The United States has announced its 2025 visa waiver program, featuring a revised list of eligible countries and new travel policies. However, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, and the United Kingdom are notably absent from the list.The US Department of State recently released the updated list, which includes 40 countries whose citizens can now travel to the United States without a visa. Romania is the newest addition to the list.
The 2025 visa waiver program aims to simplify visa-free entry into the United States, making business, tourism, and transit travel more accessible to millions of people worldwide. However, the update has left some countries regretting the new development.
The list of eligible countries includes Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, and Israel.Other countries on the list are Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Japan, Slovenia, Latvia, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Spain, Lithuania, Sweden, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Qatar.
Taiwan and the United Kingdom remain eligible for the visa waiver program under specific conditions. The updated policy is set to take effect in 2025, marking a significant change in the US visa waiver program.
The visa waiver programme allows travellers from eligible countries to visit the United States without a visa for up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes. Instead of going through a lengthy visa process, eligible individuals can apply for an electronic system for travel authorisation (ESTA) before departure.
While most of the VWP list remains unchanged, adding Romania marks a significant update. The U.S. has also focused on enhancing security checks and prioritising countries with strong diplomatic ties and border security standards.
Nevertheless, Romania, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom are excluded from the U.S. visa and interview waiver programme for 2025.
Source : https://businessday.ng/
