Paperless Entry Processing for Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Travelers

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has recently begun a transition to paperless processing for VWP travelers arriving by air or sea who have obtained a travel authorization via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

VWP travelers arriving by air or sea have been required to obtain travel authorization via ESTA before boarding carriers en route to the United States since January 12, 2009. Applicants applying for admission to the United States under the VWP are exempt from having a Visa.

It is important to note that the CBP Form I-94W (green paper) will continue to be required at land borders, in the case of system outages, and at ports of entry that have not completed the transition to automated processing.

If admitted under the new automated process at a designated port of entry, the CBP officer will stamp the applicant’s passport with a United States admission stamp and annotate it with the class of admission WT/WB and date admitted until. The traveler’s departure from the United States will be documented electronically.

Currently, 36 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program, as shown below: