Under the Act, travelers in the following categories are no longer eligible to travel or be admitted to the United
States, without a waiver, under the VWP:
- Nationals of VWP countries who have traveled to or been present in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, or Yemen at any time on or after March 1, 2011 (with limited exceptions); and
- Nationals of VWP countries who are also nationals of Iraq, Syria, Iran, or Sudan.
These restrictions do not apply to VWP travelers whose presence in Iraq, Syria,
Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, or Yemen was to perform military service in the armed forces of a program country, or in order to carry out official duties as a full-time employee of the government of a program country. We recommend those individuals who have traveled to one or more of the seven countries listed above for military/official purposes bring with them appropriate documentation when traveling through a U.S. port of entry. However, these exceptions do not apply to the restriction for dual nationals of one of the subject countries (“dual national restriction”).
The vast majority of VWP-eligible travelers will not be affected by the new Act. New countries may be added to this list by designation of the Secretary of Homeland Security.
