United States of America

*The following information may be subject to change while COVID-19 travel restrictions are in place.

The US has strict entry requirements for both tourists and transit passengers. US Customs and Border Protection officers won’t let you enter if you don’t comply.

If you’re visiting for less than 90 days, you may be eligible to:

• apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and then
• enter under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)

Otherwise, you’ll need to get a visitor visa before you travel.

Visa and other entry and exit conditions can change at short notice, including currency, customs and quarantine rules. Contact an embassy or consulate of the United States for the latest details.

More information:

Visa-free travel for short stays

If you plan to visit for less than 90 days, you may be able to travel under the VWP. This includes travel to the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

You can’t enter the US under the VWP if you have:

• been denied an ESTA or entry under the VWP
• been denied a US visa
• an emergency passport, document of identity or Provisional Travel Document
• a criminal record
• been arrested but not convicted
• dual citizenship with Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan or Syria
• travelled to Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen since 1 March 2011, with limited exceptions

Before travelling under the VWP, you must apply and be pre-approved via the ESTA.

US authorities recommend that you apply as soon as you know you’ll be travelling. ESTA approvals can take at least 72 hours.

ESTAs are valid for 2 years and for multiple entries.

You’ll need to apply for a new ESTA if:

• you renew your passport within the 2-year period
• your VWP eligibility changes

If there are differences between your ESTA, passport or ticket information, you could be:

• refused entry
• referred for secondary inspection (where an officer may interview you)

If your ESTA application is denied, you’ll need to apply for a visitor visa from a US embassy or consulate.

US authorities generally won’t tell you why an ESTA application was rejected. You can’t appeal the decision. 

If you provide false or incorrect information on an ESTA, you may be permanently barred from travel to the US.

More information:

Visitor visas

If your ESTA application is denied or you’re not eligible to travel under the VWP, or you intend to stay for more than 90 days, you’ll need to apply for a visa from a US embassy or consulate.

Depending on your reason for travel, you can apply for either:

• a tourism visitor visa (B-1), or
• a business visitor visa (B-2)

There’s a visa for every travel purpose.

More information:

Arrival and departure record (Form I-94)

When you arrive, US authorities will decide the date by which you must leave the country. This date may not be the same as the expiry date of your ESTA or visitor visa.

A US Customs and Border Protection official should:

• stamp your passport and write the date you must leave on the stamp
• issue you with an electronic or paper Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record)

Your I-94 is evidence of your legal status in the US. It shows the date when you must leave the country.

You can check your I-94 with the US Customs and Border Protection each time you enter the US.

If you stay past your I-94 expiry date, you can be detained, deported and barred from re-entering the US.

To extend your stay in the US, lodge a request with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Form I-539 before your I-94 expires.

You can’t extend or renew your I-94 by travelling to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean for 30 days or less and then re-entering the US.

If you travel to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean and return to the US while your I-94 is still valid, you’ll be readmitted for the amount of time left on it.

If your I-94 has recently expired and US authorities think the purpose of your trip was only to extend your stay in the US, they can:

• refuse you entry
• detain and deport you

If you’re issued a paper I-94 when you arrive at a land border, give it to the airline, cruise line or US Customs and Border Protection officials when you leave the US.

Read the original advice at SmartTraveller.gov.au by Australian Government