Do I Need To Apply For a US Visa

Most times, the answer to the question of “do I need to apply for a US visa is totally dependent on your nationality and purpose of traveling to the United States. The above criteria may determine whether you need to apply for a US Visa or not.

If you are not a resident of the United States, you will most likely need a visa to enter the country. Visas are issued by American Embassies and Consulates to foreign nationals traveling to the US.

However, Citizens of some countries may be exempted from applying for a US Visa, if they:

• Intend to stay for 90 days or less
• Travel for Tourism or business purposes

Which Countries Can go to the US without a Visa?

Citizens of the following countries do not need to apply for a US Visa before entering the United States.

1. Canada

Citizens of Canada are free to enter, stay and even work in the US without a Visa. They are also permitted to use a NEXUS card or a driver’s license in place of a passport.

2. Bermuda

Bermudians are also exempted from visa requirements, for stays less than 6 months in the US.

3. Visa Waiver Countries

The Visa Waiver program allows most Citizens of participating countries to travel to the US for a period of 90 days or less. One might need to ask ‘Which Countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program?’. There are 40 Countries included in the Visa Waiver Program and they are:

Andorra	Australia	Austria	Belgium
Brunei	Chile	Croatia	Czech Republic
Denmark	Estonia	Finland	France
Germany	Greece	Hungary	Iceland
Ireland	Italy	Japan	South Korea
Latvia	Liechtenstein	Lithuania	Luxembourg
Malta	Monaco	Netherlands	New Zealand
Norway	Poland	Portugal	San Marino
Singapore	Slovakia	Slovenia	Spain
Sweden	Switzerland	Taiwan	United Kingdom

Note: If you intend to visit the US under the Visa Waiver Program, you must get an approved travel authorization before traveling. Authorization approvals are determined using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

All You Should Know About The US Visa Waiver Program

This program is administered by the Department of Homeland Security. The purpose of the creation was to improve security for the people who visit the United States and to enable US citizens to travel to the other 40 member countries freely; It’s a win-win for all member countries.

If you satisfy the necessary criteria and you are a Citizen of a country with which the US has good relationships, you will not need to apply for a US Visa to travel to the US. With a stamp on your passport stating that you are part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), you’re free to enter the US.

However, you need to qualify first before you can travel to the US Under the Visa Waiver Program.

How Can You Qualify For the US Waiver Program

If you must qualify for the US Visa Waiver Program, you must fulfill the following criteria:

• Be a citizen of the 40 participant countries
• Have a visa waiver ESTA approval.
• Have an e-passport.
• Prove that you will return to your home country after your VWP stamp expires.

On the other hand, Citizens of the following countries need to apply for a visa before entering the United States:

Afghanistan	Albania	Algeria	Angola	Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina	Armenia	Aruba	Azerbaijan	Bahamas
Bahrain	Bangladesh	Barbados	Belarus	Belize
Benin	Bhutan	Bolivia	Bosnia	Botswana
Brazil	Bulgaria	Burkina Faso	Burundi	Cambodia
Cameroon	Cape Verde	The central African Republic	Chad	China
Colombia	Comoros	Congo Democratic Republic	Costa Rica	Côte d’Ivoire
Croatia	Cuba	Cyprus	Djibouti	Dominica
Dominican Republic	East Timor	Ecuador	Egypt	El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea	Eritrea	Ethiopia	Federated States of Micronesia	Fiji
Gabon	Gambia	Georgia	Ghana	Grenada
Guatemala	Guinea	Guinea Bissau	Guyana	Haiti
Honduras	India	Indonesia	Iran	Iraq
Israel	Jamaica	Jordan	Kazakhstan	Kenya
Kiribati	Kuwait	Kyrgyzstan	Laos	Lebanon
Lesotho	Liberia	Libya	Macedonia	Madagascar
Malawi	Malaysia	Maldives	Mali	Mauritania
Mauritius	Mexico	Moldova	Mongolia	Montenegro
Morocco	Mozambique	Myanmar	Namibia	Nauru
Nepal	Nicaragua	Niger	Nigeria	Oman
Pakistan	Palau	Panama	Papua New Guinea	Paraguay
Peru	Philippines	Poland	Qatar	Republic of Congo
Republic of Korea	Republic of Kosovo	Romania	Russia	Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Saint Lucia	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Samoa	Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia	Senegal	Serbia	Seychelles	Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands	Somalia	South Africa	South Sudan	Sri Lanka
Sudan Suriname	Swaziland	Syria	Tajikistan	Tanzania
Thailand	Togo	Tonga	Trinidad and Tobago	Tunisia
Turkey	Turkmenistan	Tuvalu	Uganda	Ukraine
UAE	Uruguay	Uzbekistan	Vanuatu	Vatican City
Venezuela	Vietnam	Yemen	Zambia	Zimbabwe

If your country is listed above then you need to apply for a US Visa. We made a post on How to Apply for a US Visa. You should check it out.