The United States has tightened its Visa Waiver Program rules, meaning some travellers who used to enter visa‑free must now apply for a visa before visiting the country.
The country updated its Visa Waiver Program, cutting off visa‑free entry for some travellers who have visited or hold dual nationality with a list of high‑risk countries.
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) normally allows eligible citizens of participating countries to visit the US for tourism or business for up to 90 days without first obtaining a visa, provided they secure travel authorisation through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) before departure.
Under changes introduced through the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, the US government says some travellers who would previously have qualified for visa‑free entry must now apply for a regular US visa instead.
Officials say the updated rules are designed to tighten security screening by scrutinising travellers with recent links to countries of concern, even if those travellers hold passports from trusted VWP partners.
The new restrictions apply to two main groups of travellers under the programme.
Travellers Who Visited Certain Countries
First, the US has listed a set of countries whose recent visitors will no longer be able to use the Visa Waiver route.
The countries are North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, as well as Cuba for certain recent visits.
According to the updated guidance, nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries who have travelled to or been present in North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011, lose their eligibility for visa‑free travel.
Limited exceptions exist for people who travelled for official purposes in the service of their own VWP country, such as diplomatic or military missions.
A similar rule now applies to Cuba but with a different cut‑off date.
Nationals of participating VWP countries who travelled to or were present in Cuba on or after January 12, 2021, are no longer eligible to use the VWP, except in narrow diplomatic or military circumstances.
In practical terms, that means a person from a Visa Waiver country who visited any of the listed states during the specified period will have to seek a visitor (B) visa through a US embassy or consulate before they can travel to the United States.
Dual Nationals Of Restricted Countries
The second major category covered by the changes affects dual nationals.
The US says that nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries who also hold citizenship of certain listed states can no longer travel visa‑free, even if they have never visited those countries.
The affected dual nationalities include Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan and Syria.
If a traveller, for example, holds both a passport from a VWP partner country and citizenship of one of these restricted countries, they must now apply for a visa before heading to the US.
The updated rules mean that holding a passport from a programme country is no longer enough on its own if a traveller’s history or nationality links them to the specified states.
At the same time, the US government says the core features of the Visa Waiver Program remain in place for travellers who are still eligible.
Those travellers must continue to obtain a valid ESTA approval before boarding a flight or ship to the US and must limit their stay to no more than 90 days for tourism or business.
They must also meet all other programme conditions, including holding a valid e‑passport and having no prior visa denials or immigration violations that could affect their admissibility.
For travellers affected by the new rules, the path to the US now runs through the standard visa process, with interviews and additional screening, rather than the faster, online ESTA route that once allowed them to board a plane without a visa in their passport.
