The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables the majority of citizens from certain countries designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enjoy visiting the United States (including US territories of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean) without the need of a B1/B2 tourist visa, when the purpose of travel is tourism or business, and the visit is less than 90 days. Although visitors from these countries generally do not need a visa, they will need to register on ESTA before a trip. There are 38 countries currently in the list.
List of Visa Waiver Countries
Note:
1. The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) only applies to citizens of the participating countries. Permanent residents of those countries do not qualify for this program.
2. Travelers entering with VWP have to hold an electronic passport with a digital chip containing biometric information about the passport owner.
3. As of 2016, people from visa waiver countries who have previously traveled to Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011 are no longer qualified for The Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Dual citizens of Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria are also disqualified. In these cases, if eligible, you would be required to apply for a B1/B2 tourist visa.