US Announces 8 Countries Whose Visitors Could Lose Their Visa Waiver Program Eligibility
- The US government published rules that strip Visa Waiver Program eligibility from nationals of participating countries who visited certain nations
- Travellers affected by the rule must apply for a visitor visa instead of using the faster ESTA approval route to enter the US
- The restriction covers travel to 8 specific countries dating back to March 1, 2011, with limited exceptions for diplomatic and military purposes
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The United States government has identified eight countries whose visitors can cause nationals of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries to lose their eligibility to travel to the US without a visa.
Under the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, any citizen or national of a VWP-participating country who has travelled to or been present in any of the listed countries on or after March 1, 2011, is no longer eligible to use the programme.
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Such travellers must apply for a standard visitor (B) visa before entering the United States.
The 8 countries that trigger VWP ineligibility
The countries whose travel history can disqualify a VWP national from using the programme are:
1. Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
2. Iran.
3. Iraq.
4. Libya.
5. Somalia.
6. Sudan.
7. Syria.
8. Yemen.
What the Visa Waiver Program allows
The VWP ordinarily allows citizens and nationals of participating countries to visit the US for tourism or business for up to 90 days without going through the full visa application process.
To travel under the programme, a person must hold a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) approval before departure and meet all other entry requirements set by US authorities.
Travellers who remain eligible for the programme but would prefer to have a visa stamp in their passport can still apply for a B visitor visa through the standard consular process.
The exceptions to the disqualification rule are narrow. Nationals of VWP countries whose travel to the listed countries was carried out for diplomatic or military purposes in the direct service of a VWP-participating country may still qualify to use the programme.
Anyone who is uncertain about whether their travel history affects their VWP eligibility is advised to apply for a visitor visa rather than attempt to use ESTA, as travelling without the correct authorisation can result in denial of entry at the US border.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the US had listed seven categories of people exempt from paying visa application fees.
People who can apply for US citizenship without fee
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the US had published two categories of people who can apply for citizenship without paying the fee.
The guidance, published by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), outlines who qualifies for a full fee exemption and how the waiver works in each case.
USCIS noted that members of the military may also be exempt from other standard naturalisation requirements.
Source: Legit.ng
