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Visit the U.S. as a tourist

Learn about travel documents to enter the U.S., including non-immigrant visas, Form I-94, and ESTA.

Visa Waiver Program and ESTA application

The Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of participating countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa.

How to check the status of your visa application

Find out how to check the status of your visa application online. And to avoid delays, learn how to update your address if you move while waiting for your visa to be approved.

How to apply for or renew a U.S. tourist visa

If you visit the U.S. for tourism or business, you may need a visitor visa, also known as a tourist visa. Learn how to get and renew this type of nonimmigrant visa.

Form I-94 arrival-departure record for U.S. visitors

Visa Waiver Program forms I-94 and I-94W record the arrival and departure dates of U.S. visitors.

Foreign visitors: what to do if your visa or passport is lost or stolen

If you are in the U.S. and your visa or passport was lost or stolen, learn how to report it and apply for a new one.

COVID-19 international travel advisories

If you plan to visit the U.S., you do not need to be tested or vaccinated for COVID-19.

How to extend your stay in the U.S.

You may be able to extend your stay in the U.S. Learn if you qualify and how to file for an extension.

What happens if your visa application is rejected

Find out what to do if your visa is denied, and learn if you are eligible for a waiver of grounds of inadmissibility.

Entering the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda

See what travel documents you need to enter the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda.

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U.S. Visa: Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country

Visit our Newsroom for information about the current status of visa services and visa restrictions.

What is a U.S. Visa?

A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to travel to the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa. Visas are placed in the traveler’s passport, a travel document issued by the traveler’s country of citizenship.

Certain international travelers may be eligible to travel to the United States without a visa if they meet the requirements for visa-free travel. The visa section of this website contains information on U.S. visas for foreign citizens seeking to travel to the United States.

(Note: U.S. citizens don’t need a U.S. visa for travel, but when planning travel abroad may need a visa issued by the country they wish to visit. When planning travel abroad, learn about visa requirements by country, on the country information  page of the International Travel Section of this website).

More Information about Visas

Find out what visa type is appropriate for you

The type of visa you must obtain is defined by U.S. immigration law, and relates to the purpose of your travel.

Please visit our Visa Wizard to find out what visa type is appropriate for you.

You can also visit our Frequently Asked Questions   or find out about the  Visa Waiver Program .

Other useful links:  Visa Categories   |   Find a U.S. Embassy or Consulate   |   Glossary

Visa Appointment Wait Time

Check the estimated wait time for a nonimmigrant visa interview appointment at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Note:  Please check the individual Embassy or Consulate website to determine if your case is eligible for a waiver of the in-person interview.

Applicants scheduling visa appointments in a location different from their place of residence should check post websites for nonresident wait times.

Select a U.S. Embassy or Consulate:

Global visa wait times, travel to the united states, forms & fees, rights & protections for temporary workers, fraud protection, glossary, a-z index, & faqs, electronic system for travel authorization application, rights & protections for foreign-citizen fiancé(e)(s), check the visa bulletin, need help getting started.

Many non-U.S. citizens need a visa to enter the United States to visit, work, and live. Why do you want to travel to the United States? Please try our Visa Wizard.

U.S. Visas News

Apr 19, 2024 Department of State/AILA Liaison Committee Meeting March 20, 2024

Apr 15, 2024 Visa Information for Nationals of Haiti

Jan 2, 2024 Worldwide Visa Operations: Update

Dec 21, 2023 Important Update on Waivers of the Interview Requirement for Certain Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants

Dec 21, 2023 Department of State to Process Domestic Visa Renewals in Limited Pilot Program

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I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility

If you are inadmissible to the United States and are seeking an immigrant visa, adjustment of status, certain nonimmigrant statuses, or certain other immigration benefits, you must file this form to seek a waiver of certain grounds of inadmissibility. Please refer to the instructions to determine whether you should use this form.

You must submit all 11 pages.

Forms and Document Downloads

Form I-601 (PDF, 600.79 KB)

Instructions for Form I-601 (PDF, 490.51 KB)

Flowchart: Filing Certain Waivers of Inadmissibility (PDF, 578.67 KB)

Form Details

04/01/24 . You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions.

