Who needs a US visa to enter the United States?
Most visitors need either a nonimmigrant visa or an approved ESTA under the Visa Waiver Program. Canadian citizens are usually visa exempt for short visits.
Updated
The Visa Waiver Program and ESTA
Citizens and nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries can visit the United States without a visa for 90 days or less. Permitted activities match a visitor (B) visa: tourism, business meetings, conferences, short-term training and medical treatment.
- You must hold an e-passport, which is a passport with an embedded electronic chip.
- You must have ESTA approval before boarding a US-bound plane or ship, or before presenting yourself at a land border port of entry.
- An ESTA costs about $40 and is typically valid for two years, or until your passport expires.
Children need their own ESTA at any age. Apply only on the official CBP site and confirm the current fee there.
Who still needs a visa
| Your situation | What you need |
|---|---|
| Citizen of a Visa Waiver Program country, visiting for up to 90 days | An approved ESTA and an e-passport |
| Citizen of a country outside the Visa Waiver Program | A nonimmigrant visa, applied for in advance |
| Staying longer than 90 days, working or studying | A visa in the correct category, even from a participating country |
| Canadian citizen visiting | Usually no visa, though some categories are excepted |
What removes your Visa Waiver Program eligibility
Holding a participating country's passport is not always enough. The State Department lists circumstances that push an otherwise eligible traveller to a full visa.
- Travel to or presence in North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after 1 March 2011, with limited exceptions.
- Travel to or presence in Cuba on or after 12 January 2021, with limited exceptions.
- Also holding nationality of Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria alongside your Visa Waiver Program nationality.
If any of these apply, apply for a visa instead and allow time for an interview. The conditions have been amended more than once, so check travel.state.gov.
Canadian citizens
Citizens of Canada generally do not require a nonimmigrant visa to visit the United States, though treaty trader, investor, fiance and certain informant categories are excepted. Permanent residents of Canada who are not citizens do need a visa.
Important: Overstaying your permitted stay can void your visa or ESTA and bar you from returning for years. The officer at the border sets how long you may stay, not your visa and not your return ticket.
Visa applications and border questioning both go easier when you can show where you are staying. A free-cancellation hotel booking on trip1, payable in Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC or any of 120+ cryptocurrencies through CoinGate, gives you that proof.
Neither a visa nor an ESTA guarantees entry. Confirm current requirements for your nationality on travel.state.gov or cbp.gov before you travel.
Who needs a US visa to enter the United States - FAQ
No. An approved ESTA replaces the visa for Visa Waiver Program travellers visiting for 90 days or less on business or tourism. Longer stays, work and study still need a visa.
Generally no. Citizens of Canada do not require a nonimmigrant visa for most visits, though categories such as treaty trader, investor and fiance visas still do, and permanent residents of Canada who are not citizens need a visa.
Travel to or presence in certain listed countries, or holding an additional nationality from a small list of countries, removes your eligibility. You then apply for a visa instead.
An approved ESTA is typically valid for two years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. Each visit under it is limited to 90 days or less.