Travel To The United States: What Are The Formalities?

Anyone planning a trip to the United States should check that they are in compliance with the strict requirements for entry into this country. Here are all the administrative formalities to be completed for passports and visas, to avoid unpleasant surprises at the time of departure.

The Visa Waiver Program

Some travel to the United States does not require a visa, in accordance with the rules of the visa waiver program or 'Visa waiver program'.

This program allows nationals of 27 countries, including France, visa-free access to U.S. territory, either in transit or for a tourist or business stay of 90 days maximum.

The 27 countries in question are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

You are eligible for this visa waiver program as long as you have an e-passport or a Passport that meets certain requirements, as well as a round-trip airline ticket proving your exit from the United States.
You will also need to complete the visa waiver application form (Form I-94W) that will be given to you by the transportation company during the flight.

Note: As of January 12, 2009, a new procedure will replace the I-94W form. It will be a questionnaire that must be filled out on Internet before any travel to the United States.

Types of valid passports

For a trip to the United States, you must present:
- either an electronic passport issued in France since 2006: it takes about 15 days to obtain and costs 60€.

- or an individual, machine-readable Passport (DELPHINE model) and issued before October 25, 2005 inclusive.
Otherwise, obtaining a visa is mandatory.

Note: the U.S. authorities do not recognize the registration of children, regardless of age, on the Passport of one of the parents.

Other conditions to be met

All travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program is subject to certain conditions:
- the stay cannot be extended beyond the 90 days authorized
- it is forbidden to engage in any professional activity, paid or unpaid, during the stay.

Note: if you wish to go to the United States to work, you must have a visa authorizing you to work in a defined job when you leave France.

Cases where a visa is required

As a result of the conditions presented above, obtaining a visa is mandatory for:
- minors registered on the passport of one of the parents
- Holders of an old model passport (without an optical reader strip)
- Holders of a Delphine model passport issued after October 25, 2005.

Note: these requirements also apply if you need to transit through the United States, for example, to travel to Tahiti or the Caribbean.

In addition, a visa is required, regardless of your passport model, for any trip to the United States of more than 90 days or to conduct business there.

To obtain a visa, you must make an appointment with the US Consulate in Paris.
Only children strictly under the age of 14 and persons 80 years of age and older are exempt from visiting the U.S. Consulate in Paris and may apply by mail.
More information can be found at Internet below.