Dates are listed in mm/dd/yy format.

If you complete and print this form to mail it, make sure that the form edition date and page numbers are visible at the bottom of all pages and that all pages are from the same form edition. If any of the form’s pages are missing or are from a different form edition, we may reject your form.

If you need help downloading and printing forms, read our instructions . 

The filing location depends on the immigration benefit you are seeking. To view a complete list of addresses, go to our  Direct Filing Addresses  page.

You can find the filing fee for Form I-601 by visiting our Fee Schedule page.

Through Sept. 30, 2024, there is no fee to file Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status , on the basis of classification as an Afghan special immigrant, or for any associated biometric services or to file an associated Form I-601.

Through Sept. 30, 2024, there is no fee to file Form I-601 individually with an approved Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative , filed with USCIS in the United States for an Afghan national (beneficiary) who has a visa immediately available.

You can pay the fee with a money order, personal check, cashier’s check or  pay by credit card or debit card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions . If you pay by check, you must make your check payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

When you send a payment, you agree to pay for a government service. Filing fees are final and non-refundable, regardless of any action we take on your application, petition, or request, or if you withdraw your request.   If you pay by credit card or debit card, you cannot later dispute the payment. Use our Fee Calculator to help determine your fee.

If you are submitting multiple forms, pay each filing fee separately. We are transitioning to electronically processing immigration benefit requests, which requires us to use multiple systems to process your package. We may reject your entire package if you submit a single, combined payment for multiple forms.

Please do not submit this checklist with your Form I-601. The checklist is an optional tool to use as you prepare your form, but does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements. We recommend that you review these requirements before completing and submitting your forms.  Do not send original documents unless specifically requested in the form instructions or applicable regulations.

If you submit any documents (copies or original documents, if requested) in a foreign language, you must include a full English translation along with a certification from the translator verifying that the translation is complete and accurate, and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English.

Did you provide the following?

• Evidence that establishes why you may qualify for a waiver of inadmissibility, which depends on the ground(s) of inadmissibility that apply to you and should include evidence to show why we should grant you a waiver of inadmissibility as a matter of discretion. 
• If applying for a waiver that requires you to a showing of extreme hardship to a spouse, parent, son, or daughter of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, you must submit evidence establishing the family relationship and evidence that shows the denial of admission would result in extreme hardship to your qualifying relative.
• If you are a VAWA self-petitioner seeking a waiver for immigration fraud or misrepresentation, you may show how the denial of admission would result in extreme hardship to your qualifying relatives or yourself. 
• Evidence to support a waiver for inadmissibility due to a communicable disease of public health significance (if applicable).
• Evidence to support your request for a vaccination exemption (if applicable).
• Evidence to support a waiver of inadmissibility due to physical or mental disorder and associated harmful behavior (if applicable).
• Evidence to support a waiver of criminal grounds of inadmissibility found in INA section 212(a)(2) (if applicable)
• Evidence to support waiver for immigration fraud or misrepresentation (if applicable).
• Evidence to support a waiver for inadmissibility because of your membership in a totalitarian party (if applicable).
• Evidence to support a waiver for inadmissibility due to alien smuggling (if applicable).
• Evidence to support a waiver of inadmissibility due to being the subject of a civil penalty under INA section 212(a)(6)(F) (if applicable).
• Evidence to support a waiver of the 3-or 10-year unlawful presence bar under INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(v) (if applicable).
• If you are a TPS applicant, evidence that a waiver is warranted. 
• Evidence that you warrant a waiver of inadmissibility based on factors that would be considered if you were seeking consent to reapply if you are seeking adjustment of status under NACARA section 202 or HRIFA section 902, and inadmissible under INA section 212(a)(9)(A) or (C). 
• Evidence that shows connection between the battery or extreme cruelty that is the basis for the VAWA claim and the self-petitioner’s removal, departure from the United States, reentry or re-entries into the United States, or attempted reentry into the United States if you are an approved VAWA self-petitioner or child of an approved VAWA self-petitioner and inadmissible under INA section 212(a)(9)(C)(i).   
• Evidence to support waiver if you are an applicant for adjustment of status as a Special Immigrant Juvenile (if applicable).

