Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Visa requirements for United States citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states that are imposed on citizens of the United States. As of 2024, holders of a United States passport may travel to 186 countries and territories without a travel visa , or with a visa on arrival .
The implementation of the new requirement was named the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) and was done in phases. In the first phase, effective January 23, 2007, nationals of the United States, Canada, Bermuda and Mexico became required to present a passport to enter the United States by air from the Americas.
The U.S. government requires all individuals entering or departing the United States by air, or entering the United States by sea from outside the Americas, to hold one of the following documents: [1] U.S. passport; Foreign passport; for entry, a U.S. visa is also required except for:
Flight passengers might want to make sure their passports follow these requirements, or else they might not be allowed to board a plane, according to an international flight attendant.
Advance Passenger Information System [1] or APIS is an electronic data interchange system established by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). [2]APIS governs the provision of a limited number of data elements (identification details from the passport and basic flight information) from commercial airline and vessel operators to the computer system of the destination state. [3]
If a longer stay is intended, a visa is required. [3] ESTA does not guarantee entry to the United States. CBP officers make the final determination of admissibility (entry) to the United States and may cancel or deny ESTA at any time during travel, for example for suspicions of giving false information in the application.
Airlines in the United States are now required to give passengers cash refunds if their flight is significantly delayed or canceled, even if that person does not explicitly ask for a refund.
Consequently, even though travellers departing America by air might not be required to have a passport to enter a certain country, they will be required to have a valid passport booklet to board their flight in order to satisfy American immigration authorities at departure. [2]