VWP Visa Waiver Program (ESTA)
The Visa Waiver Program lets most citizens or nationals of 42 designated countries travel to the United States for business or tourism, for up to 90 days, without a visa, after obtaining an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) approval. On arrival, CBP records the traveler's admission class on the I-94 as WB (business) or WT (tourism). Citizens of Canada and Bermuda enter under separate arrangements and are not VWP travelers.
- Duration
- Up to 90 days per admission, fixed at entry and not extendable. A short trip to Canada, Mexico, or an adjacent island generally does not reset the clock; the traveler is readmitted for only the remainder of the original 90 days.
- Extensions
- None. USCIS confirms VWP admittees (WB and WT classes) cannot file Form I-539 to extend their stay or change to another nonimmigrant status under any circumstance; the traveler must depart on or before the date stamped at entry.
- Work
- None. Employment, paid performance, credit-bearing study, and permanent residence are all barred, the same restrictions that apply to B-1/B-2.
- Dual intent
- No
- Dependents
- No derivative status; each family member, including infants, must hold their own passport and obtain their own ESTA approval.
- Path to a green card
- None. VWP entry carries the added restriction that status cannot be changed while in the United States, making it a poor vehicle for any transition toward permanent residence.
- Processing time
- Most ESTA applications are approved within minutes; CBP recommends applying before booking travel and allowing up to 72 hours for a result. ESTA approval alone does not guarantee admission; CBP officers decide admissibility at the port of entry.
Who qualifies
- Citizens or nationals of one of the 42 VWP-designated countries, holding a valid e-passport
- Traveler whose purpose fits standard B-1/B-2 activities (business meetings, conferences, contract negotiation, tourism, family visits, medical treatment) for 90 days or less
- Traveler with an approved ESTA obtained before boarding, and no disqualifying travel history or citizenship overlap (see pitfalls)
Requirements
- Valid e-passport (embedded electronic chip, ICAO-compliant) from a VWP country, valid at least 6 months beyond planned departure unless exempted
- Approved ESTA authorization obtained online before boarding a U.S.-bound air or sea carrier
- Travel on an approved VWP signatory carrier (private aircraft and non-signatory carriers require a visa instead)
- No disqualifying travel history and no dual nationality with a barred country (see pitfalls)
- Intended stay of 90 days or less
How to apply
- 1
Confirm citizenship or national status in one of the 42 VWP countries and hold a valid e-passport
- 2
Complete the ESTA application online, ideally as soon as travel plans begin and before purchasing airline tickets
- 3
Pay the ESTA fee ($40.27 as of FY2026)
- 4
Receive ESTA approval, typically within minutes but allow up to 72 hours
- 5
Book travel on an approved VWP signatory carrier
- 6
Present the ESTA approval and e-passport to a CBP officer at the U.S. port of entry; the officer determines admissibility and stamps a WB or WT admission for up to 90 days
Fees and forms
| ESTA application fee | $40.27 (FY2026, effective January 1, 2026; up from $40 effective September 30, 2025, and $21 before H.R. 1 / Public Law 119-21); a denied application is charged $10.27 |
ESTA application (online at esta.cbp.dhs.gov; no DS-160 required)I-94 (issued electronically, admission class WB or WT)
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- 2025-06-18: State Department announced expanded online-presence (social media) vetting, beginning with F, M, J, and H-1B applicants and expanding through March 2026 to further classifications; VWP/ESTA travelers were not named among the affected classifications as of the most recent expansion (unverified whether ESTA-specific social media review has since been added).
- 2025-09-30: ESTA fee raised from $21 to $40 under H.R. 1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Public Law 119-21).
- 2025-11-19: DHS published the FY2026 inflation adjustment for the H.R. 1 fees, setting the ESTA authorization fee at $40.27 per travel authorization ($17 travel promotion + $10.27 + $13).
- 2026-01-01: The proclamation of December 16, 2025 took effect. Entry is fully suspended for nationals of 19 countries (Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen) and partially suspended for nationals of 20 more (Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe), which for every partial country except Turkmenistan suspends B, F, M and J issuance and directs consular officers to shorten the validity of all other nonimmigrant visas. Holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents are also covered. It bites on nationals who were outside the United States on January 1, 2026 without a valid visa.
Where it goes wrong
- No extensions and no change of status under any circumstance, confirmed directly by USCIS guidance excluding WB/WT from Form I-539 eligibility
- Travel to or presence in Cuba on or after January 12, 2021, or in North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011, disqualifies a VWP national from ESTA (limited exceptions for diplomatic or military travel in the service of a VWP country); an ESTA denial on this basis requires applying for a full visa instead
- Dual nationals of Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria (in addition to a VWP country) are also excluded from the program
- A recent visa refusal for any reason can trigger ESTA denial, added port-of-entry scrutiny, or a denied admission
- An approved ESTA does not guarantee entry; CBP officers retain full authority to deny admission at the port of entry
- Traveling on a private aircraft or a non-signatory carrier is not permitted under VWP and requires a visa instead
Also in visitor
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