Showing Articles for "Visa Waiver Program"

When planning a trip to the United States, understanding the various travel authorization programs is crucial. Two important programs for short-term visitors are the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program. This article will explore the differences and similarities between these two programs. The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) The Visa Waiver Program is administered by the…

On September 27th, 2023, Israel received the long-awaited news of its inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), marking a significant milestone in the relationship between the United States and Israel. This development promises to enhance security, promote economic ties, and foster people-to-people connections between the two nations. A Game-Changer for Travel: ESTA Update On October 19th 2023,…

Israel has long sought entry into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which would allow its citizens to travel to the United States for business or tourism for up to 90 days without a visa by using an ESTA. Israel was thought to be in compliance to join the VWP. However, last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said Israel has failed to come into compliance with a few of the necessary…

Introduction The U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) arrivals statistics by country of citizenship from 2014 to 2018 have been analyzed and consolidated in this article. These statistics are released on an annual basis by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the results for 2019 are still being processed. This article will share some of the findings discovered on meaningful results extracted from…

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 and Syria. The act was first amended…

Introduction The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows visa-free travel for over 20 million visitors annually to the United States for citizens of 43 participating countries globally. The VWP uses a multi-layered security system to stop potentially dangerous individuals from entering the USA. These security measures include comprehensive screening before a traveler departs to the United States and upon…

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 country admitted to the Visa Waiver Program since its creation in 1986. An…

Introduction Polish citizens wishing to travel to the United States are not currently eligible to apply for an ESTA visa waiver, but this could soon be set to change. Last week U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, visiting Poland to commemorate the outbreak of WWll 80 years ago, said on Monday that he was delighted that the country was close to being able to join the USA Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The…

Introduction The USA currently has a list of countries that participate in its 'visa waiver scheme'. This scheme enables travellers who fulfil certain criteria (for example, the absence of a criminal record and the absence of any other visa violations) to enter the USA for tourism purposes without a visa at the immigration officer's discretion, and to stay there for up to 90 days. Many of these countries,…

Learn about which entities have access to the data shared with ESTA, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and how is it protected.