Filing Tips for Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility

Complete  all sections  of the form. We will reject the form if these fields are missing:

• Family Name
• Mailing Address
• Date of Birth

Filing Tips:  Review our  Tips for Filing Forms by Mail  page for information on how to ensure we will accept your form.

Don’t forget to sign your form.  We will reject any unsigned form.

E-Notification:  If you want to receive an e-mail and/or text message that we have accepted your form at a USCIS lockbox, complete  Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance  and clip it to the first page of your form. 

Fee Waiver:  We will accept a fee waiver request from:

• A VAWA self-petitioner;
• An applicant for a T visa;
• A battered spouse or child of a lawful permanent resident or U.S. citizen;
• An applicant for Temporary Protected Status;
• A Special Immigrant Juvenile; or
• Any other noncitizen for whom  a determination of their likelihood of becoming a public charge under section 212(a)(4) is not required at the time of their application for admission or adjustment of status.

Please see our Fee Waiver page for more information.

• Centralized Filing and Adjudication for Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility
• Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility

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United States ESTA: Apply online now!

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How to Apply: ESTA

Complete our easy online application and pay with credit card or PayPal

No need to deal with the embassy. We do it for you so you don't lose valuable time

Present your Passport and the Document we provide upon entry to destination country

How to Apply: Embassy Registration

Your embassy will assist you if an emergency (eg. Natural disasters, civil unrest, etc) occur

Why Register with the Embassy

Required information to apply.

Once You Have Registered With Your Embassy Or Consulate, You Will Need To Update Your Data If:

• your contact details change,
• your civil status changes,
• you are going back to your home country.

Learn More: ESTA

What you need to know.

Under the visa waiver program, many nationalities can apply for the ESTA if they intend to enter the United States by air, sea, or land

Travelers must obtain a new ESTA authorization if they are issued with a new passport or change their name, gender, or country of citizenship

Apply for your United States ESTA online today with us!

Last updated: March 2024

Embark on an unforgettable American adventure with the United States ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) .

Our user-friendly platform, the iVisa app , and dedicated assistance ensure that your American dream is just a few clicks away.

What is the United States ESTA?

The United States ESTA is an electronic travel authorization that allows eligible travelers to visit the United States without a visa.

Visa-exempt travelers to the US can use this permit instead of a visa. It's easier and quicker to apply for than a regular B1/B2 (tourist) visa and helps the United States government strengthen border security.

What can you do with the United States ESTA?

This document allows you to visit the country for tourism, transit, and business .

What can you not do with the United States ESTA?

You can't use the United States electronic travel authorization to live, study, and/or work in the country.

Who is eligible to apply for the United States ESTA?

You must meet the following eligibility criteria to apply for the United States ESTA:

You're traveling with a passport from one of the foreign countries on the Visa Waiver program list

Applicants must have an e-passport, which includes an embedded electronic chip

While an approved ESTA is required, it doesn't guarantee entry. US Customs and Border Protection officers decide at the point of entry, and you can still be refused admission based on various factors, such as security reasons.

Who requires the United States ESTA?

Check the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) list to find out if you require an ESTA, or use our handy Visa Checker and apply online today!

Who doesn't need to apply for the United States ESTA?

Those who require a visa for the United States instead, or those with permission to study, work, or live in the US, don't need the United States ESTA to enter the country.

However, please note they may need another document to enter.

Traveling to the United States with children and minors

Children under 18 years old from eligible countries need to register their own United States ESTA visa waiver .

Parents or legal guardians can register on their behalf. Simply apply as a family by clicking 'add another person' during the online process on our platform.

How long is the United States ESTA valid?

Once your ESTA is issued, it's valid for 2 years (or until your passport expires), and you can travel to the United States on multiple trips.

Please note: For Brunei or Hungary passport holders, the US travel authorization ESTA is valid for up to 1 year from the date of issuance.

Having an ESTA authorization does not mean you may stay in the US for two years. It only allows you to stay in the US for up to 90 days per visit .

Can I extend the United States ESTA?

The ESTA isn't extendable . After the expiration date, you must apply for a new one. Luckily, applying online with us or through the government website is easy and quick.

