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United States of America

Visa United States of America

Amériques · Amérique du Nord

For the United States, the register retains the travel page of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which controls entry into the territory. The pages consulted on 2026-09-17 describe the inspection at the point of entry, the ESTA electronic travel authorization and the visa waiver program; they do not describe the visa application itself, which falls to the Department of State, whose site could not be read. The CBP officer decides on admission on arrival.

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 17 September 2026

At a glance

Authority
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of Homeland Security — control of entry into the territory. Visas fall to the Department of State, whose page could not be read
Submission channel
Not stated on the portal consulted for the visa application. The ESTA electronic travel authorization is applied for online at esta.cbp.dhs.gov, according to the page consulted
Electronic visa
Not stated on the portal consulted. The pages read describe an electronic travel authorization (ESTA), which the authority expressly distinguishes from a visa
Portal language
English

Do you need a visa?

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

"Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)" — electronic travel authorization
Described by the page as an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel under the visa waiver program. It is not a visa. Official page (new tab)
"Visa Waiver Program (VWP)" — visa waiver program
Administered by the Department of Homeland Security in consultation with the Department of State. For participating countries, it opens business or tourism travel of 90 days at most without a visa. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

The pages consulted on 2026-09-17 concern entry into the territory, not the issue of visas. The place and the manner of filing a visa application are not stated on the portal consulted: the page of the Department of State, the authority competent for visas, could not be read.

The page devoted to ESTA states that the application is filed online at esta.cbp.dhs.gov and that it may be filed at any time before travel, the page recommending that it be filed as soon as travel preparation begins. The visa waiver program is reserved for nationals of participating countries, whose list appears on the official page; the rule applicable to a given nationality is shown with the nationality selector on this page.

Steps in the procedure

  1. Determine whether the travel falls to a visa or to the visa waiver program; the pages read describe only the second.
  2. Where applicable, file an ESTA application online at esta.cbp.dhs.gov.
  3. Enter the biographical information and answer the eligibility questions for the visa waiver program.
  4. Hold an electronic passport, which the page describes as a secure passport containing an electronic chip.
  5. On arrival, present yourself for inspection by CBP officers at the point of entry.
  6. Establish your admissibility to the satisfaction of the CBP officer.
  7. Where applicable, consult your I-94 admission record at i94.cbp.dhs.gov, a service that the page links.

These steps concern the travel authorization and entry into the territory. The visa application procedure is not described on the pages consulted.

Documents mentioned by the authority

The exact list depends on the type of travel and on the situation; only the official page is authoritative.

Stated fees and processing times

The fees are not stated on the portal consulted: no page read states the cost of an ESTA application or that of a visa.

The processing time is not stated on the portal consulted. The page devoted to ESTA states only that the application may be filed at any time before travel and recommends that it be filed as soon as travel preparation begins. The period of validity of an ESTA authorization is not stated on the pages consulted.

After the decision

The page consulted expressly states that an authorization issued by ESTA does not determine whether the traveler is admissible to the United States, and that it is CBP officers who decide on admission on arrival. The page on admission adds that every person arriving at a point of entry is subject to inspection by CBP officers and that the foreign national who wishes to enter lawfully must establish their admissibility to the satisfaction of the officer.

The same page states that the officer may, if necessary, refer the traveler to an approved physician. The site also links an online service for consulting I-94 admission records, which makes it possible to retrieve an admission number and a travel history.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for United States of America to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Is a visa required to travel to the United States?

It depends on nationality and on the purpose of travel; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. Always check with the authority.

Where is a visa application filed?

Not stated on the portal consulted. The pages read are those of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which controls entry into the territory; the page of the Department of State, the authority competent for visas, could not be read.

What is ESTA?

According to the page consulted, an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the visa waiver program. The application is filed online at esta.cbp.dhs.gov. The authority states that it is not a visa.

Does an ESTA authorization guarantee entry into the territory?

No. The page consulted expressly states that an authorization issued by ESTA does not determine admissibility and that CBP officers decide on admission on arrival.

What are the fees and the processing times?

Not stated on the portal consulted. The page devoted to ESTA recommends only that the application be filed as soon as travel preparation begins.

How does one retrieve an admission record?

The site links an online service for consulting I-94 records, which makes it possible to retrieve an admission number and a travel history.

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

Prepare my case

This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.

  1. Describe your situation

    Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.

  2. Check at the source

    Open the destination’s official source and compare it with your situation before starting a procedure.

  3. Track what is left to do

    Your space keeps your answers and your declared checklist. A complete checklist does not announce a favorable decision.

Check my route Open my case

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.