates

Updated: Dec 12, 2019 | Tags: Border Security, USA Visa Application

H-1B Electronic Registration Process for 2021 announced by USCIS The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that a pilot testing phase for the H-1B electronic registration process has successfully been completed. Employers who wish to apply for H-1B cap-subject petitions for the following fiscal year must now register electronically. An associated registration…

What is the experience of traveling on an ESTA?

Updated: Nov 01, 2022 | Tags: ESTA Experience, ESTA Application

Introduction The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) provides travelers with the option to travel visa-free to the United States using a streamlined and automated process. An ESTA can be used by travelers arriving to America by land, air or by sea. It permits stays of up to 90 days and is issued for a period of two years, or the date of passport expiry. An alternative form…

Imminent Senate Vote on passing Brand USA bill to encourage US Travel

Updated: Nov 22, 2019 | Tags: ESTA Fee, ESTA

Introduction Brand USA, which is a marketing organization that is funded by the ESTA, sees a way forward with passing a senate bill to extend its funding over the next few years. Brand USA is a mixed public/private organization that acts as the travel marketing arm of the United States. It has been involved in an ongoing struggle to prove that it plays a vital role in travel to the United…

Polish Passport Holders can now apply for ESTA

Updated: Nov 11, 2019 | Tags: Visa Waiver Program, ESTA Eligibility, ESTA Requirements

Introduction On November 6th 2019, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that Polish passport holders will be able to apply for ESTA starting today, November 11th 2019. Poland will be the first country admitted to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) since 2014, when Chile was admitted. Poland will be the 39th…