How to check the status of your ESTA visa waiver

If it's been a while since you last registered, and you're unsure if your ESTA still valid, you can check your ESTA status on the United States government ESTA website.

Simply enter your passport number and other details and click 'Retrieve application'.

United States ESTA: Required documents to apply

You don't need many documents to apply for the US ESTA:

• Copy of your valid passport . Make sure it's valid for your entire stay in the United States and has a digital chip containing your biometric info (e-passport or enhanced secure passport)

How to apply for the United States ESTA online

To get your United States ESTA online with us, just follow the three simple steps below:

Step 1: Complete our simplified application form with your travel and passport details. Please look over all your application information carefully before continuing.

Step 2: Then, choose your preferred processing time and pay the processing fees. You can pay securely online with a credit/debit card, Venmo, or PayPal.

Step 3: Receive your United States ESTA via email within the chosen timeframe, and prepare to travel!

You can simply enter the country with your passport, as the ESTA is linked electronically. However, we recommend keeping an electronic and printed copy of the ESTA approval confirmation on hand just in case.

United States ESTA costs and processing times

The government fee for the United States ESTA is USD $21.00 .

When applying with us, you can choose from three different processing times:

Standard - 2 days : Price per applicant is USD $38.49 .

Rush - 12 hours : Price per applicant is USD $56.99 .

Super rush - 4 hours : Price per applicant is USD $75.99 .

These prices include the government fee for your convenience.

Do I need the United States ESTA to transit through the country?

Yes, you also need to register for a valid ESTA if you're just transiting in the country , even when you're not leaving the transit area at the airport.

United States entry requirements and restrictions

Venturing into the United States? It's essential to stay updated on the latest entry requirements and restrictions to ensure a smooth and hassle-free journey:

COVID-19: Keep an eye on the current COVID-19-related guidelines via your airline or the United States government website .

Customs and border control: Be prepared for customs inspections and questioning by border control officers. Carry relevant documentation like return tickets and make sure you can prove that you have enough funds to pay for your entire trip.

Where can I learn more about the United States ESTA?

In case you have questions about the United States ESTA or any other travel document, you can reach out to our outstanding customer support team online or WhatsApp .

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My application couldn’t be completed due to an error. What now?

My esta has been denied. am i required to apply for a visa, how do i correct a mistake on my application, i have a valid visa. am i required to apply for esta, it is less than 72 hours before my flight to the united states. i just found out about the esta application. what can i do, if a traveler has received approval through esta to travel to the united states, does that mean that they are guaranteed entry to the country, where can i read more.

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• Fact Sheets

Fact Sheet: Presidential Proclamation to Suspend and Limit Entry and Joint DHS-DOJ Interim Final Rule to Restrict Asylum During High Encounters at the Southern Border

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration took decisive new action to strengthen border security, announcing a series of measures that restrict asylum eligibility, and significantly increase the consequences for those who enter without authorization across the southern border. These extraordinary steps, which will be in effect during times when high levels of encounters exceed our ability to deliver timely consequences, will make noncitizens who enter across the southern border ineligible for asylum with certain exceptions, raise the standard that is used to screen for certain protection claims, and speed up our ability to quickly remove those who do not qualify for protection.

These actions follow a series of steps that the Administration has taken over the past three years as it prepared for the end of the Title 42 public health Order, and since it was lifted last year, including surging personnel, infrastructure, and technology to the border, issuing the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways Rule, and referring record numbers of noncitizens into expedited removal. Over the past year, we have removed or returned more than three quarters of a million people, more than in any fiscal year since 2010. Despite these efforts, our outdated and broken immigration and asylum system, coupled with a lack of sufficient funding, make it impossible to quickly impose consequences on all noncitizens who cross irregularly and without a legal basis to remain in the United States.

The Administration has repeatedly called on Congress to provide the resources and legal authorities needed to secure our border. The measures announced today will better enable the Department to quickly remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States, strengthening enforcement and change the calculus for those considering crossing our border irregularly. However, they are no substitute for Congressional action. We continue to call on Congress to provide the new tools and resources we have asked for to support the men and women on the frontlines.

