Visa Waiver Program

Introduction

The Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of 27 countries to visit the United States for up to 90 days without having to first obtain a visa.^[1] To be eligible, the purpose of the visit has to be for tourism or business. You also have to use a machine-readable passport that is valid for at least 6 months past your expected stay in the USA.

Travel to Canada, Mexico or an Adjacent Island While on VWP

Generally speaking, VWP applicants admitted under the VWP may be readmitted to the United States after a departure to Canada or Mexico or adjacent islands for the balance of their original admission period.

This is provided they are otherwise admissible and meet all the conditions of the VWP, with the exception of arrival on a signatory carrier, in which case the inspecting officers have the discretion to grant the applicants entirely new periods of admission. The VWP applicant is admissible and may be readmitted to the United States under the VWP after a departure to Canada or Mexico or adjacent islands provided the person:

• Can identify an authorized period of admission that has not expired,
• Plans to depart the United States prior to the expiration date of their period of admission,
• Presents valid, unexpired passports which reflect admission to the United States under the VWP, and
• Continues to meet all criteria set forth for the VWP, with the exception of arrival on a signatory carrier (a registered airline).^[2]

The term "adjacent islands" is defined in section 101(b)(5) of the Act and for the purposes of the VWP includes Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Marie-Galante, Martinique, Miquelon, Montserrat, Saba, Saint-Barthelemy, Saint Christopher, Saint Eustatius, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Maarten, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre, Saint Vincent, Grenadines, Trinidad, Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands and other British, French and Netherlands territory or possessions bordering on the Caribbean Sea.

Participating Countries

The countries that participate in this program are: