Country
Passport Required?
Visa Required?
Return Ticket Required?
The following are not eligible to travel visa free under
the Visa Waiver Program and must apply for visas before
travelling:
(a) people afflicted with certain serious
communicable diseases;
(b) anyone with a criminal
record;
(c) narcotics addicts or abusers and drug
traffickers;
(d) anyone who has been deported from or
denied admission to the USA within the previous 5 years.
Valid passport required by all.
(a) For nationals of countries under the Visa Waiver
Program, passports must be valid for at least 90 days from
date of entry (except for nationals of Andorra, Brunei and San
Marino, who must hold passports valid for at least 6 months
from date of departure). (b) For all other nationals,
passports must be valid for 6 months from date of entry.
Required by all except the following:
(a)citizens of
countries under the Visa Waiver Program (see 2. below);
(b) 1. nationals of Bermuda (including other
nationals resident in Bermuda) and Canada, providing holding
valid passports;
(c) nationals of Mexico, provided holding
a valid passport and a US Border Crossing Card (form I-186 or
I-586);
(d) transit passengers continuing their journey by
the same or first connecting aircraft provided holding valid
onward or return documentaion and not leaving the airport.
However, the following nationals are not eligible to
transit without a visa:
Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh,
Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burundi, Central African
Republic, China (PR), Columbia, Congo (Dem. Rep. of), Cuba,
Iran, Iraq, Korea (Dem. Rep. of), Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Serbia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan.
(a) 2. The following nationals do not require a visa
under the Visa Waiver Program:
Andorra, Australia, Brunei,
EU countries (except nationals of Greece, who do
require a visa), Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New
Zealand, Norway, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Switzerland
and Uruguay.
To qualify for visa-free travel under the Visa
Waiver Pilot Program, nationals must travel on a valid
passport for holiday, transit or business purposes only and
for a stay not exceeding 90 days; hold a return or onward
ticket (if onward tickets terminate in Mexico, Canada, Bermuda
or the Caribbean Islands travellers must be legal permanent
residents of those countries); if entering the USA by air or
sea, hold a completed form I-94W and enter aboard an air or
sea carrier participating in the Visa Waiver Program (lists of
participating air or sea carriers are available from most
travel agents or the carriers themselves); if entering the USA
by land from Canada or Mexico, hold a completed I-94W issued
by Immigration at the port of entry and a US$6 fee.
(b)
3. Holders of UK passports with the endorsement British
Subject, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British
Protected Person, British Overseas Citizen or British National
(Overseas) Citizen do not qualify for the Visa Waiver
Program. Persons unsure about visa requirements (including
those defined in ‘Restricted Entry’ above) should write to the
US Consulate General or the Visa Department of the US Embassy
(see Address section).
Non-immigrant and Immigrant. Non-immigrant
visas are subdivided into a number of different visa types,
including Business, Student (participating in
academic or exchange programmes), Journalist, Temporary
worker, providing stays are for no more than 90 daysand
Transit. For details on other types of non-immigrant
visas and application requirements, contact the Consulate (or
Consular section at Embassy) or visit the US Embassy
website (http://www.usembassy.org.uk/).
Recorded visa information is also available (tel: 09068) 200
290; calls are charged at the rate of 60 pence per minute).
Each visa costs �32, regardless of whether the visa is
denied or issued and regardless of the duration of the visa or
entries required. The embassy will provide a paying-in slip,
which is attached to the application form DS-156. The fee must
be paid in cash at a bank prior to submitting a visa
application to the US Embassy, and the bank will endorse the
DS-156 as receipt of payment. Some nationals may also have to
pay a reciprocal visa issuance fee – details can be found on
the State Department’s website (http://www.travel.state.gov/).
Visas may be used for travel to the USA until the date it
expires, or if marked ‘valid indefinitely’ for up to 10 years.
Some visas are valid for multiple entries. The length of stay
in the USA is determined by US immigration officials at the
time of entry, but is generally 6 months. For extensions and
further information, apply to the US Immigration &
Naturalisation Service when in the USA.
(a) The embassy no longer issues visas valid indefinitely.
Any new B-1/B-2 visa issued will be valid for a maximum of 10
years. (b) A visa does not expire with the expiry of the
holder’s passport. An unexpired visa in an expired passport
may be presented for entry into the USA as long as the visa
itself has not been cancelled, is undamaged, is less than 10
years old and is presented with a valid non-expired passport,
provided that both passports are for the same nationality.