President Biden issued a Presidential Proclamation to temporarily suspend the entry of noncitizens across the southern border. The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General also jointly issued an interim final rule that, consistent with the Proclamation, generally restricts asylum eligibility for those who irregularly enter across the southern border – including the Southwest land and the southern coastal borders. The rule also limits fear screenings to those who manifest a fear or express a desire to file for protection and heightens the screening standard for statutory withholding and claims under the Convention Against Torture. Taken together, these measures will significantly increase the speed and scope of consequences for those who cross our borders irregularly or who attempt to present themselves at Ports of Entry without authorization, allowing the Departments to more quickly remove individuals who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States. The restriction on asylum eligibility will be discontinued when encounters fall below certain levels but will come back into effect if encounters rise again.

The rule makes three key changes to current processing under Title 8 immigration authorities during periods of high border encounters:

• First, noncitizens who cross the southern border unlawfully or without authorization will generally be ineligible for asylum, absent exceptionally compelling circumstances and unless they are excepted by the Proclamation.
• Second, noncitizens who cross the southern border and are processed for expedited removal while the limitation is in effect will only be referred for a credible fear screening with an Asylum Officer if they manifest or express a fear of return to their country or country of removal, a fear of persecution or torture, or an intention to apply for asylum.  
• Third, the U.S. will continue to adhere to its international obligations and commitments by screening individuals who manifest a fear as noted above and do not qualify for an exception to the Rule for withholding of removal and Convention Against Torture protections at a reasonable probability of persecution or torture standard – a new, substantially higher standard than is currently applied under the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways rule.  

Like the Proclamation, the rule provides for an end to these enhanced measures following a sustained reduction in southern border encounters. Specifically, these measures are in effect until 14 calendar days after there has been a 7-consecutive-calendar-day average of less than 1,500 encounters between the ports of entry. The measures would again go into effect, or continue, as appropriate, when there has been a 7-consecutive-calendar-day average of 2,500 encounters or more.

During periods of high encounters, the Proclamation will apply across the southern border. Lawful permanent residents, unaccompanied children, victims of a severe form of trafficking, and other noncitizens with a valid visa or other lawful permission to enter the United States are excepted from the Proclamation.

In addition, the suspension and limitation on entry and rule will not apply to noncitizens who use a Secretary-approved process—such as the CBP One mobile app—to enter the United States at a port of entry in a safe and orderly manner or pursue another lawful pathway.

Noncitizens who cross the southern border and who are not excepted from the Proclamation will be ineligible for asylum unless exceptionally compelling circumstances exist, including if the noncitizen demonstrates that they or a member of their family with whom they are traveling:

• faced an acute medical emergency;
• faced an imminent and extreme threat to life or safety, such as an imminent threat of rape, kidnapping, torture, or murder; or
• satisfied the definition of “victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons” currently provided in 8 CFR 214.11.

Consequences

Noncitizens who are subject to the rule’s limitation on asylum eligibility and who manifest or express a fear of return to their country or country of removal, express a fear of persecution or torture or an intention to apply for asylum, but do not establish a reasonable probability of persecution or torture in the country of removal will be promptly removed.

Those ordered removed will be subject to at least a five-year bar to reentry and potential criminal prosecution.

The Proclamation and rule will significantly enhance the security of our border by increasing the Departments’ ability to impose swift consequences for individuals who cross the southern border irregularly and do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States.  Together, the Proclamation and rule make critical changes to how the Departments operate during times when encounters are at historically high levels—levels that, in the absence of these changes, undermine the government’s ability to process individuals through the expedited removal process. These changes will enable the Departments to quickly return those without a lawful basis to stay in the United States and thereby free up the asylum system for those with legitimate claims.

These extraordinary measures are a stop gap. Even with these measures in place, the Departments continue to lack the authorities and resources needed to adequately support the men and women on the frontlines. The Administration again calls on Congress to take up and pass the bipartisan reforms proposed in the Senate, which provide the new authorities, personnel, and resources that are needed to address the historic global migration that is impacting countries throughout the world, including our own. Until Congress does its part, we will continue to take any actions needed under current law and within existing resources to secure the border.

• Border Security
• Immigration
• Biden-Harris Administration
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
• Department of Justice (DOJ)