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Passport and visa regulations for U.S. travel
A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in the traveler’s passport. However, certain international travelers may be eligible to travel to the U.S. without a visa, if they meet the requirements for travel under the Visa Waiver Program. All non-U.S. citizens planning to travel to the U.S. should visit travel.state.gov for additional information.
Travel with a visa
To obtain a visa for travel to the U.S., contact a local U.S. Consulate or Embassy. The type of visa you will need may vary depending on the purpose of your travel. You may be required to pay fees or taxes, and to attend an interview. The process can take up to several weeks, so it is important to start the process well before the date you intend to travel. If you need additional information, please contact your travel agency or local United office.
Visa Waiver Program
Non-U.S. citizens traveling under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), including infants and children, must present a machine-readable passport (MRP) at a U.S. port of entry to be admitted into the country without a visa.
In addition, all VWP travelers are required to obtain an authorization via ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) before traveling to the U.S. Travelers who do not obtain ESTA authorization prior to travel may be denied aircraft boarding. Travelers applying for ESTA will be subject to an ESTA application fee. Apply and learn more about ESTA on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website.
US-VISIT
Travelers from all foreign countries will be required to enroll in the US-VISIT program upon entering the United States. Under this program, non-U.S. citizens have their fingerprints digitally scanned and their photograph taken upon arrival in the U.S. For more information about this program, visit the Department of Homeland Security website.
I-94 forms
All non-U.S. citizens arriving in the U.S. must complete the I-94 form, except for the following travelers:
- U.S. citizens
- Returning resident aliens
- Canadian citizens
- Non-U.S. citizens entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)
The I-94 form will be collected by the airline when you exit the U.S. If your I-94 was not collected when you exited the U.S., and you need to turn it in, please visit help.customs.gov.
Important note on flights via the U.S.
U.S. regulations always require travelers to comply with customs and immigration procedures at their first point of entry into the U.S. Travelers will need to have all required documents with them upon arrival — even if the U.S. is not their final destination. If travelers have more than one U.S. stopover, they will not need to clear customs again.
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