How Does the VWP Work?
The VWP enables nationals from designated countries to apply for admission to the United States for 90 days or less as non-immigrant visitors for business or pleasure without first obtaining a nonimmigrant visa. If the following requirements are met, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, may designate a country as a participant in the program: • The country offers reciprocal travel privileges to United States citizens; • The country has certified that it has a program for issuing electronic passports (e-Passports) containing digital chips that store biographic and other data; • The country began issuing e-Passports to its citizens no later than October 26, 2006. • The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, prepares a report evaluating the effect the country’s designation would have on the United States’ law enforcement and security interests; and • The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with t
