America Publishes a List of Countries Whose Citizens Are Eligible for a Visa-Free Travel Programme
- The United States published an updated list of countries whose citizens qualify for its visa-free travel programme
- Travellers from eligible nations can visit the US without obtaining a visa through the Visa Waiver Programme
- The announcement drew widespread attention from Africans curious about whether their countries made the list
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The United States government has released a full list of countries whose citizens are eligible to travel to the country without a visa under its Visa Waiver Programme (VWP). The programme allows travellers from approved nations to enter the US for up to 90 days for tourism, business, or transit purposes without needing a traditional visa. Instead, qualifying travellers must obtain authorisation through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) before departure.
Which countries made the cut
As of the latest update, 42 countries are part of the VWP. The list, first published by Briefly News sister publication Yen, is largely made up of European nations, along with a handful of countries from Asia and the Pacific. These include the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, among others. Absent from the list are most African nations. South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and other major African countries do not qualify for the programme, meaning their citizens still need to apply for a US visa through the standard consular process.
The reason for countries' exclusion
To be considered for inclusion in the VWP, a country must meet several requirements set by the US Department of Homeland Security. These include a visa refusal rate below 3%, strong passport security standards, and information-sharing agreements with the United States on matters of law enforcement and counterterrorism. Countries that do not meet these thresholds remain ineligible, regardless of their diplomatic ties with Washington.
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Source: Briefly News