Visa branches at Consulates General. Visas can also
be applied for by mail or through an authorised travel agent
who has an agreement with the Embassy to lodge passports. Only
applicants requested by the Embassy to appear in person for an
interview will be required to schedule a personal appointment.
Postal applications: (a) Completed visa application
form DS-156. As of 1 January 2002, all male applicants aged
between 16-45 must also complete an additional form DS-157.
All application forms must be endorsed by a bank to
demonstrate payment of visa fee. (b) Valid passport. (c) 1
passport-size colour photo. (Nationals of China, Cuba, Russia
and Vietnam require 2 passport-size photos and 2 application
forms). (d) Supporting documents. (e) Stamped, self-addressed
envelope if applying by post. Applications through travel
agent: (a)-(e), but applicants should contact the travel
agent for details on paying the visa fee. Further
documentation may be required to substantiate details such as
the purpose of visit plus proof of intention to return to
country of residence.
Nationals of China, Cuba, North Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Libya,
Russia, Somalia, Sudan and Vietnam also require an
administrative processing questionnaire form. Please note that
this list is subject to change at short notice and any
applicant should check with the US Embassy (website: http://www.usembassy.org.uk/).
Routine applications will normally take 2-5 days. However,
due to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 applications
take up to several weeks. Passports will be posted back in the
stamped, self-addressed envelope or handed back to the travel
agent. It is important to allow sufficient time for processing
the visa, and final travel plans should not be made until a
visa has been issued. Applications lodged during the peak
travel season may take longer.
The law in the USA is complex for those wishing to take up
residence. More information may be obtained from the Embassy.
US Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW,
Room 7025, Washington, DC 20230
Tel: (202) 482 4029 or
482 0140. Fax: (202) 482 2887.
Website: http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/
1100 New York Avenue NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC
20005-3925
Tel: (202) 408 8422. Fax: (202) 408
1255.
Website: http://www.tia.org/
Rabies may be present in wildlife. For those at high
risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you
are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more
information, consult the Health appendix.
Medical insurance providing cover up to at least US$500,000
is strongly advised. Only emergency cases are treated without
prior payment and treatment will often be refused without
evidence of insurance or a deposit. Medical facilities are
generally of an extremely high standard. Those visiting the
USA for long periods with school-age children should be aware
that school entry requirements include proof of immunisation
against diphtheria, measles, poliomyelitis and rubella
throughout the USA, and schools in many States also require
immunisation against tetanus, pertussis and mumps.
HIV-positive visitors must apply at the Embassy for a waiver
of inadmissibility before entry.
Jan 1 2002 New Year’s Day. Jan 21 Martin
Luther King Day. Feb 18 Presidents’ Day. May 27
Memorial Day. Jul 4 Independence Day. Sep 2
Labor Day. Oct 14 Columbus Day. Nov 11 Veterans’
Day. Nov 28 Thanksgiving Day. Dec 25 Christmas
Day. Jan 1 2003 New Year’s Day. Jan 15
Martin Luther King Day. Feb 19 Presidents’ Day. May
28 Memorial Day. Jul 4 Independence Day. Sep
3 Labor Day. Oct 13 Columbus Day. Nov 11
Veterans’ Day. Nov 27 Thanksgiving Day. Dec 25
Christmas Day.
Destination Guide – United States of America
Passport and Visa Application
Health
Holidays
Restricted entry
Passports
Note
Visas
Visa Waiver Program
Types of visa and cost
Validity
Note
Application to
Application requirements
Note
Working days required
Temporary residence
Addresses
Other risks
Health care
Public Holidays
| British | yes | 2/3 | yes |
| Australian | yes | 2 | yes |
| Canadian | yes | no/1 | no |
| USA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Other EU | yes | 2 | yes |
| Japanese | yes | 2 | yes |
| International Trade Administration, Tourism Industries |
| Travel Industry Association of America |
|
|
|
|
| Health Precaution | Special Precaution | Certificate |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Fever | no | no |
| Cholera | no | no |
| Typhoid and Polio | no | n/a |
| Malaria | no | n/a |
| Food and Drink | no | n/a |