US Releases List of Countries Whose Citizens Qualify for the Visa Waiver Programme
- The US has published the complete list of nations whose citizens can enter without a traditional visa under its Visa Waiver Programme
- Travellers must obtain digital ESTA clearance before departure, though a standard visitor visa remains an alternative option
- Certain dual nationals and those with travel history to specific countries face automatic disqualification from the scheme
- US-based immigration lawyer Benedicta Agyemang details what visitors should not do after entering the country
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The United States Department of State has released a detailed breakdown of its Visa Waiver Programme (VWP), setting out which countries qualify and what additional requirements travellers must meet before arriving on American soil.
Under the programme, citizens of approved nations may enter the US for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 days without obtaining a conventional visa.
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However, eligible travellers are required to first obtain clearance through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a web-based platform that must be completed before boarding any flight or sea vessel bound for the US.
Those who prefer a physical record of their entry clearance retain the option of applying for a standard visitor visa through the usual consular process.
The list of countries currently participating in the VWP includes Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
Beyond holding citizenship of one of these nations, travellers must also present a valid electronic passport embedded with a digital chip that meets international aviation standards. This requirement applies universally, covering infants, as well as those travelling on emergency or temporary passports.
The State Department also outlined circumstances under which otherwise eligible nationals lose access to the waiver entirely. Any person who holds dual nationality involving a non-qualifying country, or who has previously travelled to or resided in Cuba, Iran, Iraq, or Sudan, is barred from using the ESTA system. Such individuals must instead schedule an in-person interview at a US consulate or embassy to apply for a visa through the standard route.
Do not violate visa laws
Speaking to YEN.com.gh, US-based immigration lawyer Benedicta Agyemang explained what visitors should not do after entering the country.
"Visitors should comply with all conditions of their admission and depart the United States before their authorised stay expires. Overstaying or violating visa conditions can result in future immigration consequences, including difficulties obtaining future visas or re-entering the United States."
US warns South Africa over five demands
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the US had expressed its intention to impose further punitive measures on South Africa if Pretoria continued to resist Washington's demands.
US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III said this during an interview with The Common Sense on Monday, October 19, 2026.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
