Great news for Polish nationals. Effective November 11, 2019, Polish nationals may travel to the United without a visa, using only their Polish passports and an approved ESTA.
Back on October 31st the Department of Homeland Security designated Poland as a country eligible to participate in the Visa Waiver Program. Recently, the Department of Homeland Security published a final rule making the designation official.
Poland joins thirty-eight countries currently participating in the Visa Waiver Program.
What is the Visa Waiver Program?
Citizens or nationals of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program may travel to the United States for tourism or business without having to apply for a tourist visa at a U.S. Consulate abroad. Participants are eligible to remain in the United States for a temporary period of 90 days or less.
In order to travel without a visa on the Visa Waiver Program, citizens must have authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to boarding a U.S. bound air or sea carrier. ESTA is an online system that is used to determine eligibility to travel under the VWP to the United States for tourism or business.
How long is an ESTA valid for?
Once approved, the ESTA is valid for a period of two years. You must obtain a new ESTA if you receive a new passport, change your name, change your gender, change your country of citizenship, or your responses to “yes” or “no” questions on the ESTA application must be updated.
What are the Requirements?
Travelers must have a valid machine-readable passport issued by the participating country and be a citizen or national (not only a resident) of that country.
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