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American Tourist Visa

If you wish to travel to America as a tourist you will not be required to obtain an American Tourist Visa if you plan to travel for less than 3 months and are a citizen of a country with a visa waiver agreement with America.

If you wish to travel in America for longer than 3 months, or intend to conduct business activities in America, you will be required to apply for a Tourist or Business Visitor (B1 or B2) Visa.

The Visa Waiver Pilot Program allows foreign nationals from certain countries to travel in America for a period of 90 days for business or pleasure without having to obtain a visa. In cases where the foreign national does not hold a passport which meets new immigration requirements (i.e. contains a digital photo and machine readable format), they will need to apply for a B Visa.

To travel to America under this program, you must:

• Be travelling to America for a period of 90 days or less;
• Have a passport valid for 6 months beyond your intended visit;
• Be a citizen of a country which holds a visa waiver agreement with America;
• Provide evidence you intend to depart the country, such as a return ticket; and
• Be of good character.

All Visa Waiver Program ("VWP") travelers, regardless of age or type of passport used, must present machine-readable passports; previous one-time exemptions for first-time VWP travelers without MRPs ended June 26, 2005. In addition, depending on when VWP travelers' passports were issued, other passport requirements will apply:

• Machine-readable passports issued before 10/26/05 - no further requirements
• Machine-readable passports issued between 10/26/05 and 10/25/06 - requires digital photograph printed on the data page or integrated chip with information from the data page
• Machine-readable passports issued on or after 10/26/06 - requires integrated chip with information from the data page (e-passport)

Other visitors to America who are entering the country on a temporary basis for business or pleasure are required to hold an American Tourist or Business Visitor (B1 or B2) Visa.