If you’re a foreign national, you might be curious about the legal pathways to enter the U.S. for business or tourism. But if you’re from one of the 40 countries in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), you won’t need to get a visa beforehand. This program is a partnership between the U.S. and select countries designed to enhance U.S. security while promoting legitimate travel and commerce. Essentially, through the VWP, nationals of designated countries can travel to the U.S. for limited periods of stay for business and tourism purposes without obtaining a visa. Recently, the U.S. announced the designation of Israel into the VWP. Please continue reading to learn what this means for Israeli nationals and how an adept Essex County Immigration Attorney can help you today.
What is the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)?
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) permits citizens or nationals of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of up to 90 days without obtaining a visa. Currently, the U.S. is partnered with 40 countries through the VWP. In exchange for allowing nationals of designated countries to enter the U.S. without a visa for tourism and business purposes, those 40 countries must permit U.S. citizens and nationals to travel to their countries for similar lengths of stay visa-free.
While foreign nationals of designated countries do not have to obtain a visa before entering the U.S., they must have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval and meet all the requirements. Due to the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 that Congress enacted, there are specific requirements and restrictions to VWP. That being said, under the VWP, travelers who have traveled to or been present in Iraq, North Korea, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, or Yemen at any time on or after March 1, 2011, are no longer eligible to travel or be admitted to the U.S. without a waiver. However, these restrictions do not apply to VWP travelers who were present in one of the above-listed countries to perform military service in the armed forces of a program country or to carry out official duties as full-time employees of the government of a designated country.
Is Israel a VWP-designated country?
As of September 27, 2023, it was announced that Israel would be added as the 41st member of the VWP. By November 30, 2023, ESTA will be updated to permit citizens and nationals of Israel to apply to travel to the U.S. visa-free. If you’re an Israeli national, you can travel to the U.S. through VWP for business and tourism purposes without obtaining a visa for up to 90 days. If you currently hold a valid B-1 or B-2 visa for business or tourist travel, you can still use it to enter the U.S., as this update will not impact your visa’s validity. Furthermore, in exchange for the designation of Israel into the VWP, Israel has updated its entry policies to offer U.S. citizens the same privileges, entering Israel visa-free for a similar period of stay.
If you’re an Israeli national, contact a knowledgeable Essex County immigration attorney from the Law Offices of Christopher T. Howell, Esq., who can help you stay up to date on all of the changes being made to imagination law to ensure you are aware of how these changes may impact your immigration status.
