How does a person get permission to enter the United States?
The basic method is by way of a visa. In most cases, the American Embassy or Consulate in a foreign country will grant a visa to a foreign national of that country. The visa will be stamped in the person’s passport, and it will allow entry into the United States at a border checkpoint or other controlled point of entry (an international airport in the United States, for example). There is a program, called the Visa Waiver Pilot Program, which allows tourists from certain countries (for example, Canada, New Zealand and Japan, and many European countries) to enter the U.S. and travel here for up to 90 days merely by possessing a valid passport. No specific visa is necessary.
